New table saw owner, what are necessities?

[ThatSickRip]

The Old Lady got me the 10" Ridgid table saw/stand combo from HD for Christmas. Im new to table saws, so what would you guys suggest/recommend getting prior to use? I plan on using Freud blades, and have read about squaring it up, so I know those things need to be done.

Any recommended push blocks? Is the Micro Jig Grr-Ripper any good, or are there others?

 

[B_Bimmer]

Take all the guards off.

I'm joking, relax.

 

[Damon L.]

I have the Grr-Ripper, and will buy another if I ever wear it out. The little setup time it takes is worth it.

Other than that I think you are on the right track. Get it square and start using it. Any jigs you may need/want will become apparent as you build stuff.

 

[The Cobbler]

be careful. don't have the blade excessively high, just about 1/4" beyond the stock you're cutting. Stand to the side a bit so if the stock jambs & flies out, it doesn't hit you .
Use push blocks for small stuff.
I know this isn't what you asked, but ...

 

[matt_i]

The fence, very important.

Push sticks, push blocks, all important, can shop-make them or buy.

2 featherboards are useful.

Getting the fence to where you trust the tape to be as good as your tape measure = gold.

Past that, dust collection system and a recirculating air filter will help save your lungs.

A stack dado is a nice accessory if it will fit on your arbor length. Then need a different table slot cover for the dado.

 

[ThatSickRip]

be careful. don't have the blade excessively high, just about 1/4" beyond the stock you're cutting. Stand to the side a bit so if the stock jambs & flies out, it doesn't hit you .
Use push blocks for small stuff.
I know this isn't what you asked, but ...

No worries

Im open to any and all input and info

 

[Bogie1632]

Start here:

"Before we get started I'd like to take a moment to talk about shop safety. Be sure to read, understand and follow all the safety rules that come with your power tools. Knowing how to use your power tools PROPERLY will greatly reduce the risk of personal injury." ~Norm Abram

Get a set of blades. Good ones for finish work or just plane ripping and a good quality miter gauge.

V/R
Bogie

 

[Milton Shaw]

A good dado set and zero clearance table insert are very useful additions to a table saw. All sorts of jigs and sliding tables will increase accuracy and ease of use. A 10" saw would use normally about an 8" dado set. The magnetic spacers that Rockler and Woodcraft sell would increase your use as most woods are not exactly 1/16 or 1/8" multiples and a lot are metric or close to it.

 

[nadogail]

My scars remind me of the importance of using a push stick for small work.

No attempt to avoid a wasted scrap is worth the loss of a finger. I have come close twice.

 

[dwcon1431]

My scars remind me of the importance of using a push stick for small work.

No attempt to avoid a wasted scrap is worth the loss of a finger. I have come close twice.

Same here. I've come within mms of doing serious damage. Guards and push sticks cannot be overstated!

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[Ton ton]

Nice saw.

 

[EricS]

look into a table saw sled, here's a link for a nice basic one https://www.instructables.com/Easy-Table-Saw-Sled/ but if they can get pretty fancy and depending on the projects you're looking at build a sled accordingly.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tablesaw+sled

 

[theoldwizard1]

Any recommended push blocks? Is the Micro Jig Grr-Ripper any good, or are there others?

Don't over-think this ! I use a piece of wood with a notch !! If you are going to try using molding cutters, feather boards are a must.

You need a "sacrificial" fence add on for thin cuts.

Sooner or later, you will need a "panel cutting sled/jig". Dozens of plans available.

Tip : If you are making projects out of plywood, have the store rip the sheets down to close to the finished width. Even with manageable widths, you will probably want and outfeed table/roller and maybe in an infeed.

