I just came here to see how many people went with "jeez, how hard can it be to find that slot?" Instead i found "Get a push stick your gonna lose your fingers..." Legend has it he's still looking for that slot, with the fingers he has left. Good Luck out there.
Love the ingenuity here. I am a radial saw user because it doesn't have to move and so far I can do everything on it I can do on a table saw. I have used the table saw a great deal and constantly strugle with fences. Also I had to make a 58 degree cut recently that I could not do in one step with a table saw. Shame radials have fallen from grace for in small shops they are great.
Basically a circular saw wearing a skirt, but you totally modded it. Lost my Rigid saw fence and the Ryobi 3000 I bought is nice, but way underpowered. The Rigid is gonna live again, and I thank you with TWO THUMBS UP!!!
What is with all of the negative comments have any of you ever worked on a site or are you all workshop based . although his hand were close to the blade I've seen men with there hands closer I think what you all should have been doing is giving positive feedback as he has made a great table saw for site work
I agree they can make the fence and things better in them. I resurface my fence, with a 1/8" plywood wood with some thin aluminum roll metal that was glue and clamped to the old fence. It still locks down sloppy, i really haven't look at it yet to mess with it, but it has a nice smooth fence now. The wood makes it heavier and need some sort of thin metal surface over the wood and top, it cut down the height of the blade, and there more drag on the wood to be cut, I like my wood to slide threw easy like butter with less drag, plus to, the wood wears out pretty fast if you use one a lot like i do. Now to make it even better you buy thin sheets of roll metal and glue it over the wood to cut down the drag and wear..
liked your video, as i watched it, was thinking of adding a metal strip to the where the bolt hits the for the fence. so wouldn't have to be replaced, and adding a ruler inlay, and some type of milter slot. So, can't wait until I can attempt to make my own. Thanks.
I have what looks to be the same saw only it's the Mastercraft version from Canadian Tire. Paid about the same amount of money for it on sale. Knowing what I do now, I wish I had spent a few bucks more for a better one as the fence is exactly the same with the same issues..No good for any kind of precision cutting. I have lots of scrap wood around so I might try making one of these. I would modify your design with what Pete Ravenscroft suggested. Good video !
If you push the original fence forward, then it will square up. Then when you tighten it, it is locked on both ends, and it will not move. I have a saw that is basically the same saw. the fence works just fine. I just have to remember to push forward before I tighten it.
Nice! Think I'll do the same with my crapy King too :). But for the fence, the third plywood in front, you should put a T nut on and have that piece push on the table, that way it won't make screw holes.
I'm curious: How did Wooden Tool Man transform a crappy table saw into a suitably accurate one, presumably using said crappy table saw to cut "true" plywood components of which the new top and fence were made? Under normal conditions the crappy factor should have compounded and been expressed in the finished product--"bad dogs beget worse dogs". (ok--enough of my crap!) Thanks for sharing the video. You're obviously intelligent and thrifty and I admire your ability to think on your feet.
Nice job on making pig into a cow-- very usable fence, good thinking. Some coats of wax or a coat of Waterlox would make it all slide better and bind a lot less-- increasing safety and usability. That motor will overheat and burn-out even quicker than your last (unless your last one was this brand, and that was the problem with your last one). If it lasts 10 hours of cuts, I'd be amazed-- especially since you completely blocked the normal heat dissipation and ventilation. Also, you may want to consider doing some sort of a hard seal on the tabletop, so you get less friction, since you didn't user melamine or other commonly used DIY options for tablesaw tops. Personally, I would have gone with a good quality medium-grade job saw, where I didn't haver to defeat its thermal and blade safety systems and spend hours building a better system, but which lacks durability, thermal safety and many other things you would find in a medium grade for $249-$399 discounted (e.g. Dewalt, I just checked and found plenty of good deals online, such as a Bosch 10" saw for $379). While your resourcefulness is commendable, your safety and ability to get your work done well are also important. Further, once this motor burns-out, you will have wasted a few hundred dollars in equipment and materials (not even counting your time, which you need to value appropriately, since it is not free.
To square the fence to the blade: raise the blade all the way up. Place a framing square against the right side of the blade (same tooth angles). Draw a pencil line, right side of square, on your table surface, full length. Align your fence to the pencil line. :)
my father, life long carpenter, (not a weekender rooky ) lost 3 fingers at age 54 because the fuc*** finger-pushing-thing ..... he was cutting a long board (6 ft long) and the bloody board HAD at the very end a embedded piece on metal (a nail or something) inside the composite material ... when the 10.000 rpm disk hit the nail, the board got out of control, and my father landed basically over the table with his hands ... the rest of the story it is easy to imagine ... he was adjusting doors in my new house ... so don't trust your precision ,ability or experience when using a powerful saw ... sorry my poor English ..
Tablesaw injuries are nasty, i'm sorry to hear that. My philosophy after cutting the tip of my pointer finger off from a dull aluminium fan blade, is that my fingers GO NO FUCKING WHERE NEAR THAT SPINNING BLADE OF DEATH. Tablesaws pull the material down and into the blade, meaning your entire hand can go into the blade if it doesn't make a cleave severe on your fingers initially. I swear i still get PTSd from fan blades now.
@Mike Martin SawStop? Hahaha this guy bought $150 table saw and built his own fence system. He wouldn't spend 4k on a SawStop if he was down to one finger.
It's incredible how a good video brings out all the safety Nazis. Don't lecture the man on something he already knows!!! Great suggestions on a POS saw because I have one too. Mine has "Chicago Electric" bought from Harbor Freight but otherwise identical. Bought because it is light and easy to store because of limited space (Plastic and Aluminum). I can pick it up and store it under the bench when not in use. I just need something to rip straight pieces accurately without spending many hundreds of dollars. Loved the ideas and congratulations on having Robertson screws instead of Philips (Designed to Slip) to do your woodworking. Great video, 5 Star!!!
I love that guy ! Too much security makes you forget about the danger of power tools. I prefer «lean» security and beefed up awareness when I switch a power tool on. And yes, I have all my fingers after 40 years of cabinet making. Nice project anyway.
Are your fillers scribe cut? And if so do you normally back cut your scribes at a 5degree miter? Basically can I tilt my blade 5 degrees if I apply this top?
