Table Saw Basics for Beginners
Table Saw Basics for Beginners
You don’t need to be intimidated by a table saw however it is one of the most dangerous power tools in the workshop so a good understanding and respect for it is essential.
Evolution Power Tools: https://shop.evolutionpowertools.com/
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Im sure for odd small diy jobs its ok but you get what you pay for. I can see in your video the fence wobbling and is not perpendicular to the blade im its length. Its simply not accurate
I’ve been looking at this one for a while, but there seems to be a bit of wobble when you use it. Was that the floor or the unit?
Was the close up done on a green screen 🤔
Are you sure that’s as high as the riving knife goes? Looks like it should be lifted a bit still or that the attachment for the guard is way too low. Not only do you have to set your blade way too high for clean and safe cuts now, but you also use a lot of cutting height.
Also try not to put damp timber through the tablesaw
I’d love to buy a table-saw, but issues with space means it’s just not practical. I’ll just have to opt for a plunge-saw and some decent tracks / rails. Lovely video, though.
Your blade is set much too high Stuart, the teeth at the top of the blade should just about protrude through the wood being cut. The setting you are using will increase the chances of kickback happening. A rough guide would be to have one full tooth protruding through the timber to be cut.
Yes I should have known better but still ended up with a dent in my workshop door from kickback!
Hi @Proper DIY, I’ve been looking at buying this model table saw for a while. Would you recommend it for a novice? I was keen as the fence is meant to remain square without much fuss. Given the price point, this is attractive. In your experience, is it accurate? TIA, L.P.
Thank you for this Stuart, just about to buy this saw. Just FYI, your code only gives 5% now! Evolution have done you in.
Stuart, I’m pleased you spoke at length re the dangers of kick back. If you multiply the circumference of the blade by the rpm you’ll get the speed of each of those blade teeth. You can then convert that speed to mph. You’ll then realise that each tooth moves literally, close to 100 mph. If one of those teeth at the back of the blade, which of course is about to travel towards you, catch the edge of the wood pinched tight between it and the fence it will shoot that wood back towards you close to 100 mph. This is way too fast for anyone to react and can cause such a horrible instantaneous injury you’ll wished you had never set eyes on a table saw. It only needs to happen once! This is in addition to other dangers like inadvertently cutting off a finger or being tempted to use the saw without the blade guard. For me I’d rather have full control with a much safer track saw and MFT even if it takes a few minutes longer. Working toward keeping out of hospital always seemed a good idea to me!
I bought a table saw out of Lidl – I’m a novice DIY’er… having done so though can’t believe a tool of this ferocity can just be picked up by anyone for 80 odd quid…. I’m genuinely too scared to use it… aside from the kick back risk that big fast spinny blade right infront of you is terrifying… keep having visions of it coming off and going right through me… anyway, said table saw is now a table in the garage that happens to have a saw attached and is used to store drills on top of lol
Prepare to hear Stuart "make a fuss" about a lot of other things he doesn’t own now 😉
At last! I wonder how often you felt like caving and just buying one haha! Now looking forward to videos of you making jigs and accessories for it. I love using the table saw, so versatile and easy to make fine adjustments with test cuts. Nothing fancy for my first, a Lumberjack TS254SE, works well enough for my current skill level. It came with a rather silly riving knife design though, protruding well above blade height and with a laser guide on top! What on earth were they thinking? I cut a replacement from scrap metal that aligns properly. First shop build was a skate to move the saw around (eventually I’ll replace the legs with a cabinet base on castors), then a basic sled – the king of TS accessories, now working on a big auxiliary fence and extensions to support sheet goods, doors etc.
Very useful video 🙂
My goodness, look at that stand wobble 😳
LIKE FROM BRAZIL
I would not care to rank one tool more dangerous than another, they all bite. A comment once heard was that at least cutting a finger off on a saw you have a chance of of it being stitched back on, make a similar mistake with a belt or disc sander, thats it, you cannot un-grind the finger. All cutting tools bite.
