What Can You not do on a Table Saw

Last updated on January 20th, 2022 at 06:36 pm

Cannot cut metal on a table saw

You cannot cut metal with your table saw since it results in wear and tear on the blade. Keep this in mind when cutting through metals. If you decide to proceed with the project, you need to have some skills in cutting metal to get the perfect result and avoid injuries. 

Cut sheet metal using your table saw on one condition. That is if you pick a blade designed for metal. Bear in mind that even with the correct saw blade, it remains dangerous. Cut slowly and use proper safety gear. 

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Using a table saw to cut through metal depends on the type of metal, blade, speed of the table saw, fence position, and blade height. Stick to straight cuts, although they are already dangerous. Cutting holes is dangerous. Different types of metal vary in strength and composition characteristics, which is why you need to understand the type of metal you are dealing with.

Cannot cut through a tree on a table saw

Cutting a tree with a table saw is not impossible, but it is a safety hazard. Unlike processed lumber, trees do not have a flat side which makes them unstable. They keep moving when cutting, and if not careful, you will cut yourself. 

There are higher chances that it rolls and bounces while you are making your cuts. Untreated wood has sap and dirt, which affects the blade, and the moving components of your table saw.  That is why you should avoid cutting logs with a table saw, although it is possible.

Cannot cut through a pipe on a table saw

Never use a table saw to cut a pipe. A pipe is curved, and a table saw surface is flat and smooth to allow the wood to travel across it easily. Pushing a pipe into a table saw causes you to slip and bring serious harm to the user.

 A standard pipe is rigid and requires to be cut with a PVC pipe and tube cutters as hacksaws, power miter saws, and scissor-type cutters. Ratchet-style cutters are affordable, flexible, and easy to use. With a hacksaw, slowly draw the blade back and forth, ensuring that the cut is straight.

Cannot cut through a hand on a table saw

Do not make free-hand cuts on a table saw. Guide the stock through the blade using the rip fence or the miter gauge. That way, there are fewer chances of hurting your fingers or hand. Do not expose your hand to the saw blade or the saw machine. 

Make sure that you are safe before you start using the power tool. It brings damage as much as it helps you cut through the material. However, do not forget that you can easily get injured if not careful. Use a push stick to cut stock that is 6 inches or less in width. 

A hand should not be close to a blade to avoid getting cut. A minimum of six-inch distance to the saw blade is safe, but you can still try 4inches with caution. Keep the blade guards, splitters, and anti-kickback fingers in place and operate freely. Work should be released when it is past the blade. 

Releasing work too early causes a kickback, and the blade grabs the part that has not yet gone by. Whenever the stock is lifted or tilted above the table, there are higher chances of the stock shaking. If this happens, you lose your grip and hit the stop button because losing your grip on the work is a sign that the stock is coming back at you.

What two things are used on the table saw that can never be used at the same time?

You cannot use the saw fence and the miter gauge together. If you are to use both, the saw fence needs an auxiliary fence added. That fence or stop has to end before the saw blade. Do not mess with the fence adjustment when the saw is running. 

It compromises your safety and the quality of your work. Whenever a procedure feels unsafe, do not use it. Find another way to do your work. Either way, it is a threat to your wellbeing. 

What are the dangers of a table saw?

The teeth on the blade can cut off fingers if not careful. The rotation makes the workpiece dangerous and throws it back at the operator at high speed. That is a kickback.  It results in an ejection of a spray of sawdust particles, pieces from metal embedded in the wood, such as staples, and broken blade parts. 

These are sharp enough to hurt you. Protect the operator from blade contact, impact by kicked-back workpieces, and impact by debris. Make sure you are wearing protective wear, and you observe other safety measures. These are attached to the manual. 

What is one safety rule of the table saw?

Keep the body and face to one side of the saw blade out of the line of a possible kickback. As long as you are using wood on a saw machine, the chances of experiencing a kickback are high. Give enough support to the rear and sides of a saw table for wide or long stock. Be careful when waxing, cleaning, or servicing the table. Make sure you turn off the power and unplug a saw before use.

What can I cut with a table saw?

• Wood.
• Sheet plastic.
• Sheet aluminum. 
• Sheet brass.

Can you cut a 2×4 with a table saw?

You can rip 2 x 4 on a table saw if you set the rip fence correctly, use proper technique and use the right tools. The technique refers to applying pressure in three directions, and that is against the rip fence, forward and downwards, for keeping the wood flat.

What is the required guarding for a table saw?

Blade guards are required on table saws whenever ripping or cross-cutting is done. Some guards on cheaper saws do not perform well since they are secured to the saw behind the blade with a thin metal blade called a splitter to help prevent kickback. 

Table saws are quick if your fingers are too close to the blade. However, the blade guard will not protect them. But you can remind yourself where to position your hands before every cut, and it protects your hand from inadvertently skimming over the blade.