2 - EXCLUSIVE TRIPLE BONUS! fon" ec pny oe 13 5 ee OS pe is AN Gop Tips for ~S . pee res Perfect Cuts % ee Must-Have Shop-Built Jigs & Accessories ; 4Eagy-to-Master Techniques “. Table Saw Upgrades— Space- Saving Storage Solutions i es _. Essential Joinery— Perfect ore every Time! ih MINN SMRtable saw secrets President & Publisher: Donald B. Peschke Reiter: Tey J. Suotiman ‘Managing Ealtors: Vincent Ancona, Bryan Nelson Senior Ealtors: Ted Rafe, Phil Huber Associate Rditrs: Dennis Perkin, Randall A. Maxey “Assistant Editors: Carol Berouich, Catherine Seiter Baitortal intern: Brianna Nelson Executive Art Dicector: Todd Lambinh Art Director: Cary Christensen Senior Graphic Designers: Bob Zimerman, Jamie Downing, Randy Shebeck ‘Senior Mustrators: David Keyling, Dik Ver Steeg Harlan V. Clark, Peer J Larson, David Kaleroyn phic Designer: Shelley Cronin Graphie Design Intern: Megan Leafgreen Creative Director: Te Kralicek ‘Sr. Project Designers: Ken Munk, Keat Welsh, ‘Chris Fh, James R. Downing, Mike Donovan Project Designer/Builder: John Doyle hop Craftsmen: Steve Curis, Steve Johnson ‘Sx, Photographers: Crayola England, Dennis Kennedy Assoclate Style Director: Rebecea Cunningham Sr, Prepress lnage Specialist: Allan Rohake Production Assislant! Minniete Johagon ‘Video Director/edivor: Mark ayes Single Copy Sales: Lisa Tom, Sandy Baum [New Media Manager: Gocdon Gaipne “abe Sau Secret plist by ‘August Home Publishing Company. Cana out Apreement 4009820, (Ganda BN 44597517 {2copynght 2010 Angst Home Pbishing All neh reseed, No par of ds Sok sy be ep in ‘ny fom orby way cleo mechan ean eng infrmatontrgs ad ees devi or syrah fon wrncn pension ple, rep tat asses may be quoted for eves, Woodemit@ snd Shope ae reared Uremarks of Avg Home Publishing Co. Moodie Shpojes ws nine \Woodarith omr cl (00) 3335078 ShopNows com o cl (0) 33-5834 _Ausust HOME ‘00 Grand Ave, Des Moises 1A 0812 Protas in USA ‘SHOP SAFETY IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY ‘sing hand ot power tole impropatly can et nsercus ify or death Do ‘oc aperte ay toot ntl you read the mara and undertana how pe Se thevool ely Ales ue al appropeate safety equipment swell athe {arr tot cone wth your oot and equipment tn rad the marl at ‘Ecomgany hem Insone ofthe luaraantintibook. the garde an safety ‘quipment have bean reteset provide a eter view ofthe operon Bonotamanpt any pocedurewanouruaallspproprate te equipment ot ‘hou sourng alga are Inpace August tome Pah Company sues no responsi fr any ip damage, ov est sfered as rea oF ‘our ne of harmateri plan, o ilurrations contained in th ok. Tone Sew SeenersEDITOR'S NOTE For me, the table saw is one of the most versatile, have tools in the shop. And this book will help you get more out of it. We start off with some tips for getting and keeping your saw running at peak pet formance. Next, you'll learn the secrets of cutting tight-fitting joinery. We'l also show you some of our shop-tested techniques for making perfect cuts on the table saw: Then we've included our favorite igs and accessories to make your work at the table saw faster, safer, and more accurate. Finally, be sure to check out the chapter on upgrades and add-ons. Here we'll show yout how to turn your table saw into a com- plete, full-featured workcenter. ¥m sure you'll find this book to be an essential “upgrade” for your table saw. For even more inicrmation, don't forget to check out the bonus material highlighted Team : GET MORE * Tips * Projects * Techniques in Every Issue Woodsmithcom ORDERONLINE —ShopNotes.com WoodsmithSpecials.comi Lu a Wo) wy Nn = << iva) in a faa} rg SS 7-Step Table Saw Tune-Up 8 ‘Make sure your table saws in tip-top shape with this smple tune-up. Minimize the chance of kickback at the table saw with these folpreot tins Precision Crosscuts 14 You can get perfect crosscuts wit the proper setup and the ight techniques Ripping Long Stock 16 ‘Toke the hasle out of tough ip cus wath 2 few workshop “helpers. Saw Blade Maintenance 18 Learn how to-get better results and longer life out of your blades Choosing Blade Cleaners 20 Use these shop-tested cleaning products to keep your bases cutingefficentiy Motor Wiring 22 Here what you need toknow about ‘wnng your power tok fr 240 essential joinery Dead-On Dadoes 26 Well shows you the secrets to cutting clean, cnsp dade in any matena Tongue & Dado Joinery 28 ‘Thisoint sea to master and pestect fer buiding strong, sud ae Rabbeted Cases 32 With ondnay rabbe nts, you ean ‘cate ck sald casesin no time Top-Notch Tenons 34 ‘Atenonng ig and a step-by-step process ate al you need 1 ct perten teres Tenon & Groove Joinery 38 Use our ps0 make this Soi and ‘dependable nt on the able sai Tabie Sew Seenerstechniques Making a Bevel Rip Cut 42 The key toa pert bevel cutis sng — jst tan wth the setup, Cutting Perfect Circles 44 Believe itor not you can cut cles on the table sw wth this shop-butt 1g ‘Traditional Raised Panels 46 Raced panels on the table saw? Well show you just how staghtlorward its Pattern Cutting 48 Hard tou. idencal pars area cen ut pattem cutting onthe table sve WoodsmithSpecials.com jigs & accessories Precision Crosscut Sled 52 Tissled reates dead-on crosscuts, and ‘an attachment makes box jomts a snap, Fence Accessory System 60 Your table saws ip fence ewes = the backborefar these musthave add-ons Small Parts Jig 66 You can ep ane cossut even the salest pieces with ths table saw accesso. upgrades 8 Table Saw Workcenter 74 (with these custom upgrades, your table saw val be 2ole to handle any prove Space-Saving Ideas 86 Make the most of limited space with four practi! eas for your table saw, All-in-One Project Station 88 Replace the wings of our abe sand lurniintoa mut-pupase work areaTable Saw __ Basics Before putting your table saw to work, 2 tune: ‘up wil make sue its in proper shape. lus, our tips on maintenance and tackling basic cuts wil make using your saw safer and eases. 7-STEP TABLE SAW TUNE-UI AVOIDING KICKBACK PRECISION CROSSCUTS....... RIPPING LONG STOCK ....ssecssceseee 16 SAW BLADE MAINTENANCE ........18 CHOOSING BLADE CLEANERS.......20 MOTOR WIRING ......essesseei \ 7-Step Table Saw Tune-Up To ensure your table saw makes smooth, straight, and square cuts — project after project — it pays to set aside a little time for a tune-up. In most shops, the table saw is the center of activity and the tool that Solvents and brushes ‘sees the most use on just about are the tools of choice every project. Whether it’s cut- for removing built-up ting sheet goods, ripping bard- pitch and resin, wood boards to size, or cutting precision miter joints, the table saw is a real workhorse. So it's easy to take your sawe’s performance for granted. After all, its cast iron top and rugged interior don't appear to need a lot of delicate care. But to keep it cutting reliably and safely, it's 1a goad idea once or twice a year to devote an afternoon to the routine maintenance and adjust iments it requires, The good news is, you don't have to be an engineer to bring your saw’s performance up to peak efficiency. The following ‘operations are pretty straight- forward and will keep your saw working at its best Before getting started, dhough, J pull out my owner’s manual. Your manual may or may not cover the maintenance proce- dures in depth, but it should at least help you find the parts that need adjustment and offer advice ‘on the wrench sizes or other tools needed for the tune-up. When ever they're listed, set them out fon the bench for easy access, ecners| BasicCleaning Before you start adjusting and tuning your saw, i's helpful to lean it thoroughly. This makes it easier to access the parts and gives you a chance to look for broker or damaged components. ea > A paint brush works great tor getting into the tough-to-reach parts of your table saw. J usually begin by vacuuming the saw inside and out, reaching as lac in as | can to clean up the gears, The brush attachment of a shop vacuum takes care of most of the surface dust and debris. But it will only get you so far For the harder-to-reach areas, paint brush works well (left photo). And compressed air helps clear out the dust the brush dis- lodges. I the dirt is really stub- bom, a ite solvent on the tip of the brush will loosen and dis- solve pitch and resin. This is also 2 good time to lubricate the gears, Tiprefer to use wax or a dry lubri- cant so sawdust won't stick to it 2 eon the Level Lnorder to make square cuts, your saw’s worksurface must be per- fectly flat. If one of the extension wings Is higher than the main table, aworkpicce will ot be level during a cut. This can make it dit: ficult to get flush-ttting joints, You can check the wings by laying a long straightedge across the table (photo at right). On most saws, all you need to do is loosen a couple of bolts on the extensions to make the nec- essary adjustments. Make sure 3 Check for Runout In 2 perfect world, table saw blades would turn without any side movement. In reality, deviation caused A flat tip on the dial indicator spars the threads of the arbor for an accurate reading. WoodsmithSpecials.com to check the fit at both the front and back of the saw table, The throat insert also needs to be flush with the surface, ora workpiece may catch the edge or rock during a cut. In either case, it can be a safety issue and will result in less than perfect cuts. Most inserts have leveling screws that you adjust with an Alen wrench. You can use a metal ruler to check for gaps. Then, adjust one scsew at a time until the inserts level with the surface. by the arbor or flange not being perfectly straight or flat. Thiscon- dition, known as runout, reduces the quality ofthe cut “The best way to check for run out is to measure the arbor and flange with a dial indicator | use a shop-mace holder for both jobs, as shown in the photos. A dial indicator is inexpensive and accurate (refer ta Sources on page 98). And you can fird a plan for the holder on page I ‘The photos shaw how to meae sure for runout on the arbor and flange. Position the indicator, turn Gears can become stubborn and hard to tur if the teeth ace filled with sawdust, pitch, and resin. The suff the arbor by hand, and watch the needle fos movement, [like to see eunout less than 005". If you're getting more than that (and cer- tainly ifit'sin the.010" range), you may havea more serious problem, like bad bearings or a bent arbor. boastles of @ toothbrush clean them out in a hurry Asstraighteage helps point out high or low spots, in the table and throarinsert To measure the flange for runout, tilt the arbor and keep the indicator per- pendicular to the face to ensure an accurate readingA. Ain the Blade & Miter Slot After checking the arbor, use the dial indicator to make sure the blade and miter slot are pareitel, Start by making a reference ‘mark on the blade. By measuring ‘A dial indicator can measure the cistance to the blade at two positions, helping you determine if the 13° 1s parallel to the miter slot Aplastic dratting tangle ‘works great for checking the w 5 Align the Pulleys ‘Another potential source of prob- lemsisthe alignmentof the motor and arbor pulleys. If they're not both turning in the same plane, the drive belt can deflect slightly and cause significant vibration in the saw. Fortunately, this is pretty easy to check and corsect You can determine if the pulleys are aligned by resting straightedge on the oulside faces