Right tool for the job
Which push stick or push block should you use on a table saw?
When to use a push stick or a push block on a table saw, and how saw makers say to make your own.
Safety first: read the safety notes before you use any of these.
Short answer
Follow your saw's manual. SawStop and DeWalt say to use the blade guard, riving knife and anti-kickback pawls for every cut that goes all the way through the board, and a push stick or block doesn't replace them: OSHA's machine-guarding guidance says aids like these don't give complete protection. DeWalt's manual says to use a push stick whenever your hands would otherwise come within 6 inches (152 mm) of the blade. Once the gap between the fence and the blade is about 2 inches or less, DeWalt switches to its narrow ripping fence and a push block, and SawStop to an auxiliary fence and a push block. Both saws come with a push stick, and both manuals show how to make more. OSHA requires workplaces to provide push sticks or push blocks in the sizes and types the work needs. We make no protection claims of our own.
Push stick or push block?
It depends on how close the fence is to the blade. DeWalt’s manual says to use a push stick when there are 2 to 6 inches between the fence and the blade, and a push block with a narrow rip fence at 2 inches or less. SawStop’s manual draws the same lines in metric (150 mm and 50 mm). CCOHS adds short pieces, under about 12 inches long, and the last 12 inches of any longer rip.
The guard comes first
A push stick or block keeps your hand back from the blade; it isn’t a guard. OSHA’s woodworking standard requires hand-fed rip saws in workplaces to have a self-adjusting hood guard, a spreader and anti-kickback fingers, and SawStop’s and DeWalt’s manuals say to use the blade guard, riving knife and anti-kickback pawls for every cut that goes all the way through. DeWalt notes that its narrow ripping fence and auxiliary fence let the guard stay on for narrow rips.
Some saws, including SawStop’s, also have a brake that stops the blade when it senses contact with skin. SawStop’s manual says not to rely on it: it can’t react until contact happens, so you should still use the guard and push stick. In the US, the Consumer Product Safety Commission proposed a performance standard for blade-contact injuries on table saws in 2017 and withdrew it on September 29, 2025; it says any new attempt would need a new proposal.
Making your own
Both saw makers show how. DeWalt’s manual prints a push stick pattern and plans for a push block and narrow rip auxiliary fence, and SawStop’s has templates for a push stick, an auxiliary fence and a push block. OSHA’s definitions describe the two basic shapes: a narrow strip with a notch at one end, and a short block with a plane-like handle and a shoulder at the back. SawStop’s templates call for a non-conductive push stick, such as scrap wood, and glue only, with no metal fasteners, on the push block’s lip, because metal touching the blade can set off its brake; DeWalt’s pattern calls for plywood or softwood. Fine Woodworking’s 2006 shop guide notes that shop-made sticks are cheap to replace, and the makers say never to keep using one that is damaged or cut. We haven’t built or tested any of these designs: build to your own saw’s manual, and see our Shop Safety Essentials tip for where your hands go on a rip.
Why there’s no product pick
No OSHA, NIOSH or saw-maker rating compares push blocks, and the one independent magazine review of a store-bought multi-leg block we found is from 2005; its reviewer found that it got in the way of the blade guard on narrow stock. So this guide compares kinds, and points you to what your saw’s maker supplies and shows how to make.
Your options
Notched push stick
A narrow strip of wood or plastic with a notch at one end that hooks over the back of the board (OSHA; DeWalt). DeWalt and SawStop include one with their saws.
Good for: Rips with the fence roughly 2 to 6 inches from the blade (DeWalt; SawStop), and the last foot of a longer rip (CCOHS).
- DeWalt and SawStop both include one with the saw, and both manuals show a pattern for making more.
- SawStop's template calls for a sturdy, electrically non-conductive stick, such as scrap wood, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. DeWalt's pattern calls for plywood or softwood no wider than the piece you're cutting, with notches for 1/4- and 1/2-inch stock, and says to size it so your hand clears the blade guard and rip fence.
