Table Saw Blade Direction - Which Way Does A Table Saw Blade Go?
Both newbies and experts at woodworking have to be extremely careful when they work with the table saw. The reason is that the table saw is one of the most dangerous tools in a woodworker’s workshop.
You can easily sustain deep cuts and injuries if you are not careful while working on it or if the blade is setup to rotate in the wrong direction.
It doesn’t mean that you should stop using the table saw. It helps with the precise and accurate cutting of woods. There are two basic cuts that the table saw can help you achieve. They are the cross cut and the rip cut.
Frankly, you can’t avoid using the table saw if you want to be a great woodworker. The table saw is an essential woodworking tool. Rather than run away from using the table saw, the best option is to learn how to use it correctly.
When you properly set the table saw blade, your workflow would be magical. Accidents would most likely be minimal. Astonishing right? Read along to find out everything you need to know about the table saw blade direction.
Which Way Should The Teeth Face On A Table Saw?
The teeth of a table saw blade should always face in a direction so that they exert downward pressure on the wood-piece and pull it towards the blade. This would ensure that the wood-piece would not be flunked from the table saw bed and injury the user.
As a woodworker, you need to change your table saw blades constantly. This action is a result of two things. First, the manufacturers did not build table saw blades to last forever. The more you use your table saw blade, the more it gets blunt.
While you might consider sharpening the blades, you would, eventually, need to change it periodically. Second, there are different types of table saw blades in the woodworking market.
For starters, the table saw blades have teeth. To avoid ugly workshop accidents from happening, you have to face the teeth in the right direction. Usually, the direction the teeth of the blade faces depends on the type of saw you’re using. For instance, on a circular saw, the teeth face upwards because of how it rotates.
By contrast, the teeth on the table saw should face downward. Why? It protects you and the wood you’re working on during woodworking sessions. Here’s how!
There are diverse types of table saw blades. These blades vary in shape and grind of their teeth. Some blades have 20 teeth with varying inches in between them. Other blades can have about 30. Regardless of the number of teeth a blade has, the teeth are sharp and dangerous. Any accident caused by the table saw blade facing the wrong direction is always catastrophic.
Hence, anytime you change the blades, you should properly insert the teeth into the table saw. Or else, it would spin in the wrong direction. A blade facing the wrong direction would rebel against you when you feed wood to it. How? It would toss the wood across the workshop at a speed of 100 MPH. In the process, it would damage the wood. Also, you might sustain severe injuries.
Are Table Saw Blades Reverse Threaded?
The simple and short answer to the above question is Yes! Table saw blades are reverse threaded.
What Direction Does A Table Saw Blade Turn?
As earlier stated, the table saw blade is the most dangerous tool in the workshop. To blissfully enjoy using it, there are basic things you should know. For example, which way does a table saw go or turn?
The answer is dependent on which direction you are feeding the wood from. The table saw blade should turn in the direction so as the blades put downwards pressure on the wood piece and pulls the pieces towards the blade. This would stabilize the wood-piece and not fling it away from the table and injuring the user.
You can only use your table saw when the blade is facing downwards, and it is rotating clockwise. As a result, you can safely feed wood to your table saw. However, you should beware of kickbacks. When you insert the blade into the table saw wrongfully, it is just one of the many ways you can sustain an injury. Even though you set everything right, kickbacks could happen from time to time.
You should wear protective glasses and gears whenever you woodwork on the table saw. Kickbacks are hazardous. You could lose one or two fingers because of it. There are different types of kickbacks caused by different factors. Even though this article might not cover it, here’s a fun fact about kickbacks. They do not happen because an individual was clumsy. Board tension mostly causes kickbacks.
Which Way Should I Feed Wood To A Table Saw?
Of course, table saws are dangerous. But, woodworkers are likely to spend more time on the table saw than on any other woodworking tool. Why? The table saw is flexible. It can handle different kinds of cuts. But even the jack of all trade is very skilled in a field. In other words, the table saw can perfectly perform two cuts. They are the cross-cuts and the rip cuts
These two cuts determine how you feed wood to a table saw. The reason is that they don’t follow the same cutting pattern. For cross cuts, the saw cuts across the wood grain. On the other hand, the table saw cuts along the length of the wood grain. Of the two kinds of cuts, the rip cut seems to be the most dangerous.
If you want to feed your wood to your blade in a crosscut, you need a cross fence. Support the wood piece with a cross fence. Then, push the wood into the blade. Ensure that you are not feeding the wood into the blade too fast or too low to get a perfect crosscut. This cut is referred to as a crosscut because you cut across the grain.
To feed your wood to the blade in a rip cut, you’ll need a rip fence. The rip fence helps you get the accurate measurement you need when doing a rip cut. Start with adjusting the blade. Ensure that the gullet is a bit above the wood you want to cut. Remember that the rip fence helps with accurate measurement. Use a measuring tape to get the exact width you need to cut and adjust the rip fence to fit the width. After adjusting the fence to your desired measure, turn on the saw. When the saw comes on, but the wood you want to cut against the rip fence. Then, push it into the blade gradually. Viola!
In conclusion, you need to be safety conscious when woodworking with a table. From getting the table saw blade direction right to using safety gadgets to feed your wood to the blade, you have to tread with caution. Never woodwork on a table saw without your safety goggles and other safety gear. Also, you can install a riving knife to prevent kickbacks.
