What is the pin on my bandsaw table?

There's a pin on the edge of my bandsaw table that keeps snagging my shirt. And it gets in the way during blade changes. Can I just remove it altogether?
—Paul Barger, Portsmouth, N.H.

Sorry, Paul, but that support pin blocks the blade-access slot for a very good reason. Cast iron is softer than most people realize, and the long blade-access slot actually weakens the table. The support pin keeps the two sides of the table rigid and on the same plane. Left unsupported, the table can rack unevenly as heavy pieces move across it.

To keep from snagging your shirt on the protruding pin handle, try wrapping the pin in a shop towel and then covering that with duct tape extending to the corners of the table edges.