dpb wrote:
On Jan 20, 9:07 am, Kent wrote:
I would like to know if what I am doing on a table saw is safe. I have
ripped a board to 4" in width. I then have a piece of 3/4" plywood
that is approximately 5" X 5" and I would like to cut this to 4" wide
to exactly match (in width) the first piece I ripped. I am sliding
the 5" X 5" plywood through by hand holding it tight to the fence.
Pushing it through with a push stick does not "feel" safe to me. There
is plenty of clearance for my fingers when I slide it through.
However, since the board is only 5" across, it also does not feel safe
to me to have the plywood fully behind the blade with nothing on eiter
side as I am sliding it through. Miter saw would liekly be safer,
however, I am trying to exactly match the first board I ripped.
Is what I am doing safe or not?
I see nothing wrong with the operation and do similar operations
routinely -- the bearing side against the fence is long enough that
the prohibition against crosscutting w/ the fence in place isn't a
problem; you're actually making a rip cut albeit on a (relatively)
short piece of stock.
If you're uncomfortable w/ doing it by hand and/or w/ a conventional
dead cat, I'd suggest making a wide push stick (say 3") that would
give more stability. The commercially available "Gripper" would be a
model...
Pushing it through by hand? Not safe in the least - major clenching of
the sphincter muscle. The "Gripper" is a great tool for this operation,
and I've used it to make many cuts similar to the one described and it's
been a breeze. I'd still be sure to use a splitter or riving knife
though, and keep constant pressure downward and towards the fence until
you've made it all the way past the blade. One of those long and tall
push blocks with a through handle and a good clean rubber mating surface
would be decent second choice. A push stick would be out of the
question; I hate those things.
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