Table Saw

A table saw or sawbench is a versatile woodworking tool consisting of a circular saw blade, mounted on an arbor, that is driven by an electric motor (either directly, by belt, or by gears). The blade protrudes through the surface of a table, which provides support for the material, usually wood, being cut.

It is a workshop tool, also called a tilting arbor saw, which is used for straight sawing. A table saw is basically an electric handsaw mounted upside-down on the underside of a steel table top, with the circular blade of the saw protruding through a slot. The axle, or arbor, on which the blade spins can be tilted to cut angles, and can be raised or lowered to adjust the depth of cut. A miter gauge allows the operator to push stock at angles or perpendicular to the blade for cross-cutting. A guide, known as a fence, can be fixed parallel to the blade for rip sawing, or cutting along the length of a workpiece.
The larger the blade, the larger the stock that can be cut. A 10-inch blade is the size used most commonly in home workshops. Another important factor is the size of the table top. Large stock, such as plywood, is easier to cut on a big surface. However, larger table saws are also more expensive and less portable.
In mills and other industrial settings, self-feed or power table saws are equipped with rollers or a conveyor system to hold the lumber and force-feed it into the saw blade.

History

The 1885 catalog of the W.F. & John Barnes Co., Rockford, Il. clearly shows a classic table saw and it is labeled as a "Hand Circular Rip Saw".

"Woodworking Machinery, It's Rise, Progress and Construction 1800-1880" claims that the first recorded patent for the circular saw was in 1777 to an English man, Samuel Miller. However Miller refers to a circular saw that was created in Holland in the 16th or 17th centuries.

It is doubtful that the name of the inventor of the table saw will ever be known.

Product Recall

In the history of mechanical devices, there are always product recalls from the market. In th case of table saws, there have been several product recalls recorded since 2002. Here is the list:

On August 22, 2002 Black & Decker recalled its Black & Decker BT2500 model. This recall involved Taiwanese made table saws, mostly from the BT2500 series, having date codes 200128-CT through 200148-CT. The saws were recalled because of electric shock. Several incidents were reported, but no injuries.
On December 6, 2004 Robert Bosch Tool Corp. recalled its Skil Table Saw Model 3400 from the market. The blade drive mechanism may loosen or the motor can separate from the tool, which can lead to kickback of the item being sawed, resulting in possible laceration. There have been eleven reports of loose or broken motors, but no injuries have been reported. On April 7, 2005 Sears Roebuck and Company recalled its Table Saw due to problematic rip fences. This recall involved table saws manufactured by Rexon Industrial Corp. Ltd.
On April 29, 2008 DEWALT recalled its DEWALT DW744 Jobsite Table Saws due to a laceration hazard. The recall covers 13,000 units. On August 19, 2009 One World Technologies recalled its Rigid 10-inch Table Saws due to a laceration hazard. The recall covers 3,000 units.