5 Quick Table Saw Tips - Episode 6

[@roberthalaska3030]

Excellent, excellent, excellent. Your keeping us safe and productive. Thanks Colin

[@larrys639]

I agree with alot of this. I do think the full support push block for small pieces is the way to go for the reasons you mentioned. I put my notch more towards the middle of the block- you may lose a little of the downforce support, but you can get your piece through the blade without getting your hand between the blade and the fence

[@gelosoriano]

1st tip in calibrating is genius! Thanks!

[@markgigiel2722]

Simple things that everyone should know, but sometimes take for granted. When using a table saw, everything matters. If you don't have complete focus and concentration, DON"T DO IT. Never ever be in a hurry. It's not hard to be safe, but I know too many horror stories. I love my table saw, but I respect it. I'm 61 but remember my HS wood shop teacher drilling table saw safety into us every day. The outside door to the shop was behind the table saw and he gave a story about every dent and broken window from kick-back. The saw was awesome. A giant cast iron top that could hold full sheets of plywood easily.

[@walterwliszczak1512]

Thanks a lot for your tips. I keep learning to get better results.

[@michaelfairchild]

Thats why I love my small digital square. Stick it to the blade with magnet and i can pinpoint proper 90 or 45.

[@bigsparky65]

More fantastic tips, thank you for sharing

[@jaywimer4415]

Thx for the tips. It was a very clear explanation on the chicken stick and why not to use it! I am tossing mine and making a good push stick. Keep them coming.

[@aliciabarrios-]

👏👏👏gracias por compartir tu experiencia...son de mucha ayuda..saludos desde Argentina 🇦🇷

[@rickb6694]

Dude, you're freakin awesome. I've been slowly but surely setting up my shop and I seriously appreciate your help. Cheers.

[@Piscesgyal26]

Great tips and very helpful for a newbie table saw user like myself!

[@DanDDirges]

Always enjoy your videos! No acting, games or annoying background music, just business. I made the mistake of raising my table saw blade as high as it would go and now it will not lower back down at all.

[@clemmcguinness1087]

Excellent as ever Sir. Very good safety advice. Thanks

[@evslone]

Very helpful and important safety advice. Thanks, Colin.

[@gtuttle4]

Great tip on squaring the table saw!

[@shawnr771]

Thanks all of these are good pieces of advice. You have to remember to put the glasses back in the bag.

[@jlcribber]

Hi Collin. I have an old trick for doing dados on my 10" table saw. You don't need a fancy wobbler or a special dado stack. I have a lot of very sharp 7 1/4" skillsaw blades laying around. I just stack them up on the arbor until I get the thickness I want. Staggering the teeth of course. A bunch of cardboard washers/spacers for fine adjustment and I have a basically free dado set up to as big as the arbor will hold. John from Beaumont, Alberta, CA

[@martinmeyer2008]

That tip for the fence that clamps skew is golden - its a big problem for me on a relatively cheap tablesaw (Bosch GTS10XC), your solution will make alignment a dream. All the tips are excellent, thanks so much :-)

[@jerryjohnsonii4181]

Thanks for the knowledge, Sir !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Metalbass10000]

I set square on my tools and machines with indicators, and my quick and dirty method is using my precision ground 1-2-3 blocks. I check by making the test cuts you describe.

[@bobby-c7731]

Regarding the auxiliary fence for thin laminates... Your solution works great as long as the strip you are cutting is sufficiently wide so that the distance of the clamps, and the width of your push block are less than the distance to the blade. One concern I have with using the C-clamps is they protrude out into the space a bit. While that won't interfere with the blade, it might cause you to change your approach to the push block and move your hand closer to the blade. The fence clamps they sell at Rockler and other places are inexpensive. They clamp into holes drilled in the aux fence, so they are never in the path of the push block.

[@valterleao6795]

Sempre muito competente, suas dicas são MUITO valiosas!!! Abraço aqui do Brasil 🇧🇷

[@fredbrooks1386]

Great info on the chicken foot push stick. Mine are now fancy firewood sticks!

[@sambiscits6711]

Some great tips that I can use, we're going to have to call your channel The Learning Channel, at least for me.

