5 Expert Table Saw Tips
0:00 Introduction
0:25 Lining up the cut mark
1:44 Squaring the miter gauge
3:55 Keeping wood from pinching the blade
5:22 Cutting plastic
6:47 Setting the blade angle
9:36 Setting the miter gauge angle
Master craftsman and woodworking author Nick Engler reveals five professional secrets to help you get better results when using your table saw. For more table saw information of the printed variety, pick up a copy of Nick's book, "Using the Table Saw" from our store at workshopcompanionstore.com/pr... .
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And thank you so much for your time and interest!
Best time to discover Nick Engler - 10 years ago! 2nd best - right now! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Most welcome...I think..
Thanks for the video tips. I have installed a magnetic relay "STOP" switch a my leg level on the table saw frame and by tapping the switch to turn off the table saw without having to take my hand and eyes off the wood and find the the table saw off switch. I don't use plastic push stick because they can shatter if they tough the blade and I don't use the "bird's mouth" push stick anymore because the pivot at the back of the wood and the front of the wood is free to rise up because of the rotating blade. Instead, I use a longer wooden push block that provide downward pressure and forward motion all in one movement to prevent kickback and improve table saw safety.
Great tips. I never thought of using my angle finder to set up my mitre fence.
me either
FANTASTIC TIPS FOR NEW TABLE SAW USER, THANK YOU!!!
You guys you are helping me more than I can possibly begin to explain for sharing may God bless you guys
Thanks.
5 tips and somehow you went 6 for 6. Nice! One of the best "tips" video I have seen. I was a little worried that you were going to put the wedge in with the saw still running. Well done.
Brilliant
I just realized that I have now watched several of your videos since discovering your channel without subscribing, and felt like I was stealing. You sir are awesome, and I am just a new subscriber along for the ride.
Thanks...and welcome.
Ill be using tip #5 tomorrow. Thanks 👍
By far the best table saw tips I have seen. Thank you!
Most welcome.
This intro made my day. Fantastic.
Thanks for saying.
Excellent and impressive tips. Wish I knew them years ago. Many thanks!
Some of these I knew but have forgotten. Did not know about cutting plastic. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.
Same to you.
I must say that you gave a lot of tips in the years that I follw you. Please keep on doing. Even someone as me cannlearn from it. Making stuff dead accurate with my saw and most of it with red cedar. A 0.5 mm is my maximum deviation ;-)
hmmm I tholught I had all your vids watched and liked.
thanks for the tip on opening the kerf. I was watching for the only solution for what I am doing as I use a 7-1/4" blade 1/8" there is no splitter for that. Don't anybody jump in and say thin kerf microjig won't work. Thanks for your knowledge. Now I need to subscribe To get more info. Thank you
Most welcome.
Great tip Nick, so simple but some if them I have never of. Keep them coming
Will do. And thanks.
Fantastic tips !!!!!! Thanks a million 🙂
Your generosity and knowledge is utterly welcome and amazing. Thank you
great tips thank you
For all the tips you discuss, there are just as many other tips by carefully watching. Thanks for the great content.
You get it. You're most welcome.
Some great tips. Thank you
Great tips!
Very nice tips, thanks for sharing
Thanks.
Thank you!
Nice and useful tips 👏
Thanks for sharing! Love the tip with the digital angle finder.
Thanks.
point 2 - you said checking the miter gauge against the fence for square will tell you if the gauge is square to the blade, assuming the fence is parallel to the blade. That is true. But it's really not what you should be looking for. You can make a square cut using a miter gauge even if the gauge is not square to the blade. The key is that the fence for the miter gauge must be square to the miter slot/miter bar. Love the tip about using the inclinometer to set the bevel angles. I have one. I don't know why I don't use it more.
Love your knowledge and explanation. Thank you so much
Most welcome.
Awesome, thanks for these!
Most useful KZhead channel!!
Thanks! Great tips
Very helpful thanks 🙏
Nice tips!
Great tips! Wish you would do a set for the Shopsmith table saw.
Great video! Thank you
Most welcome.
Great tips. My favorite is setting the miter gauge. I did not see that one coming!
Thanks.
Genius stuff, thank you
Great teacher. Thanks for sharing.