of both pulleys. (You can use a narrow piece of wood, as shown at right, if you don’t have a long enough straightedge} adjustment of the stops only at this mark, you avoid any surface imperfections on the blade and are assured of getting a more accurate reading, Next, place the dial holder in the miter slot (photo at left), and slide the indicator into position For the first measurement, place the marked spot on the blade toward the front of the saw and position the tip of the indicator 50 it's touching the mark on the blade. By zeroing out the indica: tor in this position, you establish the baseline measurement. ‘Then rotate the blade toward the back of the saw and slide the indicator back to again touch the mark on the blade. IF the Wf the straightedge rests flat on both pulleys, they're in good shape. If there's a gap, you'll need to shift the position of one of the pulleys on the shaft. Usu- ally it’s just @ matter of loosen- ing the pulley’s Allen screw and sliding it into position If you still have vibration, you might want to replace the stan- dard “V-type drive belt that came with your saw with a link belt. Another option isto upgrade the factory-installed, cast pulleys with machined replacements. G Setthe Stops Because cuts at 45° and 90° are so common, most table saws have adjustable stops for each of these settings. But through repeated movements, the stops can be bumped out of aligrunent. ‘Manofacturers use different methods of adjustment, so here again, you'll need to consult your owner's manual for specific instructions. If you take a look at thephotosat left, you'll notice that set screws in the top of the saw are used to make adjustments pe On a contractors saw, aligning the bléde and miter slot means, adjusting the trunnions dial doesn’t move, then your saw is aligned. If it does move, make note of bow much. On a contractor-type saw, you can tasually correct the problem by adjusting the trunnions. For 1 cabinet saw, the adjustment probably involves adjusting the position of the table, Refer to your ‘owner’s manual for the correct procedure for your saw. Use 2 straightedge resting on the faceof the mator and arbor pulleys to check df they're aligned Ta check the stops, start by rais- ing the blade to full height. Then, Use a square or a drafting trian- gle,as shown in the photos atleft, to set the blade to 90°. Now just set the stop to match. To confirm the setting, tilt the saw blade a few times and return it to the 00° setting, Measure each time to verify the stop’s accu- racy, and make adjustments until you're satisfied with the results, Then complete this same pro- cedure for the 45° stop. Sw Seeners7 Square the Miter Gauge & Rip Fence _ With the adjustments to the satv There are two schools of the dial indicator, like you see in complete, its time to tum your thought regarding the alignment the lower right photo, attention to the accessories you'll of the rip fence. Most recommen- Finally, check to make sure the use to make virtually every cut dations suggest setting the fence fence is square (o the table. You =the rip fence and miter gauge. parallel to the blade. But some won't need to adjust this very I start by squaring the miter woodworkers prefer to have it often, but is sill worth taking a gauge to the saw blade. This is angled slightly away from the minute to check, Then your saw an effective method since you've blace so the fence doesn’t push will be ready for the next project. already aligned the blade to the the workpiece against the blade miter slot. Using a drafting tri- and cause kickback Ifyou choose Checl angle against the plate of the (0 2dd a slight angle to the fence, fence to blade (be sure it’s not touching it shouldn't exceed 09" ensure it's a tooth), loosen the miter gouge It's very important that the square to and set it to match the square fence neverbe angled toward the the top of side of the triangle. You can see blade, or kickback could result the table, ‘what imean in the photo below. You can measuze the fence with Use the dial indicator to determine «f the fence 1s parallel to the miter slot (and blade). Take readings all along the length of the fence and adjust it according to the instrucans in your owner's manual ‘To align the miter gauge, keep the drafting triangle on the plate of the saw blade, not the teeth, How-To: Shop-Made Dial Indicator Holder ‘A dial indicator is the perfect end of the base allows you to pivot tool for measuring very small the indicator to any angle. differences in alignment. tS an You camirnake the siding holder extremely sensitive and accurate using hardwood scraps. Start by device. But before you can use milling the runner to fit snug in ‘one, you'll need a way to mount the miter slot, | added two set the indicator so you can move it to screws to the runner to tighten measure different points while stil the fit in the miter slot. Then cut maintaining an accurate reference. a notch to house the base. The sliding holder shown in the The base fits into the drawing at right does just that. dato. on the runner and is ‘A hardwood runner fits tightly adjustable sie to side. To cut into the miter slot to guarantee the slot for the screw and knob, 2 stable position. And the sliding | just driled a series of holes and base that holds the indicator is cleaned up the sides with a chisel easily adjustable. This allows you {the same way you'd dean up 2 10 move the tip 50 it can contact mortise). After driling a hole to the blade or arbor to take the hold the indicator, | rounded the measurement. Finally the rounded end with a belt sander.bee ee kcueeee Petes vickooek Here are a few easy steps and simple accessories that are certain to help you rip stock more safely and accurately. When you look at a table saw, it’s easy to see why a spinning saw blade is a danger to your Angers. But the more common hazard is when a workpiece ae | | ea ae. Lice een? she sirauee © Weil | Wee tears Slenep, consuL Be it oa aimee eet you're ripping pinches the back of a blade, causing il to “kick back” toward you, Fortunately, this problem i5 easy fo avoid if you follow a few simple rules. SETUP The most important fac tor in preventing kickback is to be sure your table saw is set up properly. The blade should be aligned with the miter slot, and the rip fence should be aligned! with the blade (drawing at left (Gienwer, caren CUTS nash BLASE 50 oul oe ft! VLU worxnece | eee) 2 Isthey’re not aligned, consult the ‘owner's manual for your saw Another consideration is the height of the blade. The higher the blade is raised, the fewer teeth are in the stock at any time, This means the force of the blade is directed downward, not back, so there's less chance the workpiece will get pushed back toward you. But, there is a drawback to ising the blade. You may get rougher cuts from the "chop: ping” action of the teeth. So 1 compromise and set the blade with the botiom of the gulleis just above the top of the workpiece (ide View drawing at lef), STRAIGHT & FLT. Another secret to avoiding kickback is to always Use flat stock with a straight edge Straight and flat stock is less likely to shift away from the rip fence or rock on the saw table, “Traue Saw Secretssuaoe GUARD. Even with perfecly milled pieces, kickback can still happen when the saw kerf closes in on the back edge of the blade. Thekey topreventing thisis tose the factory blade guard assembly that came with your table saw. Most have a builtin split ter as well as a pair of spring: loaded paws that are specifically designed to keep a workpiece from kicking back SHOP MADESPLTRRR There are times when using the factory blade ‘guard isn’t possible (as when rip- ping really narrow pieces). In that case, it makes sense 10 use a split- ter like the one shown above. ‘This shop-made splitter the same thickness as the saw blade, so it prevents the kerf fcom closing up and pinching the back of the blade. As an added benefit, the splitter is part of a zero-clearance insert: Youcanfind 1 video on making an insert with a splitter in the online extras, SAFETY ACESSORES, In acdition to the blade guard and splitter, there area few more safety acces- sories you can use. These include a good featherboard, outfeed support, and a push block ‘A featherboard provides extra control. It’s like having a third WoodsmithSpecials.com ea nae ea} Splitter. When a blade guard can't be used, a shop-made split- rer works best Ce Orie hand to hold the workpiece up against the rip fence. The best thing about a featherboard is that the “fingers” allow the work piece to move in only one diec- tion, decreasing the chance that the workpiece will kick back Another accessory | use, espe- cially when working with long or wide workpieces, isa roller stand. You can see an example in the inset photo on the opposite page Finally, a push block helps you maintain firm contol ov 'a workpiece while keeping your hands and fingers up out of harm’s way. The one shown in the photo above is made from scrap “two-by” stock PROPER TOHNUL The position of your body, where you place your hands during the cut, and how’ you hold the workpiece are all extremely important, a5 well. For example, never stand divectly behind a workpiece while making a cut. Not only does this keep you sale, butitalsodictates the position of your handsas you push a work- plece up to and past the blade Learn more about the proper feed technique in the box at right The good news is that if you use these simple techniques, kickback can be avoided Safe Ripping Techniques To make safe, accurate cuts, you need to maintain constant control of the workpiece while moving it past the blade in a smooth, steady motion. The step-by-step process shown in the three ‘drawings below should clear up questions about how to achieve this goal. The first drawing explains how to use both hands to start the cut, Then, use a push block to control the workpiece as you push it past the blade. Finally, to safely finish the cut, don’t let go of the workpiece until it is completely clear of the blade. Buu the (arjalecscit]o} and these tips and There’s nothing more basic in woodworking than a crusscut on a table sav, But even with a per- fectly tuned-vp saw, you may still end up with splintering, tearout, burning, or saw marks marring your cut. By using the following. tips and techniques, you can get smooth, tearout-free crasscuts On your table saw every time. Ty TABLE SAW SETUP ‘Most crosscut challenges can be dealt with before you even begin to make the cut. The first step to accurate crossculs is setting up your table saw. And for that, 1 turn to a couple of accessories, like the auxiliary miter gauge fence and zero-clearance insert you see in the drawing below. FMeueut? SUPREME ce CSTE Maen AUKUURY FONE. ‘The auxiliary fence I use is just a strip of ply- wood that extends beyond the blade, like you see in the main photo. This way, the workpiece is fully supported an both sides of the blade, minimizing any chance of tearout, Plus, the cutoft is pushed safely past the bhide. Another benefit is that it pro- vides an easy way to clamp a stop block in place (more on this later). Finally, adding some self adhesive sandpaper to the fence keeps the workpiece from shife- ing during the cut, TERO-CARANG INSERT, While an auniliary fence prevents tearout along the back edge of a work: piece, it doesn’t help along the bottom face. AS the teeth of the