:: Cutting

With the above three principles employed, simply re-premiering the joint is all that is required.

Sharpening your tools produces a cut that is:

A sharp tool provide for a safer worksite and helps to produce a higher quality product. A sharp tool is common thread that joins every tool used in the woodshop. The best finish is produced with a sharp tool and worst finish is produced using dull tools. Sharp tooling is also much safer. Sharp saws will offer less resistance to operator effort, making it easier to process parts for longer periods of time.

By exploring these concepts further, one only needs to operate a dull chop saw vs. one with a sharp saw to illustrate this point. Assuming the correct sawblade is utilized for both, a dull saw will make smoke, tear edges and corners, cause inaccurate dimensioning, and slow down the feed rate requiring more pressure to make the final cut. A sharp tool is less prone to kickbacks due to the easy cutting and the reduced back pressure created by the cutting edge.

The use of woodworking machinery and its tooling comes with many inherent risks. Every woodworker should always familiarize themselves with company safety policies. There is no way any course can prevent accidents. Only your skills as an operator and the use of safe practices can prevent accidents. Only work on a safe machine, utilize all guards and personal protective equipment, and do not bypass and interlocks engineered for your protection.