- CCOHS says to choose a stick long enough to keep your hand away from the blade: for example, at least 45 cm (about 18 inches) when you're cutting within 30 cm of it.
- Fine Woodworking's 2006 shop guide says shop-made sticks are cheap and quick to make from scrap, so they're easy to replace. SawStop and DeWalt say never to use one that is damaged or has been cut.
- Shapes vary: Popular Woodworking's Robert Lang (2014) prefers a stick with extra material ahead of the notch, so it holds the board down as well as pushing it. Whatever the shape, use one your saw's manual allows.
Budget: We don't quote a price. One comes with most table saws (DeWalt and SawStop include one), and their manuals show how to make more from scrap.
Push block on an auxiliary fence (narrow rips)
A shop-made block with a handle and a square lip at the back that rides along an auxiliary fence set against the rip fence, for cuts too narrow for a push stick.
Good for: Rips about 2 inches wide or narrower (DeWalt; SawStop).
- Both makers give plans: DeWalt's manual has a push block and a narrow rip auxiliary fence, and SawStop's has templates for an auxiliary fence and a push block. DeWalt's saw also has a built-in narrow ripping fence, and DeWalt says both let the blade guard stay on for narrow rips.
- DeWalt says its push block is only for use with its narrow rip auxiliary fence, and the block's overhanging lip must be square, or it can slip or push the work away from the fence.
- SawStop says to slide the work along the auxiliary fence and switch to the push block once your hand comes within 6 inches of the blade.
- SawStop's push block plan attaches the lip with wood glue only, with no metal fasteners, and its manual warns that any metal part that touches the blade may set off its brake.
Budget: We don't quote a price. Both makers' plans use plywood and scrap.
Hold-down push block (handle on top)
A flat block with a handle on top, pressed down on the board as you feed it, often with a heel or non-slip sole. OSHA defines a push block as a short block with a plane-like handle and a shoulder at the back, for pushing short stock over revolving cutters such as a jointer's.
Good for: Jobs that need downward pressure, on the table saw or the jointer (CCOHS; OSHA).
- CCOHS says a hold-down push block should be rigid, keep both hands protected and let you press firmly and steadily, and it shows frontal and side push blocks and two blocks used together.
- Fine Woodworking's 2006 shop guide says a good push stick or block holds the work with a notch, cleat or non-slip surface and has a handle that feels natural, since an awkward one can make you shift your grip.
- Use it on the table saw only in the ways your saw's manual shows: DeWalt's push block, for example, is meant only for use with its narrow rip auxiliary fence.
Budget: We don't quote a price. CCOHS's examples are simple shop-made blocks.
Store-bought multi-leg push block
A commercial push block with several rubber-soled legs that can straddle the blade, so it holds both the workpiece and the offcut.
Good for: Narrow rips where you want pressure on both sides of the blade, if it works with your saw's guard (Fine Woodworking, 2005).
- In Fine Woodworking's 2005 review of one such block, its sole pressed on both sides of the cut and carried the offcut past the blade.
- The same reviewer found it got in the way of the blade guard on narrow stock, and with no hook over the end of the board it relied on friction, so it took more downward force than usual.
- OSHA, SawStop and CCOHS say to keep the blade guard and riving knife (spreader) in use wherever they can be, so check that any push block works with yours.
- DeWalt's manual warns that accessories it doesn't offer haven't been tested with its saw and could be hazardous, and recommends its own accessories; check your saw's manual before using any store-bought push block.
Budget: We don't quote a price. The only independent review we found is from 2005, and its prices are long out of date.
What we'd start with
The push stick that came with your saw, used at the distances in its manual. DeWalt and SawStop both include one, and their manuals say when to use it: whenever your hand would come within 6 inches of the blade, and with the fence roughly 2 to 6 inches away. Make a spare from the manual's pattern, so you never keep using a damaged one.
