Tolpin

Basically, the point is to stand out of the line of fire (which is the line between the blade and the fence. If your saw has the switch on the right, then move is to the left. Also put a paddle of some sort over the switch so you can hit the paddle with your foot or hip to turn off the saw--that way, you can keep your hands on the board or panel if it starts to shift and you want to turn off the saw. If you are mostly cutting solid stock for making small furniture for the fun of it, you actually don't need a table saw--but that's a whole 'nuther story!

Yet another good reason to learn to use a good, old fashioned 8 point crosscut hand saw! Its nearly as fast--faster for making just a few cuts, in fact--and its actually quite fun. Really. The trick is to learn what makes for a good handsaw, to learn how to use it as intended (like having a saw horse at the correct height, not the height they have evolved to for use with circular saws) and how to keep it sharp and tuned. Once you do this, you will NEVER bother to crosscut a board on a table saw; and you will almost never bother to use a miter box when making just a few cuts. For me a few now means a couple of dozen before I start thinking about machinery.

The clip brings back memories: Over 30 years ago, living on a farm in PA, I learned how to make traditional hay forks and rakes from green white oak from Dave Sawyer--now a Windsor Chairmaker up in Vermont. We used all hand tools--mostly axe, wedges, froes, drawknives and spokeshaves. It was probably the most fun I ever had in working wood. I've spent far too long machining wood!