Hands down the best Table Saw DVD out there.

Mike, this is a nice review. Thanks for the info. It sounds as if these DVDs would be a good addition to anyone’s woodworking library. I will have to take a look at buying these.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Mike, Thanks for the review and the link. I just finished ordering one. I’ll let you know what I think after I get through the 10 hours of DVDs!

-- Judd, Adel, Iowa, http://www.stoneyhedge.com

I hope you fine it as informative as I did. I learned a lot, even though I thought I knew a lot about the table saw. What I really learned was how much I didn’t know, especially on safety. I knew where not to put my hands, but that’s about it. I think I can make my saw safer now. I’ve also had issues getting accurate cuts on my saw. I think I know why now :). This weekend I’m going to start the tune-up of my saw with Hendrik’s methods. I plan to report back on how well it worked for me.

-- http://theinquisitivewoodworker.com/

Mike, thanks for your review of this DVD set. It certainly helps to have someone’s opinion on an item like this. Just looking at the price alone, one might be turned off, but it sounds like it’s worth it.

-- Craig, www.WoodworkersResource.com (Where Information meets Inspiration)

A lot of poppy for a video or dvd remember I am Scottish I would have to see it before buying, remember it , then not buy.lol Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

Craig – Most DVDs out there cost around $25 and that is for one DVD with maybe an hour or hour and half of content. I was able to justify the cost by looking at it’s 5 DVDs and 10 hours of content. If this were a live class, I would think it would take at least 2 days if not longer to teach. You can imagine what that might cost.

Scotsman – There are many of us out here that need help learning the craft. Finding quality information can be difficult sometimes. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard experienced woodworkers tell new woodworkers to through away that guard and splitter because it’s a piece of junk. That’s what I did. I’m glad I didn’t really through it away! After learning from Hendrik how the guard and splitter are supposed to be set up and used, that is some of the worse advise out there. That bit of information is worth the price of this DVD set. I want to keep all of my fingers, if I can help it.

-- http://theinquisitivewoodworker.com/

I’ve seen parts of the video, I’ve also heard Hendrik speak on podcasts and in person.

I think this video is very good for beginners, and may help some beginners to not hurt themselves. However, I also think it gets tied up in lots of minutiae and strong, but unsupported opinions.

I know Hendrik went to law school. Where did he get his woodworking training?

He mentions “measuring the thickness of every blade you own”... Most left tilt owners simply touch the 4 or 6 inch square blade, that’s already in the apron, to the appropriate blade tooth and fence, then set the scale to the length of the blade (4 or 6 inches). 3 seconds later, the scale is accurate. If the splitter is thicker than the blade, its fine! No need to readjust because the blade changed.

BTW.. My Father-in-law is Scotch… I know exactly where Scottsman comes from! 8^)

-- - Please help keep Lumberjocks an enjoyable escape by refusing to participate in political discussions. Simply spit out the bait and ignore the thread...

Hi there, Barry:

You are quite right that I went to law school. In fact, I completed law school successfully and even practised for a time, specializing in litigation and contract law. I practised in downtown Toronto. It is no secret that I made the transition from law to full time woodworker and made it work—see http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/subscription/Workshop/WorkshopArticle.aspx?id=29745 if you’re a member of Fine Woodworking’s on-line subscriptions. It’s an article I wrote for FWW on making the transition to professional woodworker.

I wish I could say that I went through a formal woodworking program somewhere, but fortunately there are many very competent self-taught woodworkers out there. I spent a bit of time with a mentor in the beginning—a German master who had apprenticed starting at the age of 13 and is now in his 70s. But I have to say that 99% of what I know is self-taught. Isn’t that always the way? I’m shocked at how many people go through woodworking college programs but still don’t have very many hands-on skills. It takes a great deal of time to develop them.

I’ve worked with my hands my whole life, my father being a Hungarian immigrant who was a painter by trade but did all kinds of handyman work as well. He was of the opinion that making his son work with him was the best possible form of discipline, so although I didn’t always like it, I did learn a great deal growing up working whenever I wasn’t in school. I’ve been woodworking in a more serious way for about 20 years now, first as a hobbyist and now as a full time professional. I’m now starting my 13th year in full time business—I often joke that it feels more like I have 26 years’ worth of experience because I work close to an 80 hour work week and it doesn’t show signs of slowing down!

