Accident - beware of rushing with a table saw...

[WB]

That looks familiar.

[tommyj]

Glad your recovering from your mishap. The table saw scares the sh1t out of me.

As a newby I have a bit of a question for the experienced builders.

Do you guys use the panel cutting jigs? Seems to me the reason Bill tells you to use them is to keep these accidents from happening. My table saw isn't big but with the jig I can keep my fingers and arms well away from the blade. I do keep the blade just high enough to cut the piece plus about a tooth height. If I'm unsure, I just clamp the piece somehow and get through the cutting.

Any input from you guys would be helpful to not only myself, but to others who are just starting out.

Cheers,

[AntonZ]

Yes, I use the panel cutting jig all the time and it is great. Even though it is a pain to slide over my saw. When cutting smaller pieces, there's not always enough room for clamping. I often just nail or screw the ply to the jig. When it's all swiss-cheesed, it can be replaced. My fingers cannot. And I set the blade even lower. Just a few mm higher than the jig plus ply (less than 1/8" extra). It would no doubt be painfull and messy if I did accidentaly hit the blade with a hand, but I have a fair chance of not loosing any extremities.