Hi all,

My wife just bought me a nice table saw/router for Christmas, I set it
up, but have never used a Table saw before, any safety tips ?

Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?

Thanks,
Darryl.

wrote:
| Hi all,
|
| My wife just bought me a nice table saw/router for Christmas, I set
| it up, but have never used a Table saw before, any safety tips ?

Stay focused on what you're doing.

Keep body parts well away from whirly sharp objects.

Wear your safety glasses.

Google for and read up on "featherboard", "table saw sled", "table saw
kickback".

Congratulations on both the table saw and the wife. If she's willing
to buy tools for you, she's definitely a "keeper"!

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi all,

My wife just bought me a nice table saw/router for Christmas, I set it
up, but have never used a Table saw before, any safety tips ?

Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?


Never use the fence and miter at the same time

Use push sticks. Your first projects should be to make a few.

But a good blade. The one that came with the saw is mediocre at best. Good
blades start at $50 and go up from there. Yes, it willmake a difference.

There are books on tablesaw use that will give you far more than we can do
in a newsgroup post. You may also want to take a woodworking course at the
local Adult Ed or a Woodcraft.

Morris Dovey wrote:

wrote:
| Hi all,
|
| My wife just bought me a nice table saw/router for Christmas, I set
| it up, but have never used a Table saw before, any safety tips ?

Stay focused on what you're doing.

Keep body parts well away from whirly sharp objects.

Wear your safety glasses.

Google for and read up on "featherboard", "table saw sled", "table saw
kickback".

Congratulations on both the table saw and the wife. If she's willing
to buy tools for you, she's definitely a "keeper"!

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto


In addition to the excellent advice, let me add.

It takes a lot longer to regrow flesh than it does for the tablesaw to
remove it and some of does not regrow.

A 1/4" dado blade will remove a 1/4/" section of your finger as easily as it
will remove the same amount of wood. Fortunately, I only had it set at
1/4" height. Still I have a reminder from the knuckle of my index finger
down around the end. Missed the nail though.

Kickback is "DEADLY." It can put a piece through your navel in a heartbeat.
Never, never use anything to keep the cut open on the far side of the blade
(except a designed splitter). Saw an article a few years ago when someone
used a screwdriver to keep the kerf open. A combination of several forces
implanted it screwdriver in his forehead. You can guess the consequences.

Get a dust collector, with less than a 1 micron filter bag. You only have
one set of lungs and emphysema is a nasty way to go.

End of horror stories.

Always observe the Golden Rule of any woodworking shop, "Begin with 10 and
end with 10."

All of that said, woodworking is not dangerous "IF" you use common sense,
keep alert and don't take short cuts with the machinery.

Wood (or is it Woodworkers Journal)magazine has an excellent set of jigs in
its latest issue. The most valuable, at least to me, is one of the
simplest to make. Just a little jig to do thin strips on the non-fence
side of the blade. I made a couple of mods to the jig which made it even
easier to make. Instead of putting dados and runners on the base piece, I
overlapped the bottom piece with the top piece and placed the runners so
they captured the bottom piece.


All the best. It is a wonderful hobby.

I thought some words from Nahmie would be appropriate:

"Before you use any power tools, let's take a moment to talk about shop
safety. Be sure to read, understand, and follow all the safety rules that
come with your power tools. Knowing how to use your power tools properly
will greatly reduce the risk of personal injury. And remember this: there is
no more important safety rule than to wear these - safety glasses"

--
Stoutman
www.garagewoodworks.com

For power tools and hand tools:

"Watch your follow through"

That is, pay attention to your body stance motion and balance as to move a
tool or a workpiece. If something goes wrong (snags, binds, slips, breaks)
where are your hands, or the rest of your body going to end up? if you have
the tool aimed at your leg, or your hands aimed at spinning carbide, that is
a bad thing.

Watch your followthrough, make sure that the tool and your body do not share
that path.

