# How Accurate Should A Table Saw Cut



## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

First of all I will be the first to admit that I am a nit-picker and have been accused of b such all of my life, so with this in mind, let me tell you what is on my mind. working with metal, accuracy to .0001" is often needed and can be achieved with the right tools and the skill of an good machinist, or so I understand, I am not a machinist but in years past I was pretty heavily involved in precision benchrest shooting and did work with tools and measurements that required being able to decern .0001" in swaging bullets and turning the necks on cartridge cases.

When I first got interested in wood working three years ago I was intrigued with Incta's fence positioning system and added it to my new table saw. The system is supposed to advance the fence in .001" incrementss using the micro adjust feature and for the most part it does, but wood is of course not as stable as is metal. I can make several cuts with the table saw with the fence locked down and the cuts will vary in length by three or four thousands of an inch one way or another from cut to cut, which is very good in almost all situations that I can imaginge for woodworking. Or so I suspect. 

Using a dial caliper the variation can be decerned when reading thousandths of an inch but when the calipers are set to read in fractions, the error in the cuts is not decernable and this is with calipers that read to 1/128th of an inch which is just a quarter of 1/32". That's pretty close and closer than I have ever needed so far in the work that I have done.

I doubt that most folks reading this care much about such trivels, but they are interesting to me. The feature that I like with the system is that I can set the fence to any position that I want and and on the first cut, be right on the money. This is true if I am careful to keep the scale calibrated and I must admit that the rub comes in here. If the cut is really important, I mean really impoetant, then of course it is a good idea to make a witness cut and to check it like any one would do with any set up, so the value of the system is really up to what the individual expects and/or wants in his table saw. Like I said earlier, I am a nit-picker and like good tools, so the Incra LS Fence Positioning System turns my crank as they say. Like any tool, it is only as good as the operator.

The accuracy of the system really comes into play when cutting dovetails with the system and since I have never tried to cut dovetails with any other system, I don't know any better. It took a lot of practice to learn to cut dovetails so that I was happy with them, but practice paid off for me and the system work for me to my nit-picking satisfaction. 

If anybody out there has the Incra set up and would like to compare notes, I would like visit with them about it, or if you just have questions about the system, let's talk.

Just wondering how others feel about such things.

Jerry
Colorado City, TX


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

For most cutting on the table saw the accuracy read by a tape measure for the size of cut needed should be fine enough. The saw should be set to be pretty accurate when cutting multiple parts such as segments for a segmented bowl. If the cuts are off they will just compound itself when all the parts are assembled.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Jerry, accuracy to 1/10000 in wood lies somewhere between impractical and impossible. With humidity changes the dimensions can change more than that. One of the most critical jobs requiring an accurate angle is picture frames. But equally important is that opposing sides be equal in length. Our ancestors 300 years ago produced wooden works of art that we can equal but not exceed despite having tools that are light years ahead of what they had available. Apparently there is more to it than just having the best technology.


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## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

Charles,
i believe that I stated that the level of accuracy provided by the Incra System is greater than is normally required in woodworking, the ability to quickly do a set up and then to repeat a set up quickly is a great feature in my opinion. Maybe I am just trying to justify my purchase that I may have foolishly made in my ignorance when I got interested in woodworking and as I said, my experience with my shooting days may have influenced things too. Who knows.

Your comment about picture frames is one that I am familiar with and the Incra miter gauge with the fence and stops are extremely effective in regard to cutting the 45 degree cuts and keeping the lengths of the parts correct. 

So far, the vote, only two, show no interest in the accuracy provided by the Incra System and is regarded to be a waste of money by them I think. I still like it, just wondering what other folks are thinking and i do appreciate anybody's input on the subject.

Jerry
Colorado City, TX


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Jerry Bowen said:


> Charles,
> i believe that I stated that the level of accuracy provided by the Incra System is greater than is normally required in woodworking, the ability to quickly do a set up and then to repeat a set up quickly is a great feature in my opinion. Maybe I am just trying to justify my purchase that I may have foolishly made in my ignorance when I got interested in woodworking and as I said, my experience with my shooting days may have influenced things too. Who knows.
> 
> Your comment about picture frames is one that I am familiar with and the Incra miter gauge with the fence and stops are extremely effective in regard to cutting the 45 degree cuts and keeping the lengths of the parts correct.
> ...


