Used Table saw - questions

[Scott Clausen]

Lots of great tips here. If you carefully tune the saw before using by making sure the blade is parallel to the miter track and fence parallel to the blade it would be a great starting point. Then make sure all the safety features are lubricated where needed so they flow freely and are lined up properly. You may want to wax the table top to make it slide better. One of the most dangerous things on a saw is having the work bind in a cut, inexperience will cause some to attempt to force the work through the saw. That is when trouble starts. Lots of good videos on saw safety. A good one is where the maker was deliberately inducing a kickback, he nearly lost his hand. It was a stupid stunt but illustrates how fast the wood is propelled backwards along with anything touching it.

[Justin Rapp]

I think Justin is mistaken, the red plate behind the blade is the insert. The table top appears to be aluminum, not cast iron. This is likely a bench top or jobsite model with a direct drive universal motor like this. I had one of these, first time I used it I decided to get rid of it. Make sure you have good hearing protection, if I'm right, it's a screamer. Please don't form an opinion about table saws based on this one, there are much better ones out there. Don't mean to be negative but hate to think you might get turned off woodworking based on your experience with this saw.

Doug - yes, your right. I see now from this picture. I am used to zero clearance inserts so it looked like it was missing.

Justin - I would tend to disagree. I personally feel the radial arm saw is more "dangerous" than the table saw. I own and use two table saws and one radial arm saw. I do realize that most of the radial arm saws are long gone from most of the current wood shops. I have been using mine for over 40 years, mainly for cross cut - and have not yet had an incident. (Knock on wood).
David

David - Yes, that is very true also - regarding the radial arm saw, however for many of us, the radial arm saw, while it has uses, has been replaced or never purchased and a sliding compound miter saw, which is safer and more versatile now sits in that tool's space.

This looks like the one we got! I didn’t notice if it said bench saw on it so I’ll have to double check next time I go over.

I really prefer to be safe than cheap. Am I better off buying a basic ryobi table saw than using this? I’m just starting off with woodworking so don’t have specific projects in mind yet besides perhaps doing some picture frames and perhaps some wood shop furniture. Try a chess board or cutting board too.

So now that I see a full picture from the post above, this is an older direct drive job site saw. It's basically good for use with rough construction. A lot of contractors will use something like this when framing out a house to make some rip cuts in smaller pieces of plywood. You will have some issues with accuracy, so when building things like a chess board, where you want your parts to be exactly square, you will have a hard time. Even being out 1/32" of an inch is going to toss the entire chess board out of alignment.

I am not sure Ryobi is going to give you anything better this delta, except it might be newer or new and potentially come with a riving knife which would be used when the blade guard is off. Most of us are using blades that cost more than a ryobi table saw. Not something I would ever recommend or suggest, esp for a new wood worker. I am not sure what your budget is, or if you even have one, but you might be best trying to find a better quality used saw than grabbing another job site saw from a big box store. A 'contractor' style saw is a good place to start. They pop-up on craigslist and facebook market place all the time. Some examples of new are below so you can understand the style. Honestly if money isn't the issue, go right into to a sawstop just for the safety of it. One trip to the emergency room and a lifetime of a messed up hand is worth 100 times more than the cost of the saw.

Looks something like this one from Ridgid
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-1...4520/309412843
Or one from SawStop
https://www.homedepot.com/p/SawStop-...FA30/312937827

Just an fyi, while many people do work with job site saws, they tend to work with a higher quality model from Dewalt or the like which have better fences, better motors and are heavier to help reduce vibrations.

[Aaron Woods]

I believe you need to become a Contributor to see photos. Cost is about $6 per year. Many members here have gravitated towards the Saw Stop for just the reasons you mention.
David

I was aware that becoming a contributor opened up some additional features, but did not realize that included seeing photos. I guess it depends how they are included as I can see some but not others. Thank you

[Paul Wunder]

Luis,

Lots of good advice has already been offered but I would also recommend taking advantage of YouTube videos geared to folks new to table saws and perhaps woodworking:

Woodworker's Web has a ten part series entitled: "How To Use A Table Saw: Woodworking For Beginners."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxi8...qckIaTutUT7_YK

Steve Ramsey has a woodworking channel that focuses on beginners. Search for his table saw videos on YouTube.

