Table saw blade height?

I was always taught that the blade should be just high enough so that the gullets clear the top of the workpiece.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Me too

-- Gary, DeKalb Texas

I raise the blade like Charlie, just high enough so the gullets clear.

-- Chunk

Same here. I go about 1/4” higher than needed to clear the gullets.

-- Life is a one lap race.

How about a fourth vote for raising it until the gullet clears. This lessens the potential for injury should your hand or other body part come in contact with the blade.

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

I like to run my blade a little higher depending on what I’m cutting. Usually about 1/2 to 3/4” above my workpiece.

PS. I almost never raise my blade all the way up unless I’m trying to keep the bottom side of my cut as short as possible, like when I’m cutting a corner out.

safety first !

i was taught that 1/8” over wood ,
in case i ran my fingers over blade ,
won’t cut to the bone !

-- david ,new mexico ,allheart

Other reason to keep that saw blade as close as possible to the wood height is that I’ve found that I get a cleaner edge that way. I use a saw on a rail rather than a table saw, but I believe the physics are the same for the tablesaw.

And my only personal kickback experience has been with a router table, but I’d guess that if the piece starts to bind between the blade and the fence, it’s probably as likely to ride up to where there’s real kinetic energy in the blade as it is to be pulled down by the higher blade. So I’d go as low as possible.

-- Dan Lyke, Petaluma California, http://www.flutterby.net/User:DanLyke

I’m about with Patron, I raise mine the height of the tooth over the wood. It seems like I have less dust on the tabletop that way and also as he mentioned less blade exposure to your fingers and hands.

I’m with patron & Cato

All the way up?—-Nooooooooooo!

-- Kent Shepherd * The goal is-----More Tools!

+1 on the 1/8” rule!

-- Geoff, Lillington, NC

Make that a +2 on the 1/8th – Cleaner cuts….less stress on the wood….and keeps the piece more firmly on the table…

-- Woodworking.....My small slice of heaven!

1 tooth over the board, safer, better dust control, better cut quality

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

Yeap, there are two schools and never ending debate…

I love “high blade” for solid wood and low blade for man made sheet goods…

The high blade is less prone to overheat and distort i.e. – runs cooler and it’s easier on the motor, i.e. faster feed rate and less burn marks…

I think that every one that recommends the “Low blade for safety”, doesn’t use blade guard and/or his fingers are too close to the blade during the cut…

Usually, the critical point that the operator can cut his fingers due to high blade is the end of the cut so, if one sets the blade to 2¼” (to cut a 2” thick material), at the end of the cut, 2¼” of a “naked blade” will be exposed and wait to cut your fingers unless, your fingers are not there (long push stick) and/or the blade guard is installed…

Please have a look at the pics below…who can “catch” me….

Or here

As you can see, no fingers around – no “food for the blade”...

To read more about blade height please have a look here
http://www.waterfront-woods.com/Articles/Tablesaw/tablesaw.htm

And if you have Ian Kirby’s book, “The Accutate table saw”, have a look at pages 70&71…

niki

the higher the blade the more body parts that will be missing, also it will lift at the rear if not paralel to blade and kickback. i once was riping 3/4 by 3/4 hard maple and it kicked back because i was pushing to fast and blade was up a little to high and it slipped off my pushstick and it shot thru 5 sheets of 3/4 plywood and then went thru the wall 2 feet in the room on the other side of the wall. 1/8 to 1/4 above material is what i do

-- blaine von hagen

i agree with most…gullet bottoms at the top of the wood