blade exit the bottom ofthe work piece, they can cause tearout especially with the wide opening Jn most table saw inserts. So it’s Tue Siw Seenersbest to make a crosscut with the ‘good face of the workpiece up. But what if you need a clean cut along both faces? The solution is a zero-clearance insert. [t sup- ports the workpiece right up to the edge of the cut. As an added bonus, the insert prevents the cut= off from getting wedged in the blade opening and kicking back. ——— Bukour TIPS & TECHNIQUES Usinganauniliary fence and zero- clearance insert will give you a good start to better crosscuts. ‘And adding a dedicated ervsscut blade can help (box below). But there are sill few techniques for setting better crosscuts. SMOOTH & STEADY. As you feed the workpiece through, keep it mov- ing steadily: Burning isa sure sign you're moving too slow, while blade marks and a lat of tearout mean you're going too fast Stop Block. Clamping a stop biock to the COMPLETE THE CUT Be sure to push auxiliary fence allows you to cut several parts the workpiece all the way past to the same exact length - wy | A roar prevents, ROLE BUDO the blade, then slide it away. Pull Offset Block ing the workpiece back across the To make repetitive cuts, clamp over and clamp it to the rip fence, When crosscutting blade can spoil the cut edge your stop block in place. Then alas shown in the right photo. shor pieces, lamp REPRITIVE QS. These techniques you have to do is butt each work- By clamping the block in front the block to the will produce a clean cut. But piece against theblock,and you'll of theblade, youcan stil posifion rp fence — a few whenIneed tomakeseveraliden- getconsistent pieces quickly. each workpiece identically. As inchesin tront of tical parts, I've found it’s hard to SHORT PKC, When Teed fo cut you make thecut,a gopopens up — the saw blade {get consistent results, So, instead a number of short pieces, this berween the workpiece and the (of measuring each part, | use an_method puts my fingers too close fence, so the culo isn't trapped. Adjustable, U'shaped stop block, to the blade. ‘To make the cuts And once again, the end result = 2syou see inthe photos above. sofely, simply ip thestop block willbe a assess croescut Saw Upgrade: Crosscut Blade » = quae high tooth count and rrr Setup and technique go a long So what does all this mean? alternating bevels work a a 7 ‘way toward getting a good cross- Well, the extra teeth mean each together to give cut on a workpiece. Another way one is taking less of a bite, So its you a top-notch wy To improve your crosscutsis to use not aggressively tearing away at crosscut 2 saw blade specifically designed the fibers. And the alternating top for the task, ke the crosscut blade bevel grind means a smooth shear oy you see in the photo at right. ing cut through the fibers. SS ‘While 2 typical saw blade may ‘The end result is less splinter a 7 hhave 40 or 50 teeth, 2 dedicated ing and clean. crisp edges on both oS Tr PES s £ crosscut blade may have 80 or sides of the cut. For the witimate more. Plus, the teeth are ground supersmooth cut, a dedicated with alternating top bevels. crosscut blade is your best choice, WoodsmithSpecials.comRipping Long Stock RGB Does the thought of ripping long [wm stock on the table saw make you a cringe? Some good outfeed support might be the answer. Of all the cuts I routinely make | atthe table saw, safely and accu- cotely ripping long pieces of stock is one of the biggest challenges. tough job abit easier is with some The problem is that to get good well-placed outiced support resulls, there are a number of THE USES. Good outfeed sup- things you have to pay attention port takes one big concern “off to—allat the same time, You're the table.” It allows you to con- trying to keep a large, bulky piece centrate on accurately feeding of stock tight against the rip fence the stock. Your feed rate will be while feeding it into the blade more consistent, which means and keeping your hands out of the cut will be smoother and This. support costs litle to the way. And if this isn’t enough, “burrvftee.” And because there's build and the finished product is how do you manage to keep the less chance of the stock wander- lightweight, compact, and easy long board flat on the saw table ing away from the fence, the cuts to store. Just hang it on the wall all Uvough the cul? Well, f've are more accurate. A portable workbench or sturdy found that one way to make this But the most important benefit sawhorse can be used fo give the —— of being able to focus entirely on support a wide, stable stance feeding the stock is safety. When Instead of a roller, this support you have complete control of the _uses a wide, beveled, hardwood Stock, there's much less chance of skid to support the workpiece. something going wrong. ‘The narrow support surface cre- [SIMPLE SUPPORT. Most of us don’t ates minimal resistance, which have the space in our shop for a makes for a smooth, easy feed. lange, permanent outfeed table, And beveled edges ensure that Folding roller stands can be a _ the workpiece won't hang up. good option for extra support. But if you don’t have one, there's SET ITUP RIGHT another easy solution. As you see To make an easy job of hard-to- in the drawings on this page, 2 handle rip cuts, your outfeed vere ees a: Simple, shop-built ouleed sup. support needs to be positioned Batiree poteanworkjustes well, whereit wil do the most good. CORRE HEH Thats Sow SecneTsWHAT HBGHT? The fist thing to think about is setting the support at the correct height. The perfect height depends on the type and thickness of stock you're ripping, You can be pretty sure that thick stock (1" plus) won't sag much as it comes off the saww table. So here, L generally set my support level to the tole or just a hair below. But be sure to avoid set- ting the support so high that the ‘workpiece catches on the skid. For thin or narrow stock, you can expect ito. droop abit, as you see in the top drawing at right. Just drop the support slightly below the surface of the saw table to account for this. PROPERLY AUGNED. Next, the sup- pport stand needs to be properly aligned with the workpiece os it comes off the saw table. And it should also be placed parallel to the surface of the table. When I position the stand side to side for a cut, { don’t think in terms of centering iton the blade ‘You need to think about support- ing the entire board, Generally, this means centering the support (more or less) on the workpiece (ight drawing). But the impor- fant thing is that the support stand must carry both “halves” of the ripped board there are also times when a litte help with infeed support can ‘make a cut a lot easier. When | have a large, awkward panel or board that needs to be accurately positioned for a cut, | install the simple infeed support shown in the trating at right. The infeed support is simply a fence extension attached to the rip fence that holds a wide support board level with the save table. Use this along with an utfeed support stand to give your self complete control — before, during, and after the cut. WoodsmithSpecials.com Next, you can squat down behind the support and sight across it to make sure the sur face is parallel to the table. This is important because if one side is ow (or high), the misaligned out- feed support can cause the board to twist and bind against the saw blade or go off line. THE PERFECT DISTANCE. The final question is, “How far from the saw table do you place the sup- port?" As you might expect, this depends on the boasd’s length. ‘At the beginning of a rip cut, the saw table supports the work- piece. But once more than half the length of the board is beyond the table, it starts to ip downward. This calls for more support So, you need to place the sup- port lose enough to the table saw to catch the workpiece before it reaches this “tipping point” (top drawing below). On the other hhand, when you push the work- piece past the blade at the end of thecut, you don’t want ito pivot up and aff of the saw table. This means that you need to avoid Ser ourrost ouicimy owen ian face WHEN IPPC THIN Sree ENDVIEW NOTE: cenren ourreeo pamela ‘utEEED euProRr SHOULD BE PARALLEL TO THE Saw ante placing your outfeed support too close to the table saw. Positioning the support to do its job from the beginning to the end of the cut is pretty easy. It tums out that the perfect support position is just a little less than half the length of the board from the back edge of the saw. You can just make a rough guess on this position, and itll work out fine. ‘And now with the autfeed sup- pott carrying the load, tough rip. cuts are a thing of the past. SUpFORT CATCHES" BOARD BEFORE IF ies eouniiiane Surrors oocsNer suow WoRK*EZE r ‘o'r up ar exe OF eit18 For better cuts and longer life, it makes good sense to take the best possible care of your t ble saw blades. 11 Removal & Installation If you'ze like me, you have quite a bit of money invested in high- quality,carbide-toothed table saw blades. To ensure they always give top-natch results, you need lo care for them properly. For the mast part, this is pretty simple stuff. And it starts with the basic job of removing and install- ing a blade without damaging the brittle, carbide teeth. This is easy to do when you follow the routine explained here. To remove a blade, first lower it completely below the surface of the sate table. This allows you toeasily remove the throat insert plate without bumping it against the teeth, as shown in photo ‘a With the throx’ opening clear, you now want to raise the blade to give yourself better access to the arbor and arbor nut. Next, use a sturdy scrap to gently jam" the teeth of the blade and prevent it from tuming while you lonsen the nut, as shown in photo ‘b.” Notice that { added a “bend” to the shaft of the arbor nut wrench (photo. ‘c’). This keeps both the wrench and your hand away from the teeth, ‘After removing the nut and ‘washer, carefully grab the blade with both hands and slowly work it off of the arbor shaft (photo ‘c). It may take a back and forth “wobble” to move it along. When you reach the end ofthe shaft, gently ease the blade free and lit it out of the throat ‘opening. Note: If the blade isn’t {going straight into. storage, be sure to set iton a “soft” surface. When you install a blade, you simply reverse the order of the steps. Bul note that to tighten the arbor nut, you'll need to jam the blade from the back of the saw. And try not to overtighten. the arbor nut, a light torque is all it takes. Finally, lower the blade, replace the throat insert plate, and your saw is back in business ‘Tyote Siw Seeners2 Keepit Clean A blade that's free of pitch and Once the cleaner has done its resin buildup will produce job, all it takes is a little work cleaner cuts and stay sharp lon- with a non-abrasive scrub pad ger. So fot me, regular cleaning fo remove the residue. A brass is a must when it comes to saw bristle brush will make quick blade maintenance. work of cleaning hard-to-reach For a long time, caustic oven spots on the teeth and in the gul- cleaner was recommended for lets(main photo at left), When al the job. Today there are lessharm- you see is a bright, shiny surface, ful options (refer to the articie on rinse the blade with water and page 20). Theidea is tospray both dry it off to prevent rust. sidesofthebladewithcleanerand And finally, fo reduce the frie- then give it five or ten minutes to tion that increases pitch and resin work. The lid from a plastic five- buildup, 1 complete the job by gallon bucket makes a good tub spraying the blade with a coat of (main photo at right) lubricant (inset photo at tight). 