-Steve









wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi all,

My wife just bought me a nice table saw/router for Christmas, I set it
up, but have never used a Table saw before, any safety tips ?

Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?

Thanks,
Darryl.




--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

wrote:

| Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?

Usually I remember to throw in a plug for my shop web page. There are
a couple of aids that I've found handy at the link below...

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/interest.html

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi all,

My wife just bought me a nice table saw/router for Christmas, I set it
up, but have never used a Table saw before, any safety tips ?

Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?

Thanks,
Darryl.


Read the manual.

wrote in message

My wife just bought me a nice table saw/router for Christmas, I set it
up, but have never used a Table saw before, any safety tips ?

Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?

Library or book store should be your first stop. Just for starters:

http://www.amazon.com/Table-Saw-Basi.../dp/0806972165

http://www.amazon.com/Router-Basics-.../dp/080697222X

.... or anything similar. There's a bunch to chose from, but do yourself a
big favor, do that FIRST, before using either tool.

These are both dangerous tools and your wife may never buy you another tool
if you injure yourself on something she bought you.

And should you get hooked on woodworking, that's not a good thing ...

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 1/06/07

any safety tips ?

Prevent the blade catching the work and sending the piece, you, &/or the saw
flying. The piece can lift and even rotate violently, Gou, or shooting it
straight back in-line, gouging the hell out of the surface of the wood and
possibly even killing you. Can happen on long thin pieces, or short, fat.
When pushing a piece using the fence, and you come close to the blade coming
through, you may be thinking, well if I just keep pushing from the corner
closest to you, but farthest form the fence sort of at an angle it will keep
the piece against the fence until its cut through. Just stop it from
shooting back as it pushes through. A split second before the blades
through, the gap between the two parts on the two sides of the blade will
break away and bind the piece you are pushing into the blade, if you do not
begin pushing directly forward on the the piece between the fence and the
blade, possibly even guiding one or both sides as you finish. There is no
split second allowance when doing this. Remember to never put your fingers
in a position where if there is a kickback, they can be pushed towards the
blade, which is easier said than done. If I am holding a push pad I never
wrap my hand around the handle. But don't let it slip either. I always run
things through in my mind, sometimes lower the blade and run through
physically, especially if setting up a outfeed roller stand, which has to be
not only the right height, but guide the piece along the fence perfectly as
it rolls across. Micro-adjust by spinning the ROUND shaft to get the pefect
roll with the blade all put down into the table, after having set the height
with the shafts knob.



----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

maybe I had this problem b/c I have yet to put any guards/guides on



----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

wrote:
Hi all,

My wife just bought me a nice table saw/router for Christmas, I set it
up, but have never used a Table saw before, any safety tips ?

Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?

Thanks,
Darryl.

Congratulations.

I think you should go to the public library and see what they have to
offer. Also try to check out some books on stuff you might be
interested in building. You might also want to go to a store like
Woodcraft. You can get a decent table saw book for maybe $10-20...
Actually, check out www.alibris.com for used books too.

I say this because a decent book is going to give you a lot more info
than a newsgroup post.

if its cheap, like anything under a $500 TS is immediately a suspect, the
stock miter guage/slider will probably bind very easily due to play, and
this is a recipe for binding and disaster. You're gonna wanna make a
crosscut sled and a miter sled, which is easy, exact, simple, cheap



----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

Go buy yourself Kelly Mehler's "The Table Saw Book". A great first project
would be his cross cut sled which I find invaluable at the table saw.
His book will take you through the setup of the saw and right through how to
use it properly and safely. I'm sure there are other books out there but
this is the one I have and it's pretty good.
Cheers,
cc

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi all,

My wife just bought me a nice table saw/router for Christmas, I set it
up, but have never used a Table saw before, any safety tips ?

Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?

Thanks,
Darryl.

wrote:

Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?

Buy a copy of Ian Kirby's cheap little book "The Accurate Table Saw".

