Sawing curves with a table saw?!?!

[Gary R Katz]

I was reading in the New Yorker magazine, Nov. 30 issue about a high end carpenter/craftsman, Mark Ellison who builds out apartment projects for billionaires. His projects are in apartments and co-ops in the $20 million range and higher, before he even starts the remodel. (Not exactly Sawmill Creek terrritory!) I liked the article for the craftmanship and Mark is a fairly humble guy.

At one point he was in his workshop in Newburgh showing his neighbor how he saws a curve on his table saw. Here's the quote:

"The trick to cutting curves with a table saw, Ellison explained, is to use the saw the wrong way. He grabbed a poplar board from a stack on his bench. Instead of placing it in front of the saw’s teeth, as most carpenters would, he laid it alongside them. Then, as the baffled Budelman looked on, he set the circular blade spinning and calmly pushed the board into its side. A few seconds later, the board had a smooth, half-moon shape carved into it."

Whadduya think? Is this possible? Would anybody want to try this?:)

[Charlie Jones]

Lots of things are possible. I once saw a couple of carpenters rip boards on a table saw without a fence. A table saw can be dangerous if used the right way. I wouldn’t press my luck with anything like that.

[Tom Bain]

Nope.

Better and safer tools to make curved cuts.

[Steve Demuth]

Whadduya think? Is this possible? Would anybody want to try this?:)

It's dumb. He's basically using the set on the saw blade as if it were a disk sander. Reminds me of Lou Sauzedde plopping a circular saw blade into an angle grinder and cutting notches with it. Obviously it works, but why in hell would anyone do it?

[Gary R Katz]

I would agree with all the above statements.

[Brian Tymchak]

Sounds more like he is cutting coves, at least to some degree. The table saw can be used to cut coves by running a board at an angle across the blade, with fences to control the cut. But, what you describe is dangerous practice IMHO.

[Prashun Patel]

Cutting coves on the table saw is not dumb. It's a proven technique. Doing it freehand is not something I would not do. But like the speed tenon, this technique works for many people. I have done it.

To increase safety, you can build a parallelogram fence that allows the piece to be run over the blade at a skew angle. By varying the height and angle, a variety of coves can be cut. It is about the dustiest operation one can ever do, but it can be done. I've done it myself and did not find the operation to be particularly risky. Again, not something I'd do free-hand.

Of course, one has to ask if he's upscale enough to be doing 20mm renovations, one would think he could afford a shaper or even to commission it to someone who does... Coving a molding on site seems like a show off technique for the reporter more than something that makes practical sense.

[Justin Rapp]

Before I had a bandsaw, I cut out wooden disks to build a cake stand. I drilled a whole in a square piece of plywood, drilled a hole in it close to the center and screwed it a board clamped to the table saw. Once I line things up, i turned on the saw and slowly raised the blade, than spun the top board on the screw, cutting a round disk.

I got this idea from a video I found online. So yes, you can cut circles or a radius on a table saw.

[Bruce King]

I saw a video of a guy making threads on a dowel, table saw blade is stationary and he runs the dowel across it at 90 degrees using a drill turning the dowel while holding the dowel against a board and pushing slowly until the thread starts then letting it feed past the blade. Looked like a 40t blade.

[Lee Schierer]

I was reading in the New Yorker magazine, Nov. 30 issue about a high end carpenter/craftsman, Mark Ellison who builds out apartment projects for billionaires. His projects are in apartments and co-ops in the $20 million range and higher, before he even starts the remodel. (Not exactly Sawmill Creek terrritory!) I liked the article for the craftmanship and Mark is a fairly humble guy.

At one point he was in his workshop in Newburgh showing his neighbor how he saws a curve on his table saw. Here's the quote:

"The trick to cutting curves with a table saw, Ellison explained, is to use the saw the wrong way. He grabbed a poplar board from a stack on his bench. Instead of placing it in front of the saw’s teeth, as most carpenters would, he laid it alongside them. Then, as the baffled Budelman looked on, he set the circular blade spinning and calmly pushed the board into its side. A few seconds later, the board had a smooth, half-moon shape carved into it."

Whadduya think? Is this possible? Would anybody want to try this?:)

I think what is being described is a cove cut, which is done with blade just above the table surface and then is raised after each pass. Each pass will leave a concave curved cut. Cove cutting on a table saw. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVlvwJelz9s)

If you push a piece of wood directly against the side of a conventional blade the only area that will get cut is where the teeth tips contact the wood. On a carbide tooth blade the sides of the teeth will also cut, but the blade plate on both types of blades won't do anything except burn the wood. You can cut a curve this way, but have to raise the blade a little bit at a time in order to make the cut. Here's a way to make raised panels (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYzgP_Ucs1I) pushing the wood sideways into a moving blade. I would suggest if you try this that you use two guide, instead of one.

[Steve Demuth]

Cutting coves on the table saw is not dumb. It's a proven technique. Doing it freehand is not something I would not do. But like the speed tenon, this technique works for many people. I have done it.

Yes, you can make it work. Lot's of things can be made to work that aren't good ideas.

In this case, you're deliberately side loading a tool that is designed only for loading in the forward direction. If not dumb, at least not recommended.

[Alex Zeller]

Sounds like how to carve a seat for a chair. If I was to try it I would want a full kerf blade and not one of my better ones since you be putting side pressure on it. A large blade stiffener would also be advisable.

[Charlie Jones]

I have cut coves with a table saw. It can be done safely with two fences and raising the
blade slightly each pass to keep any side pressure to a minimum. This guy is asking for trouble doing it freehand.

[Prashun Patel]

Scooping a seat like this? That I'm not sure about. You have to do the whole thing blind. I imagine controling wide piece like a chair blank would add to the danger of this operation.

An angle grinder isn't a whole lot safer....