'Scared of Tablesaw' Followup

[Joanne (Guest)]

Hello again, just wanted to post an update to the 'Help I'm scared of the Tablesaw' issue a few weeks ago.

Thanks to everyone for the excellent advice. I took most if it - and it's really helped. First, I checked the blade alignment with the miter slots and found it was out by about 3/32". And here I was aligning my rickety old fence to the slots for every cut! Also bought a NEW FENCE. I'm originally from Canada and found a Canadian site advertising a 40" capacity fence for $182 US (including shipping). Anyway, after finding some positive reviews I ordered one, put it on, and it works great! My Grizzley feels like a new saw, and no more fiddling. (The fence is called 'Accusquare', www.thesawshop.com is where I got it. I'm a miser at heart and love to share the discoveries tight budgets promote.)

I also made a big beautiful double featherboard, and bought a special pushstick. Finally, I've tried to design my projects with fewer huge pieces until I get more practise making the long rips - the circular saw will do for the time being.

Yippee! Now I look forward to getting in the shop and using the saw. (Even if it's just to play with the super-fence.)

Thanks again for the helpful hints on getting comfy with the TS. I enjoy reading this forum every day, everyone is so articulate and positive. Very different from a regular woodworking forum where I'd go by 'JR' - sounds masculine enough, doesn't it? Hee hee hee.

Later,
Joanne.

[barbsiddiqui]

Joanne- I'm really glad you did all that! (Don't get over confident...pre-think every set up.)
I have a funny story for you now: over the weekend I was breaking my neck to get everything
ready to bandsaw some 14" birch trunks to air dry for lumber, and had to spend a few hours in
the shop ripping uniform stickers 1" x 1" x 16"...needed lots of them, in poplar off some pallet
wood I had spent breaking down the day before. I made a short fence add-on so I could get the
shoe style push stick past the crown guard, adjusted my splitter, put on featherboards, got
the zero clearance insert, adjusted the outfeed support, and then after putting on a dust mask,
safety glasses and earplugs, thought I was ready to go. Out toddles my eighty-year old,
arthritic mother. She stands about a yard fromthe front left of the tablesaw as I start ripping, and
she knows better than to interrupt while machinery is going. She watches closely until I
stop, rip off the mask, the earplugs and the safety glasses, and say, "What?"
She looks at the set up, looks at me, and says, "I've been watching The New Yankee Workshop,
and I wanted to make sure you were doing that with all the safety devices Norm Abrams
uses." Isn't it reassuring to know your Mother always has your best interest at heart?
God bless 'em, it was soon Mother's Day, so what could I say?
-Barb S.

[Weez]

Thats great! My mom will sometimes help me in the shop, unfortunatly she reaches for things. I finally got her that when she heres the machines she waits until I turn them off, mostly because she makes me jump (instilled for the cooky jar syndrom I think). She is learning though. She likes to sit and watch and also clean up, I love that part.
Weez

[Weez]

Glad to hear that you have got things working in the right direction. We are always looking to get the best deals but I have learned on thing you get what you pay for. So like you got a good set up going now with the new fence. If you don't have the outfeed support that should be the next thing that you look into they really help if you are a solo shop.
Weez

[Dock]

Joanne,

I've thought of you often and hoped you were working things out. I'm delighted they are and thank you for getting back to us.

Nice work!

Dock