Also search on "kickback", which is a much bigger real risk than
sticking your hand in the whirly bit.

Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?

Lots of good advice so far!
One "golden rule" that I heard somewhere (probably on this NG), that
applies to just about any power tool and some hand tools, is as
follows:
Where would your hand (or any other body part) end up if the workpiece
slipped or disappeared?
i.e. don't push a workpiece directly towards a blade or bit with just
your hand, be sure to use appropriate pushsticks, guides, etc.
Also, I'd agree that a crosscut sled would be a wise investment of time
(and materials, if you don't have enough scrap lying around), and that
a good book or a few would be a good idea.
And as others have said, find safety glasses, ear plugs or muffs, and a
mask that you'll actually wear, and wear them.
Good luck, stay safe, and have fun,
Andy

On 15 Jan 2007 07:51:17 -0800, wrote:

Hi all,

My wife just bought me a nice table saw/router for Christmas, I set it
up, but have never used a Table saw before, any safety tips ?

Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?

Thanks,
Darryl.

This sounds like a troll.

In article .com,
wrote:
Hi all,

My wife just bought me a nice table saw/router for Christmas, I set it
up, but have never used a Table saw before, any safety tips ?

Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?

Thanks,
Darryl.


My advice is to go to the library and check out a book on tablesaw use.
Authors who come to mind are Kell Mehler, Cliffe, and (not sure of
spelling here) Cristofero. They will cover safety and operation much
more thoroughly than you can expect from usenet posts.


--
Better to be stuck up in a tree than tied to one.

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf.lonestar.org

wrote:

Hi all,

My wife just bought me a nice table saw/router for Christmas, I set it
up, but have never used a Table saw before, any safety tips ?

Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?

Thanks,
Darryl.

you're going to hear about "kickback" so here's more than you
probably want to know about it.

http://web.hypersurf.com/~charlie2/K...KickBack1.html


FIRST PRIORITY GOALS WHEN WOODWORKING

Leave the shop with the same amount of blood as you entered with.

Leave the shop being able to count to ten on your finger tips.
(OK so technically the thumb isn't a finger).

Leave the shop being able to SEE your finger tips - with BOTH eyes.

Leave the shop being able to HEAR yourself count to ten.

Leave the shop being able to count to ten out loud - without any
coughing, wheeeeezing or sneezing

Don't let anything that's red, or has red on it, in your shop.
Then, if you see any red - check yourself for leaks - immediately.
Pain is often a delayed "notifier" - blood notifies you NOW!

charlie b

wrote:
Hi all,

My wife just bought me a nice table saw/router for Christmas, I set it
up, but have never used a Table saw before, any safety tips ?

Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?

Thanks,
Darryl.

Good day Darryl. You are getting a lot of good advice today. I have
used power tools since I was about 10 years old. My dad taught me how
to use his power tools and I now have a garage full of my own that do
not see enough use -- for my tastes.

1. Wear your safety glasses. I make better cuts knowing that the
likelihood of object embedding in my eye are greatly reduced.

2. Wear your hearing protection. CVS Pharmacy caries 50 pack of year
protection that you scrunch down and stick in your ear. I use these now
instead of the over-the-ear. My saw is very loud.

Yes, I get a lot of harassing from my friends but with the hearing
protection in I don't hear them anymore.

3. Read and understand the manual.

4. Buy some cheap wood and make some practice cuts. I find the pine is
pretty cheap and it is easy to work with. If you do not already have
one, buy a square. Check your saw for square, and 45 degree cuts.
Using the square you will be able to check these two out quickly.

Also, practice bevel cuts with your blade. You will need to learn how
to adjust your saw for this. That is the purpose.

Also practice making some dado cuts with a regular blade, dado blade,
and a router bit. This will teach you that a 2x4 is realy 1.5x3.5 .
This should also teach you that a typical saw blade is about 1/8th of an
inch thick.

I am not big on routers. I have one but it does not see much use. I
should use it more.

