# table saw safety question



## cpd (Aug 21, 2012)

Hi, I'm pretty new to using a table saw and I have a pretty basic safety question. I've mostly used the saw for cross cutting, but now I'd like to rip a piece of wood.

I have a 6' tongue and groove plank and I want to cut the tongue off of it, so it is just a flush edge. Because that is only about 3/4" of material, I'm not sure how to make the cut safely on the table saw. Would I but the part that I'm keeping against the fence, and feed with a feeding stick? That way it doesn't seem like I have a good way to apply pressure to it as it enters the blade. Alternatively I could put the narrow part that I'm cutting against the fence, but that seems iffy to me as well. I know this is a basic question-any advice?

thanks


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## nwbusa (Feb 21, 2012)

Your offcut (the tongue) should be farthest away from the fence, so that you are running the keeper piece of the board against the fence. This will ensure that the narrow offcut does not get trapped in between the blade and the fence. You don't want to be be using a push stick in such a narrow space if you don't need to.


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## cpd (Aug 21, 2012)

thanks. the board measures about 7 inches wide total, so I'd probably want to use the push stick anyway, right?


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## MonteCristo (May 29, 2012)

Yup, use a push stick. Good ones will allow you to put some downward pressure on the workpiece as well as push it forward. Don't use one of the old-time ones that is designed just to push forward. It's also a good idea to make a bunch of push sticks of different thicknesses and hook depths. By hook depth I mean the drop down from the part lying flat on the wood to the bottom of the part that hooks onto the wood. You don't want to use the same push stick on 1" stock that you would use on 1/4 ply for example.

If you are new to ripping, also make sure your fence is properly aligned and that you have a splitter/riving knife that is also properly aligned. Both are very important in ripping. As is the guard of course !


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## AJswoodshop (Mar 2, 2012)

Thanks for asking, use a push stick. You might even want to have two push sticks, one two hold the board against the fence, and the other two push it through. Make sure you don't push to hard with the push stick, you might flip the board up, That can be dangerous. Be safe, and good luck!

AJ


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## cpd (Aug 21, 2012)

i only have one of those old time ones that has a tiny little notch. I've never felt very comfortable using it, but as I said, I don't rip very often and when I do usually shorter lengths anyway.

do you have a picture or link to a picture of the type of push-stick you referring to? Is it one I could build easily-I'd rather not buy anything too expensive right now just to make a cut.


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## NiteWalker (May 7, 2011)

A router and flush trim bit is another way to handle removing the tongue.

That push stick you have? Throw it out. It's dangerous.

Here's the type I use.
Adjust dimensions to your needs.


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## Cosmicsniper (Oct 2, 2009)

Yeah, just rule of thumb, the waste piece of wood always falls off the opposite side of the fence, when possible. This also has the additional benefit of assuring that your measurements do not have to account for the width of the kerf.


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## rance (Sep 30, 2009)

The worst kind I've seen is this:








You simply have NO control of your workpiece.

One of the simplest ones to make is similar to this:








Dimensions aren't critical.

As for cutting on the TS. Draw a line(an imaginary line) between the blade and your reference surface(rip fence, in your case). Somewhere along this line is where you should be 'controlling' the wood. Using the rip fence, as you stated, push between the blade and the fence. Generally, the piece between the blade and fence would be larger than what is being removed, regardless which piece is being kept for your project. If need be, use a featherboard just before the blade to keep the material held against the fence.

Here's a poor example of how to push material through:








The bulk of the material is on the wrong side of the blade, and the push block should be between the blade and the fence.


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## cpd (Aug 21, 2012)

thanks guys for responding with very useful images. I have been using the bad kind of push stick, it appears, which is probably why it feels so unstable and why I avoid ripping. I built a cross cut sled and that serves most of my purposes very well. But I will gry to construct one of these better versions, and maybe even buy a feather board for added safety.


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## nwbusa (Feb 21, 2012)

Feather boards and (good) push sticks are the way to go for ripping narrow stock. Anything that provides additional control while allowing you to focus on the cut will make life easier (and safer).


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## KnickKnack (Aug 20, 2008)

A lot of the wood I've used has been tongue and groove so I've done a lot of this.
I remove the tongue by hacking it off with a jig-saw, then planing 'til it's pretty close, and finish with the router and straight edge. Same when I want to remove the groove.