Looks pretty good. I've got a cheap Delta table saw with a junk fence on it. Considering doing something like you've done here. How well has it held up? Anything you'd change?
Wow!!! Really? $130 bought you a crappy saw and fence? No!!!!?? Then you spend what $200 on some really nice plywood to super tune that 5hp beast you bought!! Good for you!!! That amazes me more than all the finger comments!
A high QC Chinese table saw. I get a chuckle when I see Asian equipment with a QC sticker. I would hate to see the stuff that doesn't pass, probably goes to CTC.
Hey buddy I have the same tool table saw, and I like to converted like yours now, or even I can purchase one from you buddy... how do you make the saw hole on the table and making sure the hole is in perfect alignment.?
Those bolt dimples in the face of that plywood...doesn't that make it extremely hard to move it a 1/16"? Isn't it going to want to fall into a dimple? I think adding a plastic clamp head on to the bolt would save the dimples.
I have been looking for this for a long time thank you thank you thank you. I want to get your opinion on using MDF for the table top? do you think it will be better worse or same as plywood?
Didnt you lose depth in your cut now by adding that thick wood top? Looks like you could of cut like 2" thick now it looks like you can just cut about an inch I wanted to cut some 2X2 boards with mine and had to rotate em because mine wont cut deep enough being an 8" blade
Thanks for the vid, and good job with the pimp-my-saw bit. Sorry you hafta tolerate all the hate from those who think every user shared tip needs to have all the safety warnings of a commercial, paid-for advertisement. You, like the rest of the adults in the free world have every right to run your finger as close to that blade as you're comfortable with.
I mean does it really matter considering its himself and his body? safety is absolutely critical but a lot of us don't care either. Hell most of the time I remove safety shit when its restrictive. It's all about watching what you do.. About the only thing you should never get rid of is the Riving knife... as far as this, who cares.. when he screws up, thats on him.
All the comments about safety and losing fingers make me laugh. As if all these people are so "concerned" for your safety. What a crock of shit. It's all "excuse me while I talk down to you for a moment" politically correct crap. I've seen so many woodworkers that only use pushers or other "safety devices" when they are truly called for and not only have all their digits but have never even had a nick or close call and they've worked that way for many years. I've also seen woodworkers that use every possible "safety device" available for every single task and _still_ injure themselves on their power tools (and their hand tools if we are going to be completely honest). After all this time, I think I see where the real issue lies. It's not about lack of concern for ones own safety nor is it about how "unsafe" you appear to be when your are using a tool. The real issue is that some people simply do not instinctively understand the difference between _respecting_ their tools and _fearing_ their tools. Both people using them and people watching others use them. Someone who understands and respects their tools, but does not fear them, has very little chance of injuring themselves. Sure, no one is perfect and it can happen but the likelihood is very very low. Someone who is afraid of their tools will always be nervous or slightly distracted when using them no matter how hard they concentrate or how much experience they have and _that_ almost always leads to injury. I've also come to realize that it is very difficult to try to "teach" someone who is fearful of their tools to lose that fear (or to properly set it aside). It's definitely a personality component and you either have the ingrained proclivity to fear your power tools or it is simply not a part of your nature.
BigRalphSmith I agree. I never use the blade guard. In my opinion it actually creates more chance of injury because it gets in the way, and the splitter..or whatever it's called, behind the blade can catch the wood and cause a jam. If you keep your mind on what you're doing and aren't careless there's little chance of having an accident. Again..my opinion.
***** I don't doubt that there are some who say such things with the best of intentions. But, regardless of intentions, that's really what it ends up being when all is said and done. If this were about a video titled "How To Be Safe When Woodworking", it might be a different story but this isn't really about safety, It's about the _appearance_ of safety and that's always going to be a subjective thing to anyone who watches a video.
+BigRalphSmith respect the tool: use it safely. Fear is not the same thing. I'd much rather make the effort to use tools safely than throw caution to the wind. Can't replace a missing digit.
@@priayief there is no such thing as safety trolls, there are only stupid people that screw up with safety and making stupid comments on the internet... just like you.
@@lyricderbin1169 He's not using a push stick, he also didn't put on the riving knife that comes with the saw, this prevents boards from warping and squeezing down on the blade like your car brakes do, resulting in a kickback. If your saw is powerful enough you can say goodbye to your thumbs pushing the board as they will break from the saw pushing the work piece back into your thumbs. That wouldn't be an issue if again he was using push sticks.
@@stahpitt8531 This saw is not powerful enough to kick back. I used the riving knife that came with the saw. It's too thin for standard kerf or the blade it comes with. I had a "kickback" occur once. The quotes are because the blade just bound up and stopped as I was able to over power the kickback. I had to push the reset on the motor. With the saw comes a blade, blade guard, riving knife, anti-kickback dogs ( like on a chainsaw ), and a push stick. I only ever used them all once. Made a push cleat and kept using the riving knife even though it was too thin. Ultimately replaced mine with a vintage saw.
I gotta ask, do you still have all 10 fingers? please do yourself a favor and buy a GRR-Ripper from Micro Jig or use a push stick. I cringe every time you push the wood past the blade.
Hehe. You scared everyone with the fingers. If you actually cut your fingers off the views would jump to 40 million. You might surpass Justin Never. You obviously know what you're doing. Good job..
Exact thought running nice piece of bar metal up against that fence rather than that piece of plywood it'll last substantially longer. And also use a nut inside the wood to help support it as well this guy on the backside ride along with the metal that it meets with. With maybe a washer in between.
@@jeffwolf8018 oh man I thought the EXACT same thing with the nut & washer setup, set inside his locking knob. 👍 Great idea putting flat bar on the fence part 👌
@@jeffwolf8018 so am I.. People around me get annoyed by it. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, admittedly it gets annoying to me at times.. overthinking and obsessing over details.. But hey the end result doesn't have to be redone/fixed
@@joeygunzilla6878 yup wint leave a job till Im happy which is far better than 90% people ever get and see hacked const jobs from far away. Like a thumb hit by hammer, 5 min after when its red and feel heartbeat in it. I ran my iwn home repair co before geti g hit with Colitis and lost entire lg intestine 0, 3 to 4 years after started own co maki g tons of money on only word of mouth. Now its much worse Crohn's, Pouchitis, Carpel Tunnel, RA, and a bag on my belly in 2018 and the original colitis still here to.. Still know how yo do everything and several hundred thousand in tools. But body says fuck that.
