Advice Please- Table Saw Push Sticks and Disks

[spiritburner]

Hiya Everyone

I am looking for some advices please for what are the best type of push sticks to use with my new Dewalt 7492 Table saw, I've already been advised to throw the plastic supplied one in to the bin. I have some experience with table saws but I am by no means an expert in any way. I am familiar though with most of the safety practices which is why I would like to use the right sticks from the start of this new relationship I have made with my saw

I am also looking to acquire some knowledge on whether the stock disk is any good and what can I expect from it and perhaps any information of what disks I should be looking at for general purpose wood cutting, cross and ripping but not chipboard or MDf, laminated or not for which I have no interest in cutting ever.

I may also need to cut Cast Acrylic ( 6mm) and light Aluminium sheet/box section as well (1.5mm wall max if this is possible)

One of the first jobs I will be doing is building the saw into its own combined workbench/saw station using marine ply and beech or almond of which the latter is plentiful where I live.

Thanks for the kind words.

Neil

 

[rob1693]

I knock these up out of off cuts of 12mm ply have one as a template and make as I need them

 

[worn thumbs]

Those plywood push sticks look entirely reasonable,do they differ greatly from the plastic version supplied?The next step should be to attach the guards to the saw as this will reduce the risks of injury further.Normally saws of this general type would be supplied with a general purpose blade.For acrylic you will need something a bit finer and even then there will be a risk of splintering on the underside of the cut as there is quite a gap between the saw teeth and the table insert.

 

[rob1693]

I took a template from my original plastic one which was only just over 330mm made my copy at 450mm they're a consumable item

 

[Jacob]

Nothing wrong with the plastic ones I'd get them out of the bin. Making copies is a good idea as they are consumables, unlike your fingers.
For cutting thinner stuff you might want to trim the birdsmouth to match.
I make copies of these as they seem to be the standard pattern https://www.google.co.uk/shopping/product/15660500259271615791

 

[Cabinetman]

Well you’re starting off right! Personally I like mine a bit thicker and shaped to be comfortable, sometimes you need to exert some force so it helps.
Discs? If you mean those finger things, can’t say I’ve ever missed them tbh.
This is a pic from when I was trying to stop injuries on here.

 

[Spectric]

The worse thing about the plastic ones are that they can shatter, the good thing is they make nice templates to draw round to make wooden ones although I add a few inches on to the overall length.

 

[Jacob]

The worse thing about the plastic ones are that they can shatter,

Not if they are made of the right plastic. I've never had one shatter.

 

[Cabinetman]

I thought you might like to see this, it’s a saw very similar to yours that I built into a worktop for Dil, it all had to be very carefully measured to work. But you can shim and wedge to get it set right.
The fence on those saws extends way out to the right, as you can see there are a couple of slots and the fence just skims the work surface.
This one was built into a garage and nothing was level grrrrr. I also built in a crosscut saw, and a vice.
Ian

 

[Sachakins]

Plastic ones make great templates for router and pattern bit.

 

[Inspector]

Neil when you mention "disks" are you referring to the saw blades? The one that comes with the blade will probably be a combination blade for carpentry work and be okay for basic carpentry work. Try it before ordering more and investigate what you need to make sure you get what you need.

Pete

 

[Nick c]

Have a look at the Jay Bates "Best push stick ever" on YouTube easy to make best one I've used. Bow products make a feature board for job site saws which l have found to be excellent.

 

[graduate_owner]

What concerns me here is the OP doesn't know what the saw blade is called - 'discs'? That implies a lack of overall knowledge about the use and (most importantly) safety issues associated with a table saw. I would suggest the OP correct this - books, reliable videos (many US youtube videos show table saws being used without the top guard) or if possible some practical tuition. These are not forgiving machines.
K

 

[worn thumbs]

Not if they are made of the right plastic. I've never had one shatter.

Same here.

 

[alan895]

What concerns me here is the OP doesn't know what the saw blade is called - 'discs'?

As the OP is in Spain maybe it's just been lost in translation?

 

[Yojevol]

What concerns me here is the OP doesn't know what the saw blade is called - 'discs'? That implies a lack of overall knowledge about the use and (most importantly) safety issues associated with a table saw. I would suggest the OP correct this - books, reliable videos (many US youtube videos show table saws being used without the top guard) or if possible some practical tuition. These are not forgiving machines.
K

That's a bit harsh. The OP has stated that he is familiar with 'most of' the safety concerns and is enquiring about the secondary aspect of push stick material. In my experience plastic will just get eaten away when in contact with the blade, just like wood.
Neil from Spain has worded his post very well but his English is not 100% correct indicating that he hasn't quite translated it correctly from Spanish.
Brian

 

[SammyQ]

Jay Bates "Best push stick ever" on YouTube

Jebus, Mary an' the wee donkey!...Yon is a Darwin Award contender!

Sled caught between blade and fence.
Hands used to pull cut-offs away while blade is still running.
Top heavy "push stick" (Yeah, right!) with a digit-trapping hole that can land your thumb right on the blade.... Need I go on?

 

[worn thumbs]

I took a look at that video and it illustrates very well what happens when the only man in a small town making youtube videos on a topic assumes the mantle of an "expert".A basic plastic push stick and attaching the crown guard to the saw would be a huge leap forward.Very nearly in the same league as those home made Russian firewood splitting machines.

 

[Ttrees]

Have a look at the Jay Bates "Best push stick ever" on YouTube easy to make best one I've used. Bow products make a feature board for job site saws which l have found to be excellent.

What makes you think a pair of the usual 450mm long (or longer if a larger blade used) pushsticks aren't best practice....
or even Steve Maskery's posts on the subject?
The idea being being able to clear the blade, without hands going over it.
(to be found on the actual UK owned forum, the place we are not allowed mention here)

Something along the lines of @Inspector 's impression of Jacob's constant posting "ad continuum"
of the subject putting folks off perhaps?....

I'd guess otherwise personally, i.e the marketing machine that is youtube/google.

 

[spiritburner]

Those plywood push sticks look entirely reasonable,do they differ greatly from the plastic version supplied?The next step should be to attach the guards to the saw as this will reduce the risks of injury further.Normally saws of this general type would be supplied with a general purpose blade.For acrylic you will need something a bit finer and even then there will be a risk of splintering on the underside of the cut as there is quite a gap between the saw teeth and the table insert.

Thanks, yes they are slightly different , the issue I think with plastic push sticks is the risk of them shattering in contact with a revolving blade and causing injury other than that of the blade for example it could create a kickback and you end up impaling yourself on the broken part of a plastic push stick as against wood that is likely to suffer dings and holes from the saw as against shattering on contact although I am making some assumptions on the material that the plastic push stick is made from.