By Ian J. Kirby TABLE SAW TACTICS If you want the saw to cooperate, set it up correctly for the job. Like most woodworking machinery, the table saw is a collection of relatively simple parts bolted together. Early table saws consisted of massive metal castings and large diameter blades. They were designed and built for one purpose: to rip large pieces of solid wood into smaller pieces of solid wood. Today we expect the table saw to perform a variety of tasks: to rip solid wood; to crosscut solid wood; to break down manufactured sheet materials; and to make a range of joints and molded shapes with speed and accuracy. This increase in its capacity has come about as a result of improvements to the machine,
