Jessem table saw stock guides mini-review

[Rick Potter]

I have had a set of Jessem TS guides for 6 months or so, and haven't used them much. I have two table saws, so I put the mounting kit on the Beis-type fence on my SawStop PCS, and also made a mounting setup on a Peachtree fence extrusion for my Unifence. This way I can use them on either saw. It was easy to mount, with good instructions, and the usual great Jessem quality.

I have the router table guides also and use them often, but I just have not used the table saw guides, until today. Confession...I ripped all the stock for these pieces a couple weeks ago and never thought of using the guides. When I did the initial ripping I encountered a lot of stress and burning, and the wood pinched so hard on the riving knife I could hardly push it through, and all the time, this idiot never thought of trying the guides.

Return to today: Anyway, I am in process of doing 18 cabinet doors in red oak and had already precut all 72 rail and stile pieces slightly oversize, and let them acclimate for weeks since they had a lot of stress in some of them. Jointed one side of each a couple days ago, and today I trimmed them all to 2 3/8" width. The pieces ranged from 8" long to 28".

I put the stock guides on the saw, and adjusted them per instructions, but I did not like how hard it was to shove the stock through. Since it was such a light rip I decided to try a little less pressure to see how they would work. Instead of setting the guide using the shoulder of the arm per instructions, I set the rollers on the stock, and pushed down with a little finger pressure using just one finger. They still held tight against the fence.

It worked very well and I alternated short pieces with longer ones, feeding one right after the other, four or five at a time, before having to stop to keep them from falling off the outfeed table. I only had to use a push stick when I stopped feeding to clear the table. I even stopped briefly a couple times and the stock just sat there, without burning.

I do not leave the guides on the saw because, to me, they are in the way when I am not using them, and it only takes a minute to set them up for use. I was not sure they were that useful until today when I was singing their praises.

I am glad I bought them. I am also glad I bought that Infinity Super General blade, it is a very nice all purpose model and cuts very cleanly.

[Robert Chapman]

I've had a set of Jessem TS guides for about a year and really like them although like Rick I sometimes forget to use them. They fold up out of the way on my SawStop PCS. I think that they are a good safety installation and they also improve the quality of some cuts. Like all Jessem products they are very well made and not cheap.

[Ian Scofield]

I love mine as well and don't regret spending the money for them. They have been a lifesaver for quite a few cuts where I didn't feel very comfortable with narrow stock. They keep the wood close to the fence and I just have to use a push stick. I highly recommend them. I have the router table guides as well, but need to finish building my router table to give them a try. I imagine they will be just as good.

[Ben Rivel]

Ive got them on my SawStop PCS and my router table and love them! Use them whenever the cut allows. When I dont need them they lift up and move completely out of the way on top of the table saw fence. Never had a problem leaving them on.

[Izzy Camire]

Thanks to the original poster and all who replied. I have been on the fence about buying a set of these but perhaps it is time to grab them as I have a lot of ripping on short pieces in the near future.