I topped watching after 15 seconds because of the technique used to rip the boards -- fingers too close to the saw blade, no push stick, no splitter. Use caution around the blade. I may take another look and skip the parts where you are sawing.
Good video. Just some advice.. Your fingers were about a quarter inch away from the saw blade. You really need push sticks. Also you really need eye protection.
The first thing I toss out is the blade guard. Then you can see what is happening and on that model the wood can jam with the guard and kick back. My King lasted 17 years before it burned out. I modified the fence the week I got it. The motor was good but the rest of it...piece of crap.
Thanks for the video. I have a portable contractors saw and for years I've been wishing it had a bigger table and a more accurate fence and, thanks to your video, I see that it can. As for the commenters nagging you about your fingers- what the fuck people? It's not the first power tool he's ever used. If he wants to ride without a helmet it's his choice.
Perfect timing-picked up a crap tablesaw at Rona-scratch and dent for $89. Spent an hour fiddling with the fence. You just solved my fence problem in under 10 minutes! Hey fellow tubers lets appreciate the time, effort and thought that went into this project. Thank for sharing!!
Agreed. I too have a piece of crap table saw. Thanks for giving me some great ideas. First question, 3/4 " thick top, loosing depth of cut, problem? Second, fingers, still have all of them? Most comments are about your safety program, I see you don't seem too worried about it, as you replied to one "to each your own". Your fingers aren't mine so I guess I'm not worried either. I'm worried if you have safety glasses, well not really. Would be a shame if you lost your ability to share your good ideas though.
@@k.bellingham8335 this was the comment I was looking for. Something about the loss of cutting height on the blade. What I want to do is somehow remove the existing table surface and replace it with something similar to this. Not sure if I can..
I used your idea for separating the saw and stand, but I put the bolts sticking up through the stand so I can set the saw flat on the ground if need be. Also I had an old gate handle and added to the back for easy carrying.
While I'm a firm believer in a push stick, I've never used a saw with a riving knife or safety guard. Saws just didn't have them or I'm older than most. I learned to keep hands where I could see them at all times.
The added height of the plywood top will decrease the maximum thickness of the stock you can now cut with the saw. One question which you didn't address; what saw did you use to precisely cut all the plywood used to make the new top and rip fence?
"King Canada" LOL - your going to lose a finger if something surprises you during a cut though. Should really use a push stick when you coming within 1cm of the spinning blade.
We used your video (with much starting and stopping) to turn my Ryobi saw into a good one. Then, my son and I took your concept a step further and added mitering capability (for half-lap joints, etc.). We built a guide track on the left side of the table, then built the miter to ride on the track. Getting it square was a pain, but now it works well. Thanks for the great idea.
Don't need plans, the idea is what is needed so can work out the manufacture from that, and modify to suit any saw while doing it. One suggestion that would improve it, Use a strip of metal inset and glued to a piece of ply between the handscrew (bolt) and the side rail, it will give better purchase without knocking chunks out of the rail, would of course need a cage to hold it in place and allow it to float but as long as the fence is on the table then that's just a couple of end caps.
Paul Ohlstein I agree with both of you, and an alternative to the metal strip is to install a 'foot' on the end of the handscrew bolt so there is more surface area pressing into the side rail, less likely to dent the side rail.
I totally agree w all of the safety comments - you are playing with fire friend. All it takes is hitting a knot or even just cutting loose built up tension in a piece of wood to create a kickback or a jam that can suck your hand into the blade. It happens much faster than any normal human has reaction time so there is nothing you can do but go looking for the severed finger. Avoidance is the only chance you have, so poo-pooing riving knives, blade guards, and push sticks is really really dumb. Just hope some young kid doesn't take your comments too seriously and hurt themselves. Now about the project. It took you two hours and there appears to be at least $100 in Baltic plywood and fasteners. So there's $200 plus the $150 for the junk skil tablesaw. $50 more and you could have had a floor demo Bosch which has a dandy rip fence. I do appreciate the "home made bench power tools" vids that pop up on Utoob for entertainment value, but they almost never save any real dollars and the safety factor of all that stuff is highly questionable.
have you ever used a table saw? first of all the blade doesnt suck your hand into it, it cuts not sucks. you only get kickback if youre forcing the saw or if youre not holding on the wood secure enough. hes been using a table saw for years as you can tell, so he made it to suit his needs/comforts
95jamesg I have a kickback scar. Kickback can send wood through a wall. If you think holding it down with your fingers is sufficient, you're really wrong. He should have a riving knife or a splitter. He should also use a push stick/block when pushing wood past the blade. What he does with himself is fine, but when you're showing others how you use tools, you need to show some responsibility.
it all depends on the circumstances and materials, AND the user, but i agree i would prefer a riving knife too, and therefore i wouldnt use this saw for tasks that require a riving knife. i still stand with my previous comment though
if you hold the wood securely, you can feel if the saw wants to kickback, and you do have enough time to make the desicion to stand to the side and let go in most cases, provided youre not forcing it, again this comes down to experience. you can even shut the saw off while holding the wood
The fact that you still have fingers after this little display of incompetence amazes me and I am sure a lot of other people. When you pay $100 for a saw what did you expect a Saw Stop cabinet saw? Like one of the previous comments said let’s hope someone does not take this to heart. Here is the best advice I ever got about table saws: Save your money and buy a decent saw with an accurate fence system.
Wayne, glad to see you back. I've got a similar saw and this is definitely some much needed inspiration for me to get it dialed in. Are you going to route some miter slots in there? Thanks for all the great videos.
I'm dangerously close to my 60th year and I still have all of the OEM . Just be careful, kids. Sometimes fingers give you better control over the material than you're gonna get from a stick
Great job! You turned a crap saw into a usable wood working saw. I often wonder how many guys buy that model of saw as there first saw, I bet they become frustrated right away. I hope they watch your video.
EarlRausch I have that saw. I won years ago in a safety meeting. I’m a crane operator by trade. At 45 yrs old I accidentally looked into wood working. Now I’m obsessed. Just tonight I had a piece of 3/4 plywood that had to be cut at 24”x47”. If I could’ve seen this video first. XD
Dude, you're going to cut your finger off putting it along side the blade that close. Use a push stick! If this is the way you usually work, make sure you've always got a cellphone on you so you can call 9-1-1. I'm serious, don't EVER cut corners like that.
