Customer Reviews

Cutting-Edge Table Saw Tips & Tricks (Popular Woodworking)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A really excellent resource for a new or slightly experienced craftsman who would like a good introduction to getting more out of his/her tablesaw than the usual, basic cuts. Good photos, good explanations of the jigs, and most importantly: No time wasted discussing (ugh) "how to choose a table saw."

My main gripe with most tablesaw books is that so many pages are wasted to describe how to choose a saw--something many folks (myself included) have already done by the time they get around to buying a tablesaw book. Burton skips all that fluff, delves straight into the basics of choosing the right blade for the task, and then explains the nuts-and-bolts of setting up the table saw to: (1) make basic and tricky cuts with precision, (2) accomplish basic and semi-advanced joinery, (3) perform basic and advanced shaping operations, (4) cut and manage sheet stock, (5) tune up your saw, and (chapters 6 - 8) build three practical pieces of furniture which put your new skills to the test.

I didn't bother to build any of the furniture, but I have learned at least half a dozen solid, useful techniques that will help me perform all kinds of joining and cutting operations I never realized a tablesaw could perform so easily and accurately.

This book is a particularly good resource for a new woodworker or an "advanced novice" wanting to take his/her skills to the next level. It's not as remedial as many similar books, as it assumes a basic understanding of saws on the reader's part (No tedious discussions of which end of the saw is the sharp end, or what a "mitre slot" is used for.) No, it won't make you a fine craftsman overnight (what book could?), and it's not as chock full of elborate jigs and tips as many other books. But unlike most other books, there's little here that is just fluff. While many books try to teach you 1,000 complicated jigs for 1,000 different scenarios you may never need or care about, this book focuses on basic, practical, simplified jigs that will help you on a regular basis. There's something here to help you with just about any cut you are likely to make.

Thankfully, Burton is one of the few woodworkers who still believes it's possible to align and maintain a tablesaw for accurate cuts without needing special measuring equipment. There's no need for dial gauges or special miter-slot devices here. Just a basic bevel gauge, carpenter's square, ruler, block of wood, and/or dial calipers will do the trick--and Burton explains how. Again, very practical.

Finally, worthy of note to some, the dimensions for building the jigs are provided in both metric and imperial measurements. A small detail, but a nice touch for those folks who love the metric system.

This book has a ton of valuable, useful information. Burton's approach to table saw techniques is both concise and easy to follow .

The author takes a no-nonsense approach to building jigs an fixtures for the saw, de-emphisizing the myth that you need to spend big $$$ to get a good quality, useful jig or fixture. (Patterns and construction details for all of the jigs he discusses are provided in the book).

He takes you step-by-step through safety, setup, tuning, as well as simple and complex joinery and shaping. This is an excellent guide and reference that I keep at the ready.

I feel like I'm repeating the gist of the first reviewer's comments, but it seems worth the effort.

Overall I was impressed by the photo quality, the no-nonsense approach, practical safety (I get tired of excess warnings), and the author's cheapness! (sorry, Burton) He does NOT make jigs that are works of art - he uses 2x pine, thin MDF... his outfeed table is an old L-shaped kitchen counter with most of the original carcass... [I hope this makes sense - I admire his attitude and I find his frugality refreshing.] He makes featherboards but also uses a commercial featherboard.

Chapter 1 is basic info but there is a lot of good stuff, including making a splitter, modifying your miter guage so it fits the slot better, a different method of blade removal, CHEAP sleds, etc.

Chapter 2 is joinery - box joint, lock joint, shims for dados, splines... Even a suggestion to have a dedicated dove tail blade with teeth ground to 10 degrees to make the waste clean-out easier.

Chapter 3 is shaping - he even shows molder blades. He has a jigs to follow a pattern (like is used with routers), coves, half coves.

Chapter 4 is cutting sheet stock. I personally have decided 4x8 sheets should be cut to slightly oversized with something like a Festool Saw or a EurekaZone jig and then trimmed on a TS - the infeed & outfeed stuff is just too hard in my opinion.

Chapter 5 is tuning up your waw - it's a broad brush, obviously, but he hits the right notes.

Chapter 5-8 (1 chapter in my head) has 3 projects to use the new skills you learned in the first 100 pages. A spice cabinet with a paneled door, a small valet for your dresser, and a demilune table that includes bentwood lamination out of cherry that was "table sawn" on his table saw. I liked the examaples - and I thought the how-to photos really did a good job. it worked well for my ADD addled brain!

Good book.

I took a cabinet making class from Ken Burton last year. He's an exceptional craftsman with remarkable range. This book is very much like his class... there's no fluff. It's practical, accurate, and usable.

Plenty of useful ideas on how to operate a table saw. Has some interesting jigs, but not an excessive number. In my opinion, about the right number. A book solely on jigs might be good, but that is not what I bought this book for.

Also, only 3 projects or so. Again, I consider that a good thing. There are plenty of project plans elsewhere.

I bought this book on the basis of other positive reviews, and I concur.

This book is one that will prove, or disprove, itself over the stretch of time. Let me explain.

Burton does a very good job talking about the construction of the table saw and what this wonderful tool can and can't do. This alone is valuable information but the true value comes in the later chapters.

After covering the background and structure issues Burton separates a majority of the book to short chapters on types of cuts and their attendant jigs. This is where the overall readability slips a little bit but the long-term value goes up. These short chapters are excellent reference pieces and I will keep this book close by in the shop to use when I'm in a given situation. As far as I can tell, the list of cut types covered in these instructional chapters is pretty exhaustive. I think you would have to go pretty far afield to find a type of cut not covered. But, like most reference books, reading it from cover to cover like a normal book isn't the greatest adventure in reading. I can deal with that as long as I know that the book has the information available when I need it, and this book does.

I have not yet tried the projects laid out in the back of the book. A brief review leads me to believe that if I took it slow, I would be able to produce a replica with moderate effort.

The book is very detailed on the picture and descriptions. It provides with very good fixtures for different projects and it looks as a very useful reference. Still, it suggest the addition of some expensive blades and dadoes that may not be considered for you.

Lots of good table saw tips here, but personally I feel more comfortable using a router. Why? Both vertical and horizontal bits are available for routers which avoids having to do things like setting plywood on it's edge, then running it through the moving saw blade to create the single side of a carpentry joint, which I might add has to have a mating joint. I'm just not a natural born kamikaze pilot.

Beautifully illustrated, well written.

Not a comprehensive table saw book. About 100 pages (with lots of white space) if you don't count the Projects section.

Get it from the library. You'll enjoy mining it for useful tips.

Book has good ideas but possibly at least one shop plan is way off on dimensions or I am way off base on this criticism. On page 10 is pix of shop cart with its plans located on page 85. While I may be a novice/weekend wood worker, I studied the plan, cut the stock, then tried to piece it together and made a mess. Long apron "C" is the same length as long stretcher "E". OK - that works. I don't know why they have different names which is confusing. Then we get to the cross pieces: short apron "D" is shorter than narrow leg "B" by seven inches. Short stretcher "F" is 6 inches shorter than wide leg "A". There is no explanation why the lengths are different, however, after cutting all the pieces I found they do not fit; i.e., the bottom is seven inches wider than the top. I can't see that in the picture. So after trying to salvage scrap wood to retrofit, the cart came out somewhat useable but not as attractive. Maybe this is why I don't depend on cabinet making for a living????