Choosing a Table Saw
(Page 3 of 4)
August/September 2003
By Steve Maxwell
Unless you're using a table saw outdoors, you need some kind of dust control or personal dust protection. At a minimum don a dust mask in addition to the eye and ear protection you need to operate a table saw safely. A mask will protect your lungs, though your workshop still will get coated in fine dust. To avoid this, you need some additional equipment. Manufacturers sell dust collection bags that attach directly to the table saw. As the wood is cut, the heaviest sawdust is sucked down into the small bag.
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For more extensive dust collection, a wet/dry vacuum that moves 175 to 200 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of air with a 21-inch outlet is a relatively inexpensive, compact and portable option. It will capture most but not all of the fine particles. That's why manufacturers offer whole-shop dust filters that purify ambient air. The filter sits in a box attached to the ceiling. A small fan moves the shop air through the filter, capturing the smaller dust particles. Choose a filter rated to remove dust particles as small as 0.5 microns. A whole-shop filter that moves 600 to 800 cfm of air is ideal for most workshops.
The ultimate dust device attaches directly to the saw. It uses a 1- or 2-horsepower motor, and gathers and filters large amounts of air through a cloth filter bag. Select a unit with a filter bag made of felt. (Thin cloth bags allow a lot of fine dust to escape and could make the dust hazard even worse by broadcasting the contamination.) For more information, read Woodshop Dust Control by Sandor Nagyszalanczy.
Tools for Self-reliance
On June 23, 1891, a man named Ernest Taylor was the first person to sign his name on a deed to the 100-acre parcel of land that is my farm today. He settled with his family, cleared fields and began a relationship with the land that's now mine to preserve and enhance. Every so often I find evidence of the tools associated with the relationship started by Ernest Taylor: a bit of old chain; a rusted horse-shoe turned up in the middle of a field; a remnant of horsedrawn machinery. Regardless of time or place, self-reliance depends on the same three things: know-how, initiative and tools. Implements of self-reliance might look a little different in the 21st century, but despite power cords, fancy colors and brand names, they still help you achieve this same lofty goal.
Blade Basics
Many otherwise great saws come from the factory with second-rate blades. Part of your commitment to getting excellent table-saw performance means buying a high quality, carbide blade that's designed for the work you intend to do. Any blade worth owning includes small blocks of extra-hard carbide metal that form the cutting teeth around the blade's circumference. These wear-resistant carbide blades outperform older all-steel equivalents by more than 10 to 1.