Good video Stuart. I’ve even ordered some DEKTON ultimate comfort green gloves so I can pretend I’m as good at DIY as you. I wish!! 😂😂
Stu I love your videos and this is a great introduction to folk considering stepping into the world of table saws. I have the same saw and used it for three years now. Would you consider doing a follow up video with additional tips? It might be worth including the auxiliary fence and when it should be used. My train of thought is for machined sheet goods like you used in this video then the full length fence is fine, but I use the auxiliary fence up to half way along the blade for any timber products as it helps to alleviate the pinch effect you referenced in the kickback section. Keep up the great work, really looking forward to seeing what becomes of the additional garden land you bought 😀😀👍👍
Stuart, thank you for this video. I bought the same saw three years ago and it is still boxed as I did not have the confidence to use it. Your video has given me the confidence to open the box, assemble the saw and use it safely.
I bought the Evolution R255 PTS from screwfix which is virtually the same saw and I’m really pleased with it and I found a guy on ETSY who 3D prints zero clearance plates for these saws and they fit perfectly.
Hi Stuart, I m looking for a Sliding Mitre Saw, the motor is on its way out, ant recommendations- 240v
Thank you for the video, great table saw.
Surprized that you changed the blade without safety gloves on.
Interesting – thanks. No disrespect intended but fifty odd years ago, I was a wood machinist and your saw looks like a toy to me. I know it isn’t and it would happily take your hand off if you let it, but the smallest sawbench I worked on was probably three times the size of yours.
I’ve had this model of Saw for over 2 years, it’s ok for what it is, I changed the blade for a better quality one. The design of the guard/extractor, while being very good at extracting dust etc, does not allow you to put the saw blade down far enough to maintain a safe working blade height when cutting thin material. Also the knob for adjusting/removing the guard is on the right hand side which hits the fence when cutting narrow strips. The plastic pad surrounding the blade is very thin and bends slightly when cutting certain widths. Despite these drawbacks I would buy it again though, it folds away into a small size and is powerful enough for most jobs around the home, I cut 100mm Oak Newel posts with it for example.
Watch out when you start it up though, since small pieces of wood that drop to the bottom of the plastic Saw Well, will move when you fold the machine up, then on start up they are fired out of the machine at high speed.
It’s a Table Saw, needs to be treated with respect every time you use it.
https://youtu.be/86di2rV63wc
Hi Stuart, hope you’re well. Just watched your video about table saws and, although I don’t have one, I thought you might like to see the chap in the link above. He is clearly a long-time carpenter who obviously knows his stuff and often wears gloves (at 20 mins into his vid) to get a good non-slip grip on wood, he even seems to back up your blade height thingy.
I don’t want this to sound argumentative or confrontational, and I accept and understand that if one is wearing loose-fitting gloves and/or clothing there is certainly a danger of being dragged into a moving blade but it seems to me that if a hand is wearing a close-fitting grippy glove and is close enough to a blade to get into trouble, that would still be the case even without gloves…wouldn’t it? This chap even shows a sign extolling the virtues of using your own brain (since the machine doesn’t have one of its own) – only saying.
Great videos and instruction, Stuart, good luck with the paddock!!
Robert
Being uses these for YEARS never had a issue Rage 5 is amazing i pretty much have the set of Evo there blades are just perfection with everything it can cut great video
Their "10% off if you shop direct" deal still leaves them about 10% *more* expensive than buying from other shops… what the hell, Evolution? How is it possibly more expensive for them to sell me the tools direct vs the price of the same tool elsewhere?
£350 for this, £400 for the Bosch, or £440 for a DeWalt, it just doesn’t seem like a contest tbh. I like Evolution for their Mitre saws, but honestly their prices are getting silly I think, their prices are comparable to the "contractor" grade tools when they’re still selling hobbyist quality.
You should have an attachment to add to the fence so you don’t need to clamp a piece of wood.
Also you only need a fence as far as the front of the blade, or just beyond the front of the blade, this reduces the risk of the wood pinching between the fence and blade for rip cuts and makes it easier to push through.
Hello, any tips for sealing the MDF?. I know when I had some in my shed mildew growth took over as rain water seeped in. I brushed, bleached and sealed with pva and water but not good enough it seems.
Great video and info but the only thing I was always taught was never to wear gloves when using a table saw or actually most workshop machinery or saws that spin.
That blade is way too high, you’re only adding to the risk of kick back
Yet another quality and highly informative video. I bought my (very cheap, like cheeeeeeeeaaaaaaap) table saw at the beginning the pandemic and then wood prices went throught the damn roof so I haven’t used it yet. Your video has given me a very good idea of what I am in for. Cheers Stu.