30 years of sawing wood and still have all 10 fingers. Not a bad
record. My dad nearly cut one of his fingers off a couple of years
back. But he is over 70 and that was is first major mishap. I think my
family has a good track record of safety. -G

Congratulations--she must like you.

All of the advice is good.

Can't remember if I saw that you should learn how to adjust it. A well
calibrated saw works MUCH better than an almost calibrated saw.

I'd add, buy a book on using the table saw. There are ALL SORTS of things
you can do with it, some I never thought of till I read about them.

Which book??--I've read a lot, and not found one that really stands out.
Barnes and Noble usually has a good collection of woodworking books. Pull a
few out and buy the one that looks the best for the least $$$.

Old Guy


wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi all,

My wife just bought me a nice table saw/router for Christmas, I set it
up, but have never used a Table saw before, any safety tips ?

Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?

Thanks,
Darryl.

Mon, Jan 15, 2007, 7:51am (EST-3) doth posteth
thusly:
snip any safety tips ?
Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?

Keep your fingers out of the whirly parts, and don't stand directly
behind the blade when you're sawing.

This is about as basic as you're gonna get.
http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/abeng/plans/6396.pdf

Next time you might want to be just a leetle more specific on what
you ask for.



JOAT
I do not have the huge amout of faith needed to be an Atheist.

It may sound trite, but read all of the paper work that came with the tools.


wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi all,

My wife just bought me a nice table saw/router for Christmas, I set it
up, but have never used a Table saw before, any safety tips ?

Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?

Thanks,
Darryl.

J T wrote:
This is about as basic as you're gonna get.
http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/abeng/plans/6396.pdf

Next time you might want to be just a leetle more specific on what
you ask for.


Wow - you got a personalized plan from JOAT (and it wasn't even a pukey
duck)! If I got one of those, I'd consider myself semi-officially
"welcomed to the wRECk".
Andy

Keep the body parts away from the moving parts.

No matter how small the router looks, It takes years of practice to master
any type of acceptable "freehand" work.

Cheap bits/blades produce nothing but anger.

Keep your body out of the line of fire.

Practice with cheap wood and good bits/blades.

Read the manual twice.

Read the manual again.

Spend a couple of days aligning the TS. Go slow and follow the manual.

Spend a couple of days practicing with your router. A good edge guide and
some good quality bits should get you started.

A good first aid kit nearby

Never wear gloves near the spinning things.

Go to the library or bookstore and get some of the mentioned books

It is easier to explain why you have to buy a new piece of wood than to
have to explain to the ER doc why you are there that day.

Buy a good dust mask and then a better mask for finishing.

If you have a detached shop, a wired phone. You can have it be a cordless
for carrying around with you, but alas a cell phone might not work out there
at the "critical" moment. Also in the 911 centers, it would provide the
number, name, and address for the dispatchers.

Start a simple project to try basic joinery. Advance as tool budget and
time allow.


Allen
wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi all,

My wife just bought me a nice table saw/router for Christmas, I set it
up, but have never used a Table saw before, any safety tips ?

Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?

Thanks,
Darryl.

"Dr. Deb" wrote in message
news
Morris Dovey wrote:

wrote:
| Hi all,
|
| My wife just bought me a nice table saw/router for Christmas, I set
| it up, but have never used a Table saw before, any safety tips ?


Google for and read up on "featherboard", "table saw sled", "table saw
kickback".

Kickback is "DEADLY." It can put a piece through your navel in a
heartbeat.
Never, never use anything to keep the cut open on the far side of the
blade
(except a designed splitter). Saw an article a few years ago when someone
used a screwdriver to keep the kerf open. A combination of several forces
implanted it screwdriver in his forehead. You can guess the consequences.


Amen to that. You should see the colors on my belly. 8" x 10" x 3/4" board
kicked back and hit me in the belly last week. Dropped me to my knees as
if someone had hit me with a baseball bat. The safety guard/anti kickback
pawl is going back on. Took it off because I was cutting grooves in the
boards after cutting to size and I was too lazy to put it back on. You'd
think after reaching 65 that I'd know better.