Hi Jerry.
Don't get me wrong. I don't think precision equipment is a waste of money at all. I will spend more money for precision. I have the Incra1000 Miter gauge & love the quality & precision it provides.


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## Jack Wilson (Mar 14, 2010)

I don't think anybody on this forum will discount accuracy or precision, but having said that I also think that "nit-picking" over 1/10,000 of an inch is just that, and foolish. If you like your incra system, and it pleases you, then thats all that matters. Many of us have some expensive tools, who's to say, "that person doesn't need that level of quality"? Some of us have tools in multiples that are ridiculous, who on earth needs that many? (I am thinking of someone in particular, and it's not me, BOB ). Still, that's what they want, so go for it! Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to say that anything that makes you happy is good, just with tools.  So anyways, I have 4 table saws, my wife can't figure that out, and neither can I! But I bought 'em 1 at a time when the price was right, I had 5 but sold 1 when I needed some cash. If you like your system, then you probably didn't pay too much, If you don't like it, then you probably DID pay too much! See how that works?:laugh:


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

Hi Jerry,

I don't have one of the nice new Icra systems but I do have the original system and fence. As you say the ability to quickly make adjustments and repeat settings with accuracy is great.

The accuracy needed to do woodworking depends a lot on what you are making. I feel the larger the piece the less accurate you have to be within reason. However I feel you should always strive to make every cut as accurately as possible, but should not get discouraged if everything is not perfect. 

Some people make more mistakes if they are worrying about that small error they discovered instead of worrying about the cut they are about to make. There are things we can not control all the time like humidity, the moisture content of the wood, the internal forces within the wood that twist your workpiece as it is cut from the board you so careful squared before the cut was made, just to name a few. We can control some of these to a certain degree but not all are controllable.

I know that if you try for perfection each time you build a project you will get closer to your goal of perfection. 

I hope that I never get to the point that I can look at a piece that I have created and say it is perfect because it would be real hard to live up to that accomplishment.

Wood is usually a very forgiving media to work with, and I do mean *work with* because it will often tell you how it needs to be tooled and it will overshadow the small imperfections you have made by displays of color and grain that can only be seen in wood.

The most important thing to remember is to enjoy the time you spend working with wood, don't spoil it if everything doesn't go just right.

Work safe, Have fun,


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

Tolerance Woodworkers need tolerance from she who must be kept happy and tolerance when in the shop 1/128= .0078 1/64= .0156 and I can't measure the difference. But I use a deck of playing cards and one card is .011. This gives me a go no go less than a 64th. 

In the two years since joining I have spent too much time fretting over decimals but have succesfully tuned in my TS Vega Fence within .003 with a dial guage (Also used it to tune in my benchtop planer) A thin kerf saw blade can wobble more than that. Perfection is impossible but precise repeatability is neccesary. 
What set-ups and methods I use all depend on the tolerance


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## argoknot (Dec 7, 2009)

I've been working with wood for 50+ years and have only use a steel rule and a drafting protractor to set up my tablesaws. As long as the blade is square to the rip fence and square to the table you're good to go. That being said, a 2" wide cut will be accurate enough even for the finest work.


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## Admin (Feb 13, 2012)

Rather than keep harping on about how "tolerant" we should be, show us some of your "tolerably" good work, that is the measure of craftsmanship, the mark of a good craftsman is to be able to work with what they have and produce something of beauty and fineness, an article that is practical and is worthy of recommendation.

"To err is human, to foul things up totally requires a computer operated by the aforesaid"....