You’re quite right that I have lots of strong opinions, but I guess that is the natural consequence of being confident in various techniques and theories that I both practise and teach. But I really don’t believe any of my opinions are “unsupported”. When you see me speaking live or you listen to a podcast, there isn’t time to get into every little level of detail. So I often go right to the final conclusion without the luxury of being able to explain myself fully. Even in a live seminar at a woodworking show it is quite a general audience and I don’t always feel that the full level of detail can be given. In my DVDs, though, every opinion is explained and fully supported. I give the reasons for every single step and opinion—hence the reason that my DVDs are so ridiculously long! I’d rather give people a higher level of detail than they feel they may need and they can take what they wish from it, as compared to just glossing over the topic and not getting down to the highest level of detail. There is something there for beginners for sure, but even people who have used table saws for some 25 to 30 years are telling me that they learned so many nuances they never fully understood.

I do understand what you’re saying about moving your cursor really quickly with your left tilt saw. I change blade thicknesses in my workshop quite often—perhaps as often as a half dozen or more times some days. Having to move the cursor each time is really annoying, even if it only takes a few seconds. More importantly, though, I believe that the splitter is only in its safest possible position when its right side is in line with the “cut-line”, meaning that the splitter actually holds the work to the fence for you in an area where the left hand isn’t allowed to go (behind the blade). The large number of left hand injuries I regularly hear about is alarming. Sometimes three fingers cut off at the same time. And not just beginners either—serious injuries are happening among experienced professionals every day. With a left tilt saw, every change of blade thickness results in the right side of the splitter not being in the safest possible position every cut. To me that is a safety compromise.

The left tilt vs. right tilt argument is never going to be resolved among a group of woodworkers. But I don’t want you to think that I tell all left tilt owners to throw their table saws away! I give my preference and go through all my reasons step by step. But then I tell left tilt owners how I recommend they get past these issues if that is what they already own or want to own. I also tell right tilt owners how to make a safe bevelled rip cut even though a left tilt saw is preferable for this particular task.

In any event, Barry, I just wanted to fill in a few holes so that you know where I’m coming from. May I ask where you heard me speak live? Was it at a woodworking show here in Canada?

All the best,

Hendrik

-- Fine furniture design/build, woodworking instruction and lots more -- www.passionforwood.com

• Public Apology to Mr. Varju *

I also PM’d him, to ensure he sees this:

“Mr. Varju,

I apologize for the message in the review thread about your table saw DVD.

I’m glad you wrote your well detailed response, as I wouldn’t have seen my original post. Your reply made the thread pop up in “Pulse” and drew my attention back to the thread.

My original message made a statement about your Law experience and my surprise that your woodworking experience was not posted on your web site, as is often done many teachers and publishers. I did write the statement about how quickly a left tilt fence cursor can be reset.

I have not seen you speak in person. I have heard and enjoyed your sessions on “Matt’s Basement Workshop”. In fact, I also found your recent sharpening article very useful.

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering if I’m a nut. I’m not and will attempt to try to explain what happened…

I was sitting around with a friend checking out the site and enjoying some micro-brew. I had started to write my message, when I needed to use the bathroom. When I left, my pal played around with the message. He was thinking I would see it, curse him, and correct it before sending. When I returned, he was distracted by something on television, and I sent the message and moved on. He assumed I fixed it without saying anything and never mentioned it to me.

Pretty sad frat-boy antics for a pair of guys in their 40’s, I know…”

I’m appalled, but this is the only way I know how to attempt to straighten this out…

-- - Please help keep Lumberjocks an enjoyable escape by refusing to participate in political discussions. Simply spit out the bait and ignore the thread...

Not a big deal, Barry. One of the dangers of mixing woodworking and beer, but still a better result than cutting off one’s digits! Keep the beer in front of the computer or television, but not in the workshop!

I just wanted to clear things up and answer some of the questions you had posed in your message. If not for you, then for others as well.

Have fun in your workshop and stay safe.

All the best,

Hendrik

-- Fine furniture design/build, woodworking instruction and lots more -- www.passionforwood.com