Chicken/Egg situation. Need a workbench to make a workbench

[Jacob]

You talk about the problems of using grr-rippers but then show a video of someone using a push pad. .....

Similar sort of thing. It means leaning over the table to reach past and/or over the saw blade with an uncovered hand or bare arm.
And they are astronomically expensive!

 

[Jacob]

I like this blog written by the English woodworker: Saw Horses - Do You Need A Set? - The English Woodworker

I am currently making my own timber framing style trestles same as the one pictured in his blog out of 4 x 2 redwood pine, for the same reasons as Richard, I don't like the spider legs, you can trip over them especially in a small space.

p.s well done on the bench build!

He's wrong about the splayed legs - they are really important.
First so that the footprint of the trestle is longer than the top. This makes them inherently stable - you can stand right on the end and they won't tip.
Second - splaying triangulates the structure to a little extent which means if loaded they tighten and become more stable. Straight legs at 90º given enough battering will start to rack and be loosened

 

[Ozi]

I'm quite new to using a table saw, I hear a lot of different opinions about the safest ways to use them can anybody recommend a good guide or online tutorial, I'm very attached to my fingers and would like to stay that way.

 

[Jacob]

.... I'm very attached to my fingers and would like to stay that way.

Main thing is, whatever else you do, is to use two push sticks! I know I've said this a million times, but I like to think I might have saved a few nasty cuts in the process, though we'll never know!

 

[Cabinetman]

It beggers belief That these are sold as being the safer way of doing it. You have to remove the crown guard to use them, total insanity.
Yes it’s incredibly simple, as Jacob said one to push the wood through and one to hold it against the fence. There was a recent thread on here that I started on how to make them and also a wonderful thread on why you should use them. it was only last month.

 

[Cabinetman]

I just built a pair of these a few weeks ago, my last ones lasted 20? Years. They are very handy to use as step ups for decorating as well as laying out new boards on for sorting, or for cutting sheets of ply on. Ian

 

[Doug71]

I'm quite new to using a table saw, I hear a lot of different opinions about the safest ways to use them can anybody recommend a good guide or online tutorial, I'm very attached to my fingers and would like to stay that way.

This isn't perfect but better than most you will find on the internet.

https://gosforthhandyman.com/table-saw-safety/
I would add to it 2 push sticks are better than 1 and ideally you want a short fence that finishes before the centre of the blade, many are full length so you need to add some kind of sub fence.

 

[Jameshow]

I just built a pair of these a few weeks ago, my last ones lasted 20? Years. They are very handy to use as step ups for decorating as well as laying out new boards on for sorting, or for cutting sheets of ply on. Ian
View attachment 108434

2 please Bob!!

Are the 9" width tops?

Cheers James

 

[Cabinetman]

Oh all right, I will do a WIP, but I warn you the top joints are a swine, look simple till you start on them. Also despite expert advice, I still am not sure how to do them properly. Ian
I will have to try and do them the experts way, will let you know.
Yes about 9” tops

 

[sometimewoodworker]

It beggers belief That these are sold as being the safer way of doing it. You have to remove the crown guard to use them, total insanity.

The company selling them shows them being used in many cuts I would not use them for. As I have said, if you can make the cut with the crown guard then do it that way. However if the crown guard is off then FOR SOME cuts they are safer, they are almost always safer than push blocks (yes I have some, almost always used on my plainer) they can get you a better better cut than 2 push sticks (yes I have those too). They can allow good cuts that push sticks will not.

Grr-rippers are not suitable for all cuts they are the best tool for some cuts.

Your (and my) push sticks are not suitable for every cut, they are not always the best tools.

Use the best tool for the job.

That you don’t like them, and won’t use them is clear, that doesn’t change the point that they can be the better option sometimes.

 

[Jacob]

....

push sticks are not suitable for every cut, .....

Actually they probably are.
Even crosscutting with a sliding table with hands well away from the blade you suddenly find yourself reaching for the pushstick to flip the offcut away from the blade.
And on planer or spindle too, wherever there's a risk of your hand coming close to the blade, having to reach over or near it.
They become second nature quite quickly - you don't need an expensive gadget.

 

[jvc26]

Robin Clevett did a video on the single bevel trestle might be helpful

 

[Jacob]

Robin Clevett did a video on the single bevel trestle might be helpful

He's brilliant! Virtuoso performance. No bench stops, no vice, trade saw, no drawing board, no Sketchup.
The final touch with the digger shows how strong the splayed legs are - triangulated and working against each other. If they'd been 90º the thing would have racked and suddenly collapsed lengthways.

I've never tried that single angle approach but must have a go!
I wrote up the text book method here Making perfect trestles which is much more difficult - it's training exercise not meant to be easy, but does start making sense if you get stuck in.
Only ever made three pairs this way, well thats all I needed, they last forever! (n.b. old website due for makeover, all out of date)

Thanks for that jvc26, never seen it before.
Apologies to swisstony for taking his topic off piste!

PS Just had a closer look - Robin Clevett's "one bevel" is a brilliant working method, but is a tiny bit of a cheat as the geometry isn't spot on - there'll be little errors but they'll be be barely visible. At 6'30" he's marking the housing as perpendicular, straight across, but to be perfect it should be angled slightly. Not sure what the angle is would have to work it out.

 

[MayKitt]

Very interesting project. I'm trying to squeeze a lot into a small space as well.

Could you sketch and post a plan so that I can see how things are going to be played out?

 

[Ozi]

This isn't perfect but better than most you will find on the internet.

https://gosforthhandyman.com/table-saw-safety/
I would add to it 2 push sticks are better than 1 and ideally you want a short fence that finishes before the centre of the blade, many are full length so you need to add some kind of sub fence.

Thank you for posting that really helpful, can you explain how you use two push sticks it sounds wrong which clearly means I haven't understood it.

 

[Jacob]

Thank you for posting that really helpful, can you explain how you use two push sticks it sounds wrong which clearly means I haven't understood it.

Chap using two push sticks here at about 1'40"
They are a bit short, and he's doing all sorts of other dodgy things, but it does show how neatly you can use two push sticks.

More here Making table saw push sticks though he goes to a huge amount of trouble to extract a pattern but could have drawn round the one he had with a pencil!

 

[Ozi]

Thanks Gents,

This mornings job - push stick holder on the back of the fence

 

[Jacob]

Thanks Gents,

This mornings job - push stick holder on the back of the fence

Do they need a holder? I just have them scattered about within hands reach.

 

[Ozi]

Do they need a holder? I just have them scattered about within hands reach.

The one in the video looked like a useful idea - built mine yet to try it out

 

[Cabinetman]

I thought it was a bit unfair swamping Tony‘s bench thread, so I’ve started a new one on how to use push sticks on a table saw. Ian