 

[zktk01]

Watch this he has some good safety stuff
Unfortunately looks like this guy passed away this year

https://www.churchandchapel.com/obituaries/Robert-Joseph-Chase?obId=18680138

 

[jonshonda]

Good Blade
Calibrate Fence
Good push sticks
Possibly a better on/off switch, positioned where you can turn the saw off with your thigh
Outfeed support of some sort for long stock. I went with ones from harbor freight

 

[ThatSickRip]

Start here:

"Before we get started I'd like to take a moment to talk about shop safety. Be sure to read, understand and follow all the safety rules that come with your power tools. Knowing how to use your power tools PROPERLY will greatly reduce the risk of personal injury." ~Norm Abram

Get a set of blades. Good ones for finish work or just plane ripping and a good quality miter gauge.

V/R
Bogie

Yes Sir, I always read those with new tools, even if Im not good at using them

 

[tarmy]

Here are some ideas...including a safety switch. If something ever binds...or wants to fly at you and you can’t let go...a knee will shut it down...

 

[ThatSickRip]

Watch this he has some good safety stuff
Unfortunately looks like this guy passed away this year

https://www.churchandchapel.com/obituaries/Robert-Joseph-Chase?obId=18680138

Thank you

I was going to ask for stuff like that since what you guys post and share is better than just Googling it and not knowing if Im watching someone that knows their stuff

 

[Robinson1]

Same here. I've come within mms of doing serious damage. Guards and push sticks cannot be overstated!

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My scars remind me of the importance of using a push stick for small work.

No attempt to avoid a wasted scrap is worth the loss of a finger. I have come close twice.

Same. Ive cut my left thumb on two separate occasions. First time was just a nick. Second time was a 2 inch long gash complete with a notch in the nail and visible bone.

Ive also destroyed countless push sticks.

Table saws will hurt you FAST!

Dont ever let your guard down. Its usually not the new users thst get bit. It's the guys that have done it for years and gotten too comfortable around the whirling blade of death and destruction

 

[Robinson1]

Also don't cut anything with the blade set higher than 1/4" above the wood. It can and will bind and launch thr lumber at you. This is especially true with thin plywood, doubly so if using a coarse tooth blade.

I almost killed my then girlfriend now wife doing something similiar. Building birdhouses for her family for Christmas gifts. I had a 2 foot long 3 inch wide piece of 1/2" plywood come off the saw backwards at about 300 mph. Put a nice dent in the shop wall 12 feet behind me Missed her head by inches. Happened so fast I wasn't sure what happened until I saw the mangled piece of wood on the floor at the OPPOSITE end of the shop

 

[PelicanPines]

You must always use a riving knife... do not remove it if you have one. Unless there is no other way to make the cut.

I have the hybrid Ridgid.

 

[ThatSickRip]

Some of you guys are making me want to return it and get something else after hearing these stories lol

 

[rrich1]

Grippers are awesome. If you can afford one I recommend them highly.

Learn that small pieces can be caught between the blade and the fence. If cutting smaller pieces you need to have space larger than the piece between the blade and the fence.

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[manwithtools]

I have had two badly broken fingers (since mended) on two different hands from table saw incidents. I hate the damn things. I ironically I got one one of the injuries' cutting polycarbonate to make an overhead guard for the blade

 

[greg13]

OK, SLOW DOWN!!!! It is like reading horror stories of auto accidents, it does not mean you are going to have one. You have to treat ALL tools with respect or they WILL bite you.
Common sense goes a LONG way towards preventing accidents.

Ridgid includes a push stick in a pocket on the side of the saw with the rip fence & miter slide, USE IT!!!! They are great saws and safe when used correctly. My personal problem is that they are designed for right handed people, the switch is on the wrong side for me.

 

[ZRX61]

A couple of spare fingers might come in handy at some point.

 

[zktk01]

If you have a woodcraft store in your area they sometimes have lessons on the weekends.
The one in my area has some good classes such as making cabinets and face frames.
good way to get on a table saw with someone making sure you are safe.

 

[JRC3]

On my Craftsman portable I hook a shop vac to the dust port. Even when I'm outside in a driveway or even yard. It keeps a good amount of dust off and out of you. I do the same with my miter saw.

Pretty much like this but I sit the vacuum to the side to easily flip the power switch.