I hope you never have a kickback. You are standing right in line for a bad projectile injury. No riving blade to help prevent it either. Also, a push block is so easy to make and could save you a finger on day. Just Sayin'. It's better to be safe than sorry dude.
I know their will be some negative feedback from this comment I'm about to make but ...... 1. Where is the riving knife on the saw. Also you hand was way to close to the blade whilst operating the machine it should be at least 350 mm. Not to sound patronizing and no offense but may I recommend that you use a push stick.
Turn a Crappy Table Saw into a Good finger cutting machine? Sir your fingers are to close to the blade..you should have a fish to push your wood....and slowdown you are going to fast around a saw,,
He'll learn soon enough to use push sticks. I have used power tools almost every day for about 15 years now, my incident came 6 years ago on a table saw, half the bottom of my thumb (including half the finger nail) was shaved off by the blade on a kick back. It was quite a site, you could actually see all the fatty tissue. It became one of the most painful cuts ever since I would randomly hit my thumb throughout the healing process. Funny part is because I continued to work that day and I was in such pain, I also clipped my index finger 2 hours later on the miter saw while attempting to cut crown molding. From that day on I take all safety precautions very seriously, I'm also glad my fingers look normal, although my index finger is a bit more sensitive on the tip.
Exactly what Marcus said, although painful, nothing could really be done at that point, plus I was in a crunch to get the job done. Either way it was a good lesson learned which I learned the hard way... Safety First
So what did you use to cut up all that plywood, did I miss something? Blade wobble is probably pretty significant maybe not an issue if all you're doing is basic stuff. When things go wrong on a table saw its very fast and very violent and you don't know what happened till its over. Hope you still have all your fingers.
It just struck me how judgmental some of you are on safety in this video, while there are no such comments for very similar situation in another, polished (!), video: th-cam.com/video/FIhMBYwm9E8/w-d-xo.html
![ได้เวลา! พาน้องแฝดฉีดวัคซีนครบ 1 เดือน🫣 [cc] แดนแพทตี้ SS2 | EP.52 |](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IzeLtaXBLNE/mqdefault.jpg)
"trying to do any cuts with this thing it's just a nightmare." You said it. I'm going to have nightmares watching you saw those fingers off.
😂🤣🤣😂
Long sleeves + no push stick + table saw = a visit to the emergency room! Be careful sir.
+no riving knife...yikes
Hope he stays safe. I’d hate to find out his nickname is Stubby.
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
I just came here to see how many people went with "jeez, how hard can it be to find that slot?" Instead i found "Get a push stick your gonna lose your fingers..."
Legend has it he's still looking for that slot, with the fingers he has left.
Good Luck out there.
Love the ingenuity here. I am a radial saw user because it doesn't have to move and so far I can do everything on it I can do on a table saw. I have used the table saw a great deal and constantly strugle with fences. Also I had to make a 58 degree cut recently that I could not do in one step with a table saw. Shame radials have fallen from grace for in small shops they are great.
Great build. Great idea! I think i would put a piece of 1/16 flat bar in the front so when the fence is tightened, it does not leave any divots.
Basically a circular saw wearing a skirt, but you totally modded it. Lost my Rigid saw fence and the Ryobi 3000 I bought is nice, but way underpowered. The Rigid is gonna live again, and I thank you with TWO THUMBS UP!!!
What is with all of the negative comments have any of you ever worked on a site or are you all workshop based . although his hand were close to the blade I've seen men with there hands closer
I think what you all should have been doing is giving positive feedback as he has made a great table saw for site work
You can't give thumbs-up if you don't have any thumbs.
Its a natural reaction to video showing unsafe practice.
@@TWX1138 Ahahahaha!!! Nicely done!
Totally agree!
TWX1138: Hey man, high five! Well, maybe a high three or something like that.
I agree they can make the fence and things better in them. I resurface my fence, with a 1/8" plywood wood with some thin aluminum roll metal that was glue and clamped to the old fence. It still locks down sloppy, i really haven't look at it yet to mess with it, but it has a nice smooth fence now. The wood makes it heavier and need some sort of thin metal surface over the wood and top, it cut down the height of the blade, and there more drag on the wood to be cut, I like my wood to slide threw easy like butter with less drag, plus to, the wood wears out pretty fast if you use one a lot like i do. Now to make it even better you buy thin sheets of roll metal and glue it over the wood to cut down the drag and wear..
It's so scary how close his hands are to the blade
liked your video, as i watched it, was thinking of adding a metal strip to the where the bolt hits the for the fence. so wouldn't have to be replaced, and adding a ruler inlay, and some type of milter slot. So, can't wait until I can attempt to make my own. Thanks.
At 0:21 , is it just me or is his thumb a little close to the blade. Nice looking table, Take care.
I have what looks to be the same saw only it's the Mastercraft version from Canadian Tire. Paid about the same amount of money for it on sale. Knowing what I do now, I wish I had spent a few bucks more for a better one as the fence is exactly the same with the same issues..No good for any kind of precision cutting. I have lots of scrap wood around so I might try making one of these. I would modify your design with what Pete Ravenscroft suggested. Good video !
If you push the original fence forward, then it will square up. Then when you tighten it, it is locked on both ends, and it will not move. I have a saw that is basically the same saw. the fence works just fine. I just have to remember to push forward before I tighten it.
Dude, your fingers and hands get dangerously too close to the saw blade. Don't be cheap or lazy get and use a push stick.
+David I was using it to show what not to do.
I'm with David. The starting few seconds of this video made me cringe.
I stopped watching after the cringe
I thought I was the only one. Your finger 1 inch away from the blade scared the shit out of me...
I thought I was cringing because a table saw took a chunk out of my left thumb back in the day. Glad to hear I'm not the only one!
Nice! Think I'll do the same with my crapy King too :). But for the fence, the third plywood in front, you should put a T nut on and have that piece push on the table, that way it won't make screw holes.
Just watched the Whole Video , and Thats a great Idea.
