April 9, 2022
Even if you are a veteran or a novice, you must comprehend the function of each component of the table saw to maximize your security while making excellent cuttings. If you are keen to learn more about the many tables saw attachments and accessories available, you have arrived at the right destination!
A table saw should generally be of the first equipment on any novice woodworker’s purchasing checklist. It is a crucial component of workshop tools since it enables you to do various woodcutting operations. Several artisans who use power tools the table saw have to be the most critical machinery in their working environment, apart from their protective gear. Whereas modern table saw designs include cutting-edge manufacturing innovation, several tables saw attachments ensuring effectiveness, construction efficiency, and reliability.
The following is a rundown of all the accessories that are a necessity for your table saw. Some may have purchased, while others are self-made; all are worthwhile considering further.
18 Table Saw Accessories & Attachments That Every Woodworking Workshop Need
1) Table Saw Blades
The majority of veteran table saw operators would acknowledge that regardless of the table saw’s efficiency, it is only as excellent as its fitted blade. It implies that if you want to create fabulous cuttings with your saw, the very first thing you need to do is investing in a high-quality blade.
Numerous tables saw blades are available, including those for rips, crosscutting, and all-purpose blades that you may perform for both. Acquire knowledge to choose the edge that is most suitable for the work at hand – and then observe how much the level of your operation progress.
2) Throat Plate
By positioning the saw blade below the wood instead of above it, there is now better accessibility to the edge and less danger of wood pieces dropping into space where the blade rests. The tiny wooden or metallic bits found surrounding the blade of the table saws refers to as throat inserts.
The basic throat insert that arrives with the table saw will compel you to upgrade to a more advanced one. You may not require a zero clearance insert in most instances since the factory throat adapters allow room in the middle. A zero insert will provide minimal space, seeing as this will even keep detritus out of the saw’s interior functioning.
3) Dado Blade or Dado Set
A dado blade stack would be among the most time-saving table saw accessories you may purchase if you plan to cut grooves and slots with a table saw. In addition, Dado blade stacks are worthwhile investments if you want to build more extensive furniture components like bookcases and showcase cupboards. Moreover, a dado blade is a necessary component to your table saw’s toolkit for cutting grooves, dadoes.
For anybody who frequently uses dado blades, it is imperative to own a high-quality dado kit. A complimentary assortment includes various sizes of dados, notches, rabbets, and tongue-and-groove joints. You may often achieve the ideal chamfer width throughout one pass. However, the blade must go through many rounds to finish, which consumes a protracted timeframe.
One most important note to mention. You will need to change throat plate to wider, dado blade set compatible throat plate in order to make dado cuts on your table saw.
4) Push Stick
Controlling your stock is critical. Push sticks are helpful because they make pushing the stock across the blade easier. When you are working with pretty delicate parts, this is important. To make your work easier, you should have a variety of push sticks.
It would help if you also had a push stick to work securely with a table saw. When fingertips come into touch with the blade, this is the most often occurring table saw mishap. Again, the narrower the bits of stock you are dealing with, the more appropriate it is to utilize a push stick.
For the most part, table saws feature a push stick. However, if yours is missing or damaged, you should quickly get a replacement if you have misplaced or forgotten it.
5) Push Block or Push Pad
The central equivalence between push pads and push sticks is that it is flat, have a firm base, and have a gripping that attaches to the horizontal handles. Therefore, push pads, which offer you extra traction, are ideal whenever sawing grooves on the workpiece surface.
Push blocks provide the same function as push sticks, although they are often not incorporated when you purchase a table saw. Hand’s mishaps prevention since you may push the stock through the blade, ameliorating the danger of injury to the hands.
With such a push block, you have a better hold on the stock, so your fingers are shielded from the edge. Of course, push blocks are expensive, but when you want exceptional handiwork —as well as for your hands, they may be a worthwhile investment.
6) Featherboard
Subsequently, table saw feather boards help keep the working pieces securely fixed to the fence and therefore help to avoid backlash. You may create feather boards with pieces of wood that you can find at hand. If you are not convinced, go ahead and purchase these additional items. Other newer models may be clamped or magnetized to fence posts. Again, you will enable you to restrain the cattle by using feather boards you have attached to the fences.
If you use featherboards, you may use them to protect your fingertips when pushing the stock into the blade. The cutlery rests on top of the stock and transmits pressure keeping it securely in place. You then can cut a more accurate account of the pressure on the stocks. As long as you’re using a feather board, you would have to generate this tension with your hands, which means that you’re more likely to cause a mishap.
Feathered boards improve the integrity of your artistry while also helping to protect your safety, making them an invaluable tool in the woodworker’s arsenal.