 

[justanengineer]

Dont ever let your guard down. Its usually not the new users thst get bit. It's the guys that have done it for years and gotten too comfortable around the whirling blade of death and destruction

Yup. My father taught shop for 26 years and was an avid lifetime woodworker. A kid distracting him at school made the saw bite his thumb the first time, luckily a good surgeon put it back together. After 20 years of retirement the ******* wore gloves one day while running his personal saw. Needless to say, the saw grabbed the tip of his glove and the same thumb was removed before he knew it, this time permanently.

My best advice for the OP is to avoid distractions and don’t get too cocky bc as mentioned SHTF faster than you can react with tablesaws. If the kids or wife are screaming or you’re not feeling 110% just walk away. If you ever need reminding, my old man will gladly tell you how fun it is to relearn to write, shave, and wipe your *** left-handed at 80.


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[MarvinBerry]

The safety factor can't be overstated.

My high school shop teacher, junior year... on a full size industrial saw like the one tarmy posted pics of..

One morning he sliced 3 fingers off his right hand. Index was dangling by the skin. Clean through the bones on all 4.

I was the lucky ******* who saw it happen and hit the emergency stop button. Really leaves an impression about respecting the power of the blade.

With the portable saws make damn sure it's bolted to something really solid. You don't want it shifting around & binding a piece.

That and don't ever force a piece through. Always let the saw do the work.

 

[gnpenning]

Start here:

"Before we get started I'd like to take a moment to talk about shop safety. Be sure to read, understand and follow all the safety rules that come with your power tools. Knowing how to use your power tools PROPERLY will greatly reduce the risk of personal injury." ~Norm Abram

Get a set of blades. Good ones for finish work or just plane ripping and a good quality miter gauge.

V/R
Bogie

You left off the safety glasses part.

Be safe and have fun building things.

 

[CTyankee]

Eye protection...Always.

 

[jonshonda]

Some of you guys are making me want to return it and get something else after hearing these stories lol

A good plunge/track saw and miter saw should allow you to accomplish most things, and imho are much safer then a table saw.

 

[MoonRise]

Good blades. A combo blade works for many cuts, but specific blades can do certain cuts 'better'. A dedicated rip blade will usually do rip cuts better than the combo blade, a dedicated fine-toothed cross-cut blade will usually do cross-cuts better than the combo blade. So that's three blades right there.

A GOOD dado set is handy (or essential) for certain cuts.

A HEALTHY respect for the saw.

A 10" tablesaw blade is spinning with a tip speed of ~150 mph (with a blade speed of 5000 rpm). 2618 inches per SECOND. You can NOT react faster then the blade can cause something to happen.

Multiple push sticks and push blocks. Some can be shop made. Some can be store bought. USE THEM.

Use the guards.

Tune the saw (miter gauge and rip fence).

Make a crosscut sled.

Make (or buy) a way to have a sacrificial auxiliary face on your rip fence. Handy for some cuts, essential for some other cuts. It is also a 'consumable', so make a few of the consumable parts .

Featherboards (shop made or store bought) are very useful for certain cuts. Use them where appropriate. They can be used both 'flat' to help hold work TO the rip fence and also on the rip fence to hold the work down to the table top.

Dust reduction and collection is a good thing to have or add.

NEVER reach towards or over or across the blade or the path of the blade.

A digital magnetic angle gauge (Wixey is one brand name) is handy. Helps you really set the blade tilt angle accurately. Not the only tool or way to do so, but it is a handy way to do so.

Make or buy some zero-clearance inserts. Handy for lots of cuts, and essential for some. They are 'consumable' (whenever you change the blade angle you'll need a new insert, whenever you change the blade width you'll need a new insert, etc), so make (or buy) a bunch.

PPE. Eyes and ears always, dust mask may be essential for certain cuts on certain materials, never a bad habit to always wear a dust mask when using the saw.

NO GLOVES (maybe thin nitrile-type gloves if you need to avoid skin contact with certain woods or their dust but no 'work' gloves).