Great job!
great job , now you can add. a old measuring tape broken to attatch to table to get the measuring realy easy way
I'm curious: How did Wooden Tool Man transform a crappy table saw into a suitably accurate one, presumably using said crappy table saw to cut "true" plywood components of which the new top and fence were made? Under normal conditions the crappy factor should have compounded and been expressed in the finished product--"bad dogs beget worse dogs". (ok--enough of my crap!) Thanks for sharing the video. You're obviously intelligent and thrifty and I admire your ability to think on your feet.
Nice job on making pig into a cow-- very usable fence, good thinking. Some coats of wax or a coat of Waterlox would make it all slide better and bind a lot less-- increasing safety and usability. That motor will overheat and burn-out even quicker than your last (unless your last one was this brand, and that was the problem with your last one). If it lasts 10 hours of cuts, I'd be amazed-- especially since you completely blocked the normal heat dissipation and ventilation.
Also, you may want to consider doing some sort of a hard seal on the tabletop, so you get less friction, since you didn't user melamine or other commonly used DIY options for tablesaw tops.
Personally, I would have gone with a good quality medium-grade job saw, where I didn't haver to defeat its thermal and blade safety systems and spend hours building a better system, but which lacks durability, thermal safety and many other things you would find in a medium grade for $249-$399 discounted (e.g. Dewalt, I just checked and found plenty of good deals online, such as a Bosch 10" saw for $379).
While your resourcefulness is commendable, your safety and ability to get your work done well are also important. Further, once this motor burns-out, you will have wasted a few hundred dollars in equipment and materials (not even counting your time, which you need to value appropriately, since it is not free.
To square the fence to the blade: raise the blade all the way up. Place a framing square against the right side of the blade (same tooth angles). Draw a pencil line, right side of square, on your table surface, full length. Align your fence to the pencil line. :)
Rick Malik That is the best thing I have read on youtube in ages. Thanks Rick. My problem is solved
my father, life long carpenter, (not a weekender rooky ) lost 3 fingers at age 54 because the fuc*** finger-pushing-thing ..... he was cutting a long board (6 ft long) and the bloody board HAD at the very end a embedded piece on metal (a nail or something) inside the composite material ... when the 10.000 rpm disk hit the nail, the board got out of control, and my father landed basically over the table with his hands ... the rest of the story it is easy to imagine ... he was adjusting doors in my new house ... so don't trust your precision ,ability or experience when using a powerful saw ... sorry my poor English ..
To each their oun
Wasn't the fault of the "pushing thing" or the saw.
That’s why there’s sawstop now
Tablesaw injuries are nasty, i'm sorry to hear that. My philosophy after cutting the tip of my pointer finger off from a dull aluminium fan blade, is that my fingers GO NO FUCKING WHERE NEAR THAT SPINNING BLADE OF DEATH. Tablesaws pull the material down and into the blade, meaning your entire hand can go into the blade if it doesn't make a cleave severe on your fingers initially. I swear i still get PTSd from fan blades now.
@Mike Martin SawStop? Hahaha this guy bought $150 table saw and built his own fence system. He wouldn't spend 4k on a SawStop if he was down to one finger.
It's incredible how a good video brings out all the safety Nazis. Don't lecture the man on something he already knows!!! Great suggestions on a POS saw because I have one too. Mine has "Chicago Electric" bought from Harbor Freight but otherwise identical. Bought because it is light and easy to store because of limited space (Plastic and Aluminum). I can pick it up and store it under the bench when not in use. I just need something to rip straight pieces accurately without spending many hundreds of dollars. Loved the ideas and congratulations on having Robertson screws instead of Philips (Designed to Slip) to do your woodworking. Great video, 5 Star!!!
I love that guy ! Too much security makes you forget about the danger of power tools. I prefer «lean» security and beefed up awareness when I switch a power tool on. And yes, I have all my fingers after 40 years of cabinet making. Nice project anyway.
I’m worried about the lack of a Riving knife.
Push sticks are all well and good if you want to keep your fingers, but kickback can take off your head!
Are your fillers scribe cut? And if so do you normally back cut your scribes at a 5degree miter? Basically can I tilt my blade 5 degrees if I apply this top?
that was bad ass bro... I liked it.....
Looks pretty good. I've got a cheap Delta table saw with a junk fence on it. Considering doing something like you've done here. How well has it held up? Anything you'd change?
+Matthew Cuba
Not a thing. I'm still using this saw on installs and it still works perfect.
Wow!!! Really? $130 bought you a crappy saw and fence? No!!!!?? Then you spend what $200 on some really nice plywood to super tune that 5hp beast you bought!! Good for you!!! That amazes me more than all the finger comments!
A high QC Chinese table saw. I get a chuckle when I see Asian equipment with a QC sticker.
I would hate to see the stuff that doesn't pass, probably goes to CTC.
Nice. Thank you for sharing.
Here is a link to a copy of this video that should have the stableization turned off
Copy of "How To" Turn a Crappy Table Saw into a Good One
You're lucky you have a table saw from canada. I have a black and decker firestorm: I have abandoned all hope . . .
Hey buddy I have the same tool table saw, and I like to converted like yours now, or even I can purchase one from you buddy... how do you make the saw hole on the table and making sure the hole is in perfect alignment.?
CiakarElite you put the top on the saw and then raise the blade through it.
+Harold Ramirez Not cool, man. We don't come here to see your SPAM. Cut it out!
+Lupita Taylor this is a scam guys. Don't fall for it.
Those bolt dimples in the face of that plywood...doesn't that make it extremely hard to move it a 1/16"? Isn't it going to want to fall into a dimple? I think adding a plastic clamp head on to the bolt would save the dimples.
Here's a way better design for a fence. th-cam.com/video/u6FsNN-D7dM/w-d-xo.html
Wooden Tool Man
I have been looking for this for a long time thank you thank you thank you. I want to get your opinion on using MDF for the table top? do you think it will be better worse or same as plywood?
Sorry If i missed It, but whats the plywood thickness ?
So?! You're fingers are close to the blade but not in it or on it or through it. Good Vid!
Thank you, good resource!
Those hands are scaring the shit outta me brotha
Didnt you lose depth in your cut now by adding that thick wood top?
Looks like you could of cut like 2" thick now it looks like you can just cut about an inch
I wanted to cut some 2X2 boards with mine and had to rotate em because mine wont cut deep enough being an 8" blade
Wow, there is an incredible amount of trolling here.
i would take a fine point sharpie and add measurements so you know how wide you are cutting without a tape measure
Use a push stick!
