Cut on left or right side of blade?

[Don Armstrong]

Should I cut with the material on the left or right side of my table saw blade. Thanks, Don

[Pat B]

Depends on which side the fence is on. With the fence on the left side of the blade the waste should be on the right of the blade.

[Don Armstrong]

Pat, Iv'e heard it's dangerous to cut from one side, not sure which one. Am I wrong?

[tenbrook]

you dont want the material between the fence and the blade to be less the about 3/4" for fear of kick back is my understanding.

[2treks]

Don, I cut with my fence on the right and me on the right. That way I do not have to reach "across" the blade to hold the material to the fence.This would be reversed for cutting on the left side. Also, I have a 2" rule,less than 2" between the blade and fence and I use my push stick. If you are not familiar with any of your machines it will be a wise effort to get familiar with them.For safety sake and for getting the best cuts. It is amazing what a well tunes saw or sander can do. I am no expert,so if somebody has better advice we are reading.
Merry Christmas.

CTT

[Don Armstrong]

Thanks guys, I run milling machines, lathes and other tools so I have a lot of scares  :rolleyes:  , just don't want to lose a finger or hand. I made a jig for cutting takedown risers tonight. I put the jig in the left side groove. I am able to push completely thru the piece from the left without getting close to the blade. I hope this works. There was a thread , that I couldn't find, that discussed the left right feed. In the DVD from Binghams they fed the sheets in with the fence on the right side of the blade and used a push stick. They were cutting 12" strips. Don

[Bowjunkie]

Regardless of which side the fence is used on, or which side of the blade the waste is fed through, the important thing is to push on and control the piece that is between the blade and the fence.

If you don't, but instead push on the 'outer piece', once the board is cut in two, the loose half can get pinched between the blade and the fence and come flying back at you at approximately 140 mph.

[razorback]

Bowjunkie, I've caught a couple of those pieces and if you pay close attention to heights, the boys are usually in the firing line. Always push the piece between the fence and the blade all the way through. Have some push sticks within reach before you start the cut and wear safety eye wear.

[Roy from Pa]

Oh ya, I've launched a couple rockets out of my table saw already.

[wood carver 2]

I once ducked under a foot square piece of two inch poplar that spun off a 14 inch blade and made a hole in a wall 25 yards away. My dumb mistake.
Don, when you say you're using a jig, is it a sled that holds the workpiece as it slides on the saw? If that's the case, the the wood should be fully supported by the jig and the fence be completely out of the way. The nature of the work sometimes dictates how it's done and, when using a sled to hold your workpiece, the offcut can be on either side of the blade. Same thing when using a mitre gage to guide your workpiece. Don't use the fence with it. Align your cut, back up a bit, then turn on the saw and cut.
Whatever way you do things just make sure that nothing can pinch or jam between the blade and the fence and/or the jig. If you are experienced, you can cut thin pieces using the fence. You need to use the proper kind of push stick to be safe. If you have any doubts about how safe a cut is, don't do it. Find another way or ask for help. There are a lot of experienced people here who can offer advice and I'm always willing to help where I can. Maybe one day I'll be asking you for advice on working with metal working tools.    
Dave.

[Don Armstrong]

wood carver 2, It's a sled that uses the 3/4" groove to guide it. Going to pick up a couple of toggle clamps. I am not using the fence. I made some push sticks and am trying to cut small pieces with the miter guage set at 90 degrees, and not the fence. I set the fence, mark the table, move the fence and then cut with the miter guage. This allows me to keep my hands out of the way and not get kick back. Thanks for all the help. Don

[White Oak]

Good advice from all above.A well tuned table saw can be one of the greatest tools in your shop. I know it would be one of the last that I would part with.There are machines that can do some things better but few that can do as many things as a table saw using the proper setups.There are some excellant books out there that cover everything from setting up your saw to  specialized jigs and also safety.Two that come to mind are Table Saw Techniques byRoger Cliffe and Delta also had a book Getting the most out of your Table Saw.
Believe me, your table saw,although with increased kerf waste is cabable of even cutting some pretty decent veneers using a zero clearance table insert which you can make yourself.
Just a suggestion. If your saw is equipped with a blade guard with anti kick-back pawls  try to use it. I am as guilty as anyone about this as mine is laying on a shelf in my shop now.With some jigs and fixtures it seems impossible to use this safety device. It is also much easier to see what you are doing without the guard in the way. Those pawls are there to keep you from eating a piece of wood incase of kick-back.
I, like you make my living cutting metal. I have been a machinist for the past 34 years. The last 13 years as a tool and cutter grinder.I feel the odds of me lopping off a digit or getting otherwise injured are greater in my home shop than on the clock.
Work carefully and get to know that saw and you will love it.
Take care,
Ed


             

[kennym]

Originally posted by Don Armstrong:
wood carver 2, It's a sled that uses the 3/4" groove to guide it. Going to pick up a couple of toggle clamps. I am not using the fence. I made some push sticks and am trying to cut small pieces with the miter guage set at 90 degrees, and not the fence. I set the fence, mark the table, move the fence and then cut with the miter guage. This allows me to keep my hands out of the way and not get kick back. Thanks for all the help. Don

Don, if I understand you right on what you are doing, can you clamp a small block on the fence at your end as a stop, so as you move the miter gauge forward, the workpiece is clear of the small block before it touches the blade?

This way you can make multiple replicated cuts of the same length.

[eflanders]

There are plans available for free from Woodsmith for a ripping guide especially for use on table saws.  This is what I use and it works great!

[Tom Leemans]

Here's a nice video on table saw use.