# feel like I am fighting my table saw



## kms399 (Apr 13, 2013)

I have an older craftsman table saw and while it may not be the best it is all i got. the surface has ridges and when i am pushing wood through i feel like I am constantly fighting to get the wood through. I have a brand new diablo 60 tooth blade which makes a nice cut but I feel the table surface is to blame. does anyone have a recommendation to treat, or finish the top of this saw. I have actually had the saw move on me while feeding wood through not cool. 

here is a pic of a similar saw so you can see what I am talking about.


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## shopman (Feb 14, 2013)

Before you blame the top are you sure that your fence is not binding you up? If not then maybe yo can try sanding your top with some 220 on a random orbit sander just in case there are any nicks that are creating fine splintered areas of the table. Dont sand too much just clean the surface.


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## mikeswoods (May 18, 2009)

You may have the wrong blade in there---You want a ripping blade or a combination blade---

My guess is that you have a cross cut blade----this will cut slow and try to lift the wood as you push---

What does it say on the blade?

Ripping cuts long shreds and they have no place to go in a cross cut blade----


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## Old Skhool (Oct 31, 2009)

mikeswoods said:


> You may have the wrong blade in there---You want a ripping blade or a combination blade---
> 
> My guess is that you have a cross cut blade----this will cut slow and try to lift the wood as you push---
> 
> ...


 +1 on the blade. Top could be sanded/cleaned and waxed, but back to that blade, I also question the blade type.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Xactly!*

That 60 tooth blade will not have enough deep gullets to disperse the sawdust from a rip which leaves longer fibers. Crosscuts will be fine.
Another issue may be with hardwood closing on the rear of the blade and pinching it on the blade guard or splitter. Wax it. Insert a wedge in the kerf if that's the case. 
By all means get a 40 toothFreud Diablo D1040 thin kerf blade, they are great and inexpensive. I have several and love them.


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## kms399 (Apr 13, 2013)

wow you guys are quick! I'll try a 40 tooth blade but until I get one how should I go about treating the table surface? obvious newb here.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

kms399 said:


> I have an older craftsman table saw and while it may not be the best it is all i got. the surface has ridges and when i am pushing wood through i feel like I am constantly fighting to get the wood through. I have a brand new diablo 60 tooth blade which makes a nice cut but I feel the table surface is to blame. does anyone have a recommendation to treat, or finish the top of this saw. I have actually had the saw move on me while feeding wood through not cool.
> 
> here is a pic of a similar saw so you can see what I am talking about.
> 
> ...


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## mikeswoods (May 18, 2009)

Just sand the top and ,perhaps, apply a dressing----some use paste wax--others use a product designed to give a slick surface---

Ridges? Just a design feature--

Believe me, your blade is the culprit---look for a ripping blade or a combination blade----

Also,check fence alignment and the guard/splitter---

Blade is my guess---more teeth does not mean a better cut----angle of the teeth is also different on a ripping blade----


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

Ribbed surfaces can offer resistance. As another suggested, use some fine grit sandpaper to make sure the entire surface, plus throat plate are smooth and even. Take the time to slightly ease the sharp square edges on the ribs. Then use a furniture paste wax. Similar to waxing a car. Apply a very light coat, allow to haze and buff off. Make sure there isn't any wax left in the grooves. 

The wrong blade, improper alignment with the fence are also things to check but ribbed surfaces on woodworking machines aren't the smoothest. I have a disc sander with a ribbed table, I glued a piece of Formica to it. It was almost unusable with the ribs.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*ribbed surfaces*

Friction depends on several things: the coefficent of friction of the two materials, and the amount of surface area with a given pressure. A rough surface will offer more friction, but the ribs used on table saws are meant to save material and offer less "stiction" since there is less "bonding" between the materials with the air passing between the ribs. 
It's just my wild guess that the ribs don't significantly affect the friction if they are smooth and waxed. I try to keep a coat of wax on my table saws and jointers and I can notice when it's time to refresh them with a new coating.
I would suspect that's the reason the bottoms of hand planes are ribbed also, as they "theoretically" offer less resistance. There doesn't seem to be any evidence in the forums on that issue however. Here's a good read:
http://www.school-for-champions.com/science/friction_changing_sliding_hard.htm#.UrBX7CfW7qs


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## kms399 (Apr 13, 2013)

thanks for the responses I will pick up some wax and see about smoothing the ribs on the table. hope to pick up a new blade this weekend, I'll report back

Ken


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## kms399 (Apr 13, 2013)

sanded and waxed the top and the difference is amazing, still havent picked up a blade but will soon. thanks again for all your help. looking back it seems like a dumb question but i'm glad i asked


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## Grinder71480 (Jul 2, 2013)

I know this sounds impossible but just make blade is turned for the right cutting rotation Blade can be put on backward. And I have seen people trying to use it like that. Seen a man trying to use a scroll saw with blade in upside down. Wanted to know how I held wood down when I cut something. He went to get coffee and I changed his blade around and told him to try that. He was amazed and wanted to know what I had done to it. Told him I just fine tuned it for him. And yes I did show him the teeth and explain what I did. But it was still very funny to me anyway


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## Black540i (Jan 4, 2013)

No need to buy expensive wax to for the surface. Go get ordinary wax paper out of the kitchen and ball up a piece and rub it on your table saw surface. Cheap, quick and easy. I do it and it makes a world of difference.


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## xmas (Nov 24, 2013)

My saw when i got a blade guard for it would always start causing a LOT of tension once my stock got past the blade. At first I was sure my fence wasn't parallel with the blade, then lated discovered it was happening right as the wood hit the splitter behind it. My unisaw's blade guard has a splitter that attaches in the back behind the blade on basically a metal dowel. The block holding the back of the splitter clamps to the dowel & I'd attached it just out of vertical, leaning slightly toward the fence. turned out to be a very quick fix just ensuring the splitter was perfectly vertical/90º to the table.


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## RogerInColorado (Jan 16, 2013)

A little detective work may be in order. See what happens when you run a board through the saw set up to cut off just a saw blade width. If THAT's hard to push through you probably have either a fence set-up problem (fence pushes toward the blade at the back of the fence) or a splitter set up problem (splitter is not in line with, centered on, and absolutely parallel in both planes to the blade). Remaining potentials, besides the crosscut blade mentioned, is a blade that is simply dull, or the saw motor doesn't have the power to cut the thickness of your stock at the speed you are pushing it through. Another possibility is that your blade is a thin kerf blade and the kerf is thinner than your splitter. Cut a kerf in a piece of scrap, lower the blade, push the fence aside, and see how the kerf fits the splitter. It should move into the splitter with no resistance.


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