5 Cool Table Saw Accessories At Harbor Freight You Didn't Know Existed

A table saw is one of the most important tools in any woodworker's shop for two reasons: Precision and versatility. Rip cuts, cross-cuts, rabbet cuts, dado cuts, miter cuts, bevel cuts, and compound cuts are all possible with this humble tool, allowing for a vast array of shaping and joinery techniques. The table saw is particularly essential for fine woodworking as it allows the carpenter to make precision cuts on smaller pieces, which would be difficult to do safely with something like a circular saw. But the tool itself is just the beginning. There are tons of different accessories that you can add to expand the table saw's capabilities even further–and a lot of them are pretty affordable.

One of the first things that you'll want to do is look into making yourself a few clever jigs to expand what your tools can do. Many of these can be thrown together out of leftover scrap wood and can make it easier to perform accurate, repeatable cuts on future projects. You might also consider checking out some of the resources available at Harbor Freight. The discount tool retailer sells dozens of woodworking tools for under $100 that are worth investing in, including several affordable table saw accessories. It has many of the more basic resources, such as simple PVC sawhorses and plastic push sticks, but it also sells some pretty cool accessories that you might not expect.

Most table saws come stock with some kind of miter gauge that slides along the channels in the surface of the saw table, allowing you to make cross-cuts and angled miter cuts. Some of these are better than others, but the weaker ones might have some play in the channel or angle lock that can severely hamper your ability to perform precise cuts. Getting a more heavy-duty aftermarket miter gauge can be a big help.

Harbor Freight's Bauer brand makes a pretty cool miter gauge that comes with an adjustable 24-inch fence attachment, which it sells for $69.99. The gauge itself is made of aluminum and has a 140-degree range of motion with positive stops at 0 degrees, 15 degrees, 22.5 degrees, 30 degrees, 45 degrees, and 60 degrees on either side to help maintain precise angles. These are set via a basic twist-to-lock handle. It has a ¾-inch x ⅜-inch miter slot gap adjustment and a Vernier scale for quick and easy 1-degree adjustments. Then there's the fence attachment. This connects to the miter gauge toollessly with simple thumbscrews. The fence is only about a foot long on its own, but it has a telescoping section that is able to extend to 24 ¾-inches and then lock in place. There is also a hook-shaped stop at the end of the fence that adds an extra level of security for the piece you're cutting.

The gauge and fence currently have a 4.6 out of 5 customer review score on the Harbor Freight website. The vast majority of users praised its build quality, value, and accuracy, though some found that there was a slight wobble on larger table saws, and a few others claimed that the gauge itself isn't perfectly square.

While sawhorses might not be all that exciting in and of themselves, they're a necessity for any woodworker who needs to set up and maneuver large lengths of wood. You can use them to set up longer cuts near the front of the blade, or use them on the backend for catching the freshly cut boards.

Most of these are pretty simple, but the Bauer 32-inch Steel Sawhorse is a different beast entirely. The chassis is 100% steel, which is powder-coated for rust prevention. This thing has a 1,300-pound capacity (2,600 pounds per pair), which is more than any table saw will ever need, but it also has a bevy of other design elements that are particularly handy. It's height adjustable with nine separate locking heights, which is handy for making it level with your saw. It's pivoting feet also help with stability on uneven surfaces. Another cool addition is a set of deep hooks on the outer sides that are designed to serve as mounts to hold a pair of 2x4s in parallel that are level with the sawhorses themselves. This allows you to use them as joists for a work table with the sawhorses' tops serving as crossbeams for extra stability. Finally, it also has a folding design and a carrying handle for easy transport.

This humble horse retails for $59.99 and has a 4.7 out of 5 on the Harbor Freight site, with 96% of customers stating that they would recommend it to other buyers. Reviewers had nothing but good things to say about the sawhorse's sturdiness and utility, though a handful were critical of the fact that they're heavy, and it can be a bit of a struggle to open and close them.

Sawhorses have long been the standard for feeding and offboarding table saws, but they aren't the only option out there. You might also consider getting a roller stand. These reduce some of the friction and can make it easier to smoothly feed long, narrow boards across the table.

The Bauer Roller Stand is one such option. It's 17 ½ inches wide and made of steel, giving it a 250-pound capacity. Like the Bauer sawhorse, the roller is height adjustable, with an adjustability range of 27 ¾-inches to 43 ½-inches, so you can make it perfectly level with your table saw. It has an adjustable base that adds stability on uneven terrain, and folds up for easy transport and storage. One of the cooler additions to this model is the edge guide on the sides of the roller. This helps to you align the board with the cut and keep it straight as you push it through.

You can get this stand for just $24.99. It has a 4.6 out of 5 review score on Harbor Freight's site with a 95% recommendation rate. Most customers generally found it to be a stable and generally functional piece of equipment. That said, there are a relative minority of contradictory reports that cite stability issues when used with larger boards, concerns that the roller can't really handle a 250-pound capacity, and issues with the tightening bolt stripping and breaking easily. So, it might be worth considering other options for true heavy-duty work.

Dust collection isn't anyone's favorite thing about woodworking. Fortunately, there are a few items out there that can make it a bit easier. A conventional duct collection system involves a vacuum with a specialized capture chamber, but there are also some passive dust collection options out there for those who prefer them. Harbor Freight's Central Machinery makes a table saw dust bag that is just such a solution.

This is a simple canvas bag that is designed to fit on the underside of your saw table and collect dust as it naturally accumulates. Doing this requires a bit of modification to your table, however. You'll need to first line up the bag with the base of the table saw's stand and then mark where the snaps will go all the way around the stand. Next, you'll need to drill out holes for the snaps and use a Phillips head screwdriver to attach snap receptacles to the drilled holes before you'll be able to snap the bag into place. Harbor Freight does not promise that this bag will fit every table saw. The instructions state that, "This Dust Collector fits perfectly on Harbor Freight Tool's Universal Tool Stand," and that, "It may fit on other 10" Table Saw or Scroll Saw metal stands." It's 17 ½ inches wide and 19 ½ inches long.

The Central Machinery Table Saw Dust Bag retails for just $9.99 and has a 4.0 out of 5 on the Harbor Freight site with 84% of customers stating that they'd recommend it. Most customers liked the bag itself and thought it was an impressive value that worked surprisingly well. Most of the complaints were about the snaps, which many claimed fit poorly and detached far too easily.

The thing about using a table saw is that sometimes it takes two hands to maintain stability. You should constantly be applying downward and forward pressure, while also keeping the piece snug against the fence, gauge, or sled. Sometimes, this can make the mechanical process of turning the saw on and off a little tricky. Harbor Freight makes a non-branded foot switch that solves this problem nicely.

There are two versions of this switch, both of which are able to transfer up to 15 Amps of power. The Momentary Powered Foot Switch only activates while you are actively holding down the pedal, making it good for routers, scroll saws, drill presses, and lathes, but less than ideal for a table saw. The Power Maintained Foot Switch, on the other hand, is a simpler on/off switch that you can operate with your foot, maintaining constant power when it's turned on. This makes it a much better fit for a table saw, particularly when working with longer pieces that might require more maneuvering. Simply plug your saw into the switch and plug the switch's 7-foot 5-inch power cord into the wall, and you're good to go. This could also be a convenient way to control an attached dust collection system that isn't easy to access when your saw is set up.

You can get this switch at your local Harbor Freight for $16.99. It has a 4.8 out of 5 and a 97% recommendation rate from customers, with several reviews specifically calling out it's utility for use with a table saw. Most complaints were either about the plastic casing, or the tool's inability to work with high-amperage tools, such as Harbor Freight's wood splitters.