[Bill Yacey]

I think Justin is mistaken, the red plate behind the blade is the insert. The table top appears to be aluminum, not cast iron. This is likely a bench top or jobsite model with a direct drive universal motor like this. I had one of these, first time I used it I decided to get rid of it. Make sure you have good hearing protection, if I'm right, it's a screamer. Please don't form an opinion about table saws based on this one, there are much better ones out there. Don't mean to be negative but hate to think you might get turned off woodworking based on your experience with this saw.

These portable contractor saws are typically loud; they are essentially a skilsaw strapped to the underside of a table.

[Doug Garson]

These portable contractor saws are typically loud; they are essentially a skilsaw strapped to the underside of a table.

They are also very lightweight which is good if you are carrying it but dangerous when using it especially if the workpiece is heavy and you don't clamp or bolt it to something substantial.

[Roger Feeley]

Justin - I would tend to disagree. I personally feel the radial arm saw is more "dangerous" than the table saw. I own and use two table saws and one radial arm saw. I do realize that most of the radial arm saws are long gone from most of the current wood shops. I have been using mine for over 40 years, mainly for cross cut - and have not yet had an incident. (Knock on wood).
David

they all eat meat. When I was in college studying to teach industrial arts, I was told that the hand chisel caused the most accidents. Today, I would ask about severity. I’ve read that there are 40,000 visits each year to the emergency room because of table saw accidents and about 10% are amputations.

I absolutely agree with other posters about pre visualization and going slow to build up experience. I would invest in a zero clearance insert.

always buy two blades. You will always have a sharp blade at the ready when your blade gets dull. You won’t be tempted to push through. A sharp blade is safer because you won’t use as much force on the wood. It’s also easier on the saw and you get a better cut.

[Patrick McCarthy]

Luis,

Where are you located? If you have never used a table saw before, my recommendation would be to try to find a fellow woodworker near you to demonstrate. It is not rocket science, BUT things like kickback happen VERY fast, and basic safety precautions can not be over emphasized.

[Roger Feeley]

Luis,
it might help if you add your location to 6pur profile. There may be a creeker nearby to help you.

[Lee Schierer]

Michael’s list is very comprehensive.
Only thing I would add is adjust the blade height so it just clears the top of material being cut.

Most blade manufacturers recommend having the teeth and gullets above the surface of the piece being cut. Having the teeth just breaking the surface may appear safer, but the material being cut has more of a tendency to climb up the blade if the feed is too fast and not enough hold down pressure is applied, which can lead to dangerous situations. Having the teeth higher makes it harder for the wood to climb up on the blade and the blade will exert more downward pressure on the wood.

[Frank Pratt]

Michael’s list is very comprehensive.
Only thing I would add is adjust the blade height so it just clears the top of material being cut.

There are many downsides to having the blade so low and the only upside is that there is less blade sticking up to bite you. Buy one should always be using a blade guard, so having the blade stick up wouldn't matter.

[Mark Hennebury]

You will get a lot of different opinions; maybe you should ask those that give them to qualify them. Ask how much time they have spent using a table saw. If they use them all day every day for decades of if they are part time users, using the saw a few minutes every few weeks. Also some state their opinions as rules, as though they were handed down from God, be careful of those. When people tell you what height to set the blade, ask them how that has worked for them? ask them how many of them have had accidents doing it their way? Ask those that tell you to use grippers, how many have had accidents using them?

The thing is, safety has a lot to do with you. You need to study and understand the saw and the sawblade, when you understand you will be confident using it, nothing worse then being nervous and unsure of what you are doing.

Unfortunately when starting out you will get conflicting information, so I would suggest that you take it all with a grain of salt, and ask people to back up what they say with some background on their work history and their accident history.
Seek out some "legitimate" sources, maybe.. accepted safety instruction manuals, not YouTube gurus, most of whom don't know what they are talking about. Having half a million followers on YouTube doesn't mean you know woodworking, It just means that you know how to entertain people.