Table saw safety

[Nick_]

I’ve just added a table saw to my growing selection of woodworking tools that could eat my fingers and would like opinions on safety either good books, reputable videos and advice here to make sure I use the saw as safely as possible.

I’ve purchased this particular table saw ( Festool CSC SYS 50) for small repeatable cuts to compliment a plunge saw. I chose this one because I don’t need anything bigger, the sliding bed looked very good and the guard also looked high quality. I gave benchdogs fence of mft, so will most likely get the table saw add on.

I’d like to make things like perpetual flip calendar, small boxes, desk tidies, coasters,etc.

I’ve watched a few videos cover standing to the side, risk of pinching with small cuts next to the fence.

I’ve had a look at push sticks of all sorts of sizes, and also Gripper and Axminster blocks. The last two seem odd because they puts your had so close to the blade.

I’m also interested in understanding how much safety is improved with feather boards, and things like JessEm clear it guides. They look like they do, but it’s hard to separate what is actual safer from what might give a false sense of security.

Thanks

 

[Sideways]

To her very great credit, @BarbaraT shared her tablesaw misadventures with us all a number of months ago. The thread inspired a great deal of discussion.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/thread...med-finger-graphic-description-images.145485/

Read it carefully and consider what you find there. There is a lot of good advice scattered through the discussion.

I will summarise it as :
You need to cultivate good practice because we all get tired / rush / make mistakes no matter our good intentions.
Learn to use two push sticks of a decent length that keep your hands clear of the blade.
Don't copy American youtubers. With honorable exceptions, too many of them are just damn dangerous.
Be very sceptical of some of the safety aids that seem to be about parting you from your money, not keeping you safe, but feather boards are not a bad thing and the jessem guides are nice if you can afford them.

 

[Bingy man]

As an amateur user of the larger woodworking machines t/saw and bandsaw and r/table I still have all my digits. Most of that is down to my own ways of working safely, constantly risk assessing and the natural desire not to put any body part near anything that can spin faster than I can move or anything that has the potential to grab any part of my body or clothing and again pull me towards that blade or cutter . The rest is down to the sound advice from members of this forum and sadly the occasional horrific accidents as mentioned above . Use the search function and read those posts and don’t be too shocked at said injuries as it can all go wrong in a fraction of a second. Some of the utube videos are nothing more than suicidal idiots looking for likes and subscribers. Just think about what you want to achieve and then ask yourself if it’s safe to attempt. Then go for a dry run ( power off ) does your timber clear everything around your saw , do you need to move anything, can anyone else enter your shop and distract you , are you wearing any loose clothing-scarf, tie, long sleeves etc etc . Is your timber Dry, straight, twisted split , full of knots, is it supported at the start of your intended cut and at the end , is your phone turned off , do you have a first aid kit and can you turn your saw off in an emergency are all considerations but this list is not exhaustive just a few examples of what you need to ask yourself..

 

[Nick_]

Thanks both. I read that thread. It’s very sobering and in a way prompted me to ask my questions.

I guess there are lots of options, but it’s really down to the operator to make some choices.

I think two push sticks are the way I’m going, but will possibly go for some guides as well to reduce the amount of pushing I’m having to do.

The idea of a dry run is useful too, as well as looking for twists and knots in the wood.

 

[HOJ]

As you have already noted, cutting small parts is where the greater dangers lie, you cant help but be closer to the blade and the chances of a catch also increase if using the fence as reference.

The Jessem guides don't work on small pieces, more suited to longer pieces which can be guided before and after the cut, it will probably be a better option to use the mitre gauge or the slider, to do the cuts, but don't be tempted to use the fence as depth gauge and let the timber ride along the fence when doing it, set yourself a distance block clamped on the fence just to gauge the cut length, so it is set before the front of the blade allowing the offcut to fall away in to the free space behind the blade.

 

[Bingy man]

Thanks both. I read that thread. It’s very sobering and in a way prompted me to ask my questions.

I guess there are lots of options, but it’s really down to the operator to make some choices.

I think two push sticks are the way I’m going, but will possibly go for some guides as well to reduce the amount of pushing I’m having to do.

The idea of a dry run is useful too, as well as looking for twists and knots in the wood.

best way forward is to take your time , there is no rush, get to know your saw , make sure you know how to adjust it properly so the blade is square to the mitre slot/ gauge and likewise square to the fence . Never exceed your reach and be extra cautious with long pieces or large sheet goods- ply , osb , mdf etc and don’t forget your mask and ear protection..

 

[Jameshow]

best way forward is to take your time , there is no rush, get to know your saw , make sure you know how to adjust it properly so the blade is square to the mitre slot/ gauge and likewise square to the fence . Never exceed your reach and be extra cautious with long pieces or large sheet goods- ply , osb , mdf etc and don’t forget your mask and ear protection..

Also don't woodwork esp with power tools when tired or angry.....
At best you make mistakes at worst you loose fingers...

 

[Sideways]

Also don't woodwork esp with power tools when tired or angry.....
At best you make mistakes at worst you loose fingers...

Very salutory advice.
Tiredness was a contributory factor when this went over in the pitch black at 10pm.

Fortunately no one ended up in either the hospital or morgue, and with plenty of patience and the right tools on a nice day some weeks later, it was just a one man job to right it.

 

[Nick_]

As you have already noted, cutting small parts is where the greater dangers lie, you cant help but be closer to the blade and the chances of a catch also increase if using the fence as reference.