Thanks for the vid, and good job with the pimp-my-saw bit. Sorry you hafta tolerate all the hate from those who think every user shared tip needs to have all the safety warnings of a commercial, paid-for advertisement. You, like the rest of the adults in the free world have every right to run your finger as close to that blade as you're comfortable with.
someday u're not gonna be able to High 5 ----
that's a keeper!
The opening part of the video is a great example on how to be as unsafe as possible with a table saw. Good job!
I thought the same thing lol
Spot on Alex.
I mean does it really matter considering its himself and his body? safety is absolutely critical but a lot of us don't care either. Hell most of the time I remove safety shit when its restrictive. It's all about watching what you do.. About the only thing you should never get rid of is the Riving knife... as far as this, who cares.. when he screws up, thats on him.
Very bad demo on how to use a table saw
@@timothyfleenor475 Yes, it does matter especially when you are making a video that is suppose to be of educational value.
Riving knife, push stick, man. Riving knife, push stick. Chant with me. One kickback cutting like that and your saw operating days are over.
bit of an exageration, but yeah riving knife will save ya, with plywood/mdf its ok
All the comments about safety and losing fingers make me laugh. As if all these people are so "concerned" for your safety. What a crock of shit.
It's all "excuse me while I talk down to you for a moment" politically correct crap.
I've seen so many woodworkers that only use pushers or other "safety devices" when they are truly called for and not only have all their digits but have never even had a nick or close call and they've worked that way for many years.
I've also seen woodworkers that use every possible "safety device" available for every single task and _still_ injure themselves on their power tools (and their hand tools if we are going to be completely honest).
After all this time, I think I see where the real issue lies. It's not about lack of concern for ones own safety nor is it about how "unsafe" you appear to be when your are using a tool. The real issue is that some people simply do not instinctively understand the difference between _respecting_ their tools and _fearing_ their tools. Both people using them and people watching others use them.
Someone who understands and respects their tools, but does not fear them, has very little chance of injuring themselves. Sure, no one is perfect and it can happen but the likelihood is very very low.
Someone who is afraid of their tools will always be nervous or slightly distracted when using them no matter how hard they concentrate or how much experience they have and _that_ almost always leads to injury.
I've also come to realize that it is very difficult to try to "teach" someone who is fearful of their tools to lose that fear (or to properly set it aside). It's definitely a personality component and you either have the ingrained proclivity to fear your power tools or it is simply not a part of your nature.
BigRalphSmith
Well said.
BigRalphSmith I agree. I never use the blade guard. In my opinion it actually creates more chance of injury because it gets in the way, and the splitter..or whatever it's called, behind the blade can catch the wood and cause a jam. If you keep your mind on what you're doing and aren't careless there's little chance of having an accident. Again..my opinion.
*****
I don't doubt that there are some who say such things with the best of intentions. But, regardless of intentions, that's really what it ends up being when all is said and done. If this were about a video titled "How To Be Safe When Woodworking", it might be a different story but this isn't really about safety, It's about the _appearance_ of safety and that's always going to be a subjective thing to anyone who watches a video.
+BigRalphSmith respect the tool: use it safely. Fear is not the same thing. I'd much rather make the effort to use tools safely than throw caution to the wind. Can't replace a missing digit.
Mark Sirois
"Can't replace a missing digit".
Give them 5 more years and I'll bet they can.
:-)
Damn, get a push stick dude!
He has 10 of them :-P
@Y T
How about all 10 fingers?
I think people do stupid shit just so they can get comments from people with common sense.
push sticks are for pansies ^^
@@daskraut
I'd rather be a ten finger pansy, than a no knuckle knuckle head
I can't believe you still have fingers.
I see he doesn't like using push sticks.
Wimps
I despise safety trolls but gotta admit the opening shots made me cringe! Sorry about that!
And baggy clothing right over the blade. Always a good decision.
@@priayief there is no such thing as safety trolls, there are only stupid people that screw up with safety and making stupid comments on the internet... just like you.
This will be a nice reference/"memory" video for when you want to remember what your hands used to look like with 10 fingers.
Love it! My exact first thought. Why would you put this on TH-cam
lol
Why? Because there's no blade guard? They don't protect your fingers
@@lyricderbin1169 He's not using a push stick, he also didn't put on the riving knife that comes with the saw, this prevents boards from warping and squeezing down on the blade like your car brakes do, resulting in a kickback. If your saw is powerful enough you can say goodbye to your thumbs pushing the board as they will break from the saw pushing the work piece back into your thumbs. That wouldn't be an issue if again he was using push sticks.
@@stahpitt8531 This saw is not powerful enough to kick back. I used the riving knife that came with the saw. It's too thin for standard kerf or the blade it comes with. I had a "kickback" occur once. The quotes are because the blade just bound up and stopped as I was able to over power the kickback. I had to push the reset on the motor.
With the saw comes a blade, blade guard, riving knife, anti-kickback dogs ( like on a chainsaw ), and a push stick. I only ever used them all once. Made a push cleat and kept using the riving knife even though it was too thin. Ultimately replaced mine with a vintage saw.
I am surprised he still has all his fingers...make a push block please
+Mark Sirois
Made me cringe in 2 seconds.
hobi masine i j
+Mark Sirois
I kept expecting to see his fingers come off
I fully agree, EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!
+CoolHandBart74
nervewracking lol
Judging by his shop, this guy is super experienced. I think all of you safety police will suffer an injury before he does. Great video.
I don't like the way you go so near with the fingers to the blade. It is a bad example!
Your desk is very nice done also.
Price work.
I gotta ask, do you still have all 10 fingers? please do yourself a favor and buy a GRR-Ripper from Micro Jig or use a push stick. I cringe every time you push the wood past the blade.
Push stick mate, Bad example for any kids who are watching.
Not to mention the long sleeves.
+John Kirkwood
it's only a matter of time till he loses a finger
Then will he change his channel name to Stubby?
I am a kid and I can't believe how dangerous this is especially without a diving knife
John Kirkwood im his son and he is smarter then you think he is you should check out my you tube
My $129.00 ryobi table saw says thxs! And me too!
+Ei Pi My Ryobi is a piece of crap too and sure could use this upgrade. Thanks for the idea.
I opted to replace my saw this guy has with a 1970s Rockwell/Beaver for $80.