Regards
Ray


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## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

This is to Jack and anybody that misunderstand my comments about accuracy to .0001". I said that in a previous area of interest, precison shooting, we worked with metal and measurement as fine as .0001" and it was because of that experience that I was drawn to the Incra System which offers great accuracy in the relm of woodworking. The level of accuracy offered by the Incra System is, in my opinion, +/-about .005", which is a far cry from 0001", but very nice for woodworking and as I said earlier, the repeatable potential is the other feature that I really like.

Jerry


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

AMEN TO MANY OF THE ABOVE COMMENTS. I personally do not see an argument here, nor has anyone indicated that there is. I am in product development, so I design and make prototypes from numerous diverse materials. *INCRA Products, in my opinion are fantastic!..and are worth every penny paid.* That being said, it kinda depends on what types of projects you're working on. When working on machine and gun parts tight tolerances are tantamount, but with wood - not to that level of precision. 
Something that I've not seen in this thread [above] is a good woodworking practice that may prove to help anyone. On Saturday 14 April, I was working on a project that, for legal reasons; I cannot disclose. It required 36- parts made of (my choice Poplar) which is a great wood choice for many of my prototypes, molds, etc. I carefully determined the lengths that the pieces needed to be (9- each of 4- lengths) and cut them all singly with each setup of my miter saw for crosscuts and my tablesaw for rip cuts and my router template for the numerous grooves in 18- of the parts. Where is this going? you may ask. If I had cut only a few of the parts, then to make more cuts in the future would require my *resetting* of the aforementioned saws and template positioning. As it is, however; I made one tablesaw setup and cut 9- pieces of one length, then with a new setting 9- more, etc. Then, with all of the 36- pieces ripped to proper widths, I made 9- miter saw cuts of each length. My router settings were also repeated over and over in the same way.
This is a practice that I learned from my (late) Father-in-Law, who was in the furniture manufacturing business for over 50 years. Yes, humidity changes things - but setups do vary as they are repeated and this can compound errors exacerbated by moisture levels. Certainly we all have occasional need to cut duplicate parts on a different day - resulting in new set-ups, but GOOD PLANNING can go a long way to minimize this effect.
I hope this proves helpful, and please enjoy your INCRA device.


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## Garyk (Dec 29, 2011)

Most Master woodworkers I have come into contact with (quite a few) are happy to use a tape or steel rule and that is all of the accuracy they require. Wood moves, no matter what you do to it, so the Masters concern themselves with that and plan to incorporate that fact into their designs. Met several "Masters" in Berea KY and they were making high dollar furniture and musical instruments without the Incra or other high tech tools. Not knocking them because I have my share, Incra, calipers,angle guages and etc. Kelly Mehler is probably the undisputed master of the Table Saw and has several books and DVD's that would answer all of your questions about using one. Check him out.


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## randyruth (Feb 20, 2012)

Jerry, I have an Incra system with the router table of the left side of the table saw. I am just amazed with the Incra tool itself. I do like the easy repeatability of cuts. So far, I have not required such accuracy. I have often heard that a poor craftsman blames his tools. I don't want to give myself an excuse, so with the Incra fence, if the cut is wrong, I did it, not the tool.
I have an older Sears dovetail jig that I have tried to use. I made the dovetails ok but I never tried to build anything with them because I could never quite get them correct. With the Incra system, the second dovetail box I made with the system made me glad I purchased the system. I don't think it is the accuracy of the system that I use, it is just there if I want to try and tweek things. As I go along, I am attempting to use the "tweeking" to make well fitting joints.
So, is 0.001 accuracy required, I don't think so. But I do enjoy the Incra system just because it is a really fine tool. Working with good tools is a joy in itself.
Randy


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## finkh (Apr 12, 2010)

*tolerances*



Jerry Bowen said:


> This is to Jack and anybody that misunderstand my comments about accuracy to .0001". I said that in a previous area of interest, precison shooting, we worked with metal and measurement as fine as .0001" and it was because of that experience that I was drawn to the Incra System which offers great accuracy in the relm of woodworking. The level of accuracy offered by the Incra System is, in my opinion, +/-about .005", which is a far cry from 0001", but very nice for woodworking and as I said earlier, the repeatable potential is the other feature that I really like.
> 
> Jerry


I have an incra jig but don't use it. I make test cuts and measure with digital calipers. Once the saw is cutting the right width (or the saw sled has the right width) I'll do a run. The boards slots were done by cutting eight strips and stacking them against the fence, removing one for each cut. The pieces are based on a unit of 19mm. 3/4" is 19.05. So I shoot for 19 - 19.05mm and usually get to within .1mm, which is .004" Overall the sets are within .25 mm, or .01" I leave about 1/16" or less for slop, which lets the pieces clack satisfactorily when you find a solution and shake it.