3 WhenDol Sharpen? 4 Safe Storage _ Storing your blades safely is a one in the photo at right, is the simple, but important, compo- best answer that I've found, rnent of a long, sharp blade life. Each blade has its own protec- The key is to keep the blades _tiveslotin thiscompact, plywood (especially the teeth) away [rom rack. Theslots (cut with a jig saw) damaging surfaces and away are widely spaced to make insert- from each other, but still within ing or removing a blade safe and reach. A simple wall rack, like the easy (drawing below’. WoodsmithSpecials.com 1920 You can bring new life to your saw blades with a surprising range of cleaning products. Just like any other tool in the shop, saw blades get dirty. The result can be ragged cuts and bumed edges. But the solution to these problems is often just a simple cleaning, All kinds of products are avail- able for cleaning saw blades, from commercial versions © home brews. But finding one that works quickly and efficiently can be a challenge. I compared sev- eral cleaners and found some that work very well and a few others that were Jess effective (chart on ‘opposite page). Sources for these are available an page 98 in builds up on the shoulders and gullets of a blade, as well as the cutting edge. A WORD OF CAUTION. Before you decide on a product to use, you should know that lye-based cleaners, like oven cleaner, aren't recomunenced for use on catbide- tipped blades. The Iye breaks down the binders used to hold the carbide together. This causes a blade to dull more quickly and more carbide will need to be taken off during the sharpening process, reduc ing the life of the biade. Lye also could remove the non-stick coating and printing. THERIGHTTOOIS.Selectinga cleaner is just one step in the process. After. A good cleaner will remove resin without much scrubbing with a brush or pad To get started you'll also need something to work in. There are pans made specifically for cleaning saw blades. But several things you may already have on hand will work just as well, like the lid from a bucket of drywall mud or a clean oil pan. You'll also need a small brass brush, a synthetic cleaning pad, andl some type of rust inhibitor CLAMING. Now that you_have all of your fools assembled, you can start work on removing the pitch and resin, Depending on the type of product you choose to use, you'll need to either spray or soak the blade, ‘Once the cleaner has time to react with the resin, remove the blade from the solution and scrub the surface with a synthetic pad Asynthelic pad will help remove resin from saw blades, but won't remove metal like steel wool does. Ifany resin remains, use the brass brush to remove it I the cleaner is oil-basedl, you can remove the excess with “Trote Sav SeenersApply Cleaner, Use a clean of pan Elbow Grease. / brass brush Protect. BE suce 10 apply rust or other flat plastic pan to soak handy for cleening the shoulders inhibitor to surfaces cleaned with the blade in the cleaner ‘and gullets of accumulated resin. water-based cleaners, soft cloth, But some of the clean- breaking down the carbide. center for household waste. If it ers Visted need to be rinsed off Plus, it's biodegradable wasn’t for this one thing, I'd use| USAGE NOTE with water, in which case a rust Lestoil cleaned the blade in the _Lestoil without hesitation. We he ore ventive should also be usec. _ main piaoto on the opposite page ler Pitch and Resin Remover Simple Green's a preventive should also be used. in photo on the opposite page Rockler Pitch and Resin Remover | etrogtion for TOP PIAS. After testing several without scrubbing in just five also worked well at removing — deenrgimost al cleaners, I found that some minutes and at a low cost. But resin. And Rockler offers a com- your Blades, the work better than others. Extreme it contains a strong solvent. The plete kit with the large-sized Manufacturer imple Green is an earth-friendly thing to be aware of heve is that cleaner that includes a brass yet lueusee when product made by the folks at the cleaner is not biodegradable. brush, a pan for blades, and a cleaning carbde- Simple Green. Ik was developed if you decide to use Lest tcan small plastic jr for cleaning bts. {4 Bas. The to clean aircraft, so it won't be reused untilitbecomes cloudy. Once you find a cleaner that {feaher esuse the damage or carrode metal. You But you'll need to rinse blades in works for you, { think you'll exrbieto leach can safely soak blades in the water and collect the waste for find i's a quick and easy way tom the meta. full-strength olution without disposa) at your local collection improve blade performance. Ero Rockler Baking Cr ia Cael Seka eed ero (Shi Exes SloddardSohent \Containg nahi cit Ol Sedan Dofene, Touene -Butgetenol Cente spr “emia wterbased———_Beoronate Oibased Wate based ‘Ou based water based Water one cost peruse 555 ss s ss ss | 6 to Por. oe aoe Speed Sminutes 15 minutes omnutes hours Wmoutes 30 minutes sfesinremoved © Resimiamoved + Resn removed. ¢Resinveriowedwih «Resi emoved__» Rethvemove Setrourstor, —“aumoutetien —“uthinveeton "hein from fasuraces "fom farsoraces voltagemigh voltage. He 1 1/2 RPM 3450 voits (120/240 Amps 12.8/6.4 Hz 60 PH 1 ENC. -DP SERVICE FACTOR 1.0 [FRAME S6 INSUL. CLASS 3 MAX. AMBIENT 40°C TIME RATING CONT. | TYPE__B DESIGN LETTER KVA CODE LETTER _H “The firsts the fact that your tool’s convert to 240 volts. That will motormightbe “dual-rated.”"The depend on the full-load amper- motor could be designed to run age draw shown on your motor’s with more horsepoweratahigher label. Ifthe motor is rated over 16 voltage. If this is the case, you'll amps at 120 volts and you have see two horsepower ratings on the option, go ahead and make the motor’s label. For example, the switch to 240 volts. 15/20. In this case, you would MULIPLETOOLS. If you're like most see a 33% increase in power by woodworkers, you probably run converting to 240 volts a dust collector and a major tool GH AMPERAGE DRAW. TE the lights like a table saw or planer at the in your house dim when you sometime. Here, itmakessenseto tum on the table saw, you'll see operate them at 240 volts, if pos- animprovementby converting to sible. There's not enough capac- 240 volts. The lights dim because ity ona 120-volt circuit, even at 20 of the high draw of starting cus amps, to handle the load of both rent required by the motor. Using motors at the some time, (Your 240 volts reduces the operating electrician can help you calculate current with 9 side benefit of — the load of your toois and type of reducing the startup current. circuits required.) RULES OF THUMB. When it comes MAKING THE SWITCH, Once you've to electricity in the shop, the first decided to switch to 240-volts, recommendation is to put your you'll need to move a couple of tools on a 20-amp circuit if pos- wires on the motor. Your motor sible, regordless of the voltage. should have a diagram to help But it’s because of the startup you out with this. You can see a load that it might make sense to sample diagram below. As you ROTATION CW-OPE BROWN—— ® MIN Low ——® ig RED © VOLTAGE | BROWN— © VOLTAGE eLUE——@— LINE 1 @—unet @-LINE2 > LINE 2 Wiring Diagram. A label on your motor or a diagram in your owners ‘manual wil show you how to swrtch the wiring for 240-volt use. After that, you'l have {0 install the appropriate plug on the tool's cor. WoodsmithSpecials.com Plug Change. When converting a motor to 240-volt operation, you'l need to change the plug on the cord, 2s shown below. Reade d oc) attach it to ‘can see in the photo on the oppo- site page, the wires can be found behind a plate on the motor. ‘The next thing to do is change the plug to a 240-volt plug, like yyousee in the photo above, When you do this, you should color the ‘white wire black or red to indi- cate it’s “hot” wire [EXTENSION CORD. Chances are, your power tool won't always be near 2 240-volt outlet, But with a pair of cord ends (plug and recep- tacle), you can make your own extension cord (photo below). ‘Asyou can see, once you decide it’s the right move, converting your tools 10 240 volts is easy. Female. Rett Extension. You ‘can easily make an extension cord for ‘your 240-volt tools,Essential _ Joinery _ Mastering joinery on the table saw i easier | than you might think, Here, we'll break down the steps for each individual cut so you're sure to end up with pesect iting, sturdy joints. DEAD-ON DADOES... 26 TONGUE & DADO JOINERY... 28 RABBETED CASES... aoe, TOP-NOTCH TENONS ..... 34 STUB TENON & GROOVE JOINERY ..38Dead-On Dadoes With the right setup and a few, simple techniques, you'll be cutting perfect dadoes every time JOINERY A stack dado set is the standard tool for cutting grooves, rabbets, and_dadoes on the table saw in my shop. Unfortunately, it doesn't always yield results that ‘meet my expectations. The key 10 getting better results with your dado blade involves undersiand ing how st works. Once you've got that down, you just need to Know the best ways to set up, lay out, and cut your dadoes creas gemove WAStE FROwe tiie OF cr womoecar = i guisescomne a. ™ SHOULDERS OF Cut > y (SEE DETAIL DRAWING) ¥ = 6 smu. The frst step is properly setting up a dado blade. And to Go this, it's a good idea to under stand how it works. As you can see in the drawing below, a dado set consists of a pair of scoring blades and several chippers. The scoring blades are the outer blades that reseenble stan- dard saw blades. You'll find that the difference is their teeth are angled either left or right to cut crisp outside edges for the dado (detail drawing below). Sandwiched between theouter blades are the chippers. These are designed to clean out the waste left between the scoring blades. They come in different Dado Blade Gauge. This shop-made guide determines which blades and chippers are needed to make the perfect-sized dado. Notch It. The notch in this ausilary miter gauge fence pinpoints the dado location on the workpiece. widths and can be combined to create a variety of dado widths. When installing a dado blade, remember that you need to stag~ ger the teeth of the chippers. This Prevenis them fram. touching eachother and being damaged. It ensures that all the plates are flat against each other and the arbor nut can be securely tightened, Tanir Saw SeenersSTING GAUGE. To speed up the a challenge. For better results, { process of sizing a dado blade, I like to cut a notch in an auxiliary mmacle the gauge pictured at the miter fence and draw layout ines bottom of the opposite page. Just on the fence to show the edges of slip your workpiece in the dado the cut (detail photo on the oppo- that fits to know the “recipe” of — site page). To prevent tearout, the blades and chippers it takes to notch in the ai made a dado that size. Now, it same depth as the dado. takes just a few seconds to put Next, | mark the edges of the the right parts together to accu- dado on the workpiece (main rately size the blade and dado. photo, opposite page). Then, line If the dado is sill ahair under- everything up and make the cut sized, you can use shims totweak (For other ways to