2. 23
Chapter
Sawing with Stationary Power Machines

3. Objectives
Select stationary power saws for making straight or curved cuts.
Discuss the proper operation of stationary power saws.
Choose the most appropriate saw blade for a given operation.
Maintain stationary power equipment.

4. Sawing with Stationary Power Machines
Fundamental operation in cabinetmaking
Machines designed to cut straight-line or curved-line cuts
Select safest appropriate saw for cut
Choose most efficient if more than one is appropriate
Prior instruction, experience on machine

5. Safe and Efficient Operation
Disconnect power when changing blades, servicing
Ensure blade is clean, sharp
Install, adjust point-of-operation guards
Support material before and after cut
Feed material into saw properly
Ensure dust collection is working

6. Handedness Machine operations affected by which hand is used
Some operations may be reversed
Others should be set up one way

7. Sawing Straight Lines Standard operation in cabinetmaking
Blade selection critical
Machines with circular blades best option
Fences aid in guiding material for straight cut past blade

8. Tilting-Arbor Table Saw
Left- or right-tilting arbor
Circular blade extends up through table
Blade raising device
Tilting device
SawStop LLC

9. Tilting-Arbor Table Saw Guiding Material
Rip fence
Miter gauge
Sliding table
Jigs, accessories
Patrick A. Molzahn
Laguna Tools

10. Tilting-Arbor Table Saw Blade Guard
Protect user from blade, flying debris
Mount to table or saw-trunnion
Splitter
Anti-kickback pawls
Overhead guard
Riving knife
SawStop LLC
Patrick A. Molzahn

11. Tilting-Arbor Table Saw Setup
Decide whether to use rip fence or miter gauge
Set blade height
Square blade

12. Setting Blade Height and Squaring Blade
Patrick A. Molzahn
Chuck Davis Cabinets

13. Operating the Table Saw
Ripping
Crosscutting
Beveling
Mitering
Resawing cutting dados

14. Ripping Lumber on the Table Saw
Cutting lumber along grain
Set blade height
Measure from fence to tooth set toward fence
Ensure blade guard, riving knife or splitter in place
Stock must have one flat face, one straight edge
Stand to one side of blade

15. Ripping Plywood on the Table Saw
Carbide-tipped blade
Set blade
Use guard and splitter
Set fence
Patrick A. Molzahn

16. Crosscutting Lumber and Plywood on the Table Saw
Carbide-tipped blade
Set blade height
Guide material with miter gauge
Crosscutting duplicate parts to length
Stop with miter gauge
Stop with rip fence
Patrick A. Molzahn

17. Sawing Nongrain Manufactured Products
Choose blade based on smoothness of cut required
Wood veneered panels require same steps as solid lumber
Panel saws equipped with scoring blades, preventing tearout

18. Beveling Sawing with blade tilted Joint making, shaping
Set saw tilt angle with tilt scale, T-bevel, protractor, triangle
Blade angled away from fence, miter gauge
Patrick A. Molzahn

19. Mitering Cutting angle using miter gauge Set blade square to table
Adjust miter gauge to required angle
Prevent creeping
Abrasive-covered wood auxiliary fence
Patrick A. Molzahn

20. Resawing Two or more pieces from one piece May require multiple passes
Keep same face against fence
Side-mounted guard
Chuck Davis Cabinets

21. Ripping Narrow Strips Prone to kickback Two methods
Zero-clearance throat plate, push stick
Position strip on offcut side of blade, stop block positioned before blade

22. Cutting Dados, Ploughs Dado set Stacked set of blades, cut grooves
Dados cut perpendicular to grain
Ploughs cut with grain

23. Tilting Table Saw Table tilts Most operations same as tilting-arbor
Beveling is exception

24. Panel Saws Horizontal or vertical Beam saw Scoring blades
Sliding table feeds material into blade
Beam saw
Cuts multiple sheets at one time
Scoring blades
Patrick A. Molzahn
Casadei Busellato

25. Radial Arm Saw Used to cut stock to length
Saw blade, blade guard, motor above table, mounted on yoke
Sized according to blade diameters
Delta International Machine Corp.