[@dufftime]

That first tip was amazing. I brushed off the method because i use a small engineer's square to square up my blade, not a combination square. Yesterday i was getting ready to glue up a cutting board and noticed it would want to curve as i applied clamp pressure. I realized my rip cuts were off slightly. Tried your method and lo-and-behold not square. Thanks Colin (and DowelMax guy)!

[@neilrobertgrayson]

Safety glasses in a bag. Genius idea. Thankyou for sharing Colin. Now I need to steal my wife's bages and buy enough glasses for each machine.

[@raulpendas]

Thank you for the tips.!!!!!

[@MarkPrimavera]

Very good tips Collin! Thank you for sharing!

[@arth.4196]

Colin excellent tutoring, excellent

[@aldish25]

The last tip about the blade lifting up the wood, top tip from wood production, always set up the fence + 1or 2mm wider at the back of the blade then the front of the blade, especially if you're cutting wood, as wood has tension in it and a straight board can bend when cut in half, it's advice from wood production, I've seen lift stoppers get broken off....

[@MrGoosePit]

Always great tips Colin. Thanks!

[@sapelesteve]

As usual, great tips Colin! I really liked the glasses in the bag trick. Be well & stay safe....

[@grahamrankin4725]

Always great tips. Keep them coming.

[@TheWpmerk]

Great tips, thanks

[@budgreen4563]

Thanks so much for the tips, Colin....I learned something as always!

[@MattMcConaha]

I prefer the chicken foot push stick because it keeps your hand back forward of the blade instead of next to the blade. In the case of kickback, your hand can get pulled laterally toward the blade, with the chicken foot your hand is pulled in front of the blade whereas with the other push stick your hand is pulled into the top of the blade.

[@huejanus5505]

When cutting thin laminate, spray a piece of mdf with contact cement, not the laminate, stick the laminate onto the mdf and cut. No chipping or buggered edges. Holds enough to cut it, but comes off easy enough.

[@DobryBoj]

Great video. Thanks Collins.

[@bobby-c7731]

Second comment. When you were discussing the chicken-foot push sticks and the benefits of better push blocks, I couldn't help but notice you didn't have a riving knife or splitter installed. Was that an intentional thing, or just an oversight. Everything you said about the benefits of better push blocks is true. But, I wouldn't run a through cut without my riving knife installed regardless what push block I was using.

[@gregmislick1117]

Unless I have the blade guard also installed, I cannot use my riving knife ( older saw) which means that fully 80+ % of my use I cannot use the knife ( time for a new saw, I know) but it was probably for demonstration - you would not have been able to see the part he was showing if you made those shots on my saw with the knife in place If you have one - USE IT If you don't, suggest making up some zero clearance inserts with fixed splitters of different heights - yeah, more work to swap out the plates, but you'll be happy when it doesn't kick on you.

[@ainajoan1]

Gracias por el video , no entiendo ingles pero el video a quedado muy claro

[@ArtByCater]

Great Tips, liked #1 & #3 even though my fence is pretty true I still to this day check my measurements on the front of saw blade and back to the fence. Tip #5 awesome safety tip for all the first users of a table saw, if you’ve ever had a kick back it can be very scary and dangerous. Thanks Chuck

[@bigviper64]

I have a set of those push sticks, the Chicken Foot does as you say, but I use a long stick to hold down the back part of the stock so it doesn’t flip up on me...but now I’ll cut my own push block...

[@lightmechanic2370]

Great tips. Chicken foot push sticks looked dumb when I saw them getting popular. If you think about the dynamics of the saw (up and down teeth as you point out, pinching the wood between the fence...) and pushing wood through the blade, a pointed stick near the blade is the last thing you want. The flat board with heel design you showed is the best and universal. Make it 2" thick and run the blade right through it for thin stock and cuts.

[@SMee67]

Great tips there, guys, cheers. 👍🏾

[@harrydavis6903]

Thanks, Colin. Another interesting video. I also vote no on the chicken-foot.

[@joebrown1382]

All nice tips Colin.

[@ottotechnica]

I've noticed that almost nobody mentions the scribe screwed into most combination squares. My grandfather used it a lot.

[@boltup5566]

Regarding the first tip about cutting test pieces using the miter gauge, how do you fix the problem? How do you know whether to adjust the blade or miter gauge left or right?

