If you are into construction or DIY projects involving woodwork, you may already know the importance of owning the right tools. The best ones are quick and efficient. One of the must-have woodworking tools is a table saw. It will make your life easier as a craftsman. But how? The question, what can you do with a table saw, must have crossed your mind.
This is exactly what we are going to address in this article.
What Does a Woodworker Need?
A woodworker requires a tool that can cut the wood according to his or her desires. It should be efficient, quick and smooth. Working with wood isn’t just about long straight cuts. It is more about different kinds of cuts that bring beauty and uniqueness to the craft.
As a woodworker, you should never compromise on the quality of your work just because of that one tool you thought wasn’t that necessary or was too expensive. If you like to work with wood, a table saw is one of the best tools you can invest in.
Keep reading to know why you need a table saw in your life.
What Can You do With a Table Saw?
While most people think that a table saw is nothing but a regular saw, it can do a lot more than that. So, if you were one of those people, you might get surprised by what’s coming next.
Table saws can make a lot of different cuts. These include:
- Rip cut
- Cross cut
- Miter cut
- Beveled cut
- Rabbet cut
- Dado cut
A few of these, like the rabbet and dado cut, might require special blades for the cleanest cuts. Here are all the possible cuts you can make, in more detail.
Rip cut:
This is one of the strongest points of table saws. Table saws are famous for their ultimate rip cuts. A rip cut is nothing but a straight cut through the wood (lengthwise). Since this is one of the simplest cuts, there are many other tools, such as a circular saw, which can do this. But none of them is nearly as precise and fast as a table saw.
The table saw works equally good in rip cutting larger, as well as, smaller pieces of wood.
Cross cut:
Yes, you read it right. Table saws are capable of making cross cuts too. If you have been working with wood, you would know that a cross cut is one of the most common woodcuts.
You don’t need to get a miter, or a chop saw specifically for cross cutting. If you know how to cross cut, you can do it perfectly with a table saw. However, don’t forget to use caution since it is a very dangerous cut.
Miter cut:
This is one of the cuts where the table saw works best with the conjunction, in this case, ‘a miter gauge’. Miter cuts are handy ones which can be used in many kinds of projects.
A miter cut might not be one of the table saw’s special cuts, but it can surely do it with extreme perfection and accuracy. Most woodcutters admit using a table saw for this cut just because they like to use it.
However, you cannot make this cut using a table saw if you don’t have a miter gauge. The said tool is critical to this operation. Once you get your hands on a miter gauge, set its angle, slide the article onto it, clamp it down and you are all set to go.
Beveled cut:
Another cut that you can do with a table saw is beveled cut. This cut is one of the table saw’s special cuts. Especially if you are looking forward to cutting very long bevels, there is no other tool which can do it better than a table saw.
Table saws are proven to be more accurate, efficient and faster than circular saws. For a woodcutter, no tool is better than the one that saves him time.
Achieving a bevel cut with a table saw is a very simple process. You can simply make a bevel cut by beveling the blade. Most table saws have a maximum bevel of 45 degrees, although some can even go beyond this range.
This is one of the cuts where the table saw shines. You can also make a bevel crosscut by using the table saw in conjunction with a miter gauge.
Dado cut:
Dado cut is another great cut, and one the table saw specializes in.
If you are into classical woodwork i.e. cabinetmaking or furniture making, or any kind of carpentry that involves detailing and precise joining of two or more pieces together, you will know the importance of dado cuts. A table saw is a woodcutter’s number one choice when it comes to these cuts. However, it requires specific dado blades to make a wider dado cut.
Although a single saw blade can do the job, specific dado blades will create a better groove or channel in the piece under observation.
Rabbet cut:
You can also achieve a rabbet cut using the dado blade with a table saw. But this only means getting rid of the material surrounding the edges of the board. The decision of whether you will use the miter gauge and the fence, or just the fence to make a rabbet cut, will depend on the board side you are trying to cut.
This cut is also very famous in carpentry such as furniture making and cabinetmaking. It is almost always used in projects involving the precise fitting of two or more pieces of wood.
Conclusion
A woodcutter needs a tool which is precise, quick and multipurpose. Nobody invests in wood crafting tools now and then. Hence, it is always better to get a promising tool which can do as many things as possible. Keeping all these points in mind, there is no better tool than a table saw. It can do all the major kinds of cuts with optimal accuracy, saving you time and money.
