Table Saw Safety
In honor of National safety month, here are some table saw safety tips to help you stay safe while using your table saw.
One of the most important things to remember for staying safe while using your table saw is to always Use Your Safety Equipment!!! This includes, but is not limited to Safety Glasses, push sticks, push blocks, and a dust mask. These things are designed to keep you safe while using your table saw or doing pretty much anything in the shop. Please take the extra moment to use them.
Make sure you are using the right tool for the job. This will ensure longer tool life and your own personal safety. Take a look at our article to help you find What saw blade to use for your specific application, or take a look at some of our saw blade articles for more information. These articles are based on over 30 years of experience in the saw blade industry and may answer some of your questions on saw blades.
Using the right saw blade is a good start, but it is also just as important to make sure the table saw blade you are using is a good quality blade and sharp. We really like Tenryu saw blades and Popular Tools saw blades because they are a great quality saw blade, with a wide range of saw blades for every application and are still very affordable. You can shop the full line of both Tenryu saw blades and Popular Tools saw blades in the Saw blade section of our store. Remember, even good quality saw blades can get dull eventually. Keep your saw blades sharpened. This will result in better quality work, as well as keeping you safe.
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Tip: You can use a negative hook angle saw blade to gain more control over the feed rate. (For example, a 20 deg positive hook angle is used more for ripping because it grabs the material and pulls the wood into the blade.) A standard hook angle usually ranges from 5 to 15 deg positive. Using a negative deg hook angle (usually -5 deg hook angle) can help prevent self-feeding and give the operator maximum control over the feed of the cut. See more information on feed rates and take a look at our saw blade feed rate calculator.
Keep your table saw clean and free of debris as much as possible. Remove scrap pieces of wood from the table saw. Just remember to unplug the machine before you reach over it to clean or remove any debris.
- Tip: You can recycle some of your scrap wood and use it as a push stick.
Stay focused on what you are doing. This is an important thing to remember when using any power tool, but cannot be stated enough. Table saws are responsible for many devastating injuries that usually could have been prevented. Staying focused on your task, and following the tips mentioned above are great ways to avoid accidents and stay safe in the shop. If you have anything to add, please feel free to leave your own safety tips in the comments section.
Tags: saw blade, table saw, table saw safety
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