RockDoggy’s Woodshop

As with many (but not all) woodworkers, my table saw is the most used power tool in my shop.  For the interested, it is officially a Sears Craftsman 10″ stationary table saw, model 315.228310.  It has a left-tilt blade, which I never realized was a feature to be coveted (or hated, depending on your views) when I bought it in 1999 or so.  Sears didn’t seem to recognize it as a significant feature either, since there is no mention of this in the owner’s manual.  It also has a rip fence that locks down in front, and grips at the back tightly to a rail that runs along the back parallel to the front rail.  It is, in my opinion, a bad rail system that is prone to kickback and bad cuts, but I’ll discuss that in a future post.

That’s not what I wanted to tell you about.  I want to tell you about the saw’s splitter, which I use religiously.  For about the last two months, anyway.

When I bought the saw, I had a little experience on a bench-top saw, and quickly found its limitations for the kind of woodworking I had wanted to do.  So, being a devout follower of Norm Abram, I bought a new contractor style table saw from Sears (money is always an object), and never took the splitter and blade guard out of their plastic bags.  I put them in a drawer and promptly forgot about them, and began using the saw Norm-style, sans protection.

I can already imagine the fright half of you feel at reading that, as well as the chorus of “me too” from the other half of you.  Well, as much due to luck as care, I have never had a table saw accident of any kind.  No severed fingers, no serious kickbacks, nothing.  Not that I didn’t deserve it, because I did some crazy things from a safety perspective.

It was the table saw class with Frank Klausz a couple of months ago, as well as episodes of Matt’s Basement Workshop podcast where Matt Vanderlist conversed with guest Hendrik Varju regarding table saw setup, use and safety, that finally converted me.  I searched my shop, and miraculously found the splitter, blade guard, and mounting hardware all hidden in my shop.  This is amazing to me, because I am really good at not being a pack rat, and I throw stuff away all the time.  Also, I have moved twice since purchasing this table saw, and I really cannot believe that I didn’t misplace anything!

I mounted the splitter, and verified it was parallel to the blade, and began to use it for the first time in nine years!

Table saw splitter and blade guard

Its features include the blade guard, which swings up and out of the way for blade setup; a splitter (not a riving knife, even though that’s what the saw’s owner’s manual calls it) that tilts with the blade’s tilt; and anti-kickback pawls on both sides of the splitter.

I have found the usage of the blade guard and splitter to be far less irritating than I expected, once the apparatus is installed on the saw and properly set up with the blade.  Of course, it isn’t usable with my crosscut sled, and can’t be used while my dado set is installed.  But for all rip cuts, it is in place and has not proven to be a problem.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  I find the leading edge of the blade guard to be a welcome reminder of the position of the spinning blade, and it makes it easier to keep my fingers away from it.  Now, I’ve always been scrupulously careful about my fingers while using the saw, but really, isn’t that what we all say right up until the first time we have an accident?

This apparatus does indeed have a down-side, though.  While it’s easy to use once installed, it is the installation and uninstallation that is the biggest problem.

Splitter attachment to the table saw

In the photo, you can see that the splitter is attached to the saw via three thumbscrews that are tightened and loosened with a supplied allen wrench.  There is no quick attach/detach mechanism.  Each time the splitter is to be installed, these three screws must be installed.  The two on the back support aren’t too bad, but the one under the blade insert (seen in the photo to the right near the blade) is almost impossible to get to, and is the crucial one for setting the splitter’s leading edge directly behind the blade.  The other two are manageable. Uninstalling the splitter requires using the allen wrench to completely remove all three screws.

With practice, I have managed to get the installation and setup time to less than ten minutes, though I must say, I’m not racing to get it done quickly.  I tweak it until it is right, regardless of how long it takes.  Removal is a matter of two minutes or so.

So what did Frank and Hendrik say that convinced me to dig out the splitter and use it?  Well, they discussed in great detail the importance of the splitter or riving knife in preventing kickback.  Honestly, though I may have heard it mentioned before, I never realized with any clarity that the splitter played such an important role.  But when properly aligned with the blade, it keeps the rip cut firmly against the rip fence, making kickback much less likely.

Though I had never experienced kickback myself, I had come close a few times.  My saw’s motor is no more than 1hp, and so when the workpiece binds against the blade, most often it just stops the blade.  Like I said earlier… I’ve been lucky.

So add my voice to those advocating the splitter.  I haven’t had to lose a finger, or suffer a kickback punch to the gut, to come to that realization.  But my experience with this saw, combined with the words of these woodworking masters, made their impression on me.

I got in the shop for a few unexpected hours today, since the kids were finally healthy (and in full fighting form).  I was able to get most of the pieces cut to final size, with the exception of the sides and back panel, and I have yet to cut the board for the coat hooks.  This is mostly due to not having decided what wood to use for that part.

I mentioned in my previous post about this project that I am using an existing stock of poplar plywood.