7) Miter Gauge
In the exact manner that numerous table saws emerge with fencing, some also feature with a miter gauge, but all too generally, this gauge falls well short of the quality required to provide even the most rudimentary of results. A miter gauge is usually often included as an afterthought by table saw manufacturers, who are reluctant to invest the expense and inflate the cost you pay to provide you with a high-quality miter gauge if they don’t understand how important it is to have one.
A miter gauge is required if you wish to create angle cutting and crosscuts in your woodworking project. In your selection for a miter gauge, you should look for one that has solid stops and degrees that are clear to comprehend. In addition, it would be best if you chose a variant that will perfectly integrate into the miter slots on your table saw. Finally, the miter gauge should be free to move backward, backward, and forwards while being taut and firmly reinforced at the same time.
Therefore, if you prefer to produce a variety of precise miter cuts, a decent table saw miter gauge should be on your buying checklist as an additional important component. There is a wide range of options available at a variety of pricing points. We recommend that if you plan on utilizing the miter gauge regularly, invest in the most satisfactory model you can purchase. It will be worth the investment in the long run.
8) Angle Gauge
Trimming beveled slopes on the edge of your work material may be time-consuming and frustrating. It seems like one of those table saw attachments that minimize much time by enabling you to establish the proper angle on the table saw on the first occasion. In addition, by incorporating technological elements into the layout, this equipment became more lightweight and user-friendly.
Numerous woodworkers find the capability to create a variety of precise beveled edges to be very useful, but the tools they have at their disposal may not enable them to achieve the degree of accuracy they need.
An inexpensive and easy option and one that is significantly less costly than purchasing higher expensive tools –is this Wixey electronic angle gauge with a display. Simple installation on the blade provides a precise reading of the elevation, and then you change the edge to the angular position you need is all there is to it. Exquisite and inventive in its design.
9) Rip Fence
Several table saws come equipped with such a ripping fence, but the durability of these fences is often subpar. The table saw fence is a critical component. However, if you prefer to get outstanding outcomes, you should probably invest in an additional modification.
To make the actual cuttings, you will require a rip fence as a leading attachment. When cutting in-grain, the rip fence will act as a vertical plane assist, allowing for more precise cuttings to make. It will be typical in most cutting types of work using the best table saws on the market. It is a necessary attachment since it will provide precise guidance for the workpiece material as it passes through the blade.
It is arguably the essential additional you can get after the blade — as well as several individuals would even say that it is more vital than the blade itself. That is to say, and if you’d like to achieve the most outstanding levels of precision in your craftsmanship, it’s something you cannot manage to overlook.
10) Safety Power Switch
Table saws are naturally hazardous instruments, and they are considered the sharpest weapons in your workplace. However, there is no need to be afraid of them. Although it is always important to retain an appropriate reverence for them, doing everything that may help to improve your security is not a terrible thing.
As a result, a knee-operated protection valve may be a practical choice in this situation. A table saws issue, such as nipping, backlash, or whatever else, may be resolved quickly and safely using one of these valves. It’ll also enable you to prevent a tragedy if you ever have a malfunction with your table saw.
11) Crosscut Sled or Jig
It is a tool that I operate practically every occasion I switch on my table saw, and it is advantageous. The crosscut sled illustrates a woodshop jig that you may use to enhance the quality of your handiwork output almost immediately. When it comes to precision, these table saw attachments are necessary for any carpenter who relies on their table saw as their primary instrument for the majority of cuts. The crosscut sled enables you to produce precise cuts in a short amount of time and with high consistency.
The critical thing to remember is that the sled should travel along with the miter gauge notch on the tabletop. A broad frame ensures that items are firmly held in place while running over the table saw blade. In addition, fences on the top and rear of the machine offer a structure upon which you may press your workpiece to hold it in place throughout the cutting.
The majority of artisans will construct the sled out of plywood or melamine materials. Materials that break out throughout usage may replace, allowing the crosscut sled to last for a more extended time. A device that holds your planks of wood at an angle makes it possible to perform quick miter cuts is also featured on the market.
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12) Zero Clearance Insert Throat Plate
The throat plate on the majority of table saws makes of steel. While sawing, a zero-clearance insert utilizes to provide a more precise alignment. It assists in avoiding blow and closes the space through which pieces of wood may drop and rebound at you when you least expect it.
The throat insert included with your table saw was most likely very spacious, which means that you have much room to work with when you input your stock into the blade. In contrast, using a zero clearance insert in your installation may aid in enhancing sawdust extraction while also reducing blow and preventing tiny bits of wood from being flung at you while working. Consequently, it should be a simple compliment to your table saw inventory.
