Why is my table saw jamming

[evmundo]

Hi all I am very new to table saws so this might be a simple one.
I have just purchased a Ryobi table saw and it is getting jammed about half way through a sheet of 10mm ply wood sheet. I had a good look at it and there is nothing obvious. I am only elavating the blade to the hight of the wood so I dont think its that.

Can you help?

 

[TrimTheKing]

Hi Ev

Is the fence square to the blade? (If not, it might be binding up against the riving knife).

Just a thought, worth checking.

 

[9fingers]

Welcome to the forum.

You don't say what is jamming. The blade in the cut or the sheet against the fence?

I'm assuming being a new saw that the riving knife would be correctly fitted and just narrower than the kerf cut by the blade. But worth a check.

Also make absolutely sure that the fence is parallel to the blade.

I don't know how big the table is but if it is small relative to the size of the sheet you are cutting, you might need more support on the outfeed side.

Also it is possible that the cut is releasing stresses in the ply sheet and the cut is closing and trapping the blade. The riving knife should stop this but again check.

Finally have an assistant support the out feed and get them to open the cut a little.

Hope this helps

Bob

 

[evmundo]

The odd thing is, i am not sure what is sticking. When I looked at it there was nothing obvious. I did suspect the riving blade. The saw is new and I could find no adjustment for the Riving blade but it looks a little off to one side. How might I correct this.

 

[9fingers]

Hi,

Often riving blades are quite flimsy and can be bent into position but before doing that can you move it is the right direct by putting a paper shim behind the knife and its mounting block?

Bob

 

[evmundo]

thanks for your help.I will try that today

 

[BigShot]

Can anyone suggest a good safety guide for table saw use?
Maybe the OP already knows all he needs to about tables saw safety but the things have so much potential to seriously screw a person up that it seems prudent to ask in this thread.

Guards, push sticks/blocks, feather boards, causes and prevention of kickback and the likes.

Cheers folks.

 

[George_N]

Can anyone suggest a good safety guide for table saw use?
Maybe the OP already knows all he needs to about tables saw safety but the things have so much potential to seriously screw a person up that it seems prudent to ask in this thread.

Guards, push sticks/blocks, feather boards, causes and prevention of kickback and the likes.

Cheers folks.

Have a look at Stu's Shed TV on the Aussie Woodwork Forums. Stu's recent video on tablesaws covers some of the basics of safety such as riving knives, guards, featherboards etc.

 

[BigShot]

Thanks George.

I'll have a look at them myself.

I think it might be a good routine to have a loose policy of including some kind of safety element (like that link) in all responses to enquiries by someone new to table saws.

I was aware they had potential dangers when I got mine, but was actually quite shocked when I heard just how bad they can be.

The importance of using feather boards and push blocks can't be overemphasised. Reading recent posts (linked from a thread on here) about table saw accidents was as stomach turning as it was sobering. No way I'm using my hands on any piece that goes through the saw if there's even a slim possibility of something going wrong leading to my hand in the blade.

It's jigs, feathers, clamps and push blocks all the way.

 

[George_N]

Having had a thumb meets tablesaw blade incident myself a couple of years ago I am quite keen on workshop safety. Maybe some sort of Sticky would be a good idea.

 

[FrCollins]

Can anyone suggest a good safety guide for table saw use?
Maybe the OP already knows all he needs to about tables saw safety but the things have so much potential to seriously screw a person up that it seems prudent to ask in this thread.

Guards, push sticks/blocks, feather boards, causes and prevention of kickback and the likes.

Cheers folks.

Using the proper blade, top priority!

Cheers

 

[BigShot]

Were I experienced I'd be happy to write up an article (I did a few for a huge forum I used to moderate a few years back) but since I'm pretty much the definition of "green" right now I've really got no business telling other people how to act in the workshop.

I do think some kind of "beginner's guide to shop safety" would be a very useful addition to the site. I'm not sure whether one for each tool would be better or a general one, but things like kickback didn't even occur to me when I got my saw.

I only know about it at all because I approach subjects with as much reading and (with the internet available as it is now) forum questions and video watching as I can manage. Some don't take that approach, may ask a question like this and be on their way unaware of just how many various and exciting different ways they can remove body parts with power tools.

Maybe this is the topic of a new thread though.

 

[FrCollins]

Hi, evmundo, I went to a seminar recently on circular saw use as part of my research into a project I am working on. The seminar was presented by a young lady who was very informed and competent on the issues she spoke of, these were safe use of fences, riving knives, push sticks, guards and the like all very useful.
At the end of the seminar the question was asked do you have any questions?
Not wanting to appear rude or judgmental I had to inquire; I have been working with circular saws for many years and during this time I have yet to receive an actual injury from the circular saw, well perhaps the odd bruise on the leg from walking into it. However, I had received many injuries, some severe, from the saw blade yet there was nothing mentioned in the seminar about proper blade use, I was suprised when for a long time the only sound I heard was silence, then a seminar rep, said that was a question for another day!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers

 

[Grinding One]

Just a thought: But I have found that new people to sawing on a table saw sometimes have trouble with correct feeding of plywood....when you push it thru, sometimes a new grab you`ll find you are pushes sideways a bit...not straight,this will cause a bind.

 

[Doug B]

If http://www.toolstop.co.uk/ryobi-ets-1525-10/254mm-table-saw-110v-p3667 this is the type of table saw you refer to, & the ply sheet is an 8`x 4` sheet i`m not surprised the saw is jamming.
Far safer to cut up sheets of plywood with a straight edge & hand held circular saw.

 

[evmundo]

its not quite that model but the portable version. I will take your advise and use my curricular saw.

thanks for all ya help.

 

[FatFreddysCat]

The importance of using feather boards and push blocks can't be overemphasised.

Although in reality there aren't too many instances where a featherboard is useful on a table saw and push sticks which leave the hands clear and behind the blade are much safer than those push blocks so beloved of our Murrican cousins.

To the OP. Quite apart from the riving knife being out of alignment if you are cutting any long piece, such as an 8 x 4ft sheet of plywood, one of the biggest issues is supporting the work. This is especially true with thin and narrow stock which will almost always bend and jam if inadequately supported. For that reason I agree with Doug B that it's probably safer to do the initial breakdown of large sheets of plywood with a portable saw and sawing board unless you are able to support the sheet fully

 

[Hobbyist1943]

Especially with thin sheet materials, make sure that the material you're cutting maintains contact with the table, otherwise it could be the lead edge jamming against the slot that the blade comes up through.

I also have a Ryobi table saw and have experienced this problem.

I also noticed that the fence wasn't in line with the blade and shimmed the fasteners with tape to correct the problem. In addition, because the fence isn't as rigid as I'd like it to be, I only set the fence so that it projects just past the cutting edge of the blade, otherwise I'd need to clamp it to the rear of the table to keep it stable.

Set up properly, not too bad for a cheap table saw but terrible straight out of the box.

 

[evmundo]

The cuts i am getting from smaller pieces are impressive so I was not sure if I should mess around with shimming the blade but I might try it.
thanks.

 

[Hobbyist1943]

The cuts i am getting from smaller pieces are impressive so I was not sure if I should mess around with shimming the blade but I might try it.
thanks.

Before doing any shimming, find out whether it's the blade or the fence which is out of line. You'll probably find it's the fence and as I've said, see if it's flexing.