Comments on: Table Saws: Why the British Think We’re Crazy

By: DR_Labut

DR_Labut — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 13:24:30 +0000

It is nice to know we Brits may sometimes get things right, and I would like to compliment you on your clear and succinct article, but I was a little confused as to WHOSE language it was written in. Actually, joking aside, did you know that all books originating from the UK or other English speaking countries are ‘translated’ into American English before publication in the USA. ‘Quaint’ it may seem, but it represents a hell of a lot of people – the UK’s 60 million being only a small fraction.

Keep up the really good work

Ray Swann

By: abecedarian

abecedarian — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 08:20:07 +0000

Besides the other differences in woodworking practice between our two great nations divided by a common language, do Brits always cut safe bevels with the blade tilted toward (or towards) the fence (see Fig 2(b) of WIS-16)?

By: oldshutterdog

oldshutterdog — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 01:40:40 +0000

OK Boys and Girls;I have never done this before so I hope I do it right.What I have done is use a table saw,alot.if I make it to July I will be sixty and I first started using powertools when I was eight,and yes I have ten fingers.I am a proffesional carpenter so I use it almost every day.On the jobsite I use an old mid-fifties Craftsman castiron 10 inch table saw.It is my favorite powertool period.No saftey devices except a shut off switch and a push stick.My rule? Work in a secure area,understand what you are attemting to do, and how the mach is going to react.Have a sharp blade,keep your mind focused;no beer warm or cold.If you are using a table top saw make sure it is on a table and secure.not on the ground.Now for the saw stop technology;If my Craftsman had been equipped with a saw stop when it was new,do you think it would still work correctly?I don’t.I don’t think if even was alot newer,I think if they are made like all the other junk today.I think it would instill a false sense of confidence that would lead to worse injuries and alot more lawsuits.If you don’t know how to use it safely,LEAVE IT ALONE!If we let the Government run any more of our lifes soon you will need a permit to poop.Alot of people would not be able to afford the saw and any wood for aproject.I think that would be a tradgedy.One more thing;I’m American and I speak and spell yankee.So far that’s my choice as an American.My Father was an English Major and never biult a bird house

By: BrianLee

BrianLee — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 00:52:41 +0000

“Leverage is pronounced as ‘leeverage’ and not as you spell it.”

Spot on. Why anyone would want to pronounce a word based on it’s spelling is beyond me.

By: mdgarnett

mdgarnett — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 21:51:04 +0000

sorry for the redundant warm beer comment. I should have read ahead before replying.

By: mdgarnett

mdgarnett — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 21:47:12 +0000

I lived in the UK for 4 years from 1987 through 1990 but spent a lot of time in the country before that. I was very surprised how often I did see a disabled Royce by the side of the road relative to the number I saw being driven. I can say that the new Austin I had was a reliable car that didn’t leak oil.

But to further the stereotype, I guess you know that the Brits drink their beer warm because the folks who make their cars also make their refrigerators.

By: blindleader

blindleader — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 20:18:01 +0000

Bernard, you may be fooling some of us but not me. I’ve been all over Britain and find that no two of you people can agree on any terminology, usage or pronunciation unless they were born, raised, and never journeyed more than five miles from the same spot. And without a dado, you’re stuck forever going with the grain and can never go across.

And to clear up some of your confusion:
There’s no such thing as an 8 x 4. The closest thing would be a 4 x 8, which is nominally 8 inches wide and 4 inches thick. After milling (planing), dimensional lumber is normally a half inch less than nominal. 8/4 is something else entirely. That would be rough (not milled) lumber 2 (eight quarters) inches thick and of no specified width.

It’s all in good fun. Don’t get too serious or you’ll end up like the French, who deny that any dialect of their language that is not Parisian, is not French at all, and are killing their language as a result.

By: rorynidaho

rorynidaho — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 20:02:40 +0000

No wonder there are wars – we can’t even allow each other small differences!!! Really?

By: Nick Gibbs

Nick Gibbs — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 18:20:36 +0000

As editor of British Woodworking magazine I have written extensively about tablesaw safety, though I hope not rudely about American methods. Each to their own. It is surely up to individuals to make their choices. Perhaps our more cautious approach comes from the mixed blessing of shared healthcare funding! Personally I just want people to feel safe enough to get involved and have a go, and want to keep going, and develop the skills and the understanding of when operations are likely to be dangerous or not. I fear that too much reliance on safety features isolates woodworkers from that learning process, while lack of awareness of safety issues is likely to compromise the enjoyment of our amazing craft.

Nick Gibbs
http://www.britishwoodworking.com

By: snoopy

snoopy — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 17:21:04 +0000

If you’ll look more closely, the fences for Very Super Cool Tools may be adjusted forwards or backwards, so the end of the fence can be aligned with the blade.