When I need to crosscut several workpieces to an exact length on the table saw, I just reach for my handy carpenter’s square to set up the cuts. It is quick and easy to do, and is a perfect execution of the old woodworker’s bromide, “measure twice, cut once!”
First, I rest it against the blade body (not the teeth) and my miter saw fence to check for squareness. Then, I shift the square so it touches an infeed and outfeed tooth. That way, I can use the square’s scale as a reference to position and lock my stop block for the cutting length I want. Presto! One tool tackles two setup tasks.
– Ray Johnson; Blue Ridge, Georgia
