SETTING THE BLADE HEIGHT ON A TABLE SAW
Your table saw’s blade can be set at a specific height quickly with a blade height gauge. Make the jig from strips of Vs – or Me-іnch-thick hardboard or solid wood laminated together. First, rip a length of the stock to a width of 3 inches. Crosscut the piece into strips, starting with an 8- inch length. Make each successive strip % inch shorter than the previous one. Once all the strips are cut, glue them together face-to-face with one end aligned. To use the jig, set it on the saw table beside the blade and rotate the blade height adjustment crank until the blade contacts the gauge at the desired height (right).
SHOP TIP
If the table inserts supplied with your table saw are at least A inch thick, you can make your own from wood scraps.
The inserts will minimize the gap between the saw blade and the table insert opening and prevent scrap wood from jamming against the blade. Use the factory-sup plied insert as a template to cut a blank from a piece of wood of the same thickness. Tap a finishing nail into the blank’s front end until ‘/a inch protrudes from it. (The nail will serve as an anchor pin to keep the insert in place while the saw is running.) Crank the blade to its lowest setting and set the new insert in place. Position the rip fence to straddle the insert, making sure that it is not directly in line with the cutting edge. Turn on the saw and crank the blade slowly up to its highest setting, cutting a slot through the wood insert.