reduce tearout, secon cur centezor STEP peascuris airy fence isthe | | [renoey, Sokerece— "Beret [_sarenrence 7 the final width. And for the best check out the box below.) ‘cONTERS DADO results, place the shims evenly RANDY TECHNIQUES. This process throughout the stack ‘works great for most dadoes. But POSTIONING. With the sizing and centered and matching dadoes setup complete, the next step call for different techniques. is cutting the dado in the right Centering a dado is a simple place. Leaning over the table saw two-pass. process. (upper right to accurately align the layout drawing). Once you've finished automatically centered on the lines with the dado blade con be the second pass, the dado is workpiece. However, it may not be the comect widith. To get the right width while keeping the dado centered, you can sneak up on it by readjusting the rip fence and repeating, the procedure. For matching dadoes in small projects, 1 like to start off with an extra-wide workpiece (let photo). After ripping the work: piece to final with (inset photo), the dacioes will match perfectly. So, you can see that a dado blade is a must-have table saw accessory. And with these simple techniques, youcan be sure you'll set crisp, precise cuts every time. Matched Dadoes. After carefully cutting the dadoes, rigping the workpiece to final with provides perfectly matched dadoes, Tips & Tricks: Avoiding Tearout Shallow Cut. To cut clean shoulders, Tape Reinforcement. Press masking tape Back Up the Cut. A backer board is a sim- make a shallow scoring pass before firmly onto the workpiece to reinforce ple way to prevent tearout at the edge as ‘cutting the dado to full depth. the wood for a chio-free cut. the dado blade exits the cut.t | at somery soronoue ig GHEE esa oe SHEL This versatile joint makes it easy , OR STRENGTH | | ) | to create strong and sturdy cases and drawers. ~ q ercumone TONGUES AAR woes || sacusarrsr, | SeERE EES | (ow > i fag fecseace “igor Let ea] ener ‘Sloe nce 2) 5 a RSE Ss ee ‘ aT ¥ BOTTOM Essential Joinery: Tongue & Dado When I'm building a case, want CASES & DRAWERS, Another benefit as shown in the lower left photo the joinery to be both strong and of this joint is that, with a few Then a mating tongue is cut on easy tomake. A tongueand dado adjustments, it works equally the case top, bottom, and shelves joint isa good option for acouple we on drawers. The drawings (or drawer front and back), as reasons: The interlocking parts at the top of the page give you a you can see in the right photo make aligning the case pieces good overview of how the joint below. There's a simple reason during’ assembly @ snap. And it works in both instances, for this arvangement provides a good amount of glue dado is cut near each end of In the wall cabinet you see in surface fora sturdy connection. the case sides (or drawer sides), the drawing above, the joinery resists the pull of gravity. In a drawer, the joints need to stand up to the repeated tugging on the drawer front, In both cases, the interlocking nature of a tongue and dado joint fills the bill ‘¢POSURE. But there are a couple drawbacks to this. technique With a plywood case, the top and bottom reveal exposed ends. With drawers, there are two problems. The firsts that the end. zrain of the sides is exposed at the front, And the second is that Dado First. The first half of the joints a dado cut near each end of the side pieces, Rabbet to Fit, > The other part of the joint is a rab- i cece, bet that ceates 2 snug-fting tongue for the 4 i = dado. oe ao Traut Saw Secnersyou typically see a notch from the groove for the drawer bottom, ‘The obvious solution for a case is to hide it with a top. And fora drawer, you can add a fase front. Yes, this does add an extra step. But it’s worth considering when you're designing a projec. Now that you have a good idea of the basics of a tongue and dado joint, the next step is mastering hhow to cut it accurately. CUTTING THE JOINERY Thave a few goals when creating _Eminate Tearout. Cutting dadoes and rabbets can lead to tearout on the trailing edge a tongue and dado joint. First of of the workpiece. One way to avoid ths is to use a backer board to support the edge, all, when it’s assembled, the ends _But often, tS easier to cut the case panels a bit wider than I need. Then when Im of the case sides should be flush finished cutting the joinery, can trim the panels to size and cut away the tearout, with the top and bottom. And the two pieces should fit together with hand pressure, RUTNG THE DADO. Creating a As T mentioned earlier, one Finally, the tongue should tongue and dado joint can be of my goals is making sure almost, but not quite bottom out neatly broken down into two the assembled joint is flush on in the dado. This provides extra steps — making the dado and the end, So accurately locating space for glue, but more impor- then cutting the tongues oft. the dado in the side is Key. Of tantly, it allows the shoulder I like to start by cutting the course, it'sa good idea to make a of the joint to close tightly. All dado. I find it's easier to adjust few test cuts. But to get the fence this should add up to a case (or the thickness of the tongue and position in the ballpark, I use 2 drawer) that’s square and solid. sneak upona good fit than trying mating piece (or cutoff) a3 a set- Note: For this process I'l refer to change the width of the dado. up gouge, as shown in Figure 1 to making a case out of " ply: There are three things to con-_WIDIK. At first glance, it would wood. You can find details on sider when cutting the dadoes: seem like any width dado would making drawers on page 31 location, width, and depth, work. But there's a catch. The dado creates a short grain sec- tion that can be easily broken if the joint is stressed. So the idlea here is to keep this piece as long =~ (wide) a8 possible, When work ing with }” plywood, a 34"-wide dado isa good choice DEPTH. The ast thing to think about is the depth of the dodo. You don’t want to compromise the strength of the sides, 50 the dado should be no more than half the thickness of the sides (4°), CUTING THE OAD0. When you're ready to make the cut, you want to make sure the dadois aconsis- tent depth. To do this, lattach a featherboard to the rip fence, like ‘you see in Figure 2. ‘One more thing, since this is a crossgrain cut, teorout can be a problem. Check oat the box above foran easy way to eliminate it. WoodsmithSpecials.com »Perfect Fit. You know it right when the joint fits tight and the ends are flush. Cp ¥ Cutting the Tongue (Once you've finished cutting the dadoes on all your workpieces, it’s time to turn your attention to cutting the other half of the joint — the tongue. Tt sounds simple enough, bbut this process is a little more involved than cutting the dadoes. Remember the goals I mentioned caslier. The tongue should slide ‘easily into the dado without any slop. And the shoulder of the joint needs to close up tight SAW SEIUR. The first thing you'll need to do is change the setup of the table saw. Start by installing a dado stack that’s wider than the final Length of the tongue. Then attach an auxiliary rip fence. This allows you to bury the blade in the fence to “dial in” the exact length of the tongue. Just like when you cut the dadoes, it's a good idea to attach. a featherboard to keep the thick ress of the tongue consistent. FAR WIT oneigar ae SoNevE somesreir ‘Auntiaey BLAbE PRECISE MOTH “That takes care of the initial setup. Now you can focus on fine-tuning the setup for the cut. This involves two things — setting the blade height and establishing the width of the cut. BLADE HEIGHT. The height of the dado blade should create a tongue that just fits in the dado, ‘Once again, making some test ‘cuts is the way to go. But you can eyeball the height by using one of the side pieces as a gauge, as shown in Figure 3. Place a side piece on end and raise the blade euose ToT until it's almost even with the lower edge of the dado. This gets you in the ballpark. ‘To get the blade height set just right, you'll need to bring in the rip fence. like tobury mostof the blade and make a test cut (Figure 4). This creates a short tongue. Check the fit of the tongue in one of the dadoes you cut earlier, like you see in Figure 5. It will prob- ably be a bit “fat.” Simply raise the blade a hair and make another cut. Then just repeat this process until you end ‘up with a fit that isnt too tight. UNGTH, With the blade height set, you can follow a similar pro= cess to adjust the length, Bump the rip fence over and make a series of test cuts. Your aim is for the shoulder of the rabbet to pull tight, as illustrated in Figure 5b, and for the tongue to not battom outin the dado. Finally, you can cut tongues on ‘your remaining workpieces. The payoff isa case that goes together easily (photo above) and is sturdy enough for years of use, “Toaue Saw SECRETSSolid-Wood Drawers What makes tongue and dado joinery a favorite is that its versa- tile enough for case construction and easy-to-assemble drawers. Alter all, drawers are really noth ing more than small cases. Since drawers ere smaller in scale, it makes sense to scale down the joinery, too. But don’t get me ‘wrong, the joinery will stil be plenty strong, In the example here, the drawer parts are made from YA" thick hardwood, Narrow Dado. Sizing the join- ery starts with the dado, instead of using a dado se, Ike to use a standard combination blade. Here again, the reason is that | want {0 prevent the short grain section ahead of the Kerf from popping off. Using 2 Y"-wide blade leaves this. vulnerable section as long (wide) as possible. IF you take a look at Figure 1, you'll see that setting up for this cut works about the same 3s it does for case construction. First set the rip fence to align the outer edge of the teeth with the outside face of a scrap piece that matches the thickness of the drawer front ‘or back. Then adjust the blade to a height of Yo". Preventing Tearout. When cutting the dadoes, {like to use 4 aoe S Logues Ao Paawotee ou Bees : : fine fk a. cur ker Hak) enuron myer 4 leer : s Fi ee : la a. loursibe tooe Se wonemiece _ the miter gauge fitted -with an aula fence to guide the narrow drawer parts across the blade. The auxiliary fence also backs tp the cut to prevent tearout, as itustrated in Figure 2. Then as you make the cut, pro- vide firm downward pressure on the workpiece, This keeps the dado a consistent depth, Cutting the Tongue. Setting Up for cutting the tongue is shown in Figure 3. As you can see, | replaced the single blade with a dado blade. Use the piece you just ‘ut to set the blade height Now it’s simply a matter of adjusting the rip fence to control the length of the tongue. Make a few test cuts until the tongue slides securely into the dado and stops just short of the bot: tom, like you see in the photo at right Drawer Joint. A singje blade ker provides: the anchor point for the tongue in drawer ‘construction. ‘WoodsmithSpecials.comJOINERY Building Cases with Rabbet Joinery This basic method offers quick, easy, and solid construction. When it comes to building a sturdy case out of ply ‘wood or MDF fara shop project, basic rabbet joinery is often the best choice for the job. It’s a fast way to assemble a cabinet without sactifiing strength. ‘WHY RABBET? Rabbet joinery has some very basic structural benefits. Fsst, the shoulder