My new push sticks. If you’re using a table saw you need these!

[Lons]

Do they ? All saws come with them and if they did then the hse wouldnt allow them to be supplied nor sold.
Actually they dont, ive stuffed them into blades loads of times and as with wooden ones, then just cut a slot.

I can't argue against that as I can only relate to to the two I got with my SIP 01332 saw both of which splintered on contact so I threw them away and made wooden replacements. I rang the retailer who offered to send replacements but I refused as there wasn't much point.
There's a lot of stuff gets through retail sale that might be questionable and I seriously doubt if HSE gets too much involved until there's an issue in a commercial application. The saw was manufactured in China if I remember!

As an aside, I have a background in thermoformable plastics so know a bit about different properties and though mine had been injection moulded similar rules apply. I didn't check the material of mine as I couldn't be bothered but they were not fit for purpose,. It was a long time ago so perhaps they've been improved now. I do have some suitable polypropylene and nylon offcuts which would make decent pushsticks but it would be a waste when I have loads of scrap hardwood which works very well.

 

[Lons]

Nothing quite like a snapping blade even if its rattling away and you know its about to go, that sudden bang really gives the old ticker a jolt.

Many of us have been there. I think it's only happened to me when I've been pushing a blade that's getting blunt, it's also the only time I've ever cut myself on a bandsaw, minor injury luckily.
As you said, it does get the heart rate up just a little.

 

[DennisCA]

I make mine from plywood or mdf, I don't make them from real wood as that could splinter in a nasty way. I also paint them red just so they are easy to find and the red send a message to boot.

 

[Jacob]

I can't argue against that as I can only relate to to the two I got with my SIP 01332 saw both of which splintered on contact so I threw them away and made wooden replacements. I rang the retailer who offered to send replacements but I refused as there wasn't much point.
There's a lot of stuff gets through retail sale that might be questionable and I seriously doubt if HSE gets too much involved until there's an issue in a commercial application. The saw was manufactured in China if I remember!

As an aside, I have a background in thermoformable plastics so know a bit about different properties and though mine had been injection moulded similar rules apply. I didn't check the material of mine as I couldn't be bothered but they were not fit for purpose,. It was a long time ago so perhaps they've been improved now. I do have some suitable polypropylene and nylon offcuts which would make decent pushsticks but it would be a waste when I have loads of scrap hardwood which works very well.

The pair I bought from Axminster were OK and will cut without shattering. Obviously needs to be the right plastic.
Once bought some plastic storage boxes from a pound shop and they were cracking before I got them home!

https://www.axminstertools.com/axminster-push-stick-100237

 

[Lons]

There's a fair old range of plastics with widely varying properties, a quick comparison between, acrylic, polycarbonate, pvc and styrene would soon demonstrate that if anyone pushes them through a table saw, styrene especially can shatter like glass.
Thinking about mine they may even have been part of a faulty batch but I can't see the point in buying when I can make them for free, that said, the Axi ones aren't expensive.

 

[Tenacity]

My saw came with a nice plastic one that i used as a template to knock up a half dozen wooden copies, takes only a few minutes and apart from the two that are always with the saw the spares are hanging on nail close to the saw ,so if one gets chewed up a little then a replacement is redily available .The fact that push sticks are easily mislaid will i'am sure lead to the " well its only one cut and i will be carefull " mentality rearing its head, so keep a few spare hanging on a nail and keep your nails hanging on your fingers where they belong

Well having read the no guard thread, my new saw did come with a plastic push stick, will have to measure it don't think it's the required 450mm but I'll make a couple up to the regs. It's the makers of the saws annoy me, I'd gladly pay much more for a machine that came with well designed finger feathers that work vertically and horizontally, crown guard and extraction that works well. Having had Triton and now Bosch reckon I could make a good design based on the what is good in the threads, especially from the safety and accuracy point of view. It would cost a bob or two

 

[Rorschach]

I made mine using Matthias Wandel's free template. They are a little shorter than yours I think but they work very well. I mostly use them on the bandsaw.

 

[loftyhermes]

My push stick.

 

[TRITON]

My push stick.

Very good.
Actually after a while it could serve very well as a reminder as to what can happen if you dont use them.

Good choice of colour, what is that Arterial red ?

