Table Saw Care Tips

Yearly, a large number of accidents and fatalities take place due to improper care of table saws. One of the most common factors in any table saw is kickback. Kickback happens when the blade catches the workpiece and violently throws it back to the rear of the saw, towards the operator. That’s why we are providing tips for taking care of your table saws:

Blade must be sharp and clean. Pitch buildup on a blade greatly increases friction and decreases the quality of the cut, causing burning. Pitch also increases the probability of kickback.

Saw must be aligned. The blade must be adjusted so that it is parallel with the miter grooves but the rip fence should angle minutely. If the blade is parallel with the fence you will notice the marks made by the back of the blade on the wood.

Use blade guard. The miter grooves on typical American market saws incorporates a spreader called a riving knife, which helps prevent the cut from closing on the back of the saw blade.

Push the workpiece past the blade. Do not release a workpiece until it is past the blade and removed from the saw. Turn the saw off before removing small cut off pieces.

Do not use the rip fence as a guide during crosscuts. If you need to make a series of equal length crosscuts, use a stop block in front of the blade so the workpiece is not in contact with the rip fence during the cut.