Table Saw Considerations
Are you sick and tired of trying to use your old circular saw or manual saw to cut wood. If so, a quality table saw can make your life easier and your work a lot more accurate and even fun. Because these small saws can often rip, crosscut, miter, and even bevel a variety of different materials, they are very versatile tools to have.
What To Look For In Quality Table Saws
First, thing about the size of material that you are going to cut. In general, these are good for anything from about 1×1 to 4×4, so that gives you plenty of leeway. If you need to cut larger or smaller sizes, you will probably have to invest in a specialized machine. For example, there are more powerful saws that you can buy than a table saw.
There are two main advantages to buying a good table saw:
* They should store away easily and not take up that much room when you are not using them.
* The machine should sit in one place, and you simply feed it wood.
Speaking of feeding in wood, be sure you buy a standard table saw that comes with all of the right safety equipment. If you happen to buy a used one, it might be that the owner did not bother to install these things, but you really should work with them. They are no trouble, and they could protect your fingers from getting sliced off by a blade or your nose from getting smashed by a board that pops up.
These are important safety features that you need with your table saw:
* Blade guard: A blade guard protects your fingers from the sharp blade.
* Splitter: This holds the cut in the board open, so it doesn’t pinch against the wood and cause it to kick pack at you.
* Anti-kickback: A piece called a “pawl” helps keep the board from kicking back and either moving the table saw or hitting you. Tiny teeth on this part grip onto the board, so it won’t kick back and hurtle towards you while you are working.
Push shoe or push stick: These devices are used to keep the board pressed firmly against the guiding fence. You could do that with your hand, but most woodworkers learn that it is safer to keep their hands as far away from the blade as possible.
If you are ever going to cut narrow wood, you absolutely need this part too. This part may come with some quality table saws, or you may need to buy it on its own, and it will be a good investment in safety.
Is A Bench-Top Saw Right For You?
No bench-top table saw will ever be as accurate or fine as an expensive contractor’s or stationary saw. It will also probably be tough to cut very thick pieces of wood, and this is especially true of hardwoods. However, you can find quality models that are accurate enough for most of the work you will probably do around your house.
If you have a special project in mind, you might ask the specialists at a home improvement store or call a manufacturer for advice about which saw to buy. Another option is to rent a table saw for a day or two to get the feel of it.
If you like the model that you rented, you might purchase a new one. If not, you may have saved yourself a lot of money by trying it out. Also, other woodworkers that you know can probably give you advice about what they like or don’t like about different table saws. Click here for reviews on hybrid table saws and portable table saws. Also check out our comparision chart, with table saws from Dewalt, Bosch and Makita plus many more.