I'm currently building a shelf and need to cut a section out of a piece of wood. The left and right sides of the shelf are deeper than the middle, and I want it all to be from one piece of wood. I also want to keep the piece I cut out instead of wasting it. I have a skill saw, table saw, and mitre saw. My initial thought is to line up the cut on the table saw, turn it on with the blade set to zero depth, and then slowly raise it while making the cut. Does that sound like a bad idea or could it actually work?
1 Answer
Dropping cuts on a table saw can work if you're skilled, but be careful with your technique. Instead of raising the blade into the wood, keep it set to the right height and drop the piece onto it, holding it tight against the fence as you lower the back side. Just remember to maintain control to avoid kickback, especially if it's a heavier piece of wood!
What about kickback? Will it cause the wood to jump when it hits the blade?