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## Garrick (Apr 10, 2009)

Tolerances of .001" are for the most part completely unecessary in woodworking. Even precise tight fitting dovetail and mortice and tenon joints can be out 2 or 3 thousanths and still be as strong as is possible. But when a thou here and a thou there add up, sometimes even measuring to .001 misses the mark. 

I've come to learn that the human eye cannot see 1 thou (it can be felt on a finish though). My eyes can see a 2 or 3 thou gap, and glue with a different colour (after finishing) can emphasize them.

Pardon my bragging, but I recently managed to develop an edge banding jig for my router table that will flush the banding to an accuracy of about .0002" (2 10,000ths), which worked great for a job I did edging prefinished plywood that could not be sanded.

However a table that has 4 legs that are all all a half inch too long works just fine.

Garrick


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## GEK (Jan 27, 2012)

Jerry,
I worked for many years as a calibration technician in aerospace, so I share your love of accuracy, but as several, including yourself have noted there is another equally important aspect, and that is repeatability. In many cases woodworkers don't really care if a part is 'off' by a 16th or more... what we care about is that it doesn't affect the joint it is part of. If I'm making a box that is 12" across the front, I don't care if it's 12 1/8" as long as the rear is exactly the same so that the miter joints on all four corners fit together seamlessly. I have an older Incra that gives me repeatability, even if I have to change my setup during the process for some reason, and I love that capability, however, in MOST cases, you can simply use a stop block to achieve the same repeatability. That said, for some of us the project is the the only thing that matters and if we can get the results we desire with a yardstick we're happy, for others, myself included, precision in the process is part of the pleasure we take in the hobby. Doesn't mean anyone is right or wrong, we just value different things!


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## lightgrav (Jun 13, 2011)

For a clean cut, your rip fence needs to be parallel the blade to .001" over the blade diameter (or chord at the table); that means .004" (or .006") for my 36" fence. I think that accuracy is often not so important, if you can try it and take a second pass, but repeatability IS necessary. Like Chuck says in #3, the wood dimensions change with humidity. I've seen my Delta's blade flex .002" or .003" when cutting a warped piece, so I'll cut "large" by a few thousandths if I suspect that I can't hold it true on the first pass. On the other hand, if a dovetail is off by 1/64" (.016") the pieces won't go together, so it's probably better to clamp-on a single jig.


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## jabonin (May 29, 2011)

*Apples and oranges?*

I am enjoying the dialogue of this thread. It is interesting to see both sides and hear from some who have been doing it the same way for decades. 

Let me say at the onset that I fall into the nitpicker camp. Yes, wood expands and contracts, but it is apples and oranges to use that as a reason why NOT to try to get very accurate cuts - let's say in the range of .005 of an inch. I can hardly see 1/64th of an inch on my Incra square, but (even with my old man's eyes) I can sure see it when two pieces of wood join and are not perfectly flush. That difference will be taken to zero with sanding. I prefer less sanding. 

I own the Incra LS 17 Router table fence system, and love the accuracy. However, I could not budget their table saw fence system so I bought the Wixey WR-700 table saw digital fence system - available on Amazon for $94. 
I am very pleased with it at a fraction of the cost of the Incra table saw system. I can dial it in as close as I want. Why not make the cut a perfect 4.000" instead of 4.015 if the ability to do so is inexpensive and takes no more effort?


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## clifft (May 18, 2010)

Hi Jerry,

The question should be tempered with how much accuracy
do I need, for various applications?

