The table saw is the heart of most woodworking shops. Are you getting the most out of your saw? This class is designed to help you optimize this woodworking workhorse.
Joinery
Two of the joints you’ll learn, bridle joints and mitered half laps, are incredibly strong. And, when made with contrasting material, they look incredible. These joints provide a great way to make robust frames. Need a rabbet but don’t want to change to a dado head? No sweat. You can easily cut a rabbet with a single blade.
Getting good edges
Your table saw can be used as a jointer and it’ll give you perfectly straight edges for a seamless glue up. You’ll have a “why didn’t I think of that” moment when you see how simple it is. If the material you’re using has banana shaped edges, or live edges, a simple shop-made jig allows you to straight line cut those edges.
Plexiglass and aluminum
The table saw provides a perfect solution for cutting plexiglass and aluminum, but you have to make sure you’re using the right blade and the right setup. A handful of things come together to simplify cutting these materials.
Notches and sheet stock
Need to cut a long notch? You can do this on your table saw using a stopped rip cut. Layout lines on your material and saw help you do this accurately. Add a few helpers in your shop and you can cut full sheets of plywood on your saw. No, that doesn’t mean getting a few buddies to help. It’s about adding some horsepower.
Learn more about what this class covers.
When you only have one or two rabbets to cut don’t bother setting up a dado head or router bit. You can cut rabbets with a single saw blade by making two cuts. Using bar stock for setup gauges makes this a really simple and fast process.
Bridle joints have A LOT of glue surface and are incredibly strong. They can be cut with a tenon jig and single blade on your table saw. When bridle joints are made from contrasting material you get a strong joint that’s also very visually interesting.
Your table saw can act as a jointer. Check out this cool technique that creates perfectly mating edges without using a jointer. It’s very simple and provides great results.
Need to make a notch in a board? You can do this on your table saw by doing a stopped rip cut. There are a couple different approaches that will help you accurately stop the notch in the right spot.
Generally, when you do a rip cut you start with a reasonably straight edge against the fence. Sometimes you don’t have a straight edge to start with. A simple shop-made jig allows you to put a straight line cut on any piece of wood.
Like bridle joints, half lap joints are very strong because of the large amount of glue surface in the joint. Adding a miter to a half lap joint gives it a much more finished look.
How do you manage large sheets in your shop? It’s possible to cut them on your table saw, even when you’re working by yourself. There’s a very simple support trick that’ll prevent the pieces from falling off the saw.
If you’ve tried cutting plexiglass and not had success, it’s typically because of blade choice. You need to have the right blade in your saw to effectively cut plexi. A couple other table saw setup tricks will help you do this easily and safely.
Yep, you can cut aluminum plate on your table saw. Blade selection and lubrication on the blade are critical. With the right blade in your saw, you’ll be amazed by how easily you can cut aluminum.
George Vondriska
George Vondriska is the Editor in Chief here at Woodworkers Guild of America and has been sharing his woodworking expertise since 1986. Apart from conducting classes at his renowned Vondriska Woodworks School, George's passion for teaching has taken him to woodworking shows nationwide and has led him to teach woodworking for prestigious organizations such as Peace Corps/Swaziland, Andersen Window, Northwest Airlines, and the Pentagon. With a wealth of published magazine articles under his belt, encompassing tool reviews and shop improvement projects, George's knowledge and skills continue to inspire woodworkers every day. To discover more about him and his school, visit georgevondriska.com.
Must-Have Table Saw Techniques - Resources
Bonus Materials available for download after purchase.
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