13) Mobile Base
Even though certain table saws, including such Jobsite table saws or small table saws, are intended to be portable, bigger models, including such contractual table saws, hybrids table saws, and cabinetry table saws, are considerably more challenging to transport or move around in your workshop. Therefore, if you own one of these bigger models, while you also desire portability, a movable stand for your table saw is a logical option to consider.
14) Outfeed Table
In its most basic definition, an outfeed table is a platform designed to sustain materials after it has passed underneath the blade of a saw. Whereas several table saw models have an outfeed table, most of them are just expansions that do not extend much beyond the table saw’s tabletop.
The stability provided by an outfeed table will enable you to rip lengthy cutting boards without having to worry about them rising off the table after enough wood has passed through the saw blade. In addition, it will assist in keeping the wood firmly in place on the table. When you use an outfeed table, you will discover that making a ripping cutting is secure and reliable.
The amount of space required by these table saw accessories determine the dimensions of material you typically deal with and the size of your business. More comprehensive outfeed tables may be equipped with wheels, allowing them to move while not in usage. Under the tables, you may include shelving for storing materials or equipment in the structure.
You may create an outfield table that tailors to your workspace needs. As a result, it will fit correctly, and you will have the opportunity to construct anything as well.
15) Power Twist Link Belt
The primary belt that accompanies a table saw will inevitably get worn out and need to replace. In addition, it causes to grow rigid and distorted over time, reducing the efficiency of the job that you are going to do in the future.
Instead of just changing the belt, reap the benefits of the chance to improve your tools by installing a power twist link belt instead. It intends to last significantly longer than standard belts, and they will also enable your saw to operate more smoothly, resulting in better excellent cuttings.
16) Aftermarket Splitter or Riving Knife
On table saws, splitters or riving knife assist in holding your stock in position by minimizing slippage and displacement to table saw kick-back incidents. They also eradicate the propensity for wood to squeeze the blade as you cut it. Using your fingers to squeeze may result in burned tips at the very least and potentially dangerous repercussions at the significantly worse.
Whereas several users choose not to utilize a splitter even when they are time-consuming to mount and modify, by selecting an elevated splitter, namely the MJ splitter, users may enjoy all of the benefits without some of the drawbacks of using one. When you look at it that way, it appears to be a cakewalk.
In comparing splitter and riving knife, both serve the same purpose of preventing kickback, But, there are some degree of differences in the aspect of safety levels and features.
17) Blade Guard
It is an additional precaution accessory for use with the security instrument. The blade guard, on the other hand, is often avoided by experienced craftsmen. Several versions are available that equip with a blade guard, which will increase your protection while cutting and the precision of your cutting.
Individuals have avoided using the blade guard in the previous since they believe it would impair their vision. So, many manufacturers have enhanced the blade guards and now offer them in inconspicuous and straightforward models. To maintain safety by preventing kick-back while making high-quality cuttings, you should drive the adoption of the blade guard while cutting.
18) Dust Collector
Whenever dust breath, it includes contaminants that may induce pulmonary harm. A reliable dust collecting system is an absolute must-have. The modifications include a dust outlet located at the bottom of the saw, an enclosure panel situated at the rear of the saw, significantly cutting foam to cover tiny holes and a custom-made overarm grit collection constructed in the workshop.
The overarm collector collects the debris that flicks off the rear of the blade, which is typically the far more troublesome dust to gather due to its configuration. If you own a Delta contractor model table saw, you may use the freeware design provided underneath to make the rear adhesive plates for your table saw.
There are different types of table saw dust collection systems such as overarm dust collector with stand, saw blade guard that feature a dust port and etc.
Conclusion
All items are designed to support the development of your carpentry abilities. As you may have figured, the finest table saw is very flexible and will come in handy when precise cutting is required. To accomplish these cuts, though, you’ll demand the finest accessories. Numerous attachments can utilize with a table saw; all you needed to do is choose what you’d like to do with the table saw and how you want to accomplish it.
Carefully refer to the owner’s guidebook and emulate the dealership’s recommendations to guarantee that you are cutting accurately and safely. The only way to effectively use the table saw is to get the appropriate attachments. Once you’ve grasped the operation of the table saw accessory, you’ll love the pleasure of cutting with these powerful tools. Utilizing them should, most significantly, enhance your enjoyment of carpentry!
Jason is a 40-year-old woodworker, carpenter and author who have been involved in the woodworking and woodcraft industry with 17 years of experience. He is expertise in technical aspects, woodcraft and furniture building projects.