Add the push block and auxiliary fence from your saw's manual. For rips about 2 inches wide or narrower, DeWalt switches to its narrow ripping fence and a push block, and SawStop to an auxiliary fence and a push block; both manuals show how to make them.
Keep push sticks and blocks in several sizes and types, matched to the cut. OSHA requires workplaces to keep push sticks or push blocks in the sizes and types the work needs, and CCOHS shows several kinds of push block for different jobs. Keep the guard, riving knife and anti-kickback pawls on wherever they can be used (SawStop; DeWalt; CCOHS).
Sources
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.211: Definitions (push stick and push block) (external site, opens in a new tab) (safety authority, no date shown; checked October 15, 2026): The US workplace safety regulation's definitions: a push stick is a narrow strip of wood or other soft material with a notch in one end, used to push short pieces through saws; a push block is a short block with a plane-like handle and a shoulder at the back, used to push short stock over cutters. A government page with no affiliate links.
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.213: Woodworking machinery requirements (external site, opens in a new tab) (safety authority, no date shown; checked October 15, 2026): The US workplace standard for woodworking machines. Hand-fed rip saws must have a self-adjusting hood guard, a spreader and nonkickback fingers (1910.213(c)), and workplaces must provide push sticks or push blocks in the sizes and types suitable for the work (1910.213(s)(9)). A government page with no affiliate links.
- OSHA Woodworking eTool: table saws (external site, opens in a new tab) (safety authority, no date shown; checked October 15, 2026): US government guidance: hands can slip into the blade or be held too close to it; kickback happens when the blade catches the stock and throws it back at the operator. It says to use a self-adjusting guard and a spreader, keep hands out of the line of cut, stand to the side of the blade, and use a push stick for small pieces and to push stock past the blade. A government page with no affiliate links.
- OSHA Machine Guarding eTool: additional safety considerations (external site, opens in a new tab) (safety authority, no date shown; checked October 15, 2026): US government guidance: push sticks and blocks are among the aids it says don't give complete protection from machine hazards but may add a margin of safety; a push stick or block can keep a few inches between the hand and the blade when hands must be close. A government page with no affiliate links.
- CCOHS: Woodworking machines, push sticks (external site, opens in a new tab) (safety authority, revised April 4, 2018; confirmed current December 17, 2024; checked October 15, 2026): Canadian government safety guidance: use a push stick for pieces under 30 cm (1 ft) long or the last 30 cm of a longer cut, long enough to keep the hand away (for example at least 45 cm when cutting within 30 cm of the blade), and to clear the cut piece from between fence and blade. Hold-down push blocks should be rigid, protect both hands and allow firm, steady pressure. A government page with no affiliate links.
- CCOHS: Woodworking machines, table saws (external site, opens in a new tab) (safety authority, revised June 30, 2025; checked October 15, 2026): Canadian government safety guidance: read the owner's manual, wear eye and hearing protection, use the guard with a spreader (riving knife), keep the body to one side of the blade, use a push stick when the fence is under about 15 cm (6 in) from the blade or the piece is short, never cut freehand or reach over the blade, and unplug the saw before working on it. A government page with no affiliate links.
- Fine Woodworking: Using push sticks (2006) (external site, opens in a new tab) (independent guide, September 1, 2006 (issue #186); checked October 15, 2026): A 2006 shop guide by a woodworking school's shop manager: shop-made push sticks are cheap and easy to make, and should hold the work with a notch, cleat or non-slip surface and have a natural-feeling handle. The school teaches using a push stick for rips 6 inches wide or narrower. The site says it earns commissions through Amazon Associates and other affiliate programs; we found no affiliate links in this article.
- Fine Woodworking: Micro-Jig GRR-Ripper push block review (2005) (external site, opens in a new tab) (independent review, October 25, 2005; checked October 15, 2026): Context only, not a pick: a 2005 hands-on review of one multi-leg push block. Its soles pressed on both sides of the cut and carried the offcut past the blade, but on narrow stock it got in the way of the blade guard, and with no heel hook it needed more downward force; the reviewer preferred shop-made push blocks. The page's sidebar has Amazon Associates links for other products, not this one.
