Resawing; Crosscutting - Powermatic 74A Instruction Manual & Parts List

7. For work shorter than 12" or narrower than 6",
use a push stick or block to push it through between
the fence and the saw blade.
8. Never use the rip fence beyond the point where
the carriage is flush with the end of the rails.
9. Have the blade extend about 1/8" above the
top of the workpiece. Exposing the blade above this
point can be hazardous.

RESAWING

1. Resawing is a ripping operation in which thick
boards are cut into thinner ones. Narrow boards up to
3" can be resawed in one pass. Wider boards up to
6" must be resawed in two passes.
2. In resawing wider boards, adjust the blade
height so as to overlap the two cuts by 1/2" as shown
in Figure 21. Too deep a first cut can result in binding
and possible kickbacks on the second cut. Always
use the same side of the board against the fence for
both cuts.
FIGURE 21

CROSSCUTTING

1. The sawing process where the workpiece is
fed cross grain into the saw blade using the miter gauge
to support and position the workpiece is called cross-
cutting, Figure 22. Crosscutting should never be done
freehand nor should the fence be used as an end stop
unless an auxiliary block is clamped to the front of the
blade area such that the cutoff piece comes free of
the block before cutting starts. Length stops should
not be used on the free end of the workpiece in the
cutoff area.
Do NOT crosscut workpieces shorter than 6". Before
starting a cut, be sure the miter gauge is securely
clamped at the desired angle. Hold the workpiece
firmly against the table and back against the miter
gauge. Always use the saw guard and splitter and
make sure the splitter is properly aligned.
FIGURE 22
2. For 90 degree crosscutting, most operators
prefer to use the left-hand miter gauge slot as shown
in Figure 22. When using it in this position, hold the
workpiece against the gauge with the left hand and
use the right hand to advance the workpiece. When
using the right hand slot for miter and compound cross-
cutting so that the blade tilts away from the gauge, the
hand positions are reversed.
3. When using the miter gauge, the workpiece
must be held firmly and advanced smoothly at a slow
rate. If the workpiece is not held firmly, it can vibrate
causing it to bind on the blade and dull the saw teeth.
4. To improve the effectiveness of the miter gauge
in crosscutting, some users mount an auxiliary wooden
extension face (with a glued-on strip of sandpaper) to
the miter gauge as shown in Figure 23.
FIGURE 23
5. Provide auxiliary support for any workpiece
extending beyond the table top with a tendency to
sag and lift up off the table.
6. Stop rods can be used in the holes provided
in the miter gauge for repetitive work of equal length.
Do not use a stop rod on the free end of a workpiece.
It should be used on the side of the miter gauge oppo-
site the saw blade.
7. Have the blade extend about 1/8" above the
top of the workpiece. Exposing the blade above this
point can be hazardous.
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