American: Why so behind us when it comes to Saw Saftey

[Noel]

Now nowhere there does he say he's using a riving knife. Surely if he was he wouldn't have had the wood pinch, I say this because he says he uses push blocks and guards I don't know weather that includes it.

Why are the Americans so against riving knives and guards?

Bit of a generalisation there. Granted the US manufacturers/importers had few machines equipped with riving knives but that's all changed in recent times. Most new cabinet saws now have some version of the feature on their machines:

http://www.deltaportercable.com/unisaw/ ... _knife.pdf

Don't know why people refer to the Xcalibur as a "Unisaw Clone", it's not, it's simply a Chiwanese generic cabinet saw that's been sold around the world for he last 30 yrs or so. The Xcalibur just has different stickers from all the other similar models. Never understood why this forum of all the 100s of WW forums on the net seems to be the only place that uses the term. Still a fine saw but not a clone of the older version of the Unisaw. Maybe Philly is to blame......

 

[PaulO]

Don't know why people refer to the Xcalibur as a "Unisaw Clone", it's not, it's simply a Chiwanese generic cabinet saw that's been sold around the world for he last 30 yrs or so.

OK, so the Chiwanese generic saws have been around for 30 years. The Unisaw went into production in 1937. Since then the mechanism has hardly changed (until the recent major changes in the saw shown in the article you posted). Parts for a 2004 Unisaw are the interchangeable with parts for a 1937 Unisaw.

The Unisaw established the basic dimensions of a table saw, including mitre slot locations, and the design of the rise and fall / tilt mechanism. The Chiwanese models copy this basic layout and mechanics. So you can call almost any cabinet saw with the same basic mechanism a "Unisaw Clone". I don't think that anybody is claiming that the Xcalibur is anything unusual, just that it falls into that basic category as opposed to some of the very different European designs.

 

[Philly]

Maybe Philly is to blame......

Who? Me.............??
Philly

 

[FrCollins]

It's not exactly a fun read, but on my website is a fairly thorough run down on most aspects of circular saw safety.

http://www.amgron.clara.net/circularsaw ... yindex.htm

Jeff

Nice one, Jeff, plenty of good advise, this type of info can go a long way in helping to assist saw users avoid injury. It would be good if you could expand on the details you have on the sawblades for example their proper: Storage, Cleaning and Handling, Appropriate Blade Selection, Blade sizes, Teeth Numbers, Steel or Tungsten, Warp Testing, Bluntness and its dangers etc.
I'm sure it would be of help to all saw operators as its usually the; saw blades that cause any major injuries yet there is little info out there on them. Perhaps you know where to source this info and could let us know where to find it as I am finding it hard to come by.

Saw - Safe FRCOLLINS

 

[newt]

My RK has a constant relationship to the blade what ever height is set, EB PK 200.

 

[dicktimber]

There's more than one way, when woodworking.
So it makes me shake my head when riving knives are removed.
It's an integril part of the saw design and construction.
So, why remove it?
Tennons can be cut by hand, or bandsaw.
Grooves by using a router and guide, not by nibbling away like Norm on his saw.
If you remove stuff that was never meant to be removed you invite an accident to happen.
Not one technical college can teach without strict safety guidelines.
They would be shut down if gaurds and riving knives were removed, and end up with law suits being served against them.
So...just get it
DON'T DO IT.
Mike

 

[ivan]

FW recently carried a review of the "new" riving knife seen at the big US summer trade show, explaining how it prevents kickback when timber closes in on the blade as it's cut. All the diagrams showed the usual US full-table-width fence in place for the rip cut. Apparently US timber never moves out towards the fence as it's cut???...