"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
...

"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?

Not safe. You may get away with it 500 times, but it may also bite you
the next time. Too close for me.

What you need is a better push stick. Or should I say, push "device".

I have no trouble at all putting that through using my push device that
has a long flat bottom to hold the wood in place. Picture the handle of a
hand saw withthe hand grip hole. I traced the saw handle on a piece of
3/4" plywood, made a flat bottom about 6" long with a 1/2" catch on the
back. Good grip, good control, lots of safety.

Maybe I'm not visualizing the cut the right way... the end piece will be
that plywood piece 4" by 5", right? In general, it sounds like a cut I'd be
comfortable with. I've also made pushblocks like the one Edwin described,
with sacrificial surfaces that could be sawed into. The main thing is to
either have the surface glued on, or screwed in a way such that it is not in
line with the blade.

Ed