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

They answered better than I could. Welcome to LJ's.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

A push stick will never ever give you the level of control you have with your hands, there is no need for a push stick with 7" between the blade and fence. Stand to the side of the board not behind and keep it tight against the fence while pressing down. If the board is hard to push, something is wrong. Keep your hands on the board. Feed at an even rate, not too fast so your saw doesn't bog down (which shouldn't be a problem just cutting a tongue) and not too slow.


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

Wormil is correct! With a 7" wide board there is plenty of hand control space available; however if you don't feel comfortable doing it the way wormil described then I would use the push piece of some kind. I use the ones with the non slip pads on one side and a handle on the top side typically used on Jointers.

If you don't feel comfortable using those, use one of the ones described above AND a feather board to hold the material next to the fence.

Regardless of which way you end up using, SAFETY first;

safety glasses
make sure all guards are in place and functioning
stay out of the path of any cutoff
keep other out of the way


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## GregD (Oct 24, 2009)

I prefer to use push blocks, one in each hand. I like the Bench Dog blocks for wide cuts, Grrippers for narrow cuts. I get a firm grip on the work and it would be pretty difficult for the blade to come far enough through the block to bite me. I also use push blocks almost always when feeding work through my router table. Using push blocks I almost never see a need for feather boards.


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

I thik we answered the question to put the wide part against the fence and have the tounge just being clipped off by the blade far away from the fence.
My push sticks are less that any of those show here. I use sticks that are about 1/2×1 x 14" long with a v cut in the end and sanded round all around so they are comfortable. I have a piece of 4" PVC full of them and never start the saw without 2 of them handy. I use one to push the piece to the fence and one to push to board through. If the board is long enough, I push it through initially with my hand for control. I grab the other stick when the end gets to the edge of the table saw.

Unless the part is wide like sheet stock, I use a push stick in both hands always. I observe the 4" rule ( never put your fingers within 4" of the blade. Accidents happen so quickly you wonder how your finger got to the blade to get nicked or worse.

Be safe always and enjoy wood working!


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## Cosmicsniper (Oct 2, 2009)

I have a rule when I use the table saw to rip wood. If it's a cut under 6", I must use a push stick. Over that, I use my hand to push it through. I ALWAYS hook my pinky over the fence as I push it through. It's a simple thing, but it assures me that my hand stays away from the blade.


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## john_az (Nov 29, 2011)

one last thing, since your board is 6' in length, have a table behind the table saw to catch the piece as it comes of the back of the saw. Also make sure there is at least 6 ft. behind the saw so that the piece doesn't hit a wall or something else before it is completely cut!


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## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

I am comfortable on a TS and do things that would make most cringe.

Beyond my most misguided errors of judgement in having my own fingers surgically repaired I have also been witness to too many amputations of fellow woodworkers who failed at safe methodology and suffered a consequence far worse then mine. I think if you pick this hobby, odds r

pinky gone : ((

Sadly there those who give misguided video tutorials on how to safely cut your finger off and deny self mutilation so I would strongly recommend watching and studying YouTube demos done by tool companies that endorse and demo their own product….. cuz they suffer a consequence called "liability" : ))

Moe posts a pic and has Zero liability and opinions turn into assholes cuz everyone has 1 of each.


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## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

The day you wake up and remember the finger you had yesterday isnt there

nasty nasty nasty business

I would tender a guess that says there r more men that cut off appendages unbeknownst to LJ membership who have flushed more blood down a drain then most could stomach

its all fun and games until some one gets hurt : ))

My 2 cents 4ward

Watch the man who claims himself to be the wood whisperer.

good, well informed easy to understand videos of safe methodology


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## RobWoodCutter (Jul 22, 2009)

Since it hasn't been mentioned…
( I am assuming with you describe a 6' long x 7" wide T&G board it is some sort of flooring or similar.)
If you are not used to ripping long boards on a table saw, the one edge that slides against the fence needs to be dead on flat (jointed). If the flooring board is bowed, you have a accident just waiting to happen. It will push away from the fence or rock away from the fence into the blade causing it to bind if it is bow even a little. On a low horsepower bench model TS, it may just stall the motor when it binds and on a large horsepower cabinet saw the blade and the motor will win everytime over a piece of wood.

Although flooring boards are relatively straight enough to be forced straight when you nail them down to the sub-flooring, they may not be edge jointed straight enough to safely run against the fence. The edge riding against the fence should always be jointed flat first before trying to rip the board on a tablesaw.

Rob


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