26. Changing Radial Arm Saw Blades
Change when dull or for different operation
Remove guard
Secure motor
Use wrenches to hold arbor or blade, loosen arbor nut
Install new blade

27. Radial Arm Saw Setup Wide range of adjustments
Elevation crank, arm, yoke, motor
Only yoke moves during sawing
Locked for ripping
Monitor adjustments frequently

28. Radial Arm Saw Crosscutting
Lock arm, yoke pivot, bevel at 0
Power off
Align blade
Back off blade, turn on
Pull saw across board, saw back through kerf
Saw off, wait for blade to stop completely
Patrick A. Molzahn

29. Crosscutting Multiple Parts
Clamp stop to fence
Place workpiece against stop, make cut
Attach stop to fence at desired length for wide material
Patrick A. Molzahn

30. Other Radial Arm Saw Setups
Mitering
Rotate saw arm right or left to proper angle
Kerfing
Raise blade above table
Beveling
Motor and blade assembly tilt
Protect table

31. Sawing Curved Lines Band saws Scroll saws Relief cuts
Large radius curves, large components
Scroll saws
Small radii, curves
Relief cuts
Waste breaks loose
Less chance blade will twist, break

32. Band Saw Continuous, thin blade travels around wheels
Blade guide
Guidepost
Bottom wheel drives blade, top wheel can control blade tension, alignment
Distance from blade to side frame is throat
Delta International Machinery Corp.

33. Band Saw Operation Plan sawing sequence Check setup
Cuts, workpiece to which side
Check setup
Adjustments, guard, locking devices
Set up saw guard
Check blade tension
Patrick A. Molzahn

34. Curved-Line Cutting on Band Saw
Cutting radius depends on blade width, set
Relief cuts where direction changes
Do not push workpiece against side of blade
Patrick A. Molzahn

35. Straight-Line Cutting on Band Saw
Requires guide
Adjust for drift
Miter gauge for cross cuts
Cut narrow strips on band saw

36. U-Shaped Cutting on Band Saw
Three sides of opening sawn
Alternatives to relief cuts
Saw sides straight
Drill turn-around holes
Bore inside corners with radius bit

37. Beveling on Band Saw Table or head tilts
Set angle with scale or T-bevel
Freehand or with guides

38. Band Sawing Multiple Parts to Size
Stack, fasten workpieces together
Make relief cuts
Saw along cutting line
Last two cuts should free parts from waste
Use guide if necessary

39. Resawing on Band Saw Use auxiliary fence or pivot block
Set given distance away from blade
Mark thickness on board edge
Cut in one pass
Allow for drift
Use push block last 3
Patrick A. Molzahn

40. Scroll Saw Cuts small radius curves, interior openings Table can tilt
Blade held by two clamps, moves up, down
Size based on throat depth
Delta International Machinery Corp.

41. Scroll Saw Blades and Setup
Three or more teeth in contact with material
TPI varies
Setup
Adjust guidepost
Adjust speed

42. Scroll Saw Operation Outside cut Interior cut Beveling, scroll cuts
Pocket cuts
Blade threaded through hole in workpiece
Patrick A. Molzahn

43. Selecting Blades Blade choice based on sawing operation
Inspect blade frequently
Blade performance based on tooth design, chip load
Chip load depends on number of teeth, size of gullet, speed of blade, rate of feed
Chip load is factor for all blade types, styles

44. Circular Blade Selection
Blade diameter
Tooth design
Hook angle
Cutting edge shape
Number of teeth
Kerf width
Arbor hole size

45. Circular Blade Selection (Cont’d)
Diameter
Defines tool size
Hook angle
Angle between tooth face and line from tooth tip to arbor
Cutting edge
Tooth shape or grinds

46. Circular Blade Selection (Cont’d)
Number of teeth
More teeth, smoother cut
Determines performance in thin materials
Kerf width
Larger diameter blades create larger kerfs
Arbor hole
Larger on blades with larger diameter

47. Circular Blade Selection (Cont’d)
Other considerations
Gullet
Flat, hollow ground, or thin rim blades
Expansion slots

48. Band Saw Blade Selection
Loop length
Blade width
Hardness
Tooth shapes, blade set
Blade material

49. Scroll Saw Blade Selection
Standard blades cut in one direction
Width , TPI vary
Beveled teeth, alternate set
Standard length 5″

50. Maintaining Saw Blades
Keep sharp, free of rust and resin, teeth intact
Inspect blades frequently for cracks, warp, missing teeth
Clean with solvents
Carbide-tipped blades need professional sharpening

51. Maintaining Power Saws
Inspect
Clean
Adjust
Lubricate
Disconnect from power, lock out before servicing

52. Table Saw Maintenance Ensure miter gauge slot and blade parallel
Check fence alignment
Adjust using dial indicator
Lubricate handwheels
Ensure belts tracking correctly
Keep motors free of sawdust
Keep table free of rust

53. Table Saw Maintenance

54. Radial Arm Saw Maintenance
Lubricate all moving parts
Check table and fence alignments
Level table
Patrick A. Molzahn

55. Band Saw Maintenance Ensure proper blade tension Adjust blade tracking
Adjust spacing between blade and side guide, thrust bearing
Coil blade for storage
Patrick A. Molzahn

56. Scroll Saw Maintenance
Select proper blade guide and blade
Set proper tension
Check lubricating oil level