Archive for July, 2009

Today’s question is an excellent one! Thanks for taking the time to ask the woodworking questions that everyone else is wondering as well. Asking questions will keep you safe, informed and working at the best of your abilities. Get all your questions answered just be submitting a comment.

Question: How high should a blade be raised when cutting wood on a table saw?

Answer: With very few exceptions, the blade should be raised only high enough to cut the wood because any higher could cause further injury in the event of an accident.

If you are not careful about how you set the blade and readjust your blade correctly every day, then you will undoubtedly see those small errors have huge impacts on the quality of your project. Diminished join strength, incorrect dimensions and parts that don’t fit are all consequences of an incorrect blade height.

In order to adjust your blade correctly, find the middle of the blade, or the Top Dead Center of the blade (TDC). Use a combination square to help you find it and be careful not to sway and keep a steady hand while finding the Top Dead Center.

When you think you are finished adjusting the table saw blade, always use a piece of scrap wood material to test out the depth. Ensure that it is too your requirements and you are good to go for the day!

I am a woodworker; I’m not a writer. So doing a blog  seems a bit intimidating to me. I hope as time goes on that I’ll get a bit  better and more comfortable with this. I hope to use this forum to create  an enthusiasm for all who  are interested in  furniture making in order to help you get out of  this passion as much as I have.

I would like to answer  any questions that I can, exchange ideas, and have a dialogue  with anyone who is interested in woodworking. I would also like to take this opportunity to address something that has been on my mind for some time.

I am the founder and director of Chicago woodworking classes. I, more than anyone, was suprised at  how good the  program is. I have been teaching it for ten years. Over the years I have taught hundreds of students. I have not changed anything from day one because, fortunately, it was written  well to begin with.

Over the past ten years, I have had some students go on to do woodworking professionally, and others have taken woodworking up as a serious hobby. I love hearing the positive feedback I get from students about how much they enjoyed taking  the class and how much they learned.

Every once in a while  I have a problem with a student. Woodworking has a built-in safety issue attached to it, so if someone does not want to cooperate here, it’s in our best interest to refuse them. Only three or four people have been asked to leave. All I can and will do about it is to continue  to do what I know is the right thing, and that is to continue to teach each class with the upmost emphasis on good woodworking skills and safety skills, and to have a fun time doing it!

Thank you, and now, let’s blog!