[@dwightl5863]

In checking for the blade being at 90 degrees it doesn't make any difference what angle the miter gauge is at. Even if the miter gauge is at 45 degrees as an example, the vertical cut will still indicate if the blade is at 90 degrees or not using Collins method.

[@AliKeAiw]

Thanks for U Mr

[@ubiratanoliveira692]

Muito boa a dica, obrigado por compartilhar.

[@MCsCreations]

Great tips, Colin! Thanks a lot! 😊 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@michaelcummings2590]

Up until a few months ago I had been adjusting the table saw blade as you describe in this video. What I saw back then was a recommendation to adjust the blade height so that the lowest part of the gullet lines up with the top of the material. The logic being that the slightly higher blade will be cutting more downward, pushing the material into the table rather than pushing it back towards you. It seems like it would be such a little difference but I bought into it believing every little bit helps. What do you think?

[@escuddy3244]

I also learned to set the blade height to the bottom of the gullet for the reason you described and to allow chips and sawdust to clear.

[@billcoley8520]

Collin when you use a sled do you remove the zero clearance insert on your saw? I have found that it helps with the sawdust removal to the vacuum.

[@rayez60]

Thank you sir.... Luv u

[@viktorkosturkov5866]

Kolin what table saw are you using? Thanks for the tricks

[@arobril8701]

I really appreciate your table saw tips videos. I am a novice and just restored a table saw I found at the side of the road. However, I am fairly handy with a mix of hand tools and portable power tools. Don't you think cutting laminate with a table saw is overkill? Wouldn't it be simpler, quicker, and infinitely safer to use a straight edge and a sharp knife? 🤔

[@AngeloBonaveraArt]

I need a 3/6" kerf saw blade. I can't find it anywhere. Any tips on how to find one?

[@js8039]

Great video. I have grown so tired of messing about with machines. I have begun to only use them for donkey work. Take your first tip for instance. I'll use the saw, miter or table, to get a close cut solely for speed. I then take that to my shooting board to square it.

[@justadam1917]

If you use the set square on the other side side of the blade that will work as well it's either 90 degrees both sides or it isn't

[@catfishcave379]

As usual, I enjoyed the video and learned something. Question: Don’t have a tablesaw yet (on order... COVID delays...) and I’m wondering how you get the throat plate level with the table, or if you even do? I know some tables have adjustment screws, but do you aim for perfectly level? A few thousandths lower at the front so the wood glides over it? How does that affect small pieces of wood? Thank you for your time.

[@mikecurtin9831]

Perfectly level is ideal. Ultimately, to test for a safe setup, run a piece of wood so the edge of the wood goes over the front edge of the insert plate without catching. As you suggested, a few thousandths low there is better than any amount high. If your insert plate doesn't have screw adjustments, what I normally do is to wax the shelf of the recess, then get ready a board or book or other flat surface wide enough to readily span the recess. Put beads of hot-melt glue on the bottom of the insert plate and quickly put it in place with the semi-molten glue facing down and place your flat surface on top. Let this assembly cool for a couple of minutes. This makes the insert plate perfectly flush. The waxing of the shelf is so that the hot-melt glue doesn't stick to the recess in the saw top. You may have to put the glue on in installments, say, four corners first, then repeat to fill in the gaps around the perimeter of the insert. If you screw it up the first time, it's easy and cheap to pull the hot-melt tabs off and start over. I make a zero-clearance insert for every different blade I use. There are several good videos on KZbin on how to do this. (I seem to remember Colin having one or two.) A zero-clearance insert will eliminate hazards with small pieces of wood, but the biggest benefit is that when used with a sharp saw blade, it will nearly eliminate chipout. Hope this helps. Enjoy and stay safe.

[@catfishcave379]

Mike Curtin Thank you. The hot glue idea is very clever. I have probably watched a few dozen videos on zero clearance plates... and will probably watch more!

[@catfishcave379]

Mama C I wanted something light, inexpensive, and would work on 20A breakers. And something with good reviews. I chose the Laguna Fusion 1. I just got an email from them today... next week... we’ll see.

[@mikecurtin9831]

@@catfishcave379 You're most welcome. I didn't come up with it, I'm just passing it along.