With over 45 years in electro-mechanical design, I have
learned a little.

Even in machined parts one can insist on +/- .0001, but
often the cost increases, and not necessary. Good design
must be cost effective and practical.

Next I have 4 calipers, none agree exactly, although I
have a tendency to trust the Mitutoyo the most which
measures to 4 decimals. But I can not guarantee 100%
that even it is accurate. Likewise with all measuring 
instruments in my shop, how do I know which are 100% accurate?.

I try to keep my machines aligned as best I can. There are
better table saws than my Ridgid, but it produces reasonably
accurate results. More important than instruments, is a test.
To check blade vertical alignment I cut 2 pieces, butt them 
end to end, and if they line up, good to go.

I will not use my table saw for dovetails nor mortise and tenon.
I use my router with the Leigh D4R and Leigh FMT for those
operations. But use the table saw to true up the initial stock.
Because I use pine, and glue up to make say a 19 inch side for
a chest, I had to find a way to cut the top and bottom square.
Using a guide clamped to the piece and the edge of the table,
It worked well for cross-cutting those 4 foot long sides.
Is it accurate? Nope, likely out 1/2 degree or so, but then
where is the finished chest going? How flat is the floor in the
room where it will be used?

I don't have an Incra, and don't see the need for the work I do.

Selecting the safest and most accurate method for doing any
task is a priority for me, and the best methods for making
joints depending on the tools at hand.
I will rework a design I might see, to suit my tools.

I still spend time thinking about the safest techniques for 
performing any operation. 

As others have mentionned, with wood, the moisture content 
can mess things up. I worked with one fellow in light
construction who thought of himself a perfectionist.
He had to have a rough opening for a patio door as accurate
as could be done. Of course the next morning when we went
to install the door it would not fit. One reason why they
invented shims. He did not learn, but I could no longer work
with him.

Nothing wrong with trying to be reasonably accurate, but
it is knowing where to draw the line.

If you are pleased with the results, that is the goal, and
over time you may find new ways to improve on those results.

By the way, which band saw did you buy?


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## friscibob (Aug 17, 2009)

Using my 50 year old Clausing table saw with original fence I ripped a 6 foot "board" that was .019" on one end and .021 1/2" on the other, not sure what I'll use it for.
Bob


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## Tin man (Mar 4, 2012)

First, I do not have the Incra system, but I do remember the glorious day that I set up my new table saw that I had saved for years to buy, I chose a Ridgid for what I felt was the best value I could get for the money I had, and what I was after the most was an accurate fence system. My first table saw was a sears craftsman that I bought for $25 at a yard sale. I could only adjust the fence to a maximum cut of 9 inches wide, but it usually stayed fairly square. 
Then a friend lent me a table saw that I used for about 20 years that I could set the fence to 24", but I had to carefully square it up every single time I moved it and measure the distance from the blade to the fence, then when trying to clamp it, often it would move a little and so it would take repeated attempts at setting the fence just to do one cut. 
Now I have a table saw that if I want to cut a board at 15 and 5/16", I slide the fence over to where my indicator says 15 5/16ths. clamp it and cut the board. WOW, how easy is that? :dance3: I really appreciate having an accurate saw with a great fence system, and I can certainly understand why you would find value in your incra fence system!
By the way, I think this was a great topic and I have really enjoyed reading all of the responses.


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## Roger Leclercq (Jan 28, 2009)

Jerry, I have an Incra system with the router table on the right side of the table saw. I am also amazed with the Incra fence. I love the easy repeatability of cuts.


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## williamm (Oct 10, 2011)

I looked into getting another fence for my table saw, but was limited by my grooves. I have non-standard 5/8" grooves that are actually .003 oversize. The little plastic miter fence that came with the saw had no stops and was small and sloppy.
I went with a miter fence from Rigid. The guide rail was adjustable for my size slot and it has a digital readout. Once I got it adjusted for my saw and made the necessary modification to my slots, I am very happy with the results. I cannot measure the improvement in the 10,000 of an inch range, but it was a definite improvement.


