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Ripping
Ripping, as shown in Figure 26 refers to cuts
which follow the direction of wood grain. The rip
fence is used to position and guide work through
the cutting edge of the saw blade.
It is essential, for precision cutting, that the stock
to be cut be straight and flat. Otherwise, it can
bind against the blade, or cut irregularly.
During the cutting operation, the saw guard must
be used. The guard has anti-kickback fingers and
a splitter that prevents the saw kerf from closing
and pinching the blade. When ripping small stock,
use a push stick. Do not cut material that is too
small to be supported by the table or fence.
When making repeated rip cuts, take time to
ensure that the fence is securely in place. A quick
measurement of your last ripped board will verify
that the cut is still the width you desire.
Figure 27. Ripping lumber.
Never raise the blade higher than
the height of the material you intend to cut.
Blade height in excess of that recommend-
ed increases the danger of contact between
the blade and fingers or other body parts.
G5045 10'' Bench Top Table Saw
Crosscutting means cutting across the grain of
the wood. In wood products without grain (i.e.
MDF, particleboard) it simply means cutting
across the width of the stock.
Crosscuts are made with the miter gauge. There
are two miter gauge slots in the table top. Use the
one that works best for the piece being crosscut.
To make a crosscut using the miter gauge:
⁄
" above
1
8
Crosscutting
1. Inspect the board for soundness. You do
not necessarily need a square edge to
crosscut with accuracy.
2. Move the rip fence completely out of the
way.
3. Raise the saw blade to a height approxi-
mately
⁄
" higher than your workpiece.
1
8
4. Turn on the saw and allow it to come to full
speed.
5. Hold the workpiece firmly against the face
of the miter gauge and ease it into the
blade. See Figure 28.
6. Turn off the saw and allow the blade to
come to a full stop.
Figure 28. Cross-cutting lumber.
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