Wiki page for SawStop

Safety

Ensure that nobody is behind you or distracting you when operating the saw.
Always wear safety glasses.
Do not wear gloves.
No loose clothing, jewelry, or long sleeves. Tie back long hair.
Do NOT use a saw that is malfunctioning. If the height or angle of the blade cannot be adjusted, the fence is not square to the miter slot, the saw break is engaged, or there are other operational problems with the saw, let a member of the woodshop maintenance team know immediately. Place a Do Not Use tag on the saw, lower the blade beneath the table if you can, turn the saw off and unplug it. Do not worry. We will not charge you for the repair cost (brake and blade set costs $100 each time but we budget for that).

Safety Specific to the Table Saw and SawStop Table Saws

Do NOT cut electrically-conductive stock with the SawStop table saw! This will cause the brake to engage the blade. ALWAYS test your stock against the blade before starting a cut. If the red light flashes when your stock touches the blade, the material cannot be cut with the saw. Mirrored acrylic, wet wood, laser cut wood/plywood, glue-ups that are not completely dry, pressure-treated wood, or carbon fiber will activate the saw break.
Your stock must have one flat face and one flat edge prior to using the table saw. The edge against the fence must be straight and square, and the face against the table must be flat. Do NOT cut logs, rough-sawn lumber, or irregularly-shaped pieces.
NEVER use the saw without an insert installed (see picture below.) No exceptions!
NEVER use the saw without the riving knife installed (dado blades are an exception.)
The table saw teeth always face the user. Stock is fed into the teeth.
Tuck fingers in, keeping them away from the blade but firmly in control of the piece. Lock your left hand on the saw bed edge, and use it to keep your stock in contact with the fence at all times. Use your right hand push the work piece into the blade.
Always push the stock all the way past the blade.
Use a push stick to finish the cut if your right hand will be within approximately 4 inches of the blade.
Do not be tempted to remove the off-cut piece while the blade is still running. Wait until the blade has fully stopped prior to removing the off-cut piece.
Never attempt a through cut with the dado blade setinstalled

There is no need to pass your hands over the blade with correct hand and foot movements.

Table Saw Kickback

A kickback at the table saw occurs when your stock rotates into the blade as it is cutting. The teeth of the blade catch the edge of the stock, and since the blade rotates toward the user, the blade catches the stock and throws it back toward the user. It is a very dangerous condition that is more likely to occur if your stock does not have a flat edge against the fence, and a flat face against the table. It is even more dangerous if using a Dado set and your dado is too deep (its disastrous if you should try a through cut with dado set ). Watch this YouTube video of a kickback in action.

What the Table Saw Does

The table saw is used to dimension lumber by performing either a rip cut or a cross cut. When the straight and square edge of a board is placed against the fence, the table saw will render the opposite edge parallel. You also can angle the blade up to 45 degrees if an angled edge is desired.

Rip cut: a cut that is made in the direction of the wood grain.
Cross cut: a cut that is made perpendicular to the grain of the wood.

We recommend that you cut large sheet stock, such as 4ft x 8ft MDF or plywood, at the Panel Saw. While the table saw can cut large sheet stock, it is a dangerous cut to make on the table saw whereas the panel saw renders it very safe. For dimensional lumber longer than the saw table, use the miter saw.

Parts of the SawStop

Industrial Cabinet Saw Stop-2.png

1. Table Top

2. Extension Wings

3. Blade Guard

4. Standard Table Insert

5. Switch Box

6. Elevation Hand Wheel

7. Tilt Hand Wheel

8. Motor Cover

9. Terminal Box

10. Dust Port

11. Miter Gauge

12. Blade Wrenches (2)

13. Belt Access Door

14. Bypass Key

15. Spreader / Riving Knife Storage Pin

16. Miter Gauge Slots

17. Tilt Angle Indicator (red)

18. Tilt Angle Scale

19. Disconnect Switch

Internal parts

20. Front Trunnion Bracket

21. Front Trunnion

22. Rear Trunnion Bracket

23. Rear Trunnion

24. Elevation Plate

25. Motor

26. Arbor Block

27. Arbor Nut

28. Arbor Washer

29. Arbor Belt

30. Motor Belt

31. Dust Shroud Door

32. Upper Elevation Limit Bolt

33. Lower Elevation Limit Bolt

34. 0° Tilt Limit Bolt

35. 45° Tilt Limit Bolt

36. Brake Positioning Bolt

37. Brake Cartridge

38. Cartridge Key

39. Spreader / Riving Knife Clamping Handle

40. Riving Knife

41. Elevation Threaded Rod

42. Dust Blast Shield

Usage

Test your material with a metal detector for hidden nails and screws; remove all staples, screws, and nails prior to cutting material.
With the blade not running, touch your material against the blade and examine the red light on the power switch. If the red light flashes when your material makes contact with the blade, DO NOT cut the material.
Check that the blade is square to the table using a combination square. Adjust if needed.
All cuts must use either the fence or the miter gauge. NO FREEHAND CUTS.
- The miter gauge is used for crosscuts (cutting across the narrow dimension)
- The fence is used for rip cuts (cutting along the long dimension)
- In all cases, the long edge of the board should be against the fence/miter gauge.
Adjust the height of the blade so that the gullets of the blade just clear the top of the wood. Loosen the knob on the front of the machine and turn the crank to raise or lower the blade. Tighten the knob before cutting.
Ensure that your stock is clear of the blade prior to turning the saw on.
Using your left hand, maintain steady, constant pressure against the side of your stock, pressing it into the edge of the fence.
Using your right hand, move the stock into the blade.
Pass the stock all the way past the blade. Use a push stick for the last bits of the cut if the gap between the blade and the fence is smaller than approximately 4 inches.

Video

Watch this YouTube video on basic SawStop use.