PSA: my table saw fence slipped mid rip on a $600 walnut glue up and I nearly lost a thumb
Last Saturday I was ripping 8/4 walnut for a dining table top and about halfway through the cut the fence on my old contractor saw slid back almost a quarter inch. The blade grabbed and kicked a 4 foot board back into my hip, and I've got a bruise the size of a grapefruit to prove it. I checked the fence lock before the cut, or at least I thought I did, but the lever had worked itself loose over about 6 months of steady use. I ended up clamping a straight edge to the table for the rest of the cuts, which worked fine but cost me 40 minutes re-squaring everything. I found the lock nut was worn smooth, so I ordered a replacement from the parts list and it's a $12 fix. Now I want to know, do you all check fence lock tension on a schedule or just when something feels off? Because I clearly got lucky on this one.