Tom G.

wrote:
Hi all,

My wife just bought me a nice table saw/router for Christmas, I set it
up, but have never used a Table saw before, any safety tips ?

Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?

Thanks,
Darryl.


I'm not entirely sure what a table saw/router is but I'm certainly
familiar with a table saw. Mine is old and frankly pretty ****ty, but I
picked up the Table Saw Book by Kelly Mehler. The book was recommended
by a few people on this forum, and it's excellent.

Lee Valley sells it, but I suspect just about any large bookstore has it
as well. I just did a search and LV doesn't have it any more. However,
here's the link to what they don't have:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...=1,46096,46119

I'd recommend reading it before you even fire up your saw. I know that's
a really really hard thing to do, but I think it's worth the wait. You
don't mention what size or kind of saw you got, but that's not too
important for what I'm aiming at here. More people will respond to your
post and tell you that there are tons of safety issues with table saws,
and they'll be right. Mehler;'s book discusses them in detail and guides
you in ways to avoid the problems - problems that new users might not
even think of. A table saw isn't like a circular saw. It's got a bunch
of things going on that you really need to know about and approach with
caution.

It's not a machine that a woodworker should be afraid of, but it's
certainly something that demands a great deal of respect.

Tanus
--
This is not really a sig.

in 1340186 20070116 015240 "Tom G" wrote:

Amen to that. You should see the colors on my belly. 8" x 10" x 3/4" board
kicked back and hit me in the belly last week. Dropped me to my knees as
if someone had hit me with a baseball bat. The safety guard/anti kickback
pawl is going back on. Took it off because I was cutting grooves in the
boards after cutting to size and I was too lazy to put it back on. You'd
think after reaching 65 that I'd know better.

Something similar happened to me recently.

I think the number one rule regarding power tools is that when you are
"too tired" or "can't be bothered" to do what you know you should do then
it is time to pack up and have a beer.

One big thing no one has mentioned yet-

Never, ever, ever make a cut without using either the fence or miter
gauge. No matter how steady you think you are, the slightest twist
you make trying to cut freehand will really ruin your day, if not
seriously injure you.

First time I ever used a table saw, I didn't know that, and learned
about kickback *really* quick, when a 4'X8' sheet of 1/4" plywood came
off a benchtop saw and did it's best to chop me in half.

"Prometheus" wrote in message
...
One big thing no one has mentioned yet-

Never, ever, ever make a cut without using either the fence or miter
gauge. No matter how steady you think you are, the slightest twist
you make trying to cut freehand will really ruin your day, if not
seriously injure you.

First time I ever used a table saw, I didn't know that, and learned
about kickback *really* quick, when a 4'X8' sheet of 1/4" plywood came
off a benchtop saw and did it's best to chop me in half.

And a mistake I made was using the fence instead of the mitre gauge to guide
this small piece of wood for cutoff. I find this out after reading safety
tips after the board hit me. Makes sense to me. The cutoff part twisted
slightly between the fence and the blade and the blade grabbed it.

Tom G

wrote:
Hi all,

My wife just bought me a nice table saw/router for Christmas, I set it
up, but have never used a Table saw before, any safety tips ?

Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?

Thanks,
Darryl.


Since the safety subject has been well covered, let me suggest a
couple of simple things to make. Presumable your wife has already
suggested something she wants for the house. If not ask her.
Small picture frames are easy enough, rip some decent wood to size,
rabbet the back to accept the glass, matte board and back. Miter the
corners, glue them and reenforce the miters with brads.
Storage boxes. Use 1/4" plywood for the bottoms and dado the sides
to hold the bottoms in. Simpliest design is butt joints on all corners.
You can work up to rabbet or rabbet-miter joints or that most elegant
of all table saw joints, the finger lap.

David Starr