[@kengarrett5015]

What kind of combination square do you recommend

[@ronnyb5890]

great safety tip with the chikkcken foot Collin,however,i would make you push thingy a bit wider,i saw your hand move sideways,that also a dangerous move,you move from fence-to blade-to fence when you are cutting,just an observation i have made,it would be more stable if it was 5cm wider,have a great weekend

[@ventastecno2567]

Hello, what saws do you use on your table saw, thanks.

[@billcoley8520]

I have small block of wood that I use to set up my saw blade to fence width when cutting a 3/4” board in half. I’ve found it difficult to set up. 3/8’s on each side is hard to set up.

[@steampunk217]

How to know when is the time to sharp the table saw blade?

[@alext8828]

Aligning the fence: I see people pulling back on the locking handle which catches the far side of the fence where it was and not necessarily where it should be. Push the fence and handle forward to set the far end free before locking it. Then check both ends to see if they're the same distance. If they are, that's all you need to do. If they're not, make any adjustments needed to make them line up each time you use the fence.

[@JohnCran]

Your quick push stick is a bit like James Hamilton's over at Stumpy Nubs. I like his cause it has a peak on it.

[@maureenchantry7346]

Is it possible to stand at the back of the table saw and pull a piece thro

[@zuluer4205]

Hi Colin I'm planing to buy a Bosch Table saw GTS10J-255MM 10", would you recommend it or alternatively what do you recommend. my budget is around 1000 dollars. Thank you

[@Michael-ix8fc]

Hello Colin, I'm a new table saw user (in fact, I bought it just two months ago and haven't used it much except for a few testing cuts) but I am wondering why you don't use the blade cover ("guard"?), because in the safety instructuctions that came with my saw, they keep pointing on not to remove it! Same they say about the riving knife, but there's no riving knife on your saw? PS: of course I have subsribed to your channel and I really like your videos and I aready made a check list to build or buy a lot of your usefull tools and hacks. Greetings from the Northern Part of Germany Michael 🙋‍♂️

[@captainsawdust1]

I completely agree about the chicken foot push stick. The only safe use I've seen is to hold it left hand and push in toward fence while using the safe kind like you to push stock thru. What really confuses me is supposedly safety conscious sawstop includes the dangerous chicken foot with their saws. Go figure. Great video Colin.

[@dwightl5863]

I would say something is better than nothing.

[@raymitchell9736]

The tip of cutting the boards seems like a good tip for checking a 90 degree blade... but you didn't say how to interpret the findings and how to make the adjustment, I was trying to guess what I'd do if I had that result from a cut... But also I've heard good things about using a machinist square... then I read reviews on those squares and some people say they are not accurate not worth the money, etc. ... but getting the high-end squares seems silly for woodworking? What do you think? Or which one(s) would you recommend if I were to get a machinist square? I also have a digital bevel indicator, so I can set 90 degrees with that after I zero out the table's angle.

[@dodge4432able]

Даже без знания английского языка и так всё понятно. Спасибо за видео!

[@zoomonkey8420]

so, my blade is out of alignment, but my square says it looks good. How do I get it perfectly aligned to 90 degrees with one try?

[@TomSmith-yv6gi]

Love Colin’s videos but I’m always expecting someone to walk through one of those doors behind him!

[@garyblake3130]

What brand of saw is this, does it not come with a crown guard?

[@DrMackSplackem]

Probably, but the first thing any serious builder does with their saw is throw all of that kind of garbage away with the packaging because it only slows you down while obstructing your view of the cut. Companies understand that it's cheaper for them to include silly accessories (sometimes even ones that make their tools paradoxically more dangerous!) than settle suits with weekenders who might manage to lose the odd digit. With that said, Sawstop is a game changer in this realm, IMO.

[@garyblake3130]

@@DrMackSplackem That's just about the most irresponsible thing I have ever heard, when has a guard become a silly accessory?. Sawstops are not a game changer cutting a sausage slowly is not a substitute for real life. Using a guard is a game changer in conjunction with a push stick of at least 450mm long so your hand is always 300mm from the blade. You should try it, it might save your fingers and cheaper than a "Saw Stop" You tube is aimed at "weekenders" as you put it. A guard is a safety device and should be always used.

[@dwightl5863]

Makes it easier for the viewer to see what is happening.