The Jessem guides don't work on small pieces, more suited to longer pieces which can be guided before and after the cut, it will probably be a better option to use the mitre gauge or the slider, to do the cuts, but don't be tempted to use the fence as depth gauge and let the timber ride along the fence when doing it, set yourself a distance block clamped on the fence just to gauge the cut length, so it is set before the front of the blade allowing the offcut to fall away in to the free space behind the blade.

Good point on the guides. I got the saw last week, but haven’t used it yet. Waiting until I have a good few hours so I can take my time.

Think I’ll get the benchdogs mitre adaptor as I already have the rest of the fence. Should help with good habits in this area.

 

[Nick_]

best way forward is to take your time , there is no rush, get to know your saw , make sure you know how to adjust it properly so the blade is square to the mitre slot/ gauge and likewise square to the fence . Never exceed your reach and be extra cautious with long pieces or large sheet goods- ply , osb , mdf etc and don’t forget your mask and ear protection..

Track saw will handle all the bigger stuff. The table saw seems quite a step up. Just approaching it with an abundance of caution at the moment

 

[Jacob]

There's a lot of pricey gadgets around, generally I'm not impressed. Nothing is as cheap and effective as always to use two push sticks. You can get everything else wrong but if your hands are out of the way they won't get hurt.
They also give you better control in many ways (with a bit of practice) and you can risk using them closer to the cutter with risk only to the sticks themselves. Make copies from mdf etc - they are disposable, fingers are not!
Next safest is always to use a crown guard where possible - sometimes it isn't.

 

[wurglesnash357]

A cabinet maker friend of mine with many years' professional experience absent-mindedly brushed the sawdust from his table saw with his right hand and nearly lost his thumb and index finger. Recovery was long and painful and only partially successful. We can all make mistakes if we lose our concentration for a moment.

Les

 

[Bingy man]

Track saw will handle all the bigger stuff. The table saw seems quite a step up. Just approaching it with an abundance of caution at the moment

Absolutely right, I set my job site saw up and checked it about 20 times , I didn’t switch it on until I was a 100% . I asked the members here about the gripper you mentioned and if it’s the one where you remove the gaurd and the riving knife then don’t use it for your t/saw . The good folk here overwhelmingly said they are not safe for t/saws as your hand is just 2 close to the blade and removing the guard and the riving knife is just an accident waiting to happen.. but a good call by you to start this thread as potentially it could just save your hand..

 

[Chubber]

A tip worth passing on given to me by Charlie Malia, my woodwork mentor in the Shipwright's shop in HMS St Angelo in the 70s...

He had several thinner push sticks into the tip of each he had driven a fine brass pin which he snipped off almost flush with pincers. Just as snipped off panel pins on the underside of an oil-stone box stop it sliding about in use, the pin makes the stick less likely to slide on the surface of the wood in use.

 

[Jacob]

I always recommend the bog standard plastic job because familiarity helps if you just stick to one pattern, and picking them up just becomes normal routine every time. I also think it's a more carefully thought out design than it looks and is efficient/effective.
Make copies from mdf or ply.
You can modify one for thinner stuff etc.

 

[Doug71]

I think the fact that the CSC SYS 50 is such a small saw will make people naturally put their fingers closer to the blade, there isn't much table in front of the blade which makes using push sticks more awkward.

I would suggest leave the guard on, use push sticks and set up some kind of outfeed table/support to stop pieces dropping so you aren't reaching over the blade or having to use excess downward pressure to stop pieces dropping down behind the saw.

 

[JSW]

I always recommend the bog standard plastic job because familiarity helps if you just stick to one pattern, and picking them up just becomes normal routine every time. I also think it's a more carefully thought out design than it looks and is efficient/effective.
Make copies from mdf or ply.
You can modify one for thinner stuff etc.View attachment 181221

I use the same basic shape, very slightly longer overall, and with a bit more of an elongated 'nose'

He had several thinner push sticks into the tip of each he had driven a fine brass pin which he snipped off almost flush with pincers.

Instead of a pin, mine have a thin strip of rubber matting CA glued to the underside of the nose.

 

[Sideways]

For use with small stuff, I find the "classic" push stick cumbersome. When I happen to get a good offcut - something 18" or more, maybe 12"+ if I had a SYS 50, slimmish and stiff - I tend to put them aside. I turn them into push sticks just by rounding off the butt end so they don't dig into the palm and I cut a small birds mouth in the working end. Something that will push 4mm timber will push 40mm.
Ultimately the shape is whatever you like and works for you. We're on the same page : "two sticks good, no sticks bad ..." and the sticks must be decently long.

 

[recipio]

I'm 30 years using a tablesaw and no injuries so far. A few danger points are :
1 Cutting thick boards over 2" especially Iroko. The twisted grain can pinch the blade and kickback. You will feel resistance and possibly see burning. Stop immediately and take shallow cuts instead..
2 . Cutting narrow strips when you can't use a pushstick. Get a jig and cut on the left side of the piece moving the fence for each cut .You get a better result with no burning.
3. A birdsmouth pushstick is not ideal as the wood can lift as you push it into the cut. A homemade 'L' shaped ply jig with a notch at the end is better as you can apply downward pressure.
4. No distractions . Don't listen to the radio and ban children from the workshop !

 

[JSW]

3. A birdsmouth pushstick is not ideal as the wood can lift as you push it into the cut.

That's what the second pushstick is for