# Need to make just one plunge cut on my table saw



## JPcutTree (Jan 27, 2021)

Hi Gang,

I'm new here, so thank you for letting me in the clubhouse. 3 second background on me: I took wood shop for 3 years in school and worked for a cabinetmaker for about a year (many years back). I finally have some time to tinker around.

For now, I just have a portable 10" craftsman table saw. I noticed that the fence is junk, there is not miter gauge, but my plan was to just build a melamine top, square it off, build my own fence and be on my way.

My initial idea was to do a plunge cut (or the equivalent) by clamping my melamine top to the existing (partially warped) top and turning it on and raising the blade to cut a space for the blade. I would then expand that slice just a bit to reduce friction.

I have done things like this on cabinet style saws, with dado inserts, and such, but is there any issue, safety or otherwise that would tell me not to do this?

Thank you.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

Clamp it down at the back and front of the table to keep it from deflecting away from the blade as it is advanced into the melamine. I do this regularly with new throat plates for my cabinet saw, provided nothing is allowed to move while the blade is plunging, there's little that can go wrong.


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## Woodtodust (May 15, 2013)

What bigblockyrti said. The anticipation is always worse than the event, in this case. Clamp the workpiece firmly and raise the blade slowly. Much less scary than lowering the workpiece onto the blade. And safer.


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## Foghorn (Jan 30, 2020)

> Hi Gang,
> 
> I m new here, so thank you for letting me in the clubhouse. 3 second background on me: I took wood shop for 3 years in school and worked for a cabinetmaker for about a year (many years back). I finally have some time to tinker around.
> 
> ...


No need to expand the slice as you put it. It will be zero clearance without friction concerns.


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