Most welcome.
When cutting strips of laminate, i spray some contact cement on a piece of mdf, only, stick the laminate to it and make the cuts. You can cut extremely thin strips with no chipping and it’s easily removable afterwards.
Good tip.
These are really good tips. Especially the plastic cut. I use acrylic under everything I glue so I just have to clean the glue off when I'm done
Good tip. Here, we use wax, waxed paper, and sheet plastic, depending.
Thanks
So informative, wished I’d known this before. I’m selling my Bosch table saw as I’m going to England. But hope I can buy another one when I’m settled. Thank you!
Most welcome.
excellent tips and you explained it very well. Thank you sir. !!!
Most welcome.
Good tips. I have considered getting an inclinometer and after seeing this, I'll definitely get one. This will work well on setting the planer fence ninety degrees to the bed.
It's one of those tools that, once you have it, you find a zillion uses for it. A month after purchase, you wonder how you ever did without it.
I just bought that digital one, and I completely forgot the zero-function, so thanks for reminding me that the ground on which you work on is never 0 degrees, haha
@@MDay8 So True. The hangar in which we have our shop is 100 years old, and our floor has been afflicted by tectonic drift over the century. Not only is no tool sitting level, no tool is at the same angle!
Very informative! Thanks
Most welcome.
Good tips! How come you don't use a riving knife or splitter?
Thanks. It is an old, old saw and there are no riving knives available for it, and the mangled splitter that came with it interferes with the overhead guard we installed. (No, the Delta Disappearing Splitter won't work; we've tried.) I have gotten used to turning off the saw when the blade binds and inserting a small wedge in the kerf.
This is great set of tips!
Thanks for saying.
Thanks 👌
Nice tips. Please use your upper saw guard to encourage everyone to do so.
I just discovered your channel. You sir, have earned a subscriber.
Thanks...and welcome!
Thank you.
Most welcome.
As usual all nice stuff, I do wonder how many peeps don't know the run grooves for the sled are parallel with the blade and thus make a good source of squaring....
Thanks. Learnt a lots on your video.
Most welcome.
I watched quite a few tips videos before this one. You showed some new tricks that are very practical. Thank you!!
I really appreciate you videos!!
Thank you. We appreciate your kind words.
Great tips! Nice work Nick and Travis. If I had another thumb you would get 2 thumbs up! Something I found out while making a segmented turning was to zero the angle box (in the 8:55 minute mark) on the cast iron table instead of the throat plate. Also some angle boxes are very sensitive and if the aren’t 90 degrees (front to back) to the cast iron table when measuring it can slightly throw the angle off. It may have been my particular angle box. Was just my particular issue but when I started doing those two things it corrected my issue.
You might want to watch or video on aligning and adjusting a table saw. In it, I suggest to the viewers that they spend some time carefully adjusting the throat plate so that its dead-on flush with the table. There are dozens of small measuring devices -- squares, triangles, height gauges, and so on that need to be set next to the saw blade. In order for them to be accurate, the throat plate has to be properly aligned. A digital angle finder is one of the very few that can be registered several inches away from the blade, then used to measured the blade position. I registered the angle finder off the throat plate because I know I can trust my throat plate -- with ALL of my measuring devices.
You are do good.
Were you ever a woodshop teacher? Because you should have been. Your personality makes even the things that may be mundane and makes them fun to learn. Thank you sir.
You are most welcome. I taught craftsmanship and wood engineering for many years at the University of Cincinnati.
@@WorkshopCompanion sure wish I could have learned from you then, but that's ok I'm learning now. Just hoping 52 is not too late. 😂😂😂
@@lemhanback9595 Have two decades on you and I can say with certainty, it's not.
Brilliant...the wedge thing cures a common problem....anyone know how to fix a Makita fence that doesnt seat in a straight line?
Thank you from a new subscriber.
You're welcome...and welcome!
The dialogue on this video is hard panned to the left channel. Not sure if anyone has mentioned it. 👍🏻 love your stuff!!
We're aware; rendering mistake made early on, plan to redo the video sometime in the future. Thanks for the kids words.