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## jackpalo (Apr 12, 2012)

Es muy importante tratar siempre de mejorar la calidad de nuestros trabajos, ya sea con mejores herramientas o con nuevas tecnicas, por eso estamos estamos en este maravilloso foro, compartiendo ideas y experiencias.


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## TechRedneck (Apr 12, 2012)

I find that a run of the mill table saw with a good blade and fence are all I need. I have the Incra Lite on my router table and use it for dovetail and box joints. I usually use the nice Jessem fence that came with it. The lite is a good addition for the router.

As for the table saw, my stock Sears fence is not the best and the next fence will be an Incra TS-LS. But.. I only really need it for the fence that can clamp down solid. When a fence gives a little on long rips you get burn and other problems.

Rarely do I rip to final width. I have found that using hand tools like a good sharp plane to finish an edge is the way to go. As for squaring an edge, I now use a shooting board and for miters the shooting board allows me to get an exact dead on 45.

Hand tools have a learning curve but provide better results and I hardly ever sand a project.


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## nav144 (Jul 22, 2009)

Excellent subject and very constructive comments. I am contemplating buying the LS fence for my Scheppach TS 2500CI but the cost of Incra components in the UK are very high compared to the states. 


_Blades work better when they are sharp!!!_


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## jlk103144 (Mar 26, 2012)

Here's something else, concerning ripping of long stock, or a 4 X 8 sheet of plywood. The real key to making a very accurate cut will also depend on how you apply pressure to the board. It is so easy to wind up applying force against the rip fence unevenly along its length, when standing way back and pushing the board/sheet through the blade. 

And one other thing I do. I always have a can of silicone lubricant on the shelf and spray the table and extensions regularly. Then I rub the lubricant into the surface with a paper towel, which makes the wood slide over the table almost effortlessly. 

Its just little things like that that make for easy accuracy, after the rip fence has been squared, and a sharp blade has been installed.


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## Dmeadows (Jun 28, 2011)

jlk103144 said:


> And one other thing I do. I always have a can of silicone lubricant on the shelf and spray the table and extensions regularly. Then I rub the lubricant into the surface with a paper towel, which makes the wood slide over the table almost effortlessly.
> 
> Its just little things like that that make for easy accuracy, after the rip fence has been squared, and a sharp blade has been installed.


Silicone will cause problems with some finishes. It will also affect some plastics adversely. I would not recommend it for that particular purpose!


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## jlk103144 (Mar 26, 2012)

Dmeadows said:


> Silicone will cause problems with some finishes. It will also affect some plastics adversely. I would not recommend it for that particular purpose!


Really? After more than twenty years of success, do you think I still need to worry about it? 

Of course my saw is over thirty years old, and perhaps not burdened with all that much plastic.

When I use silicone, my panels slide slicker than Owl s--t for an effortless pass through.


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## clifft (May 18, 2010)

jlk103144 said:


> Here's something else, concerning ripping of long stock, or a 4 X 8 sheet of plywood. The real key to making a very accurate cut will also depend on how you apply pressure to the board. It is so easy to wind up applying force against the rip fence unevenly along its length, when standing way back and pushing the board/sheet through the blade.


great comments John. 
I use parafin wax instead of spray, but whatever works.

glad you mentionned sharp blade - I invested in some Freud blades.
Recently picked up a 12 inch for mitre saw. Have a P140 for the
table saw, what a big difference.

Another point on long cuts is outfeed table, I built my own topping
them with hardboard. Rollers and the like have a tendency to skew
longer pieces away from the fence.


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## jlk103144 (Mar 26, 2012)

clifft said:


> great comments John.
> I use parafin wax instead of spray, but whatever works.
> 
> glad you mentionned sharp blade - I invested in some Freud blades.
> ...


And speaking of the outfeed table, mine is quite unique, and works very well. What it is is a floor freezer I bought for my lager beer making hobby a good while ago. When I quit making beer, I was stuck with this huge freezer in the basement. So I set it up in front of the saw, and placed a special cut of plywood on top of it. Then I afixed it with small angle brackets. 

