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Online Tips Index / Table Saw / Cutting Wide Boards on a Table Saw
Cutting Wide Boards on a Table Saw
Crosscutting wide boards on my table saw has always been a challenge. The
pieces are awkward to handle, and it's hard to control my miter gauge when
its head is off the table. I know some saws have a T-slot in the table and a
miter gauge bar with a plate that catches in the slot. But mine isn't
equipped this way.
That makes it difficult to hold everything and guide the board. I've had cuts come out crooked, and I got concerned that the blade might bind in the kerf, causing the board to kick back.
To make cutting wide boards easier, I turn my miter gauge around, so the miter gauge head is in front of my board, instead of behind. I hold the workpiece snug against the gauge with my left hand, and use my right to push the workpiece through.
On some boards, the miter gauge head may be off the saw table when you complete your cut, so make sure you keep a firm grip on the gauge.
Pat Ericksen
San Francisco, CA