- Popular Woodworking: Essential table saw safety (2014) (external site, opens in a new tab) (independent guide, February 2014 (issue #209); posted online September 19, 2023; updated July 5, 2024; checked October 15, 2026): A 2014 magazine article by Robert W. Lang, then the magazine's executive editor: for narrow work he prefers a push stick with extra material ahead of the hook, so it holds the board down as well as pushing it, and he says to use the guard whenever you can. The page shows a general affiliate-commission notice; we found no affiliate links in the article.
- SawStop: Jobsite Saw Pro owner's manual (PDF) (external site, opens in a new tab) (maker spec page, no date shown (file dated April 2025); checked October 15, 2026): A table saw maker's manual: use a push stick when the fence is under 150 mm from the blade and a push block when it's under 50 mm; use only the supplied push stick or one made to its instructions, never a damaged one; use the guard, riving knife and anti-kickback pawls for every through cut, and take extra care on dado and rabbet cuts, where they can't be used. Its templates call for a non-conductive push stick (1/2 to 3/4 inch thick) and a push block whose lip is glued, with no metal fasteners, because metal touching the blade may set off the brake, which it says not to rely on. No affiliate links.
- DeWalt: DWE7491RS table saw instruction manual (PDF) (external site, opens in a new tab) (maker spec page, May 2018; checked October 15, 2026): A 2018 table saw manual: use a push stick whenever your hands would come within 6 inches (152 mm) of the blade, a push stick for 2 to 6 inches between fence and blade, and the narrow ripping fence with a push block at 2 inches or less; don't rip small pieces. It includes a push stick pattern (plywood or softwood no wider than the work) and plans for a narrow rip auxiliary fence and a push block with a square lip, and calls for the guard, riving knife and anti-kickback pawls on through cuts and featherboards on non-through cuts. No affiliate links.
- Federal Register: CPSC withdrawal of proposed rules, including table saw blade-contact injuries (external site, opens in a new tab) (safety authority, September 29, 2025; checked October 15, 2026): The Consumer Product Safety Commission formally withdrew its proposed performance standard for blade-contact injuries on table saws (proposed 2017, supplemented 2023) as of September 29, 2025, saying it doesn't intend to issue a final rule and would need a new proposal to act again. A government page with no affiliate links.
How we picked
We didn't hands-on test these. We read OSHA's woodworking standard and eTools, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) fact sheets on table saws and push sticks, Fine Woodworking's 2006 shop guide to push sticks and its 2005 review of a multi-leg push block, and Popular Woodworking's 2014 table saw safety article, plus two table saw makers' manuals (SawStop, DeWalt). Fine Woodworking and Popular Woodworking are both published by Active Interest Media. Every claim on this page comes from a source linked under Sources, and every safety statement names its source; we make no protection claims of our own. We only name a product when it has at least three independent sources from at least two different outlets, each naming that exact product, including at least one independent test or review, plus the maker's spec page. For safety gear such as a push block, the safety claims themselves may come only from government safety agencies (OSHA, NIOSH, CCOHS) or the maker's own ratings or instructions. No push stick or push block met that bar (no agency or maker rating compares products, and the one independent magazine review we found is from 2005), so this guide recommends kinds, not products. The page's own claims rest on at least three independent sources from at least two different outlets. Government safety pages (OSHA, CCOHS and the Federal Register) are listed as safety authorities and don't count toward our independent-source rule. We haven't built or tested any of the shop-made designs the makers show. Links were last checked on .
No paid links. Every link on this page is a plain link: no affiliate codes or tracking, and no company paid or asked to be listed (disclosure). Links open in a new tab.
Some outlets we cite get review samples from tool makers; we don't use pieces a maker paid for or sponsored.
We pick tools from independent tests and reviews, not our own testing.