"Kent" wrote in message
...
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 would have to agree with Leon on this, it is not a safe operation. I have
the same problem quite often and solve it this way:

Take the miter gauge and attach a long strip of wood to it, long enough to
be cut by the sawblade. Take your ripped board and place it against the
sawblade opposite the fence, and mark the miter gauge board to the width of
the ripped board. I usually put a stop block on the miter gauge at this
point. You can now cut the pieces to the proper size, A hold down on the
miter gauge is quite helpful.