Can't remember if I saw that you should learn how to adjust it. A well calibrated saw works MUCH better than an almost calibrated saw.
I'd add, buy a book on using the table saw. There are ALL SORTS of things you can do with it, some I never thought of till I read about them.
Which book??--I've read a lot, and not found one that really stands out. Barnes and Noble usually has a good collection of woodworking books. Pull a few out and buy the one that looks the best for the least $$$.
Mon, Jan 15, 2007, 7:51am (EST-3) darryl snipped-for-privacy@rogers.com doth posteth thusly: any safety tips ? Also...any one have some simple plans to learn the basics?
Keep your fingers out of the whirly parts, and don't stand directly behind the blade when you're sawing.
This is about as basic as you're gonna get.
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Next time you might want to be just a leetle more specific on what you ask for.
JOAT I do not have the huge amout of faith needed to be an Atheist.
Wow - you got a personalized plan from JOAT (and it wasn't even a pukey duck)! If I got one of those, I'd consider myself semi-officially "welcomed to the wRECk". Andy
No matter how small the router looks, It takes years of practice to master any type of acceptable "freehand" work.
Cheap bits/blades produce nothing but anger.
Keep your body out of the line of fire.
Practice with cheap wood and good bits/blades.
Read the manual twice.
Read the manual again.
Spend a couple of days aligning the TS. Go slow and follow the manual.
Spend a couple of days practicing with your router. A good edge guide and some good quality bits should get you started.
A good first aid kit nearby
Never wear gloves near the spinning things.
Go to the library or bookstore and get some of the mentioned books
It is easier to explain why you have to buy a new piece of wood than to have to explain to the ER doc why you are there that day.
Buy a good dust mask and then a better mask for finishing.
If you have a detached shop, a wired phone. You can have it be a cordless for carrying around with you, but alas a cell phone might not work out there at the "critical" moment. Also in the 911 centers, it would provide the number, name, and address for the dispatchers.
Start a simple project to try basic joinery. Advance as tool budget and time allow.
Amen to that. You should see the colors on my belly. 8" x 10" x 3/4" board kicked back and hit me in the belly last week. Dropped me to my knees as if someone had hit me with a baseball bat. The safety guard/anti kickback pawl is going back on. Took it off because I was cutting grooves in the boards after cutting to size and I was too lazy to put it back on. You'd think after reaching 65 that I'd know better.
I'm not entirely sure what a table saw/router is but I'm certainly familiar with a table saw. Mine is old and frankly pretty shitty, but I picked up the Table Saw Book by Kelly Mehler. The book was recommended by a few people on this forum, and it's excellent.
Lee Valley sells it, but I suspect just about any large bookstore has it as well. I just did a search and LV doesn't have it any more. However, here's the link to what they don't have:
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'd recommend reading it before you even fire up your saw. I know that's a really really hard thing to do, but I think it's worth the wait. You don't mention what size or kind of saw you got, but that's not too important for what I'm aiming at here. More people will respond to your post and tell you that there are tons of safety issues with table saws, and they'll be right. Mehler;'s book discusses them in detail and guides you in ways to avoid the problems - problems that new users might not even think of. A table saw isn't like a circular saw. It's got a bunch of things going on that you really need to know about and approach with caution.
It's not a machine that a woodworker should be afraid of, but it's certainly something that demands a great deal of respect.
I think the number one rule regarding power tools is that when you are "too tired" or "can't be bothered" to do what you know you should do then it is time to pack up and have a beer.
Never, ever, ever make a cut without using either the fence or miter gauge. No matter how steady you think you are, the slightest twist you make trying to cut freehand will really ruin your day, if not seriously injure you.
First time I ever used a table saw, I didn't know that, and learned about kickback *really* quick, when a 4'X8' sheet of 1/4" plywood came off a benchtop saw and did it's best to chop me in half.
And a mistake I made was using the fence instead of the mitre gauge to guide this small piece of wood for cutoff. I find this out after reading safety tips after the board hit me. Makes sense to me. The cutoff part twisted slightly between the fence and the blade and the blade grabbed it.
Since the safety subject has been well covered, let me suggest a couple of simple things to make. Presumable your wife has already suggested something she wants for the house. If not ask her. Small picture frames are easy enough, rip some decent wood to size, rabbet the back to accept the glass, matte board and back. Miter the corners, glue them and reenforce the miters with brads. Storage boxes. Use 1/4" plywood for the bottoms and dado the sides to hold the bottoms in. Simpliest design is butt joints on all corners. You can work up to rabbet or rabbet-miter joints or that most elegant of all table saw joints, the finger lap.
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