Hehe. You scared everyone with the fingers. If you actually cut your fingers off the views would jump to 40 million. You might surpass Justin Never. You obviously know what you're doing. Good job..
^ this comment should be at the top
Sometimes when you polish a turd, all you end up with is a shiny turd.
you should run a thin piece of metal along your tightener rail to keep your bolt from cuting in.
Exact thought running nice piece of bar metal up against that fence rather than that piece of plywood it'll last substantially longer. And also use a nut inside the wood to help support it as well this guy on the backside ride along with the metal that it meets with. With maybe a washer in between.
@@jeffwolf8018 oh man I thought the EXACT same thing with the nut & washer setup, set inside his locking knob. 👍 Great idea putting flat bar on the fence part 👌
@@joeygunzilla6878 thanks.. Im great at improving flawed designs. Have great day
@@jeffwolf8018 so am I.. People around me get annoyed by it. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, admittedly it gets annoying to me at times.. overthinking and obsessing over details.. But hey the end result doesn't have to be redone/fixed
@@joeygunzilla6878 yup wint leave a job till Im happy which is far better than 90% people ever get and see hacked const jobs from far away. Like a thumb hit by hammer, 5 min after when its red and feel heartbeat in it. I ran my iwn home repair co before geti g hit with Colitis and lost entire lg intestine 0, 3 to 4 years after started own co maki g tons of money on only word of mouth. Now its much worse Crohn's, Pouchitis, Carpel Tunnel, RA, and a bag on my belly in 2018 and the original colitis still here to.. Still know how yo do everything and several hundred thousand in tools. But body says fuck that.
I topped watching after 15 seconds because of the technique used to rip the boards -- fingers too close to the saw blade, no push stick, no splitter. Use caution around the blade. I may take another look and skip the parts where you are sawing.
Good video. Just some advice.. Your fingers were about a quarter inch away from the saw blade. You really need push sticks. Also you really need eye protection.
Dude, where's the blade guard or any safety equipment?
I prefer not to have one of them. I don't recommend it or anything
Riving knifes are cool but i find blade guards to be stupid
The first thing I toss out is the blade guard. Then you can see what is happening and on that model the wood can jam with the guard and kick back. My King lasted 17 years before it burned out. I modified the fence the week I got it. The motor was good but the rest of it...piece of crap.
not needed
Thanks for the video. I have a portable contractors saw and for years I've been wishing it had a bigger table and a more accurate fence and, thanks to your video, I see that it can.
As for the commenters nagging you about your fingers- what the fuck people? It's not the first power tool he's ever used. If he wants to ride without a helmet it's his choice.
Perfect timing-picked up a crap tablesaw at Rona-scratch and dent for $89. Spent an hour fiddling with the fence. You just solved my fence problem in under 10 minutes! Hey fellow tubers lets appreciate the time, effort and thought that went into this project. Thank for sharing!!
Agreed. I too have a piece of crap table saw. Thanks for giving me some great ideas. First question, 3/4 " thick top, loosing depth of cut, problem? Second, fingers, still have all of them? Most comments are about your safety program, I see you don't seem too worried about it, as you replied to one "to each your own". Your fingers aren't mine so I guess I'm not worried either. I'm worried if you have safety glasses, well not really. Would be a shame if you lost your ability to share your good ideas though.
@@k.bellingham8335 I had this saw. Opted to replace it with a 9" 1970s Rockwell/Beaver for $80. Thing weighs 135 lbs though.
@@k.bellingham8335 this was the comment I was looking for. Something about the loss of cutting height on the blade. What I want to do is somehow remove the existing table surface and replace it with something similar to this. Not sure if I can..
Your fingers are too valuable to put them that close to the blade!!! Agh!! Scares me every time
I used your idea for separating the saw and stand, but I put the bolts sticking up through the stand so I can set the saw flat on the ground if need be. Also I had an old gate handle and added to the back for easy carrying.
+Willie Stubbs Good thinking Batman... That will also stop the bolts from chewing up the floor of your truck (van, car... whatever)
+Willie Stubbs
Thanks for sharing. I wish I had of done the same thing. I'm going to switch mine.
+Wooden Tool Man Had done.
Great as a Health and Safety video. Students have to count the number of bad practices.
"Gees, how hard can it be to find that slot?"
If there were ever a sentence perfectly made for the "That's what she said" comeback, that would be it.
Ryan Lamp instant ‘that’s what she said’ when I heard that. Lol
While I'm a firm believer in a push stick, I've never used a saw with a riving knife or safety guard. Saws just didn't have them or I'm older than most. I learned to keep hands where I could see them at all times.
there is the story of the carpenter who worked his whole life and one week before retirement he loses his hand
The added height of the plywood top will decrease the maximum thickness of the stock you can now cut with the saw. One question which you didn't address; what saw did you use to precisely cut all the plywood used to make the new top and rip fence?
Nice project! My table saw is almost that same model and have been wanting to do a project like this one for it. Thanks!
"King Canada" LOL - your going to lose a finger if something surprises you during a cut though. Should really use a push stick when you coming within 1cm of the spinning blade.
+FireBlade X it's only a matter of time till he loses a finger
We used your video (with much starting and stopping) to turn my Ryobi saw into a good one. Then, my son and I took your concept a step further and added mitering capability (for half-lap joints, etc.). We built a guide track on the left side of the table, then built the miter to ride on the track. Getting it square was a pain, but now it works well. Thanks for the great idea.
Thanks. Glad it helped. I'm going to do some more to mine soon to and I'll post it once I get it done.
Push sticks! Push sticks, Stumpy (giving you the nickname in advance).
Don't need plans, the idea is what is needed so can work out the manufacture from that, and modify to suit any saw while doing it.
One suggestion that would improve it,
Use a strip of metal inset and glued to a piece of ply between the handscrew (bolt) and the side rail, it will give better purchase without knocking chunks out of the rail, would of course need a cage to hold it in place and allow it to float but as long as the fence is on the table then that's just a couple of end caps.
You saved me composing what you wrote. Each dent will oblige the screw to jump into that dent when he wants it 1/16 away.
Paul Ohlstein
I agree with both of you, and an alternative to the metal strip is to install a 'foot' on the end of the handscrew bolt so there is more surface area pressing into the side rail, less likely to dent the side rail.
