Table Saws and Planers – The Dynamic Duo
When I started getting serious about furniture making, I had a circular saw and a hand plane. Made it work for a while. But once I got a proper table saw and a thickness planer, I honestly wondered how Id been getting by without them.
These two tools work together in a way that nothing else does. The table saw sizes things, the planer makes them consistent. Between them, you can turn rough lumber into furniture-ready boards. Heres what Ive figured out from using both for about seven years now.
Table Saw Basics
The table saw is the center of most shops for a reason. It does things no other tool does as well.
Ripping – cutting boards lengthwise – is where it shines. A straight rip through an 8-foot board in about ten seconds, with a perfectly clean edge. Try doing that with a circular saw or hand saw. Possible, sure. Pleasant? Not really.
I started with a contractor saw, the kind on a stand with wheels. Served me well for four years. Eventually upgraded to a small cabinet saw when I moved into a bigger shop. The cabinet saw is more accurate and has better dust collection, but honestly the contractor saw did 90 percent of what I needed.
The fence is everything. A lousy fence means lousy cuts, period. If youre buying used, check the fence first. A good fence should lock down parallel to the blade without any play. I wasted six months fighting a bad fence before I figured this out.
Planer Fundamentals
A thickness planer does one thing: it makes boards the same thickness. Simple concept. Massively useful in practice.
Without a planer, you either buy pre-dimensioned lumber (expensive) or you spend forever with hand planes trying to get things flat (exhausting). With a planer, you run rough boards through and they come out smooth and uniform.
I have a 13-inch benchtop planer. Cost maybe 400 dollars. Its loud, makes a huge mess, and is one of my most-used tools. For the hobbyist or even small professional shop, a benchtop planer does the job fine.
The bigger floor-standing planers are nicer – helical cutterheads, more power, wider capacity. But theyre also thousands of dollars and take up serious space. Unless youre running a production shop, the benchtop gets it done.
How They Work Together
Heres my typical workflow for preparing lumber:
Start with rough stock from the lumber yard. Its cheaper than pre-surfaced stuff and lets me work to the dimensions I actually need.
First, I flatten one face. This actually requires a jointer, not a planer (common confusion). A planer just makes both faces parallel – it wont fix a warped board. But you can fake it with careful setup on the table saw or with hand tools.
Then through the planer, bringing it to final thickness. I take maybe 1/32 inch per pass on the last few to minimize tear-out.
Then to the table saw for ripping to width. With one flat face and consistent thickness, rips come out square and clean.
Finally, crosscut to length, usually on the table saw with a sled or on a miter saw.
Sound like a lot of steps? It is. But each one builds on the last. Skip steps and youre fighting warped, uneven material for the rest of the project.
Common Mistakes I Made
Trying to remove too much material at once on the planer. I got impatient with some thick boards once, cranked the planer down way too aggressive, and the result was like corduroy – terrible ridges from the cutterhead struggling. Take light passes. The machine will thank you.
Ignoring blade height on the table saw. For safety and cut quality, the blade should stick up just above the material. I used to crank it all the way up thinking more blade equals cleaner cuts. Nope. More exposed blade equals more danger and actually worse cuts.
Feeding warped boards through the planer expecting magic. A planer makes both sides parallel. If the board is cupped or twisted going in, itll be cupped or twisted coming out – just thinner. Flatten first.
Not checking for squareness constantly. I assumed my table saw fence was square. It wasnt, by about a degree. Every cut I made was slightly off, and I didnt figure it out until a project fit together really badly. Now I check with a square regularly.
Safety Notes
Table saws are statistically one of the most dangerous tools in the shop. Thats not meant to scare you – theyre dangerous because people get careless, not because the tool itself is waiting to attack.
Use a push stick for rips narrower than about 6 inches. Your fingers dont belong that close to the blade.
Dont stand directly behind the blade. Kickback throws wood straight back at bullet-like speeds. Stand to the side.
Keep the blade guard on unless theres a specific reason it needs to come off. I used to remove mine for convenience. Stupid in hindsight.
Planers are safer but still demand respect. Never reach in while its running. Let the rollers do the feeding – pushing or pulling material can cause problems. And for the love of your ears, wear hearing protection. These things are loud.
Buying Advice
For a first table saw, I tell people to get a decent contractor saw or a hybrid saw. Something in the 500-800 dollar range from a brand like DeWalt, Ridgid, or Delta. Dont go cheaper – the fences on truly budget saws are usually frustrating. Dont go more expensive unless you know youll use it constantly.
For planers, the DeWalt DW735 is kind of the gold standard for benchtop models. More expensive than others but the three-knife cutterhead and two-speed options make a real difference. The Wen and Craftsman benchtops are fine for occasional use on softer woods.
Buy both used if you can find good deals. These are simple machines that last forever if maintained. Check Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, estate sales. A well-maintained 20-year-old table saw often beats a new budget model.
Parting Thoughts
If you can only buy one, get the table saw first. You can work around not having a planer – buy surfaced lumber, use hand planes, get creative. But theres no good substitute for a table saw for dimensioning lumber.
Eventually though, youll want both. Together, they let you buy rough lumber (cheaper, more variety) and turn it into usable material. Opens up a lot of possibilities once youve got both machines dialed in and working together.
