If there is one power tool that lends itself perfectly to accessories it’s the table saw. Things like push sticks and stop blocks can make using a table saw more efficient and safe. And, auxiliary fences for the miter gauge and the rip fence prevent chip out and protect the factory fence from being damaged.

Best of all, each of these accessories can easily be made in the shop. This week’s Woodsmith Woodworking Seminar focuses on seven accessories that are “must-haves.”

You’ll find a few pieces of hardware, that can be used for building jigs, for sale at the Woodsmith Podcast Store, plus a link to the seminar guide.

A sure sign that your table saw blade needs attention is when it becomes difficult to push the workpiece through the cut. Or when the shop fills full of smoke as you try to cut that piece of maple.  That’s what happened to me in my continuing saga of saw blades.  I mentioned in this post that I had a couple of blades that needed sharpened. Now I’m not so sure.  I spent some time the other evening working on them with an old tooth brush and Boeshield Blade and Bit Resin, Pitch, and Gum Remover.

In ShopNotes No. 96, we had an article about Choosing and Using Bit and Blade Cleaners, including home-made cleaners.  A number of folks wrote in to tell us that some of our ideas were crazy or that their solution worked better.  We’ve had suggestions from oven cleaner to Formula 409. I say, use whatever works for you.  For me, I tend toward the commercial cleaners.  Our guys here in the shop seem to like CMT’s Formula 2050 Blade and Bit Cleaner.

Whatever chemical you use, chance are you’re going to need to use a little elbow grease, too.  As a matter of fact, it took a couple of applications of cleaner while I was busy scrubbing the residue off of the teeth.  I had the blade on several thicknesses of old newspaper and sprayed on the cleaner.  After scrubbing one side clean, I flipped the blade over and worked on it.  That left all the crud in between the teeth and on the face of each tooth.  Here, I stood the blade up, sprayed on some more cleaner, and worked my way around the blade with the toothbrush.  A little wiping with a rag removed the last of the residue and cleaner.

You’ll be amazed at how your blades look after a good cleaning. I inspected mine closely and couldn’t find any chipped or dull teeth. But it’s hard to make that judgement on looks alone.  I’m anxious to make a few test cuts and see if I need to take the next step and actually have them sharpened.

I attended a “press event” at Leigh Industries near beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia last week. They’re excited about some new products for this year, and I can see why. They are coming out with a new line of Leigh jigs and accessories. The new Super Jigs maintain the high quality that Leigh is known for. But they come in at a lower price point than previous models. They were able to redesign the jigs to lower the cost of production, providing great value in a top-notch product. I’ve seen the pre-production prototypes, and I think that the quality, capabilities, and pricing of these new jigs far surpass their competition.

Here are just a few of the things you can do with the Super Jigs:

• Variably Spaced Half-blind Dovetails
• Variably Spaced Through Dovetails
• Sliding Dovetails
• 5/16” and 5/8” Box Joints….that fit!
• Single Pass Half-blind dovetails – multiple sizes  

You won’t see the new Super Jigs on their web site just yet.  They don’t expect to start shipping them until mid-July. And the one you see here is shown with the optional $69 VRS vacuum attachment (available now). By the way, you’ll want to purchase the VRS — it’s available for ALL of Leigh’s jigs (even their original and older models). And it’s so practical for eliminating dust and chips. It’s amazing how it works. And the great thing is, it also provides a resting platform for your router.

There will be a 12″ ($199), 18″ ($259), and 24″ ($329) version of the Super Jig.  Street prices are expected to be lower. 

TRIVIA:  Do you know where the name “Leigh” comes from?  The founder of Leigh Industries, Ken Grisley, was born in “Leigh-on-Sea” in England.  Now you know.