My stock of birch plywood

However, I remembered today that this wood is actually birch plywood.  I had purchased this wood about 4-5 years ago in a quantity large enough to build a set of bookshelves in the den of our previous house.  Luckily I had no time to start this project due to the birth of the triplets in 2004.  When we moved in 2005, the wood moved with us, and has been parked in my workshop ever since.  I used a large quantity of it for the beds I built for the kids this year, and since there is much remaining, the coat center will also be primarily made of this wood.

So, the cuts are mostly made, and I have begun cutting the dadoes and rabbets I’ll need to fit the top and bottom to the sides, as well as to fit the dividers and center shelf in place.  That process has not been completed, and there is much left to do.

Also mentioned previously was my intention to fit the coat hook board to the shelf box using a sliding dovetail.  Once I saw the bottom piece, though, I changed my mind.  Instead I will use pocket screws, since they need not be seen by anyone as they’ll be in the back of the board against the wall.  I know not everyone cares for pocket screws, but I think this is a place that calls for their strength.  Flame on if you have an opinion.

I am unlikely to have any shop time until the new year (Saturday) since I’m back in the office on Monday, and New Year’s Day will likely be spent at my parents’ house across town for a much delayed Christmas.

Until then, I have a few other things to post that may be of interest.  Enjoy!

My new project is what I’m calling a “coat center” although it’s a bit more than that.

The problem: My kids are too short to hang their coats up on the hanger bar in the coat closet.  Plus, they are unable to keep track of such items as library books.

The first solution: Put a set of coat hooks behind the front door at a height the kids can reach.  This has been an improvement, with the kids finally able to take responsibility for their coats, hats and gloves.  But it needs more…

The final solution: A set of shelves and cubbies for their hats and gloves, and also larger cubbies for library books.  Books have been hard to keep track of, since the kids have many of their own, and also visit the library on a regular basis.  Lately, the library books have become mixed in with their own, and this has been a problem.

The design: It’s a simple bos with some dadoes to fit the shelves, back and dividers into.  I’m not sure yet, but I think the goal with this project, as with many of my recent projects, will be to use up some of the large amount of poplar plywood stock I have had around for years.

The shelf area of the coat center

I will face frame it with some solid wood, and paint the whole thing white to match the foyer.  The board with the coat hooks will be attached to the bottom using a dovetail groove.  I’ll have to practice this on some scrap.  Finally, this will be hung on the wall using a french cleat.  I chose this method in order to achieve the most flexibility as the kids grow, because I imagine I’ll want to raise this unit higher as they grow taller.

I have attached a Google Sketchup (free 3-D modeling tool download) file that is coat-center Sketchup drawing for this project.  If you download it and take a close look, you’ll see that this exposes my inexperience with the tool.  I find it difficult to use, to the point of wanting to abandon it for pencil and paper.  But, I see its potential, and will give it more time.  Also note that I have yet to show the attached coat hooks at the bottom.  I’ll update that later and post it here.

The width was chosen to precisely fit the width of the foyer wall behind my front door, and the number of cubbies directly relates to the number of kids I have.  Your mileage may vary.  If so, you can edit the Sketchup drawing all you want.

I actually have a deadline on this.  My wife has asked that this be complete by the time the kids go back to school the week of January 5th, 2009.  so, the bad news is I have pressure.  The good news is I should have plenty of shop time to get this done.

Updates to follow!

This is a shot of Frank Klausz using a tenoning jig he built for the table saw. I took a class he gave a few weeks ago in Novi, Michigan at the Rock Financial Showplace. The class was about the setup and use of the table saw, and he showed us many jigs he made from Baltic birch plywood.

Frank Klausz and his tenoning jig

Sorry if the picture is a bit blurry, but it was not the brightest classroom, and the picture was taken with my cell phone.

One humorous, but serious, anecdote to share. Frank made sure he told us how serious it was that we lock down our rip fences, since failing to do so can, and usually will, result in kickback. This of course would cause serious injury if you happened to be standing anywhere behind the workpiece. Frank told us that the first thing he does before cutting his workpiece is to push against the fence in order to ensure that it is properly locked down.

So as Frank demonstrated his tenoning jig above, I noticed, from my front-row seat, that his tenon came out a bit less than straight. It turned out that he had forgotten to lock down his rip fence. He said, “Don’t tell my Grandpa!” We all had a good laugh, but I couldn’t help but think how close we came to seeing Frank Klausz get injured by kickback with his own table saw jig.

It’s a class I won’t soon forget, especially when I’m about to turn on my table saw.

Just completed the upgrade to WordPress 2.7.

I am also getting ready to enable blog updating via email so I can accomplish this from my workplace on my lunch hour.

For some reason, I can’t access my own site from my workplace. I think there is a DNS issue at my office. But, how does one ask about access to one’s personal blog site and not have it look like you’re trying to waste time at work? So I let it be.

More to come, I hope!