and the bot tom of the rabbet automatically capture and align the mating pieces during assembly: The result is, that the parts go together easier. Second, the “two: sided” joint creates racking resistance and a much ‘more solid case. Finally, you have plenty of good sluing surface — and more is definitely better. CASE ASSEMBLY Sapeers, EABETS, wont oF gASDEr Me MATERIAL ‘apes Marches Rutont OF Cee - CASE AO oxen napa sutons screws (OBEINGIALLES (ON 16" ANG BOTTOM OF CASE. WiRy BAsic. Building a case with rabbet joinery couldn't be much easier. The drawing at the lower left illustrates how the pieces all go together. To create a four-sided box, all you need to do is cut rabbets across the encls of two opposite case pieces — most often the sides. The depth of the rab- bet can vary from one quarter fo three quarters of the thickness of the case piece. The width of the rab- bet needs to match the thickness of the mating case piece so that the assembled joint forms a flusly cor- nner. A second series of rabbets along the back edges of the case pieces holds a back panel. This further stiffens the case and also allows you to easily attach, it to a wall. Fasteners (screws work the best) and glue hold all the pieces together. CONSIDERATIONS. Before getting to work, there are several things you'll want to think about. The first is how to size your case pieces. If the rabbets are cut con the case sides, the length of these pieces should ‘match the height of the ease (drawing at left). And to end up with a case that’s the correct width, 1 es Joo Good Options The let phot shows thes plest assembly option, a shallow rabbet with screws: installed through the case sides. A deeper rabbet allows you to “hide” the screws (aight photo) Sow Secnersyou need to account for the depth Of the rabbets when cutting the top and bottom to length. ASSEMBLY. OPTIONS. This leads to the next point. The photos at the bottom of the opposite page show two rabbet assembly options. The left photo illustrates the more basie assembly option —a shallow rabbet with screws through the case sides pulling the pieces tightly together. ‘AS you can see in the right photo, adeeper rabbetallows you to hide the screws on the top and bottom of tie case when desired. Here, installing the screws takes a little more care, but you'll end Lup with a cleaner looking case Finally, there's one point to ‘mention about the rabbets for the back panel. Their widths simply ‘match the thickness of the panel, while their depths match the rab- bets in the case sides. This creates a seamless assembly. A SETUP HOW, Once you've done all the advance planning and cut your pieces to size, you can Set up to cut the joinery. The drawing above shows the table saw setup I rely on to take care of this job. It starts with a stack dado blade installed in the table saw. The blade should be wider than the width of the rabbets s© you can make the cuts with a single pass. A zero-learance insert swrounding the blade will help prevent chipping along the shoulders of the rabibets. AS you see, the edge of the blade is buried in an auxiliary rip fence. This is how you estab- lish the width of the rabbets and guide the cuts. Finally, a hold- down clamped to the tip fence will ensure that the depth of the cuts remains consistent. NOW, THE BABBETS. With the table saw ready to go, the rabbets in the case sides come first. For accurate results, you'll need to carefully adjust the blade height and the position of the rip fence. Using a separate test piece or ‘one of your workpieces will help you with this. Start by adjusting the height of the dado blade tuntil it cuts a rabbet of the cor rect depth. Then you can tweak Rabbet Joinery Assembly Once the joinery is cut, the final taskis to pasta the pieces together into a solld case, The process is show in the drawings at right. Glue alone would work, but | like to reinforce the assembly with a few screws. So the first step is to dry assernble the case and dell pilot holes for the screws. ‘As you can see, clamps span- ning all four sides are used to pull the joints tight. Cauls placed on the case top and bottom ensure ‘WoodsmithSpecials.com ‘that the clamps pull these pieces shtug to the rabbet shoulders. ‘The ) — DOOR FRAME RAISED PANEL NOTE: paver AnD, SME Ane SAM THICKNESS 46 “Toots Saw SeenersMAKING THE CIT. Now you can J] make a bevel cut on each edge of the panel. Since the end grain is more likely to tear out at the end of the cut, be sure to cut these edges first: Cutting the ather two edges will remove tearout To keep the panel firmly against the fence, I also like to use a tall featherboard. The box betow shows how to build UANING UR Alter you make the cuts, it’s normal to find saw marks on the bevels. Plus, the shoulder won't be square to the face of the panel. A simple way to fix both problems is to use the beveled sanding block shown in Figure 1. It squares up the shoul- groove of the door frame. That's “sneak up” on the depth of the der ofthe field as you sand away where the second step of the pro- rabbet until the panel just slips the sew marks (Figure 1a). cess comes in — cutting a rabbet _intoplace. Also, the rabbet should along the back edges of the panel _be as wide as the groove is deep CUTTING THE RABBET to geta nice fit Figure 2). toallow the panel to expand and Now thatthe field is done, you're The rabbetis sized so the panel contract (Figure 2a). halfway through creating a raised can slide into the frame, but not And that’s it — two simple panel. At this point, the edge of so loose that it rattles around. steps and your new raised panel the panel is too thick tofitinto the The best way to ft the panel is tos ready for the door frame. Shop-Mlade Accessories cur seacers = Cutting 2 raised panel on a table saw iano: requires you to stand the panel on FEATHER- iBGE%2, edge when making the cuts. The two BOARD FEATHERBOARD ‘accessories shown here will provide eh ieee! you with solid support and help make ‘ony KER FREER, the task go much smoother. oe Featherboard. The featherboard | ) shown at left helps by keeping your Bey Sy fingers out of the way while pressing the panel firly against the fence, and it's quite simple to build. All you ee aes in > need is a strip of 'a" hardboard thats, i ace PRORREEPS Bott pg held in place by an L-shaped block Pre Jaye attached to a hardwood runner. NOTE: curkerrs wisu-nuce ~~ S MAGINE ——Auniliary Fence. The auxtliay fence Bios allen, ere you see on the right should fit snugly ‘over your table saw fence. It should be tight enough that the fence won't \ (a. TorvIEW END VIEW slide as you push the panel. You can J also add a cap to one end of the aux- B iiary fence to keep it from sipping. CuTSLoN ane co DEFT OFT The taller side of the fence should be wicurenes ENNOT MEG high enough va keep the pane! stable while it passes through the blade. WoodsmithSpecials.com g7This technique takes the challenge out of cutting multiple odd-shaped pieces to size: Have you ever faced the task of making mulbiple copies of an odd-shaped workpiece and not had any idea how to get the job done? So you stand staring at a pile of wood and hope that sud: den inspiration will provide the solution. Well it could be thatthe answer you're looking for is the table saw trick of pattern cutting. This technique allows you to duplicate straightedged work: pieces on the table saw accurately and quickly. The large dividers and shelves of a comer cupboard, | END VIEW ADO (CROSS SECTION) |] Geko TN) Nore: came. cuwe rem rAtENeyTNS % FENCE 48 {as shoxen in the photo above, are 1 good example. But any hard-to cut workpiece with straight sides is fair game for pattem cutting. TE Ste. Patter cutting on the table saw may seem a bit odd But just think of it as similar to template routing. IF you take @ Jook at the lower leit drawing, you can see how it works. You start by clamping 3 simple ppattern-cutting fence to the rip fence of your table saw. The hor! zontal arm of the fence is aligned directly above the blade of the saw toactasa “nub” guide. And a pattem attached to the workpiece follows tie edge of the guide arm to “steer” the workpiece past the blade. Follow this plan and the result is flush cut that creates a perfect copy of the pattern. The advantage to this technique is that all you need is a master pat- ter and one simple setup. THE FENCE The first itern on the pattern-cutting, “checklist” is the guide fence. If you take a close Flush with the Blade. A square can take some of the guesswork ‘out of adjusting the fence. look at the photo above and the drawing at left, you'll be able to put one together pretty easily. So Viljust give you a few pointers. You'll want to makeethe guide ence the same length as your rip fence. Hike the long, steady guide surface this provides. And when 'm pattem cutting, it’susually on W'-thick stock. So the guide acm is attached to the upright about 7 from the bottom edge. The cutoffs from the work: pieces will fall harmlessly between the upright and the saw blade. Usually these will only be narrow strips. But even so, you reed plenty of room for them, Ad" wide guide arm creates the space you'll need. Finally, notice the window just opposite the blade. This lets me see when I need to do a litle housekeeping, and clean out the cutoffs Sow SeenersTE PATTERN, Next comes the pat tern. This should be made to the exact size and shape of the parts, you want to duplicate, Plywood or MDF works great. Keep in mind that once you make the patiern, the hard work is over, take the time you need to get it right. Extra time here will be more than made up for later on. have to clean out the cutoffs quite as often Don't worry about the work- piece staying in place. There are several ways to fasten it to the pat- tem. If you don't want to leave any marks, a few strips of double-sided tape will do the job, as shown in the drawing above. When the workpieces are espe- cially large or have a face that won't show, Il tack or screw the patiern in place. Regardless of the method you use, make sure the attachment is good and solid. With the fence and the pattern in hand, you're ready to get set up. When you install the fence con the saw, the edge of the guide am needs to be directly above the outside edge of the blade, A square helps get it close (inset photo at le}. But { like to start out with che blade set a little bochind the edge of the guide arm and then readjust it after 2 test cut. Hitting it dead-on may take alitte trial and error. With the fence in place, ! don’t stact cutting on the table saw right away. First, I make a quick trip to the band saw to rough cut the workpieces. I you only have to trim off a litle bit of waste, the euts go easier and you won't an Edge Sometimes, all you need to do '5 cut one straight, square edge ‘across the end of a panel. But man- handling a large panel through the saw guided only by the miter gauge can be a challenge at best As you see in the photo at right, the pattem-cutting fence and a straight cleat will heip you get the job done right. Just set up the fence as you ‘would fora pattern cut. Then tape of tack the cleat to the workpiece with the straight edge right on the line of the cut. As you feed the panel into the blade, the cleat fides along the guide arm and you get a straight, square cut Making the cut is pretty routine. Butt the pattern firmly against the guide arm well in front of the blade