[@DrMackSplackem]

@@garyblake3130 I don't think you actually got through my whole message before responding, did you? I never said anything about not using a push stick (LOL), obviously that's not the kind of superfluous device in question, and I only mentioned the Sawstop as a contrary example; i.e. a safety product that doesn't hurt accuracy or productivity, and is actually revolutionary in that regard (and no, I don't own one and don't plan to). Regarding push sticks, I personally rarely use one for anything other than my router table, but that's because I almost never rip with a fence; I find I get much cleaner results with a hold-down sled and thus never have to swap blades, plus with no fence there's zero chance of binding/kick-back. Nice straw manning, though. If this response is typical of your level of reading comprehension then I would definitely recommend a safer hobby, like flagging all videos of competent woodworking channels like this one for 'unsafe' content. Also, your claim that KZbin is aimed mainly at what I called "weekenders" is just bizarre. it's baffling why you would think KZbin as a platform is "aimed at" any particular demographic. I wonder what your basis for such an assertion could be. KZbin's algorithm suggests content based on each users' personal viewing and search history, and is just as general or as niche as the tastes of each viewer. I see it has for me: a Bartok symphony, a lecture on special relativity, DIY circuit board etching and electroplating step-by-step, a SpaceX live stream, and some cat videos, while you see whatever it is it thinks you'd like to watch, plus maybe some cat videos too.

[@garyblake3130]

@@DrMackSplackem Nice essay, glad you are thinking of safety. I generally use a straight line edger when ripping, however that is a commercial piece of equipment which is beyond the realm of "weekenders" and would take up almost all the available space in a "one car garage". A lot of "weekend" woodworkers do get their training from KZbin which involve practice that would be considered unsafe in most European countries. I wish some you tubers would put a disclaimer before they put their videos up for general viewing by stating that their practices may be illegal in some parts of the world. I merely asked a question in my first comment as to regarding a crown guard, and you replied with "most serious builders remove them and throw away with the garbage", which I rightly said was irresponsible. I stand by my comments that an already supplied guard and a use of a push stick WILL save your fingers and is a cheaper alternative to a saw stop, which could still cut you. Strange times we live in when just asking for people to be safe with their machines and being accused of straw manning.

[@altepost3805]

To Tip No. 1: just turn over one piece BEFORE sawing (both good sides to the front) and put them together after sawing - they will fit perfectly even if the blade is at an angle!

[@GeorgeMinton-jb8ky]

take his word on the push stick. He still has all of his fingers.

[@mikecurtin9831]

Good tips. Thumbs up to crush a troll.

[@stone2640]

Should use a splitter/riving knife and address how important to use

[@richardtbc]

Aren’t the hold down paws going to do the same thing....... if you use them.....

[@thomasbradley4868]

Hi my name is Tom b. And LOVE watching you. But the reason for writing is please tell people all you can about safety because I lost my left hand thumb at the knuckle.thank you ps.if you have any wooden toy trucks and cars .

[@chrisgriffith1573]

That is a great tip for table saw alignment. The combination square is not able to show you as well. It's not that they can't, but that it's harder to tell using one. I keep about four pair safety goggles in the work shop, one on each major station. You gave me a great way to check the fence for square about a year ago, better than a tape measure on the back rail... its a sliding stick with a rail that registers in the mitre slot, and I can set it to check both the far end of the fence, and the near end, takes a lot less time than running around the table! Last, you NEVER use a chicken foot push stick for running wood past the blade, ONLY use it the way a feather board works, for the offhand to guide the wood into the blade and help keep it firm against the fence, this is mostly good for longer boards when you can't hold the back end using the regular push stick, and need to keep the piece anchored to re-adjust.

[@christianbookter1016]

Colin the plastic chicken foot can also shatter making it even more dangerous.

[@DragonwoodDesigns]

No riving knife?????

[@myelectronicsworld]

Colin is a professional and knows what he is doing;)

[@DragonwoodDesigns]

No. He removed it for the video. Obviously

[@tommyprisco2433]

He has it set up in some shots and removes it for others

[@marykayryan7891]

I love your tips and tricks and watch you all the time. Question: Am I missing something or was your table saw sans spliter or riving knife? That doesn't seem like it could be true. Waz up? Thanks.

[@LogHouseFarm]

If your combination square is really lightweight, it's not to be trusted - the square should have some heft to it.

