Just received a free Craftsman table saw, what to check for before using?

[spoot]

Holy crap........the Diablo and the screw reference made me think about the end of the Diablo video game and not the screw on the plate.  Derp.

Nice cleanup on the saw man.  I have a few that you can clean if you wish.   

[wp34]

That turned out fantastic.  The fence has to be worth more than the saw which is actually kind of cool.

[smalltownguy]

That turned out fantastic.  The fence has to be worth more than the saw which is actually kind of cool.

As it should be. A precision fence can make even a ---smurfy--- saw cut well.

[TopJimmyCooks]

I'm a big proponent of small saw big fence.   

[EvilNuff]

That is a fantastic clean up job!  Good choice on the Bies fence, those are really fantastic.

It is from an old post but this quote:

BTW I use an old ass craftsman TS with NO guard and NO splitter and NO zero clearance insert every weekend and yet I still somehow live.

Really offended me.  Preaching unsafe practices because you "still live" is just irresponsible.  Wood moves, period.  You cannot prevent that no matter what you try.  While cutting wood, even if you use every possible safety precaution, the wood *can* move on you and it *can* bind on the blade causing kickback.  At that point you have no control over what is happening and you can be seriously injured, lose digits, or even be killed. 

Let me rephrase that, no matter what you do procedure wise for your cuts...you cannot make using a table saw 100% safe.

Now with that doom and gloom stated, get a saw with a riving knife.  It is a (somewhat) modern improved splitter.  The guards are a hassle but if you can use them for your cut do it.  The riving knife should always be used, it eliminates virtually all kickback. 

(Ok getting off my soapbox now.  )

[nadcraker]

Thanks for the kind words on the saw, guys. It feels good to restore something and keep it in the family, and have it be actually useful!

Yes, the fence is worth more than the saw, but being able to just move it where I want it and make the cut quickly and with confidence is so worth it!

Any recommendations on crosscut sleds? Besides making my own 

[TopJimmyCooks]

That is a fantastic clean up job!  Good choice on the Bies fence, those are really fantastic.

It is from an old post but this quote:

BTW I use an old ass craftsman TS with NO guard and NO splitter and NO zero clearance insert every weekend and yet I still somehow live.

Really offended me. 

That was/is me. still alive, still got 20 digits.  still got my craftsman death shredder.  still lacks outfeed support.  still offensive sometimes 


I've also got a hell of a lot of experience with power tools and know the limitations.  you can safely cut much wider pieces with your wings and fence setup. 

Go with Evilnuff's advice and fit a riving knife since you've gone this far.  Guard is less useful but might be a plus - depends on what/how you cut with the saw. 

If you're using a crosscut sled with any regularity the guard's not worth getting.  and make your own, there's really no good commercial ones worth the money. 

[EvilNuff]

...Any recommendations on crosscut sleds? Besides making my own 

I think you kind of have to make it yourself, no?  I am not aware of any for purchase.  Check out the wood whisperer, he has a very detailed free video describing and showing the process of creating one.