 

[ThatSickRip]

A good plunge/track saw and miter saw should allow you to accomplish most things, and imho are much safer then a table saw.

Yea, some of these replies are making me think to return it for the Dewalt 779 and getting a clamp on track for my circular saw lol. I didnt have any plans on ripping any large sheet goods, so the clamp on track should cover what I may need

 

[Farmall450]

Yea, some of these replies are making me think to return it for the Dewalt 779 and getting a clamp on track for my circular saw lol. I didnt have any plans on ripping any large sheet goods, so the clamp on track should cover what I may need

Hard to beat the 779 for $350 promo they've been runnning...but they aren't really comparable things. Even with a nice track or tracksaw...setting up on every piece will get old if you do anything repetitive.

 

[Whitworth]

I've seen guys do some of the dumbest moves on a table saw in the most nonchalant, "I do this all the time" manner. Free hand cutting, pulling stock through, using the miter gauge in combination with the rip fence, etc, etc. Not too mention just general safe practice incl keeping the table clean and clear, proper blades, proper materials.

Subtract that idiocy from all the horror stories and statistics and you'll find table saws are pretty safe.

 

[ThatSickRip]

I've seen guys do some of the dumbest moves on a table saw in the most nonchalant, "I do this all the time" manner. Free hand cutting, pulling stock through, using the miter gauge in combination with the rip fence, etc, etc. Not too mention just general safe practice incl keeping the table clean and clear, proper blades, proper materials.

Subtract that idiocy from all the horror stories and statistics and you'll find table saws are pretty safe.

Good to know. I use to be a little bit like that when I was younger, and then once my daughter was born, I tightened up because I had someone else depending on me now. So now, Im more of a safety Nazi than I was years ago..

Yall still got me paranoid though

 

[PugetDude]

Push sticks. Make a dozen of them out of scrap plywood. Hang them where you store and use the saw. You won't care about tearing them up. You can't operate safely if you're worried about slicing the edge of your shiny new Ridgid pushstick.

Take your time and go slow. If something doesn't feel right don't do it. Never force a cut.
Use outfeed and side supports on longer/wider stock (why I bought the Bosch-they have engineered supports readily available as add-ons) As previously mentioned, don't stand in the line of fire...ensure you're balanced-make sure you aren't going to trip over your extension cord in the middle of a cut.

Use a sharp blade/one not loaded with pitch- it will make all the difference in ease of cutting and your finished cut quality.

You need to learn to respect the saw for what it can and can't do, not fear it.



It's kinda like my flight instructor told me... "before you do something you're not sure about, ask yourself- How is this going to sound at the NTSB hearing?" Same thing here, but it would be explaining it in the ER...

 

[RTM]

... zero clearance table insert are very useful additions to a table saw.

Zero clearance insert is a wonderful thing. Makes nicer cuts, and prevents pieces from dropping into the cabinet. Easy to make for most saws, can buy them for modern ones.

I had a 2 foot long 3 inch wide piece of 1/2" plywood come off the saw backwards at about 300 mph. Put a nice dent in the shop wall 12 feet behind me Missed her head by inches. Happened so fast I wasn't sure what happened until I saw the mangled piece of wood on the floor at the OPPOSITE end of the shop

I had a similar incident, threw a 3" x 3" piece across the shop, dented the back wall. It was an off cut that vibrated into the blade before I could grab it. I keep it in the box with all my accessories (feather board, pushers, hold downs etc) that comes out with each use, to remind me how dangerous it could be. Have to handle it EVERY time I use the saw.

My saw blade inserts are painted red or white, very high contrast to the cast iron. I use them as a reminder to never let my fingers get inside that brightly colored spot.

Whoever said keep your blade 1/4" above the wood has an important point, not mentioned. The blade is then cutting on the downside of the blade, not the top, which is pushing your wood forward, back at you, if you only have a hair visible.

There are lots of great tips on line, but take them all with a huge chunk of salt. If you don't feel comfortable trying it, look for a different way. There are lots of guys out there missing fingers, giving ideas.