Table Saw Basics for Beginners

You don't need to be intimidated by a table saw however it is one of the most dangerous power tools in the workshop so a good understanding and respect for it is essential.

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[bernieinsaudi]

Get that blade height just above the thickness of the material being cut! Reduces the risk of kick back considerably…

[TheAimbt]

Thanks for your work making this video. I just wanna say: please don´t wear gloves while working with rotating tools like saws, routers or a drillpress. If the tool grabs on your glove, your hand will end up in the sawblade or drill. It´s just not worth loosing a finger or more. :)

[phildavies]

The Promo Code still works on top of their offer in 2024. Fantastic thank you.

[DuceDesigns]

I had this saw for a year and mine was just terrible. Fell out of square after pretty much every cut, because it kicks like a donkey when you start it up. The chatter was awful, even when cutting thin sheet materials, and the non-standard mitre slots are a real niggle too. Let's not even mention that the arbour is 25.4mm meaning you either need reducer rings for most blade brands (Saxton do a line with the right sized hole though) or are stuck with the expensive evolution ones. The worst thing is, this saw was only £220 when I bought mine just over a year ago, evolution have jacked it nip to £350 now!
After all that, just want to say this was a great video & I'm really enjoying working my way through your others.
Edited to add: I would never wear gloves when using power tools, I'd rather lose a finger than an arm.

[kwesip]

I love your explanations. I don’t know why, but I just get it more.

[mrwood]

Perfect timing, been watching your videos from the start. Just had my first table saw delivered today.

[cma]

To reduce the chance of kickback, the blade should only be just slightly higher than the stock. That way you are reducing the amount of friction also.

[moosetron]

Hi I really enjoy your videos and watch regularly but, can I just say.... Blade height! I've always been told and understood that you should only have 1 saw tooth tip exposed eg 5mm above the thickness of the material, this also helps eliminate kick back. Adjusting the riving knife height according to hold the blade guard.

[christianpetersen]

Stuart, I’m pleased you spoke at length re the dangers of kick back. If you multiply the circumference of the blade by the rpm you’ll get the speed of each of those blade teeth. You can then convert that speed to mph. You’ll then realise that each tooth moves literally, close to 100 mph. If one of those teeth at the back of the blade, which of course is about to travel towards you, catch the edge of the wood pinched tight between it and the fence it will shoot that wood back towards you close to 100 mph. This is way too fast for anyone to react and can cause such a horrible instantaneous injury you’ll wished you had never set eyes on a table saw. It only needs to happen once! This is in addition to other dangers like inadvertently cutting off a finger or being tempted to use the saw without the blade guard. For me I’d rather have full control with a much safer track saw and MFT even if it takes a few minutes longer. Working toward keeping out of hospital always seemed a good idea to me!

[Stebo]

Being uses these for YEARS never had a issue Rage 5 is amazing i pretty much have the set of Evo there blades are just perfection with everything it can cut great video

[uktony]

Stuart, thank you for this video. I bought the same saw three years ago and it is still boxed as I did not have the confidence to use it. Your video has given me the confidence to open the box, assemble the saw and use it safely.

[Rob-Eckert]

Should set the blade height about 1/2 tooth above the material being cut.

[paullynch]

Thank you for unbiased content. I did tike a second take when you were tightening up the blade though. If there was to be a slip I shudder to think of the potential injury you could receive. Might be an idea to cover the top of the blade.
Keep up the fine content.

[MS-yydh]

Another interesting video. I’ve been thinking of getting a table saw and already have a few Evolution tools - they seem quite good, although I note the motors are often physically larger than other makes, which can be an issue, say for a circular saw. I am not sure you have set the blade correctly in your video. My understanding has always been that the blade should be set as low as possible in these things. Also, I would not myself wear gloves when operating most types of power tools. I served an apprenticeship as a toolmaker back in the 1970s (using lathes, millers, shapers, surface grinders, etc) and things like gloves, loose clothing, long hair and even jewellery were thought hazardous.

[Hand-i-Craft]

Stu I love your videos and this is a great introduction to folk considering stepping into the world of table saws. I have the same saw and used it for three years now. Would you consider doing a follow up video with additional tips? It might be worth including the auxiliary fence and when it should be used. My train of thought is for machined sheet goods like you used in this video then the full length fence is fine, but I use the auxiliary fence up to half way along the blade for any timber products as it helps to alleviate the pinch effect you referenced in the kickback section. Keep up the great work, really looking forward to seeing what becomes of the additional garden land you bought 😀😀👍👍

[negotiableaffections]

I tend to watch 'safety & the tablesaw' videos whenever I spot one. I know all the pros & cons by now, BUT 'knowing isn't doing!' - A refresher always serves as a warning to NEVER get complacent about this [or any other] piece of equipment.
We all dream of glorious SawStop machines; [not forgetting the replacement of the whole carriage section, should the dang thing get triggered] but then have to settle for more reasonably priced equipment. Knowing the risks AND remembering them is all we have, and hopefully, all our fingers & thumbs. Even the great DiResta made a mistake once!

[tommydrain]

Loved the video and all the info that you went through, so much so that I bought the saw. Well I hot the 5s. I have to say that I found the assembly instructions woeful and the figure drawings in them inaccurate. It took me just over 2 hours to get the leg assembly complete. Now that it is, I have to say that I'm very impressed with it and the folding mechanism.

[Neil-Hanson]

I own this particular saw and have used it for the passed two years, and for the price i think it's one of the best table saws out there, my only gripe with it, and this is just my opinion it should have an emergency stop paddle over the on/off switch, i have luckily found a chap that makes one for this model and it is brilliant, a small thing but it could save you from serious injury or worse.I also own the Evolution circular saw which again for the price is superb.

[neilmacdonaldfilm]

I've had this model of Saw for over 2 years, it's ok for what it is, I changed the blade for a better quality one. The design of the guard/extractor, while being very good at extracting dust etc, does not allow you to put the saw blade down far enough to maintain a safe working blade height when cutting thin material. Also the knob for adjusting/removing the guard is on the right hand side which hits the fence when cutting narrow strips. The plastic pad surrounding the blade is very thin and bends slightly when cutting certain widths. Despite these drawbacks I would buy it again though, it folds away into a small size and is powerful enough for most jobs around the home, I cut 100mm Oak Newel posts with it for example.
Watch out when you start it up though, since small pieces of wood that drop to the bottom of the plastic Saw Well, will move when you fold the machine up, then on start up they are fired out of the machine at high speed.
It's a Table Saw, needs to be treated with respect every time you use it.

[dannybaker]

Yet another quality and highly informative video. I bought my (very cheap, like table saw at the beginning the pandemic and then wood prices went throught the damn roof so I haven't used it yet. Your video has given me a very good idea of what I am in for. Cheers Stu.