I cut lexan last week with a carbide rip blade, worked just fine. I cut same lexan in power miter saw, very bad idea resulted in bad kickback. I have had good results cutting 1/8" aluminum on tablesaw with fine tooth paneling blade on tablesaw. Great tips on the use of the inclomometer (digital angle finder) thank you for all the tablesaw tips in this video.
Most welcome.
Yea a paneling blade will also cut most roof steel in a circular saw, but makes hella racket and leaves sharp edges that must be dealt with, so gloves and ear protection a must.
When using the digital angle gauge ("inclinometer"), it is critical to rest it on the table and then rock it up onto the blade. The reason is any slight tilt of the device forward or back will result in an imperfect reading.
#2 assumes is that the faces or the piece are parallel. One way to check that is to flip the other piece at the cut line and stack it on top of the first piece. This puts the same face against the fence. Now run your finger on the cut end and make sure the piece line up perfectly. Now flip the pieces together so the other side is against the fence and check again. If one matches but the other doesn't the faces are not parallel. If they are both off then likely the cut was not square.
I thought you were only to use jointed boards on a table saw unless it's clamped in a jig? Ofc you don't have to, but it's not as safe. Edit: Jointed, then can be squared on a table saw/planer
@@CowsGoM3ow Jointed boards do not necessarily make a board safe or unsafe for use on a table saw. Contractors rip lumber store wood all the time and almost nothing that comes out of lumber store is square or parallel. You just have to use the right technique for the board you rea cutting.
@@connecticutaggie Ofc you can use unjointed boards, but jointed boards(2 sides) are safer. If you think that's wrong, then go rip a log on a table saw without a jig. Or a extremely cupped/twisted board. And if you are checking for accuracy anyways like you were nitpicking orginally, you would want a square or 2S jointed board.
I hate stopping my saw in the middle of a cut. And I don't like stopping the wood either if I can avoid it. Unless I make a complete, continuous full cut, there's always some little ridge or burn mark on one side of the kerf or the other. As always, great content.
the trick is after saw winds down, move it back about an 1/8th inch or so so teeth are free in the kerf, then don't re-engage until blade reaches full speed.
Good tips, thanks. Just a note... +/- 0,1 deg precision may easily result to 66,4 or 66,6 and you never know. Inclinometr is very useful but in such a case, when you need critical precision, I would rather use calibrated ruler or something like that.
I needed to cut plastic once, I found my ceramic tile blade, dry, did best out of what tools I had available.
I've used a tile blade, too, on occasion. Thanks for the tip.
Great video and tips as always 👌 👍👍👍 Just some observations tips... 4.o = safety tip... When used as shown, the blade is pushing the cut part forward (outfeed), so make sure you are expecting that or part will fly 😀. Normally, resistance is in the direction of the operator. ALSO, very important DO NOT use carbide tip blades to cut backward !! 5.o = if you place an inclinometer as high as you can (vertically from the table top), even more accurate reading is possible. Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us.
It doesnt matter how high you place the inclinometer. If the bar or blade is perfectly straight, the angle and precision will be the same. If they are not, you will not be able to trust ANY measurement. The only time extra length will matter, is if you use the 3-4-5 (Pythagoras) method to square something.
Thanks. I may try using my table saw again. Can I also cut plexiglass as you demoed the plastic cutting? Does thickness or bulletproof plesiglass change the matter and how?
I know this an older video, but I hope you have replaced the bearings on that tablesaw by now. They're screaming for some love ole' son!! Love the videos
QUESTION: Are you supposed to zero out your inclinometer on the table surface, or on the table insert? I always thought it was supposed to be on the table surface, since there's where most of your wood will be riding. However, you zeroed yours out on the insert. So which way is correct? Yes, I realize in a perfect world the insert would be perfectly flush with the table top all the way across, but I think we all know we just get as close as possible when adjusting our inserts to be as flush with the table surface, because in reality, as long as the insert is very close and not proud of the table top, then that's really what we're shooting for. I just want to know I'm zeroing out my inclinometer correctly for the most accurate blade angle I can get.
