How to use push sticks to cut wood safely on a table saw.

[Cabinetman]

I'd say it is merely reduced rather than "almost eliminated". Pushing the stock against the fence if the fence is a long, through fence (like yours) still doesn't cure the problems of reaction timber, such as badly kilned black walnut, which may bend uncontrollably away from the blade and towards the fence. With your guides the best outcome is that the material will bind between the blade, fence and roller - with the possibility of a kickback happening if that small contact patch of rubber doesn't do its' job. In the case of a short rip fence the errant material has the space to move wherever it needs to without constraints

In any case just because you haven't had a kickback doesn't mean that you won't have one. "I've done that tens/hundreds/thousands of times without any problems", is a mantra every accident investigator and safety officer has heard or read on numerous occasions. Use the correct technique and you are even less likely to ever have an accident to start with

That’s something I hadn’t considered, is it even possible to use those rubber wheel jobs with a short fence?
You’re right, yes it is quite a small area of rubber when you think about it, all hunky-dory till something goes wrong.

 

[JobandKnock]

I would have thought so, but would it achieve that much? If the timber diverges as it passes through the saw teeth and is free bend away fromthe blade are you going to actually need to control any kick back? This is because kick back occurs at the back of the blade, where the "rising teeth" are.

I have another scenario where use of the ĺong fence seems equally counter productive - those instances where after being cut stresses in the material cause it to pinch in on the rear of the blade. One "cure" for this is to insert wedges into the kerf as you cut in order to ensure that the material doesn't pinch in - but you can't really do that with a long fence, can you?

Logically when you start processing a batch of timber you do need to be looking for flaws such as shakes and wind (longitudinal twisting). We should know that any piece of timber which is in wind is going to cause problems in a saw. In structural carpentry you'd normally set such timber aside in favour of straighte pieces, then (re)use it for short components such as dwangs (noggins) or blocking/solid strutting where the short component length means you can effevtively bypass the issue. But when dealing with cabinet woods this really isn't an option

 

[Adam W.]

Very informative, thank you.

I don't have a super duper table saw, but a Festool (sorry again for falling in the trap, so please don't flame me) circular saw on a Festool portable table. I hate the upside down spinning blade and have always used two push sticks because I'm $h!t scared of the thing.

 

[Cabinetman]

Very informative, thank you.

I don't have a super duper table saw, but a Festool (sorry again for falling in the trap, so please don't flame me) circular saw on a Festool portable table. I hate the upside down spinning blade and have always used two push sticks because I'm $h!t scared of the thing.

Sounds scary to me as well, very wise to keep stick length away from it I think.

 

[JobandKnock]

With the correct set up and the correct method a circular saw shouldn't scare you - but it should make you wary. Over confidence is a real enemy of safety

 

[Ozi]

Riving Knife + Short Fence ≈ No Kickback

This puzzles me, do you know why fences are made long when it would be very easy to have a step in line with the blade centre?

 

[Daniel2]

This puzzles me, do you know why fences are made long when it would be very easy to have a step in line with the blade centre?

I can think of two three reasons :

1/. For certain specific operations a continuous fence is neccesary.

2/. It's relatively easy to add in a short fence when needed.

3/. Perhaps production costs & simplicity of design.

BTW Ozi, the step shouldn't be in line with the arbor, but more towards the seat of the gullet.

 

[Cabinetman]

I can think of two three reasons :

1/. For certain specific operations a continuous fence is neccesary.

2/. It's relatively easy to add in a short fence when needed.

3/. Perhaps production costs & simplicity of design.

BTW Ozi, the step shouldn't be in line with the arbor, but more towards the seat of the gullet.

I think you’ve got me there Daniel, I can’t think what that specific operation would be that you need a continuous fence for, it’s probably me being dim.
Production costs and simplicity of design, well on my saw, (The one at the start of this thread – a fairly large cast-iron Sedgwick) if there was a short fence it would save them supplying a full length one all the time, and the whole fence is held by a big cast block at the user the end of the saw, which makes me think you’re right there must be an operation that I can’t think of that the saw is designed to be able to do. Ian

 

[Ttrees]

Which tenon jig is the best...
I presume something that slides on the fence would be the most compact.
Is there a way to make use of the full depth of the blade
with a sled?

 

[Inspector]

The long fences are used for sheet goods.

Pete

 

[Inspector]

Search "table saw tenon jig" and you will find lots of mitre slot and fence straddling types. Pretty much all have the ends of the work touching the table for full depth cutting of the blade.

Pete

 

[JobandKnock]

...I can’t think what that specific operation would be that you need a continuous fence for, it’s probably me being dim

For sheet material with little or no internal stress, e.g MDF. The problem is that even man made sheet materials can and do have stresses sometimes (especially Chinese plywood)

Or if you are doing multiple production cuts with the fence locked at the same setting all the time and where the waste piece is very narrow/thin, and especially if using a power feeder on the out feed side, because a feeder needs the fence to be guided/supported by a fence. OK, specialised, but it is done.

 

[Daniel2]

I think you’ve got me there Daniel, I can’t think what that specific operation would be that you need a continuous fence for, it’s probably me being dim.
Production costs and simplicity of design, well on my saw, (The one at the start of this thread – a fairly large cast-iron Sedgwick) if there was a short fence it would save them supplying a full length one all the time, and the whole fence is held by a big cast block at the user the end of the saw, which makes me think you’re right there must be an operation that I can’t think of that the saw is designed to be able to do. Ian

I don't know if it's the right way to do things or not, but I tend to use it when
cutting rebates, dados or quick tenons, for example.

 

[Dynamite]

Interesting post here. It’s a safety feature on my table saw…

Mystery table saw part on fence

 

[Dynamite]

My push sticks are like the straight ones here so I’m ok. To be honest, I was going to make some of those that look like saw handles purely because I like the look of them but thanks to this thread, don’t think I will bother now. Like these…

Rob

However, what about these ones though?…

Kind Regards..........Rob

 

[Jacob]

My push sticks are like the straight ones here so I’m ok. To be honest, I was going to make some of those that look like saw handles purely because I like the look of them but thanks to this thread, don’t think I will bother now. Like these…

Rob

View attachment 125910


However, what about these ones though?…

View attachment 125911

Kind Regards..........Rob

Go for it if they turn you on!
But I can't particularly see them being any more useful than the standard pattern - not least because they are consumables and you may to have to replace them occasionally, so keeping it simple is good.

 

[JobandKnock]

Interesting post here. It’s a safety feature on my table saw…

Mystery table saw part on fence

If your saw is a right tilter that allows you to make narrow bevel rips without the crown guard fouling on the fence. A lot of panel saws and more modern rip saws have extruded aluminium fences which work either in a high position, or by turning through 90° in a low position to do the same sort of thing

 

[Dynamite]

If your saw is a right tilter that allows you to make narrow bevel rips without the crown guard fouling on the fence. A lot of panel saws and more modern rip saws have extruded aluminium fences which work either in a high position, or by turning through 90° in a low position to do the same sort of thing

Hi, thanks for the info. It’s actually a left tilter… Rob

 

[JobandKnock]

In that case...