Tip #27
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Table Sawing (continued)
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Table Saw Maintenance

Saw Blade Cleaner

Like any tool, the Table Saw requires some basic on-going maintenance. It's obvious that the cuts you achieve with your saw depend largely on keeping your blades as sharp as possible all the time. Sharp blades produce the smoothest cuts with less splintering, chipping and burning. And although sharpness is paramount, you may be surprised to learn that dirty or gummed-up blades (no matter how sharp they may be) can also inhibit your results. For that reason, it is recommended that you use a high-quality Cleaner to keep your Saw Blades free of gum and pitch. Once your blades are clean, it's a good idea to apply a spray-on coating of blade protectant to keep them clean and help prevent the build-up of gum and pitch.

Blade Protectant

Worktable Cleaner

It's also important to keep your saw's Worktable clean and properly coated so your workpieces glide effortlessly over its surface. There are special “lubricants” for this purpose - or you can use ordinary furniture paste wax.

Furniture Paste Wax

So there you have it. The “basics” of Table Sawing. There's a lot to learn about this subject - what many consider to be one of the most important of all woodworking topics. After all, if you can't cut your projects to size properly, your chances of building anything that fits together correctly are greatly reduced.

Power Tool Woodworking For Everyone

For more about Table Sawing, we recommend that you review Shopsmith's in-depth textbook, Power Tool Woodworking For Everyone. It has the answers you need to do the best job you can do.

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