There are two schools of thought on this subject. The first -- the "close enough" school you allude to -- is that you shouldn't use the insert because it may not be flush or level with the table. The second is that you should carefully align and level your insert so that you can confidently use the entire surface around the saw blade for measurement. I attend the second school. This not only lets me use the inclinometer close to the blade, I frequently employ a set of small engineer's squares, triangles, and height gauges for set-up. These would be useless if I couldn't trust the insert surface.
Great tips. Note: As an alternative to Tip 1, I often lift the pack of the piece up, keeping the edge flush to the fence and more the piece forward such the the marked edge is lowered to contact the blade. I then line up the mark with the blade then carefully lower the piece back down making sure it does not move side-to-side. It was probably not as accurate as using a straight edge but better than eyeing it.
Good tips. I thought you were going to throw your hammer at the dog in the beginning though. Lol.
Another well done video! I was thinking that on your first part on cutting a board to a specific length why not use the kerf on your miter guage board to measure?
It works for a short while, but normal saw runout soon widens the kerf and the accuracy evaporates.
That square to the blade to line up your cut line is so simple it’s genius. I’m just bitter this whole time I never thought of it. At least now I have a excuse to go buy a small square.
It's always good to have an excuse the buy a new tool.
@@WorkshopCompanion Tell my wife about it!
The last one only works if the miter bar is made of steel. If it's aluminium, you will have to hold the inclinometer to the bar yourself. My own inclinometer measures to 1/20th degree (Diesella IP54 bevel box, item no. 10453500). :)
Sounds like the saw is getting ready for some new bearings
Yeah, we were thinking about replacing the bearings but decided to find a slightly newer version of the same model. The slightly newer version has adjustments that allow you to further adjust the angle of the blade. - Travis
Great tips, learned something. Sounds like the bearings in your table saw need replacing
Noted. Trying to find time to tear it down.
I thought the same. Sounds as rough as a badger's arse. Some good tips, though. I enjoy watching these. It's always nice to see a different solution to common problems.
Great tips, can you show the start/stop control for the table saw. That looks like a much more useful location rather than under the saw.
I think so. Safer, too. It came with an overhead guard that we installed on the saw about 35 years ago.
@@WorkshopCompanion I've always made sure that my off switch is placed where I can hit it with my leg... I don't need to let go off anything to shut the saw off in an emergency (which, thankfully, I've not had yet).
@@thegringobaker There are good arguments for a knee switch, but there are also some against. The switch is not in your line of sight, so there's a chance you'll miss it on the first kick. And you have to take one foot off the ground, so you're off balance for a second. That can be dangerous as well. I advise students to use the set-up that works best for the way they work -- normally, the set-up with which you feel the most comfortable and confident.
@@WorkshopCompanion Yes, there are valid arguments for both ways. I do agree that some of the under- saw switches are not exactly a safety feature as they are so far under the saw that finding them easily is sometimes not possible. The factory location on mine is very good... allowing me to shut it off with a simple knee bend... not foot raising required. I'd like to mention that i found the video entertaining and educational. I enjoyed it.
Wow! Who'da thought of turning the blade backwards?
Great video Sir 👍 what kind of blade did u used?
FS Tool
Your wery xsalant I lay k your program. I am rohana in Sri Lanka thank you
Most welcome.
Hello i like your video but can i give you a tip. on 1:20 instead of marking the line on side of the blade and you have to use the straight square tool .. Mark line on the opposite side and align it to the cut out mark ..
on the inclinometer, do you think a cell phone could be used instead? I have an app on the phone for measuring angles like for a roof pitch, maybe not accurate enough?
If you watch other videos, you'll see that I use a smart phone app called "Rotating Sphere Inclinometer" all the time. It's no longer available, but "iLevel" does just as well. I also have a magnetic back for my phone so I the stick it to tables and fences.
Could you please tell me which Inclinometer you are using? I would like to by that one you have as well. I bought a different one and sent it back because it was all over the place as far as accuracy. Thank you
Look at Neoteck. That's what I would buy today.
Hi, beginner here. Should i remove my riving thingy for tip 3?
If your saw has a riving knife, there is no need to remove it (and it would be safer if your didn't). Ours doesn't -- it's over 60 years old and was manufactured before anyone knew what a riving knife was. Additionally, there are no retrofit kits that can be adapted to fit it. That is why there is no knife present in any of the tips.