I thought that as well as soon as i saw all the little dents.
How did you make all the perfectly square cuts in the plywood without a table saw? Or did you have another table saw that was better set up?
I guess your next video will be about on "how to re-attach your fingers"
I was thinking the same thing. 🤦♂️
I totally agree w all of the safety comments - you are playing with fire friend. All it takes is hitting a knot or even just cutting loose built up tension in a piece of wood to create a kickback or a jam that can suck your hand into the blade. It happens much faster than any normal human has reaction time so there is nothing you can do but go looking for the severed finger. Avoidance is the only chance you have, so poo-pooing riving knives, blade guards, and push sticks is really really dumb. Just hope some young kid doesn't take your comments too seriously and hurt themselves. Now about the project. It took you two hours and there appears to be at least $100 in Baltic plywood and fasteners. So there's $200 plus the $150 for the junk skil tablesaw. $50 more and you could have had a floor demo Bosch which has a dandy rip fence. I do appreciate the "home made bench power tools" vids that pop up on Utoob for entertainment value, but they almost never save any real dollars and the safety factor of all that stuff is highly questionable.
have you ever used a table saw? first of all the blade doesnt suck your hand into it, it cuts not sucks. you only get kickback if youre forcing the saw or if youre not holding on the wood secure enough. hes been using a table saw for years as you can tell, so he made it to suit his needs/comforts
95jamesg I have a kickback scar. Kickback can send wood through a wall. If you think holding it down with your fingers is sufficient, you're really wrong.
He should have a riving knife or a splitter. He should also use a push stick/block when pushing wood past the blade.
What he does with himself is fine, but when you're showing others how you use tools, you need to show some responsibility.
it all depends on the circumstances and materials, AND the user, but i agree i would prefer a riving knife too, and therefore i wouldnt use this saw for tasks that require a riving knife. i still stand with my previous comment though
if you hold the wood securely, you can feel if the saw wants to kickback, and you do have enough time to make the desicion to stand to the side and let go in most cases, provided youre not forcing it, again this comes down to experience. you can even shut the saw off while holding the wood
.....but not as much fun or satisfaction!
Fingers playing chicken with that blade.
For sure
The fact that you still have fingers after this little display of incompetence amazes me and I am sure a lot of other people. When you pay $100 for a saw what did you expect a Saw Stop cabinet saw? Like one of the previous comments said let’s hope someone does not take this to heart.
Here is the best advice I ever got about table saws: Save your money and buy a decent saw with an accurate fence system.
google "push stick"
I can't believe you still have all your fingers
Dude, you're gonna be pickin' your nose with a nub one of these days. For god sake make a push stick out of a piece of scrap.
Iv made this fence a couple of years ago.... Still working great. Thanking you sir🙏😊
Wayne, glad to see you back. I've got a similar saw and this is definitely some much needed inspiration for me to get it dialed in. Are you going to route some miter slots in there? Thanks for all the great videos.
that moment at @0:20 when you ask yourself do i like my fingers attached.
I'm dangerously close to my 60th year and I still have all of the OEM . Just be careful, kids. Sometimes fingers give you better control over the material than you're gonna get from a stick
Great job! You turned a crap saw into a usable wood working saw.
I often wonder how many guys buy that model of saw as there first saw, I bet they become frustrated right away.
I hope they watch your video.
EarlRausch I have that saw. I won years ago in a safety meeting. I’m a crane operator by trade. At 45 yrs old I accidentally looked into wood working. Now I’m obsessed. Just tonight I had a piece of 3/4 plywood that had to be cut at 24”x47”. If I could’ve seen this video first. XD
Thank you for making this video. I too have crappy table saw. Have a great day.
Dude, you're going to cut your finger off putting it along side the blade that close. Use a push stick! If this is the way you usually work, make sure you've always got a cellphone on you so you can call 9-1-1. I'm serious, don't EVER cut corners like that.
Good Lord. First cut and his fingers were already really close to that blade.
I hope you never have a kickback. You are standing right in line for a bad projectile injury. No riving blade to help prevent it either. Also, a push block is so easy to make and could save you a finger on day. Just Sayin'. It's better to be safe than sorry dude.
think you did a great job. but what about safety. isn't that important?? rifing knife and so on, push block?
I know their will be some negative feedback from this comment I'm about to make but ...... 1. Where is the riving knife on the saw. Also you hand was way to close to the blade whilst operating the machine it should be at least 350 mm. Not to sound patronizing and no offense but may I recommend that you use a push stick.
Adding a piece of Formica to the top makes things slide better and makes it more durable.
Needs to be applied both sides, if not, the sheet develops a nice cup, makes it useless.
Turn a Crappy Table Saw into a Good finger cutting machine? Sir your fingers are to close to the blade..you should have a fish to push your wood....and slowdown you are going to fast around a saw,,
He'll learn soon enough to use push sticks. I have used power tools almost every day for about 15 years now, my incident came 6 years ago on a table saw, half the bottom of my thumb (including half the finger nail) was shaved off by the blade on a kick back. It was quite a site, you could actually see all the fatty tissue. It became one of the most painful cuts ever since I would randomly hit my thumb throughout the healing process. Funny part is because I continued to work that day and I was in such pain, I also clipped my index finger 2 hours later on the miter saw while attempting to cut crown molding. From that day on I take all safety precautions very seriously, I'm also glad my fingers look normal, although my index finger is a bit more sensitive on the tip.
Question: why did you continue to work instead of get your happy ass to the ER?
Perkaholic because his cut didn't require an ER visit. There is next to nothing they could have done for him.
Exactly what Marcus said, although painful, nothing could really be done at that point, plus I was in a crunch to get the job done. Either way it was a good lesson learned which I learned the hard way... Safety First
They could have like covered up the cut with skin grafts or something
Perkaholic umm I think you have his injury exaggerated in your mind.
So what did you use to cut up all that plywood, did I miss something? Blade wobble is probably pretty significant maybe not an issue if all you're doing is basic stuff. When things go wrong on a table saw its very fast and very violent and you don't know what happened till its over. Hope you still have all your fingers.
"How To" Get Your Right Hand Cut Off
It just struck me how judgmental some of you are on safety in this video, while there are no such comments for very similar situation in another, polished (!), video: th-cam.com/video/FIhMBYwm9E8/w-d-xo.html