and then slide it forward. IF the feed is stiff, some wax on the pattern and gutide arm will help. Feeding the pattern and work- piece along the guide arm may bea little awkward at first. If the pattern wanders away from the fenceand thecutisn’tsmoothand ‘WoodsmithSpecials.com straight, don't worry — all you ‘need to do is make o second pass. Remember, with the fence in place, you can’t cut too deeply. ‘As you cut around the pattern, use a steady feed rate like you would forany cut. Even when the cutting is easy, don’t go too fst. Keep an eye on the sevaps build- ing up under the guide arm and clean them out when needed. You might find that it takes toviews you longer to get everything set inal Up than itactually does tocut the Gourmet: workpieces. But all in all, you'll Woosmihpcscom get the job done quicker, easier, and much more accurately. And that’s @ good enough reason for me to use pattern cutting, ‘Square up the End. This simple selupleaiibe sex to make a straight, squa Gate ccd) eee 49Jigs & Accessories Get even more from your table saw by building your own jigs and accessories. These projects don't require much time or money, but they make your table saw mare versatile than ever PRECISION CROSSCUT SLED..........52 RIP FENCE ACCESSORY SYSTEM.....60 SMALL PARTS JIG.... 66cessories like 2 box joint atPradision Crosscut Sled With this must-have table saygjig, you'll always get chip-free crosscuts. Plus, a versatile fence for aécessories increases its cutting capability. When crosscutting onthe i aes oe ees eee ees Bree te ees Ee eee oe eo ee a oes Crue eee acters Ce nee ners Dae ten evi omen enn Fon aaaean ne But this sled has another unique feature — a “zero- ‘learance” base, The sliding base extension allows the sled oa eee eee eects that are cleaner with less chipout, With al these features, this sled is sure to become one of Stas ay ee arena acy Se ego ee eeeMaterials & Hardware A base (1) Yeply. 16% x 18 8 _ Rear Fence (1) x Wie 24 Front Fence (1) Wx 1% BD Sliding Base (1) Yaply - 1614 x5% E Adjustment Blocks (2) %x 1%4- SA & Guard (1) 4 plastic - 3% x5, G Fence Rail (1) xh a2 HH Fence Face (1) Ix De 24 1 Fence Foot (1) Yap. 3x24 J Topi Wx 1¥4-8° K Face (1) Wx AY B #(1)%" 124" - 20" Aluminum Miter Bar = (3) #8 x54" Fh Woodscrews (10) #8 x 174" Fh Woodscrews ++ (2) 24" Aluminum Fence Tracks w/Screws a. J Bin awa SABRE Ee senses, FENCE EXTENSION ALLOWS Contd woeemeces +0) Rp Stop (1) 4 Measuring Tape (Left-to-Right) = (4) 142-20 Knobs wilnsert 20x 1%4" Threaded Rods 20x VA" Hex Bolt® Washer* # (1) Knob with %4*-20 Insert 2)" 220 (2) 47-20% 1” Fh Machine Serewns* * Iedicates items for optional box joint jig shown in the drawing below Rn08 Locks Box ror sues. OPTIONAL BOX JOINT JIG DONS OF ANY Ste Toate Saw SecneTsExploded _View Details Ove ALL OMENGIONS: rngaeteryou waza. 10 x24 W x OH (umiour FENCE EXTENSION) ‘or BrFENBICN AUER AND ‘Ou PAcE 80) J SAFELY AWAY FROM BLADE rence acs yes \ D nets we ratyiots AUIRE Soppber FoR THE WORKPIECE Frowr Feuce 4908 RicoiTy eee (eMWU008 BASE Aun eR BAR. supa ease seonon hain aSeoe ee cH NEEDS SLED eGUARE BiAge ort A {oeunbe WoodsmithSpecials.com 55FIRST: cur PIEGE FoR suioING SSaGe FAEE Frou BLAM (OAsE Sze Arter cut Teenie) o Sn eine a ees ‘Adjustable, To accomodate different blade widths, simply ‘adjust the extension Lia/ aha FIRST: cur apo wipe om SOwarSTunptrior eORR 7 ‘. Rock-Solid Base & Fence ‘The foundation of the sled is a Ifyourbladetilts left, make a mu SLED BASE plywood base upon which the rorimage of the sled. This allows The fixed and siiding bases are workpiece rests. A miter bar is the sliding base to accomme- cut from a single blank. When attached underneath. On top date a wide range of dado blade cutting the blank to size, I made of the base, you'll add the front widths, asin the photos above. sure the sides were perfectly and rear fences. To finish up,add Also, takethe timenow to tune square. Doing this is important the fence track, measuring tape, up your saw. You want to make because you'll use the rip fence biade guard, and flip stop. The sure the blade and sip fence are to locate and cut the dado for the results solid, accurate sled. parallel tothe miter slots (Cefer to runner. And you'll use the front Before youstart,Ineed tomen- page). Doing thie now will help and back edges to determine the tion a few things. This sled was make sure accuracy is built into location forthe fences later. eee 7 SECOND: senove waste designed fora ighttiltable saw. the crosscut sled SONG BSE The first thing you a need do cut the peer he Tee ga msm mieygeg gens OF ck sliding base from the blonke and ‘moving the rip fence, mark the location for the runser using 4 the edges of your saw’s “set it aside (Figure 1). Without >) =e nots sarge — BEFORE FASTENING. peace d %4 miter slot as a reference. NOTE: pences are HXEDEASE Once you've cut IND bac Ene OF Base thedadofortherunner, you ‘can go ahead and cut the curved cutout, as shown in, Figure2 Finally, attach the runner and adjust it fora smooth, slicing fit in your saw’s miter slot FING BLANK. Now you can work ‘on the front and rear fences you see in Figure 3. To make both fences, start with @ long blank ripped towidth and cut thefences to size. Then cut off the corners of the front fence (Figure 3) Ee 36 “Toots Sew SecnersINsems, You'll want to install the threaded insexts before attaching the fences to the base. Doing this now rather than later makes it much easier. The inserts are used {for adjusting the sliding base and attaching the fence extension that you'll be making later. ADDING THE REAR FENCE If you take a look at Figures 3 and 3a, you'll see that the fences are inset a Uitte from the edges of the base, ‘This space provides room for the adjustment blocks used to posi- tion the sliding base. You'll want to take extra care when you're installing the rear fence because the accuracy of the sled depends on the rear fence being square to the blade. To censure that it's square, I fastened the fence to the sled with one ‘screw at the far endl of the sled. ‘Then after squaring it up, fasten the fence at the apposite end with one screw and make some test cuts. Once everything checks out, add the remaining screws (© lock it down to the base. FRONT FINCE The front fence gets installed next. The impostant thing to keep in mind here is that it needs to be parallel to the rear fence so the extension cau freely slide in and out. @ SLIDING BASE WoodsmithSpecials.com wane a WASHER SLIDING BASE & DETAILS Now, tum your aitention to the sliding base (Figure 4). You just need to add the two adjustment blocks. The slots allow the sliding, base to hog the blade as you're crosscutting, When you fasten the bblocks to the sliding base, they'll sit flush with the front and back edges of the base (Figure 4a) Addinga little hardware comes next. Make the studded knobs to censure they’rejust the right length Fur or0° An peieN to engage the threaded insert. To do this, usea dab of epoxy to lock the thteaded rod into the knob. FNALDETAUS, To finish up the rear fence, you'll add a commercial fence track, measuring tape, fip stop, and finally, the blade guard Figure 5). At this point, you have 2 fully functional sled that’s sure to become a mainstay in your shop. The next page shows how to make a fence extension that increases the capacity of the sled. Blade Guard. The guard helps to keep your fingers away from the spinning blade as it exits the sled. 7ois TTY) Long-Reaching Support. ‘The fence extension gues you the capability to accurately cut long workpieces with ease The crosscut the extension both work to sup- front edge. (This helps the fence sled by itself is a porta long workpiece. Theexten- slide over your saw’s table). great addition to any sion mounts to the sled’s fence To make assembly easier and table saw. But for cutting with studded knobs. eliminate gaps between the sleds longer workpieces, this add-on START ATTHE RAIL Figure 6 shows fence and the extension, fasten fence extension lends a hand. you how the fence extension is the fence rail to the sled first. When making precise cuts, the put together. I started with the ‘Then just butt the en¢ of the foot extra length plus the “foot” on fence rail. I's the “backbone” of against the sled and fasten it to the extension. After cutting it to the rail. You can do the same with, ©) size, you can drill the oversized the fence face, Finally, instal! the FENCE FACE holes for the studded knobs fence track along the top edge, INCE FACE, The fence extension’s and add the measuring tape face is just like the one on the — HANDYHILPER. After making a few sled’s rear fence. The only differ- cuts with thissled, you'll wonder ence is the addition of the foot. how you gotalong withoutit. But After cutting the face to final size, to make it even more useful, take you cut the foot with its beveled a look at the opposite page 46.059" enwoonsceew (Whoo eRe Tea) \ FENCE FACE FENCE FOOT, E So GENESEE FENCE RAIL eaieeas | ecb Steey aa ob enact 58 SecnersBox Joint Attachment The crosscut sled makes an ideal in place, go ahead and thread the Platform for cutting box joints, micro-adiuster into the dowel a5 shown in the photo. Its easy Next you can mark the with of to make and takes the “trial and the top using the fence edges 2s error" out of cutting box joints. a guide and rip the top to width. The jig consists of a top piece Finally, after driling the holes for that slides along the fence track. the adjustment knob and inserts, The micro-adjust mechanism takes thread the inserts in place. the guesswork out of cutting box Jig Face. Now you're ready to joints by allowing you to fine-tune work on the face of the jig. There its position. Finally, interchange- are only a couple of things you able faces make it easy to cut a need to do here. Fist, dill coun- wide range of box joint sizes tersunk holes for machine screws Micto-Adjustment. Its best to that fasten the face to the top. start with the top piece so you can Then you'll need to cut @ notch accurately fit the micro-adjuster so you can glue the index key in (@rawing below). You can cut the place. (The width of the notch and top to length, but leave it a litte key determine the size of the box wide to make it easier to locate joints) The great thing is you can the holes for the cross dowel that make a separate face for each size accepts he stud on the adjuster. of box oint you need to cut To do this, install the micro- Using the tig. Using the jig is a adjuster on the fence track, Now — simple process. You'l find is simi- place the oversized top piece on lar to other box joint jgs you may top of the track, overlapping the have used. The advantage of this front and back edges. Use the jg, however, the micro-aduster, Box Joints. Turn the crosscut sled into a threaded stud ofthe mico-adjuster Zero in on the perfect fit of your precise box joint ja with this commercial tolocate the holes forthe stud and boxjointjustbytuming thekrurled _cro-adjustr. «055 dowel (detail ‘a') With these knob. And in no time, you'll be holes driled and the cross dowel making perfect box joints. Ps Micko- 20 AdvosTER ae = Micxo. AbuusTER sd | Note: one | MESMhon 4 ; Hex BouT aE MOTE 1 20 ee a eee \ tee 7 noe ey TN Fh MACHINE SRE Ri z ee eZ ‘WoodsmithSpecials.com °WwW a [e) vay yD ou U (e) << oS wn Se) Rip Fence Accessory System These versatile add-ons increase accuracy, improve safety, and