The Hirsh Saw Table for Dummies

Hirsh saw table

Our staff woodworkers look upon the work of freelancers at sites like Hunker and HomeSteady (niche sites populated with former eHow content) with what might best be described as a sort of horrified fascination. They have to admit that a few people who wrote for eHow either knew what they were doing or were savvy enough to fake it. On the other hand, however, those (and many other freelance-driven sites) are slathered with content written by people who had no idea what they were talking about. We mean people like Hunker.com's Timothy Burns, as he amply demonstrated in "Instructions for a Hirsh Saw Table."

If you're not familiar with one, Hirsh saw tables were sold in the '70s and '80s to DIYers who either didn't want to buy a table saw or router table or lacked the room to set one up. The folding table had an MDF top and an insert that allowed mounting of a circular saw, which would let the saw operate as if it were a table saw. Hirsh tables have not been available for decades.

Burns apparently didn't know that last when he posted his article in 2011. Instead, he pretended that he was familiar with both the accessory and the reason why someone might want one; in the process revealing his ignorance:

"For the casual DIY woodworker, spending thousands of dollars on a massive tablesaw [sic] is an unreasonable expense. An average woodworker may use a tablesaw two or three times a year. For a homeowner's weekend woodworking projects, the Hirsh saw table is a wonderful solution. The inexpensive, highly adaptable Hirsh tools provide a bridge so that the average woodworker can create professional-looking results. Having been around for decades, these tables have proven their worth."

Never mind the fact that when Timothy wrote this the product had been off the market for years (presumably for safety problems), in what universe does a "tablesaw [sic]" cost thousands of dollars? And is "massive"? You can still buy a name brand saw for under $200 at Amazon, about the same as a quality circular saw, and it's the size of a mini-fridge. That's not to mention that you get real instructions instead of doofus steps like,

"Assemble the Hirsh saw table kit according to manufacturer's instructions."

Wait a minute, Timmy: if the OQ had the "manufacturer's instructions," why would he be asking you how to use the table? Hmmm? And then there's,

"The circular-saw blade should spin toward the front edge of the saw table when turned on"

Which is the "front edge," Timothy? [Hint: the teeth on the blade should be cutting downward as you feed the stock into the blade, so the "front" is the side of the table where the operator stands.] And while we're at it, why do Burns' instructions specify that the operator,

"Plug the Hirsh saw table into a 110V duplex power outlet"?

We can't plug it into a simplex outlet? Into an extension cord? Into (shudder...) a power strip? Inquiring minds want to know... Nope, it's obvious that Burns has never seen a Hirsh Saw table (that's OK, no one here has ever seen one either) but, based on how much he thinks a table saw costs, it's also pretty obvious his woodworking experience is pretty limited. Writing content about power tools without the knowledge to know what he's talking about is a perfectly good reason to hand Burns his fourth Dumbass of the Day award.

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