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Rating: 
Summary: Good Book
Review: As noted in some of the other reviews, Mr. Tolpin is not a Pulitzer prize winning author. But he is a hell of a woodworker. I lucked out and bought this book at my local library's yearly book sale. I got it and four other related books for five bucks. I would buy it at full retail just for the jigs and sled diagrams. Some have complained that there are no measurements included, well how could there be? The idea of the book is to give you ideas for your own applications. I don't have the room for all the jigs shown in this book, nor would I ever use em all if I did. But I did glean enough from this book to make it worth having in my woodworking "library". I would reccommned this book to everyone who uses a table saw, beginner or pro.
Rating: 
Summary: Read this book before you buy a table saw
Review: Excellent book that starts with a description of what to look for in the selection of a table saw and blades/accessories. I thought it did a better job of explaining how to care for and maintain a table saw than did my owner's manual - I have probably saved the price of the book in saw blade resharpening already. Thouroughly covers basic and advanced table saw cuts and how to do them safely. Describes a number of jigs based on his design of a rip-fence accessory attachment and makes complex cuts and joinery look easy. I'll soon be throwing away some of my more awkward mitre-slot jigs.
Rating: 
Summary: Valuable Info, Crummy Presentation
Review: Good news first:The maintainance information and Jigs presented in this book are very useful, it's obvious tolpin knows what he's talking about. The bad news: It took me forever to figure out what the heck he was talking about! The jig construction drawings are somewhat confusing. They present an entire system of jigs in a piecemeal fashion through the course of the book. In order to decipher them you really have to go through the book several times, cover to cover, cross referencing all the way. That said, I chosen the jigs I needed and made them, and they work great, even adapted for my Bosch benchtop saw. What a headache figuring them out though!
Rating:
Summary: The Jigs Are Worth the Price
Review: I'd consider myself to have an intermediate level of woodworking skill - I'm not a novice or an expert - and this book is just right for me. I've built two of the jigs and love them. The general info on setup, blades, and technique is just what I need. I'm working through it, about half way so far, and thoroughly enjoying myself.
Rating:
Summary: A great book for novices or beyond
Review: Several other reviewers have commented on the value of the jigs, and I agree. I wish Tolpin would have presented an overview of his fence jig system early on, it would have been easier to grasp the concept BUT unlike one other reviewer I certainly did not have to go through the book several times to get it. Besides the jigs, I appreciated the discussion of blades (design, choice, and care), ripping, and setup. Having read the section on setting up my saw, I went out to the shop, tuned things up and it has made a big difference in my work - everything fits together better! Finally, the person who said that this book is of no use to the beginner with a beginner's saw: think again. My Bosch 4000 is pretty basic, but I was able to apply 98% of Tolpin's advice to my unit. If he would just add an overview of his fence jig system I could give this 5 stars!
Rating:
Summary: A great book for novices or beyond
Review: Several other reviewers have commented on the value of the jigs, and I agree. I wish Tolpin would have presented an overview of his fence jig system early on, it would have been easier to grasp the concept BUT unlike one other reviewer I certainly did not have to go through the book several times to get it. Besides the jigs, I appreciated the discussion of blades (design, choice, and care), ripping, and setup. Having read the section on setting up my saw, I went out to the shop, tuned things up and it has made a big difference in my work - everything fits together better! Finally, the person who said that this book is of no use to the beginner with a beginner's saw: think again. My Bosch 4000 is pretty basic, but I was able to apply 98% of Tolpin's advice to my unit. If he would just add an overview of his fence jig system I could give this 5 stars!
Rating:
Summary: An amazing book
Review: This is an amazing book. Jim Tolpin is a master of his craft, and a fine writer as well. There is material in here for readers at every level. The beginner gets a thorough guide to the choice of a table saw. I would recommend this book to anyone who is considering their first purchase. The experienced reader can come back to the same chapter when it is time for an upgraded model. Every section is like this; Tolpin introduces the simplest techniques, and goes on to show us cuts I never thought possible on a table saw. The book is an excellent starting place for someone new to the table saw, and yet I cannot imagine outgrowing it. Major sections include choosing a table saw, setup, accessories, blades, ripping, crosscutting, grooves dadoes and rabbets, sheet stock and small parts, curves and moldings, and joinery. Throughout the book, Topin presents shop made jigs for setting up the cuts. He also discusses commercial jigs. His jig designs are quite impressive, and some of them are major projects in themselves. These jigs would be a major asset in any shop, and I look forward to building them. In most cases, Tolpin describes a variety of techniques for solving the same problem. Where a cut can be done on a variety of machines, he discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each one. The advice is evenhanded and unbiased. At the end of the book, two appendices provide source information on all of the equipment shown in the book, and all of the necessary parts for building the jigs. For example, the aluminum mini track which is used in many table saw jigs is available from Garrett Wade Co. in New York, complete with an address and an 800 number for obtaining price information.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: Tolpin's advise on a wide range of table saw topics and issues is very good. His fence jig system is excellent for anyone using a Biesemeyer-style rip fence and adaptable to others. While not the finest writer, he does know his subject. This book and his "Measure Twice, Cut Once" title are essential for any woodworker's personal library.
Rating:
Summary: Could be better...
Review: While I still recommend this book, I have several complaints. First, it is poorly indexed. There are only vague cross-references in the book: "See Chapter Nine". In one case, I wasted probably 45 minutes scouring Chapter N only to discover the reference was in Chapter N+1. I believe this involved the discription on making a featherboard using an indexing jig the reference for which was wrong. I'm in the process of trying to duplicate his featherboards (as shown on the cover). His instructions though don't include the aluminum mini-tracks as in the photo. Instead, they tell you to route a T slot, which is more complicated and NOT what the author did. Furthermore, for the miter slot featherboard he tells you to buy a certain size hex bolt and grind the cap down to fit! That seems like an inelegant solution. I've since discovered that toilet bolts work better. He should have at least mentioned a source to get the aluminum mini-tracks since they are useful in a wide variety of jigs. It would have saved me some time in Home Depot staring at cabinet hardware and wondering how it could be munged in some way to work. ... In balance, it's a good book. I agree with the points made by the other reviewers. The organization is logical and the information is generally well presented. It may not be THE table saw book, but I don't regret buying it.
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