help you get more from your table saw. If you're anything like me, you use your table saw for more tasks than just ripping and crosscutting, ‘That includes cutting rabbets, grooves, dadoes, and raised panels, just to name a fess. To do these things well, [often attach some sort of accessory to the rip fence. These one-time sohitions work, but there's usually a clamp or two that gets in the way Theaccessory system you see here eliminates this, problem. It starts with a platform that's attached to your rip fence, and it accepts several handy add: ons. There's a stop for making short crosscuts, 2 plate for attaching featherboards, and a dual- purpose fence for rabbets and wide workpieces. Finally, there's dust-collecting blade cover to pull away chips and dust right at the source. Each accessory attaches quickly --so you're more likely tose it, And you can make the whole set in just a few hours. You'll find it's time well spent Taos Saw SeeneTsTall Fence. It only takes 2 few secands to attach a tall fence for greater control when cutting a wide or tall workpiece on edge, This comes in handy when making a raised panel, for instance. Featherboards & Hold-Downs. Adcing featherboards to the rip fence accessory plate makes ita snap to cut rabbets, dadoes, and grooves to a uniferm depth. Exploded View Details _ cugucumone 7 | 7 santeure q maa eacneD 10 Sreacx wart FLANGE Bats, O85, AND WASHERS oPmoNAL HOLD poWNREEPS FENCE FROM LIFTING \ masowooe rise nie Pnonoes. ‘ANGhORNG FONT FoR Tteack rRLctotmoney WooddsmithSpecials.com ‘ETRACK OM BXTENDABLE ‘ome rence Maxi EASY {0 80ST POSITION ‘OF ADO-ONS. / oo Materials & Hardware NOTE: rox omnes wanoy Abo-ONS, CHECK OUT THE. Protos AbOvE AND ONTHE FOWaWING PACES. ‘Ake ALLOWS FOR OPTIMAL POSTONING OF ‘stor cover NOTE: pLADE cover CAN BE ATTACHED TO ‘noceesony PLATE WHEN CUTTING CLOSE ‘TOR FENCE — stave cover neers AROS AWAY FROM “HE BLADEAND DiRecTS, ust Ano thing To SHOP encuGn Hose Fence Filer (1) 2x2%-36 +2) h"-dia. x 18* Steel Rod Platform (1) %xd-32 *(2)24* Fitack Accessory Plate (1) %x3%-24 (2) 36" Frack ‘Stop Blocks (2) 44x3-4 9 (2)%s" x1" Flange Bolt Fence Support (1) Uxd-2A #8) 56" x 114" Flange Bolt Fence Face (1) YxOhu-36 (7) He" Washers ‘Arm Support (1) Wxd-24 + (5) %e"-18 Threaded Knob ‘Arm (1) Yex2-18 +2) %e" x 1" Studded Knob Hose Cradle (1) x3-6 — *(13) 46x 5" Fh Woodscrews Blade Cover Core (1) % ply. 7x14 Cover Back (1) Ya ply.-7 x 14 Blade Cover Frt. (1) poly. - 7x14 #2) #8214" Fh Woodscrews. + (10) #6 x 1" Fh Woodscrews #2) #8 x2° Fh Woodscrews + (2) #8 x 1%" Fh Woodscrews + (2) Yg'-18 Threaded Inserts wiStart with the 2 Mounting Platform One of the benefits of this system is that the accessories ate easy to attach and remove from the rip fence. Since each add-on is a dif- ferent size and serves a different purpose, the mounting method is designed to be flexible, a5 well. Note: This system is designed for 2 T-square-style rip fence. FIXED ASSEMBLY In general, each accessory attaches to a platform that’s mounted on top of the rip fence. You can see how this works in Figure 1. A set of threaded inserts allows the accessories to be installed with a few twists of ‘a pair of studded knobs. “To make it easy to secure the platform, it locks toa length of T= teack. And that’s where you start making this accessory system. ‘GUIDE TRACK, The T-track is serewed to the top of the main tube of the rip fence, For a secure x URE a gia ny ¥ Accessory plate SNOB PLATFORM Gen 3e) 4 | FIGURE Ses. ‘TREADED NB sere. THREADED set connection, Lanchored the T-track toa hardwood filer that l cut to fit side the fence, as shown in Figure 1a. This also means you need to drill few holes in the rip fence for the screws. You can do this with a hand rill and a twist bit But there are a few things to keep in mind. First, you'll need to use a punch 2a ema, FENCE FILLER eae 3e) sexs th to create a dimple so the bit won't wander. Then, concentrate ‘on keeping the bit square as you drill. 1s also 2 good idea to use a light machine oil to draw out the chips and keep the bit cool. ‘The filler piece is sized to fit easily into the fence tube. I didn’t want to have fo pound it in place. MOUNTING PLATFORM, To provide a place for adding the accessories, T made a platfoem that attaches to the guide track. The important thing about sizing this piece is that it should match the width of your tip fence. Then there are several details to work on. ABEES & GROOVE, The first thing, to do is cut a pair of rabbets and ‘a groove along the bottom face. ‘The rabbets are cut so the plat- form nestles around the fence faces and rests on the top of the tube, like you see in Figure 1a. In a similar fashion, Icuta groove to accept the track ‘The next task is to drill some holes. The first pair line up with the Track and allow the platform to lock in place with flange bolts, washers, and knobs. Another pair in the platform accepts threaded inserts. These will be used to mount the acces sories you'll build later on. “Tasue Saw SECRETSThis takes cate of the “fixed” portion of the accessory system. ‘You can now attach the platform to the Tteack and get started on making the accessories. ACCESSORY PLATE ‘As | mentioned earlier, it's not easy to clamp some accessories, like featherboards, to a rip fence. So the first thing I added to the platform was an adjustable acces- sory plate (Figure 2) The accessory plate is @ board with a slot cut in itnear each end. The slots allow the plate to be adjusted in and out. Along one edge, there's a length of T-track. This makes it easy to attach a shop-built or commercial feath- exboard and adjust it to provide pressure in the right location, SOP B10CK. The accessory plate also accepts shop-built add-ons, like the one in the upper right photo. Used along with the miter gauge, it serves as an end stop {or crosscutting short pieces from a long blank. This way, when the piece is cut free, it won't bind between the rip fence and blade. The adjustable stop consists ‘of two identical pieces of hard ‘wood that are screwed together inn “L” shape (End View detail above). A knob and flange bolt makes it easy to mount the stop to the accessory plate. TALL FENCE Besides a featherboard and stop blocks, Toften attach an auxiliary fence to my table saw’s rip fence. In the past, I've used two kinds of auxiliary fences, One version was a sacrificial fence for rabbeting. This fence allowed me to “bury” an extra wile dado blade in the fence. The other was a tall fence for ciatting a workpiece on edge. Here, I just needed a wide bear ing surface to provide additional control on a workpiece. I used it for making raised panels or cutting grooves in the edge of WoodsiithSpecials.com Stop Block. Attach this L- shaped stop block to the rip fence system for crosscut- ting short pieces. Locate the stop ahead of the blade to prevent binding FAD etatede HBS wide pieces. For this rip fence What makes this fence a two- system, I combined the two fune- in-one design fs that the fence is trons into one accessory reversible. One edge is flat and You can see what ¥'m talking smooth. The other edge has a aboutin Figure3.Itconsistsoftwa pocket for a dado blade. pieces. A fence support holds the To create the pocket, all you fence to the platform. This piece need to do is install a wide dado is screwed to a tall face piece. blade n the table saw. Then lower Along the center of the face, Icut the blade below the table, Slide 2 groove and installed a length — the atvilary fence over the insert of Track. As before, this makes plate and turn on the saw: Then. it easy to attach a featherboard or _ slowly raise the blade — about !4" cake ype othoiddown sullcovermentol your ae ES cexce surrorr F Mars, serryence nce surron , 3 3Making the Blade Cover The final component of the acces: sory systemisa blade cover. Ithas 2 couple of advantages over the blade guard and splitter assem- bly that came with your saw. The main benefit is that this is just a blade cover. So that means you can use it on non-through cuts like dadoes and grooves. Dust-Fre¢ Cutting, This two-in-one blade cover forms 2 barrier to keep Note: Because the blade cover you safe. And it has a builtin port to accept a shop vacuum hose. doesn’thave a builtin splitter, i's Adjustment slots let you change the height to match the workpiece 2 good idea to use an aftermarket splitter of install one in a shop- ARM SUPPORT. You can see what might guess, itholds the vacuum. made zero-clearance insert plate. goes into the mounting assembly hose in place when it’s plugged ‘The blade cover has one other in Figured. Thefirst piece tomake into the blade cover. important feature | like — built- is the arm support. Its similar to ARM, Attached to the other in dust collection capability, Its the accessory plateand fencesup- end of the steel rods is the final design allows you to plugin your port you made earlier. But there piece of the mounting assembly shop vacuum and collect dust area few key differences, — the arm. Its curved shape pro- and chips right at the source. ‘The main difference is the set vides clearance when the cover is ‘MOUNTING ASSEMBLY. The blade of dadoes cut on the bottom face. located close to the rip fence. On cover actually consists of twosec- These accept a pais of sieel rods, the other side, | attached another tions, First, there's the mounting which let you adjust the position piece of Track. This allows you assembly that connects the cover of the blade cover, Just be sure toto quickly slide the blade cover to the platform on the rip fence, cut the dadoes for a snug ‘on and adjust its position. ‘The other section is the three- The other difference is the hose BLADE COR, That brings us to the migune Piece blade cover assembly. cradle attached to the top. As you blade coverassembly. You can see oO F LL otlibatel tion a. SIDE . nose ceanue~ VIEW wore \ | >| “r END VIEW sucecgies NW ae Siew sareot e/ t/ seca aye A bide esr TASLE SAW NOTE: ju rants ARE MADE Ce Toei tice HAROWEaS oF Trott Saw SecreTsFIRST, pxut ouer ror —J FIGURE NOTE: use earreen IGURE NN back PEGE BELOW TO LW our AIR PATH AND SLOTS BLADE COVER FRONT oie PameeaRBONATE) SECOND: avour Siaetae ait are THEN Sete IO wou Gone Piece woobsceew TO FINAL SIZE NS in Figure 6 that i's sandwich of drill out the end of the air path ach face has a notch on three layers. Figures Sand6show where the shop vacuum hose the lower edge. This provides you the order of construction, so connects. Now, you're ready t0 adequate airflow for the shop Mi just hit some highlights. sake the faces. vacuum to be most effective. You can start by making the AGS The faces of the blade To shape the faces, I cut them core piece from %" plywood. coverenclose the airpathfordust to rough shape at the band saw. You'll find it’s easier to create the collection and form a physical ‘Then, ‘attached them to the core adjustment slots before cutting barrier to keep your hands away piece (glue fox back, screws for the core toshape. Then lay out the from the blade. The back face is front) and trimmed them with a air path using the patter below. made of 4 plywood for a solid flush-trim bit at the router table. From there, you can cut the connection point for the vacuum With these accessories close core to shape at the band saw. hose. I made the front from %4" at hand, you'll find using your used 2 2h/'

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