 

[Robbo60]

Similar subject - Could someone please explain the physics of a riving knife please. I understand its to stop the wood "nipping" the blade to cause kickback? but on short cross cuts I don't see how it would nip and on longer rips I can't see the issue - asking for a friend

 

[TRITON]

It's not really a requirement on cross cutting, there its the fence and its placement in relation to the gullets of the teeth.
In rip it stops the kerf closing up as tensions are released on the timber, which can make it move,twist or close together. If the timber closes together on the back of the blade the up motion of it grips the board and flings it up and out back towards you.
Actually with longer boards its as much a problem as theres more chance the timber will move as tension is released from it.

In cross cutting its best to use a sub fence that is the correct width you want to cut, but leaves the actual fence well back. As the timber needs only to be sized to that sub fence its really only acting as a stop. Actually that sounds rather convoluted. Hopefully someone else will happen along to explain it better

 

[Cabinetman]

The red hand gang, that made me laugh thank you,
I sound like a broken record but have a look at post 39 on page 2, on the other thread, re- keep the guard on, the crazy American guy demonstrates very well how the riving knife helps stop wood being caught on the up stroke at the back, as he rather foolishly deliberately pushes the wood to the left after having made his cut. And he is so close to joining the red hand gang as well!

 

[bobblezard]

Thus is one of mine, copied from a red plastic one that came with an Axminster saw.
The recessed magnets help keep these to hand by sticking them to the side of my bandsaw and tablesaw.
On the subject of softwood splintering (and splinters being thrown out) , I've not encountered this though can see it might happen, particularly with a more spectacular and dangerous contact with the blade, which fortunately, though an absolute amateur I have avoided to date - what thickness MDF do you reckon would be needed, a quick test this morning with a strip of 12mm suggested this would flex in use which wouldn't be great for transferring force in n the right direction. I might try ply

 

[Cabinetman]

Thus is one of mine, copied from a red plastic one that came with an Axminster saw.
The recessed magnets help keep these to hand by sticking them to the side of my bandsaw and tablesaw.
On the subject of softwood splintering (and splinters being thrown out) , I've not encountered this though can see it might happen, particularly with a more spectacular and dangerous contact with the blade, which fortunately, though an absolute amateur I have avoided to date - what thickness MDF do you reckon would be needed, a quick test this morning with a strip of 12mm suggested this would flex in use which wouldn't be great for transferring force in n the right direction. I might try ply

I wouldn’t worry too much, mine have been softwood for nearly 45 years and I’ve never had a problem either, I really like the idea of embedding a magnet, to stick them to the side of the machine – neat solution, nice shape btw.

 

[shed9]

On the theme of sticks to keep hands away from blades, I've been using one of these '10 Million Dollar' sticks on my mitre saw for a while now.

Picked it up from Peter Sefton's store a while back when he started stocking them (and no, I'm not affiliated with the store, just pushing a good supplier). One of the best add-ons I ever bought for my mitre saw.

 

[Cabinetman]

On the theme of sticks to keep hands away from blades, I've been using one of these '10 Million Dollar' sticks on my mitre saw for a while now.
View attachment 105513
Picked it up from Peter Sefton's store a while back when he started stocking them (and no, I'm not affiliated with the store, just pushing a good supplier). One of the best add-ons I ever bought for my mitre saw.

So it looks like it has rubber pads on all three corners can you describe how it’s an improvement please and how you use the two finger end – I’m presuming not in that way!

 

[shed9]

There is a loose explanation on FastCap's channel, although this clearly looks like the prototype a few years back;



Clear there are sometimes better ways, such as the inbuilt clamps but for awkward parts I find it really useful.

 

[Cabinetman]

Most impressive, thanks for bringing that to us and me, I’ve been thinking about getting a mitre saw and I will certainly get one of those. Ian

 

[Jacob]

There is a loose explanation on FastCap's channel, although this clearly looks like the prototype a few years back;



Clear there are sometimes better ways, such as the inbuilt clamps but for awkward parts I find it really useful.

Typical gadget. Looks like a good idea but not as useful as the basic universal design and costs a lot more.

 

[shed9]

Typical gadget. Looks like a good idea but not as useful as the basic universal design and costs a lot more.

I suspect there is a Gary Larson cartoon somewhere in the ether of a character called Jacob saying the same about the invention of the wheel.....