The top is about 2.5" shorter and lets me make more than one pass without having to make room for others. I can still open the freezer, which I now use for storage of parts. Now I have a nice, wide outfeed table that will handle 4 x 8 sheets easily.


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## GEK (Jan 27, 2012)

Dmeadows is dead on about the silicone spray causing problems with finishes. If you use shellac as a final finish or to encapsulate the silicone contamination, you're ok, but lacquer or poly will have trouble sticking to it. jil103144 may be getting away with it because there isn't that much transfer from saw to wood, and because the wood isn't already finished, but be aware it's a real problem. If you doubt it, finish a piece of wood, spray it with a silicone based furniture polish, then try adding another coat of poly or lacquer. That final coat will bead up like a freshly waxed car in a rainstorm!


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## clifft (May 18, 2010)

GEK said:


> Dmeadows is dead on about the silicone spray causing problems with finishes. If you use shellac as a final finish or to encapsulate the silicone contamination, you're ok, but lacquer or poly will have trouble sticking to it. jil103144 may be getting away with it because there isn't that much transfer from saw to wood, and because the wood isn't already finished, but be aware it's a real problem. If you doubt it, finish a piece of wood, spray it with a silicone based furniture polish, then try adding another coat of poly or lacquer. That final coat will bead up like a freshly waxed car in a rainstorm!


Greg

don't know about silicone, but when I researched parafin wax supposed to be
quite inert and at a guess much cheaper than spray.

that said I work mostly with pine, and for finishing, I sand, (which might remove
silicone if used?) I mix water based powder dyes followed by shellac.

I find poly etc to toxic, but shellac not the best for table tops, but as I do mostly
cabinets and chests of drawers, good for me.

To cheap to buy plywood, as I get rough pine from a local sawmill and glue up
panels.


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## Bonka (Aug 28, 2010)

I cut 45d on my TS then go to my 45d shooting board and the kerf all but disapears.


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## Jack Wilson (Mar 14, 2010)

Bonka said:


> I cut 45d on my TS then go to my 45d shooting board and the kerf all but disapears.


What is 45d?


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## jackpalo (Apr 12, 2012)

siempre es bueno hacer los trabajos a nuestro criterio y SATISFACCIÓN, dentro de este pensamiento, a unos nos gusta una presición alta, por nuestra formacion, capacidad de trabajo y herramientas que tengamos, otros sencillamente no lo haran por carecer de algunos de estos elementos, o se sienten contentos como hacen las cosas, de todas formas si debemos de tener todos TOLERANCIA en cualquier situacion de nuestras vidas.

UN ABRAZO A TODOS DESDE MANIZALES, CALDAS, COLOMBIA, SUR AMERICA.


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## jlk103144 (Mar 26, 2012)

GEK said:


> Dmeadows is dead on about the silicone spray causing problems with finishes. If you use shellac as a final finish or to encapsulate the silicone contamination, you're ok, but lacquer or poly will have trouble sticking to it. jil103144 may be getting away with it because there isn't that much transfer from saw to wood, and because the wood isn't already finished, but be aware it's a real problem. If you doubt it, finish a piece of wood, spray it with a silicone based furniture polish, then try adding another coat of poly or lacquer. That final coat will bead up like a freshly waxed car in a rainstorm!


You may well be correct in the manner you are talking about. However almost all of my cuts are unfinished cuts first. And when I do cut into finished material, I always have the finish facing up. 

The truth is, for most angled cuts involving finished material, I like using the router table, so I can always have the material facing up. And the surface for the router table is where the right extension used to be on the table saw. And I have it dressed out in plastic laminate, which doesn't need anything to allow it to slide easily. 

I guess I am luck, eh.

Anyway, I'll keep this tucked away for reference, in case I get an itch to rip finished material and place it face down. Thanks for the information.


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## williamm (Oct 10, 2011)

*I would assume...*



Jack Wilson said:


> What is 45d?


45 d = 45 degree


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