Anti-Kickback Table-Saw Fence Jig
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For angled rips, a top-fence jig safely holds off-cuts down. June 17, 2005
Question
What type of jig do you use for cutting angles on the tablesaw with the blade tilted toward the fence to prevent kickback?
Forum Responses
(Cabinetmaking Forum)
None. If your saw is tuned properly, you shouldn't be getting an uncontrollable kickback. Maybe your wood is stressed and bending too much when parts are being removed. Or your fence is toed in or maybe when you tilt your blade, the mechanism is toeing the blade in. Do you still have the anti-kickback dogs in the saw? They should prevent the wood from coming back at you. I haven't had mine on since I bought the saw. They are made for your safety but make all operations harder and, hence, less safe.
From the original questioner:
The only piece that comes back is the little triangle wood scrap against the wood fence under the tilt of the blade. I'm always out of the way, but it would be nice if it stayed put. I'm cutting melamine with a brand new blade. I'll check the fence to blade alignment.
We attach a ¾”sacrificial piece to the rip fence with screws or clamps. The sub fence is raised up so it just catches the top 1/8” or so of the panel we are ripping. Swing the blade over to 45 degrees and set the fence so when the blade is raised into the sub fence, it just catches the top edge of the panel you are ripping. To use, first cut all panels to size required, then run through and cut the angle. The off cut lays under the sub fence and is not kicked back.
For me, discovering the above technique was a breakthrough. It is a hassle to miter the edges of parts with the part between the fence and blade. The curser is no longer accurate and you must measure every cut with a tape measure. With the auxiliary fence method, you can have numerous parts of varied widths and heights, and as long as they are the same exact thickness and the bevels are the same angle, you set the fence only once to make the bevels you need. You can space the auxiliary fence up off the table to where the edge of your work rides on it with .125" to .25" of its thickness, or you can rabbit the bottom of the auxiliary fence to do the same. This method works for left or right tilting saws and works great with a power feed. Set whatever angle you need on the saw and then let the blade cut into the auxiliary fence a bit. Adjust the fence to where the entire edge of the part is beveled but none of the overall dimension is removed (use some scrap from the parts to make tests).