Good tips, but #1 could also be done by lining up to the kerf on your miter gauge to your mark if you mark piece on other side and have a fresh kerf. enjoyed this....cheers from an old geezer in Orlando, Florida....Paul
I was just about to say the same exact thing.
I do the same with miter saw fence
I do the same with miter saw fence
#1: Couldn't you extend the line drawn with the square all the way across the wood so it lines up with the kerf cut on the fence at the back and position the wood that way?
Of course you can; there is more than one way to skin this cat. But the problem with using the fence as a reference is the slop or "lash" in the system. The miter gauge guide bar is a few thousand's of an inch smaller than the slot it rides in -- otherwise it would be impossible to slide. Furthermore, every saw blade has a small amount of runout. Because of these things, that kerf in the fence will grow wider as you make successive cuts. You can correct for some of this lash by consistently pushing the miter gauge to the right or left (choose one) as you cut, and this will help extend the usefulness of the kerf. But using a saw tooth as a reference will always be accurate.
I have a question I have an older Craftsman table say and it does not have a kerf. Where would I go to find one or make one?
I suppose what you mean by a "kerf" is a riving knife or splitter. If you google " sears craftsman table saw parts," you will find several suppliers of replacement parts, including Sears Parts Direct. They may be able to help you. I have an older (50+ years) Delta table saw. When it was made, there was no such thing as riving knives, and there are none available for it as an accessory. We recently made a riving knife from .105"-thick steel that will fit the old saw guard mount. (Most thin-kerf saw blades are .110" thick. The .105" steel provides .005" clearance if I mount my thinnest blade.) You may have to do something similar depending on your saw model and what's available.
you table saw angles a different direction form mine..i was picturing making a cut on yours and it looked not only impossible but scary as hell
Fascinating stuff. Thank you for sharing with us.
Most welcome.
Hey do you have to draw an x on the board when checking fence for square
I suggest you draw an X on one face of a board when checking that the miter gauge is square to the blade. It simply marks the board so you know which face is up or down after you cut through the X and lay the two parts against the fence. It also shows you that you're laying one cut end against the other. It's not absolutely necessary if you trust your memory. I don't.
For the tip #3, won't it burn the wood if we stop feeding it?
what is the name of that tool u use at 5:14 to push the wood?
A push stick.
For tip #2, align the miter gage. Slide the gage out, slide back in upside down, with the miter part against the fence guide bar. Loosen and retighten the knob. Done, No fiddling.
This presumes that the fence guide bar is square to the miter slot, and this is not always the case . It's not on my saw, but if it is on yours this would be a good way to go.
While you were drawing a line with the square you could have drawn it across the board and then lined the mark with the cut in the cross cut guide and thus eliminating the use of the square against the blade.
I agree, the kerf in the miter gauge fence is a handy reference for a short while. But it widens over time due to blade run-out, vibration, and the lash in the miter gauge slot. The saw tooth retains its accuracy as a reference.
Not sure because I'm a beginner, but did you do a cut holding both pieces while cutting? most vids that I've seen says that is a no no. (at 3:40)
In every cut, you must maintain control of both pieces -- the cut piece and the cut-off. Oftentimes you do this with the aid of a push stick, miter gauge, or by clamping one or both pieces to a sled or extension, but both pieces must be guided past and/or away from the blade as the cut finishes. Loose pieces on a table saw -- especially small pieces -- may shift due to vibration. If they slide against the spinning saw blade, the blade may catch and fling them at you. There are exceptions -- occasionally you need to stop feeding the wood and turn off the saw, but even then you have to maintain control of both pieces so they remain where they are until after the blade stops.
@@WorkshopCompanion Very much appreciated! Thank you for the explination.
no riving knife? no push block or push stick?
if you don’t have an inclinometer, iPhones have bubble level apps that can be used for accurate angles to 0.1 degrees though they won’t attach magnetically. it beats running out to buy a specialty tool if you don’t use it often
Good tip. I like "iLevel" -- it's free.
Love the tips, but you lost me on the cross cut alignment. I was taught to always square cuts with blade or the miter gauges track. By aligning to your fence you have to know or assume the fence is square with your blade, but that may not be the case. Correct me if I'm overlooking something. :)