[@NotonlyWood]

All good tips, but I can't overlook how you haven't got a riving knife or blade guard installed while you where talking about the push sticks. Maybe just for demonstration purposes? If so, it's okay as long as you mention it. Now onto the push sticks, use whatever feels comfortable to you! Here in Germany we almost all use the "Chickens foot" shaped ones. Those are typically used in pairs and with a riving knife and guard and they're perfectly safe. The other shape is fine too. Anyways besides that, great Video and tips👍👌

[@tonybr2469]

That’s what rivingknives are for

[@gustavovieira7]

My problem about sticking measuring tape on my table saw is that my different saw discs will have different zero points. I don't have a solution for that for while

[@dave_ecclectic]

A somewhat confusing method is to add scribe marks for each blade, or at least for the most used ones. You just need to know which blade goes with which mark. The obvious other is to spend more money on a universal blade.

[@gustavovieira7]

@@dave_ecclectic yes, is a solution

[@Bogie3855]

The main reason I only use Starrett or Mitutoyo squares. They are ALWAYS square.

[@Pistol_Knight]

How odd you call them 'C' clamps! in the UK they are 'G' clamps

[@shawnr771]

Interesting. Learn something everyday.

[@frameriteairdrie578]

Same in New Zealand. Because when you look at the whole thing, including the handle, it looks more like a capital G than a C.

[@vashon100]

5:58 You don't know every saw out there? LOL

[@noelv1976]

The Chicken Foot!

[@st.louiscritic960]

Just starting here , Your push HOLD DOWN design were mine , my default , Dewalt push stick is a chicken toe . ill dig in in the morning .

[@pieterhaarhoff7228]

I find it interesting that you woodies over sea use 2 words that we in SA use different words, you say rabbit, we say rebate, you refer 2 the clamps as C clamps, we call it G clamps. Regards.

[@stargazer2042]

The last example was dangerous advice. It is not possible to control wood without a riving knife. Every saw should always have one.

[@oooldman11]

instead oi cutting 2 boards and flipping one over. why not put a pencil line on the face or your board then cut a couple of inches off then flip the piece over to achieve same result.

[@rjtumble]

That first time was so simple. It's kind of frustrating when the obviously simple answer is pointed out and you have one of those "duh" moments.

[@dave_ecclectic]

I don't want this tirade of mine to demean the work you've put out there for the rest of us but you pulled my rip cord on choosing to single out the only push stick that you actually have as a monster and horror stick. You mention how a simple PUSH STICK is such a bad tool. (you call it a 'chicken foot'). For people like me who follow a very simple rule... NEVER let your hand pass the blade! All those other sticks are waaaay too dangerous. Every single one of those other "push" sticks require you to put your hand past and sometimes over the blade. This might be fine if the guard is in place but we all know whats happening to the guard. There are other ways to hold the tiny square board down in your demonstration. Your example was more horror movie than fact though. First you crank up the blade for some ungodly reason. I understand why but you didn't do this for any of the other jobs or "push' stick demonstrations of why they were "useless" Imagine using them with so much of the blade exposed! 1:The low blade elevation you should use eliminates the 'rising blade' risk you mentioned. 2:If your guard was not removed the tiny square of wood rising would not be a problem, the guard would hold it down. 3:If you pushed it correctly it wouldn't be hitting the blade This one is basic though. Pushing off center forces the wood into the fence. No problem of the blade lifting it. But the biggy is you use such an isolated example, most people won't be running into the problem you portrayed. For example you could have done the same thing using a miter with a board extension, or used a sled. You used an example of why this stick is bad when your method itself is bad. almost every other use is not as portrayed in your example. If anyone out there is missing this there are whole episodes on the gadgets for controlling the wood with out the push stick doing this. In some cases you wouldn't even cut with any type of stick. The other "push" sticks should be used as secondary methods, not primary. If they are used at all. I don't like them so I don't use them. I must be using magik to do this? A push stick to my mind is to push the material past the blade WITHOUT your hand coming near the blade. If it does not do this basic function it isn't a push stick. Some of the examples I've seen on you tube don't do whole lot more than just using your hand without a stick. There are a lot of examples of this bad practice too. I will say we have the same taste in watches though. Everybody check out his watch. Every wood worker should have at least one.