Nice informative video. Kick-back is serious, the wood is propelled at a goodly rate of knots and can do soft tissue damage or worse – I have the scar to prove it. Conventional wisdom says not to use any gloves when operating saws and the like as they can get caught and draw the hand into the blade, they also give a false sense of security and you lose tactile feedback that can warn you of any problem. Many woodworkers have the fence slightly angled away from the blade and not parallel, this prevents it sticking for whatever reason. It is recommend that the blade height should set so that the bottom of the gullet is just exposed above the wood – usually the manufacturer specifies the height as that; of course it depends on other factors too, such as material and rake of the blade. Generally, the lower the blade the less damage your hand will experience. I noted the saw rocked on its stand quite a bit, might be worth making some sort of stabilising gizmo – a concrete block or two on the cross rail might do it. I think probably the most important thing to do when using machinery is to be present all the time, and not let your mind wander to the football or whatever – that is when accidents happen. Thanks for sharing.
To reduce the chance of kickback, the blade should only be just slightly higher than the stock. That way you are reducing the amount of friction also.
Sorry for my bad englich.in my opinion, using gloves is very dangerous because saw can drag it.
And your hand will follow…
i bought that saw a while ago and found it really bad in every way nothing was square and the writhing knife was not in line with the blade avoid
Can this model deal with ripping lengths of 8b4 18mm ply? It looked perhaps a little on the small side from the video. Regardless, I struggle just lifting and manoeuvring these sheets, let alone the dangers of then trying to persuade it through a portable table saw! Will probably stick to the trusty old superlength 2.8m evolution track and circular saw.
I have the Screwfix version of this saw. It’s a lovely accurate & quiet machine. A bit of fettling & it’s a serious bit of kit. That blade guard, though. Why in the hell is the securing bolt’s head on the fence side of the blade guard? Any cut narrower than 40mm (the width of 2 fingers *DANGER ZONE*), you have to take the guard off.
And, if you’re cutting thin material, the riving knife height is slow & difficult to adjust, so the front of the blade guard doesn’t pop up like it did on Ian around 8:50 in the video. (You need to raise the riving knife up, so the front of the guard stays on the table).
Only had it a week, pleased enough, but I’m well experienced with table saws.
Another interesting video. I’ve been thinking of getting a table saw and already have a few Evolution tools – they seem quite good, although I note the motors are often physically larger than other makes, which can be an issue, say for a circular saw. I am not sure you have set the blade correctly in your video. My understanding has always been that the blade should be set as low as possible in these things. Also, I would not myself wear gloves when operating most types of power tools. I served an apprenticeship as a toolmaker back in the 1970s (using lathes, millers, shapers, surface grinders, etc) and things like gloves, loose clothing, long hair and even jewellery were thought hazardous.
I have always been told never to stand directly behind the blade, that way, if you do get kick back, there is a chance that the flying projectile won’t actually hit you but embed itself in the workshop wall instead.
That and, as everybody else has said- Blade Height!
How would rate this table saw? I am thinking of investing in the same model you have but I’m not sure if the outlay would be a good a good investment at the moment.
nooooooooooooooo……. buy the DeWalt table saw, the one you got looks soooooo plastic and wobbly. LOL
And blade height blade height blade height but yes a table saw is a great tool to have.
Go for the DeWalt dwe7485.
So glad you finally got your table saw. I know you have been wanting one for a while now. Well done evolution for stepping up not only with the saw but also the generous discount offered. Well done proper DIY!!
Very nice, thanks
I tend to watch ‘safety & the tablesaw’ videos whenever I spot one. I know all the pros & cons by now, BUT ‘knowing isn’t doing!’ – A refresher always serves as a warning to NEVER get complacent about this [or any other] piece of equipment.
We all dream of glorious SawStop machines; [not forgetting the replacement of the whole carriage section, should the dang thing get triggered] but then have to settle for more reasonably priced equipment. Knowing the risks AND remembering them is all we have, and hopefully, all our fingers & thumbs. Even the great DiResta made a mistake once!
Holy moly you can’t put MDF outside in the rain!
Even if you weatherproof it by the time you’ve finished it’d’ve been cheaper & easier to use a different material.
Thank you for the video, great table saw, but I think I noticed the saw is a bit wobbly on the stand. I would also recommend not wearing gloves when using any kind of circular saw, it is considered dangerous.