23.4 Tilting Table Saw On some circular saws, the table tilts instead of the saw arbor. Multipurpose woodworking machines (Chapter 38), modern imports, and some older equipment may be equipped with a tilting table. Most operations, with the exception of bev- eling, work in the same way as on the tilting-arbor table saw. When tilting the table for beveling, follow these guidelines: • Have the workpiece below the blade when using the rip fence. See Figure 23-25A. Prevent offcut material from sliding into the blade. Another person may need to help you with long stock. • Have the workpiece above the blade when using the miter gauge. See Figure 23-25B. The offcut will slide away from the blade after the cut is complete. • Use a push stick for ripping material narrower than 4″ (100 mm). • Never operate a saw without using a miter gauge, rip fence, or other accessory to guide the material. • Adjust the saw blade to the appropriate height above the workpiece. • Never reach across, over, or behind the blade. • Do not use the rip fence as a cutoff guide. Clamp a clearance block to it. • Move the rip fence out of the way when crosscutting. • Stop the machine before attempting to free work that is caught in the machine. • Provide support for a long or a wide work- piece before, during, and after the cut. • Do not look around when making a cut. Concentrate on the point of operation. Always keep your fingers at least 3″ away from the blade. Patrick A. Molzahn Figure 23-24. A—Stock is being cut with a dado blade with the grain. This is known as a plough cut. B—The miter gauge is used to “dado” the stock across the grain. The rip fence is being used as a stop. This is permissible because the stock is not being cut through, so there will be no offcut released. The guard has been removed to show the procedure. A A B B Fence Workpiece Excess Tilted table Excess Tilted table Workpiece Miter gauge Blade Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Figure 23-25. A—Rip fence beveling. With the table tilt- ed left, the stock will rest against the fence when ripping. B—Miter gauge beveling. With the table tilted left, the off- cut will release and fall away when crosscutting. 384 Section 4 Machining Processes Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.