The Table Saw Book, Completely Revised and Updated Paperback – January 15, 2003

If you are already a skilled woodworker, look elsewhere. The information in this book will be too basic for you.I am NOT a skilled woodworker; I did not have "shop" classes in high school (and man, in retrospect was I ever steered wrong!); and I'm determined to learn the right way to work with power tools. For someone like me, this book is perfect.Thanks to Mehler, I now know that I'm looking for SO much more than a motor spinning a blade. This book's discussions on table saw history, design, application, and safety are written with a wealth of first-person experience behind them. Mehler's style is relatively jargon-free, in that he explains the common terms used in woodworking when they come up.Mehler's clear exposition has persuaded me to pass up the $89 table saw at the local big-box store. My time, my lumber, and my fingers are all too precious to waste my money that way. What is remarkable, though, is that he has also persuaded me that I don't have to give up an arm and a leg (sorry!) purchasing a stationary home-shop saw. There are several good models at the high end of the portable saw market that will do everything I am likely to need, for about $500. (And yes, your mileage may vary--that's what this book helps you determine.)I did not find the comments on the advantages of European-style saws to be tedious. They served to educate me on what I should be seeking in my own table saw--and I would hope that American consumers would start demanding some of these improvements since they relate to safety and performance. Knowing what I was looking at, I noticed that some of the American saws on the market in the three years since this book was published now have some European-style features...and wonder of wonders, without an increase in price.What was taught in woodworking classes was "The Code"--how this stuff works and how to use it. I believe Mehler effectively teaches The Code to beginners like me through this book. I heartily recommend this clear text with its full-color illustrations to others who want to know how to purchase and use a table saw.

I usually REALLY dislike reference-style technical books, either I find them too chatty or too dense on jargon that I'm not familiar with, but this was a stand-out exception. I read this cover-to-cover and actually enjoyed it! the author has a rare ability impart technical information in laymans terms (I bought this to help me set up my first used table saw) to the reader, while still including sufficient detail that I know I will refer to this many times in the future......this is a must have for anyone who is either in the market for a table saw or wants to brush up on some useful tips.

Prior to adding my thoughts, I read all the other reviews first. Most everything about this book has been said and my thoughts are very similar to Rusty Flewelling's and Will Cosair's:If you are looking to purchase your first saw or have just done so, this is the perfect book. Sections on what to include on your shopping list, how to set up (tune) the saw and how to maintain are very well written as is the section on safety which also serves as the undercurrent throughout the book (as it should). If you already have been using a table saw for awhile, you're not going to get much out of this book. You'll find the reading to be quite elementary be left wanting more. Descriptions of jigs and such are but basic ones.I didn't find the references to European saws all that troubling as others have. Having used one, I can appreciate what the author is attempting to relay. It's not like he wrote in-depth about European saws and just glossed over US ones. He thoroughly covered US saws and referenced European ones (If this was a European Table Saw book, it would be seriously lacking).The only spot where I found it lacking as an intro text: The author advises to check the table top for flatness but doesn't really indicate what allowable limits should be and what to do if it isn't within these limits.

This is a great book with safety first. Because it teaches fundamentals of the saw itself before showing you how to use it I felt like I understood what I was *going* to do before I actually started doing it. You are not just following a set of directions. There are excellent photos so you can not only read about what you want to know but you can also see it. The only one thing I would comment on for potential purchasers is that the book feels biased toward European-style saws, primarily for safety reasons.

This is a very well written and laid out book. The information is relevant, concise, and most of all, helpful. The author writes in a way that makes it easy to follow along and the photos and drawings help even more when specific things are discussed. I was able to read this book in a few hours because not only is it written well, but I was learning so much I just continued to read until I flipped the last page. This book should be owned (not just read because if you own it you can refer back to it at any time) by every novice woodworker and perhaps even anyone else who works with woodworking machines. Highly recommended!