Draper Hobbyist Table saw pushes wood to the left...?

[Tset Tsyung]

Hey all,

I've got an old draper hobbyist table saw with an 8 1/4" blade on it. I've sharpened it, but now realise that the most important bit to sharpen would be the actual tips of the points as this does most of the cutting... right?

Anyway, the problem that I'm having at the mo is that whenever I run a piece of wood through the table saw it veers away from the guard (to the left). This means that if I try to keep the wood flush against the guard the blade bows inwards, towards the guard, causing problems such as not cutting straight, pressure on the blade causing friction/slowdown/motor-overheat and finally my stress levels rise. As I suffer with CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) AND working with a dangerous tool this isn't ideal, lol.

Could it be that the fact the teeth on one side of the blade aren't that sharp be causing this problem?

I'm using this to trim down a branch that needs one side to be flat - would I better off working with a power planer?

A really appreciate any help. I know I ramble a bit so I'm really sorry for this lol.

Many thanks (in advance),



Mike.

 

[wizard]

get a new blade simples or get it sharpened properly

 

[Harry 48]

Cutting branch's on a table saw can be dangerous I would give the power plane a go. 81/2'' blades are cheap treat yourself forcing wood through your saw will burn out your motor

 

[lanemaux]

If you have access to a band saw you might try that. If the branch is irregular , a sled made of ply and a solid holding method are also recommended . unsteady cutting can cause trips to the hospital , please be careful.

 

[wizard]

Cutting any irregular shaped piece of wood can be dangerous on any saw and can cause kickback as i have found out the hard way

 

[Tset Tsyung]

Hey all,

Thanks for the advice. I'll leave the table saw when it comes to the branch, I'll stick to the plane, lol - just have to buy one now, lol.

As for the wood veering off when using the table saw (this is with any wood) would that be the teeth? If so I'll try sharpening it myself once more (enjoy learning the new skills) or just buy a new blade as a few of you have suggested. Thanks for the replies all.

Mike

P.S. @Wizard... am I reading that picture right?...

 

[Harry 48]

Wizard that picture is better than all the warning labels :shock:

 

[Harry 48]

Make a clock out of your old blade get a NEW BLADE with carbide tips. cutting to one side usually means the blade needs to be SET&SHARPEND your blade has lost its set on one side be safe dump it :roll:

 

[Tset Tsyung]

Lol Harry, that's a brilliant idea.

Was also thinking of making a small knife out of it lol. That's another hobby I'm trying to get into.

 

[paul saunders]

I think what everyone has missed is the fact that its a cheap saw and is probably not set up correctly. Is the fence parallel to the blade?

 

[Tset Tsyung]

Hi Paul Saunders,

To be fair I'm not 100%, I could have a look and get back to you - watch this post, lol.