Safety Gaurds

[Chems]

Always use mine, Ive set my crown guard up so it stays at 90degrees instead of flapping back down and you having to push the wood enough so it lifts the guard up a bit thats right isnt it?

 

[Benchwayze]

Keep the guards on. Count to ten without the need to remove your shoes!

Regards
John

 

[Raggy]

I have only had my TS a month or so now and took the guard and knife off to do some grooves, I couldn't be bothered to put them back when i had to rip some boards down to size and managed to stick a board through the bottom half of my double glazed workshop door, and not learning the lesson from that managed to have a board hit me in the stomach leaving a very painful bruise (luckily i am well padded in that area). Needless to say the guard and knife are firmly attached now.

 

[Jeff Gorman]

If people take, or find they need to take risks, they should know the consequeces.

It might be worth taking a look at:

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

 

[woodbloke]

Lots of comments here also about being hit in the stomach by fast moving bits of timber getting thrown forward. One of the very basic things to do when using a TS is to stand to one side when pushing stuff through...never stand in the line of fire :shock: - Rob

 

[Tusses]

I have used my old TS without guards for about 8 years without incident. I always stand to the side. I always am aware of where my hands are in relation the the blade. I always keep half an eye on the rear of the blade to check the kerf isnt going to bind. If I used my fingers as a feather board :shock: I always anchor half of them over the fence or in the miter slot.

About 20 years ago - I built myself a table saw from a circular saw mounted upside down on a board in my workbench. The 1st time I used it with the blade tilted I found out what kick back was ! since then - touch wood! I have been VERY aware of what can happen.

still ... I am now going to try and 're-learn' my table saw usage with a knife and guard. - especially now I have a proper and more powerful table saw !

Rich

 

[Sgian Dubh]

I have used my old TS without guards for about 8 years without incident. Rich

You might find this read useful. Slainte.

http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/read ... _108.shtml

 

[Tusses]

Thanks .... anything is usefull ... whether I read it and choose to ignore it - or follow it to the letter ... knowledge is good

Richard

 

[andychip38]

hi all just to say for the last 5 years i've never had the guard on my saw but after reading this thread its on and staying on thanks in advance for saving my fingers

 

[Digit]

My TS, the SIP 10in has 'T' slots on the two side faces and the top
This is my solution to boards jamming. The short fence is Paxolin held in place by two socket headed screws.

I thought this might be of interest as well. I use it to set the height of the saw blade. The micrometer cost me a pound as the frame was bent.

 

[Niki]

One of the very basic things to do when using a TS is to stand to one side when pushing stuff through...never stand in the line of fire :shock: - Rob

Hi Rob

I read this "never stand in the line of fire" in many places but, in non of them was stated where to stand...

If you'll look at the pic (drawing) below, that is taken from SHE, you will notice that the operator must stand to the left of the blade for proper control, i.e. left hand pushing toward the fence and the right hand pushing forward with a push stick...

But....please have a look at this video and see how a real kickback occurs...the workpiece climbs on top of the blade, turned counter clockwise and thrown back from the left side of the blade...and if you stand there....
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/910584/ta ... nstration/


If you'll have a look at my first table saw above (if it can be called table saw ), you'll see that the rip fence is at the left of the blade. I made it at the time that I didn't know nothing about table saws. It was natural for me that the fence should be at the left side and that way, my hands will never have to cross above the blade and, my body is behind the fence and I always pulled the workpiece toward the fence while pushing forward.

Even if it would kickback, the board would "fly" to the right side and if it would "push-back", my body is behind the fence so, I was never on the "line of fire".....to my luck I never got a kickback for the 10 years of the saw "life".

I think that (but not sure) Triton Work-center is using also a "left rip fence".

Regards
niki

 

[Digit]

With the fence to the right of the blade I stand to the left. My left hand holds the timber down and my right hand, using a push stick, pushes the timber forward and against the fence.

Roy.

 

[patl]

Well, I had my credit card on the desk next to the computer, just about to buy my first table saw. After reading the HSE docs, It appears that there is no safe way of using one, every possible safety precaution (push sticks, guards etc) seem to be just another missile.
I'm getting cold feet now , maybe I should find room in the workshop for a big bandsaw instead

 

[Tusses]

band saw cut amazingly fast !!!!! finger .... gone .... just like that

 

[Slim]

patl,

A tablesaw can be perfectly safe as long as you show it the respect it deserves. Read up techniques and dangers before you use it. It is a good idea to learn about stresses in timber and how they can be released when sawing. Always use the riving knife, crown guard and short fence. There is plenty of info on this forum.

 

[Digit]

The HSE could make climbing into bed sound dangerous! I haven't had a kick back for so long I can't actually remember the last one.
Common sense and stand out of the firing line.

Roy.

 

[johnnyb]

i always use a riving knife but rarely a blade gaurd as it interferes with rips below 18mm as the fence is quite high (dw746). i also routinely adjust the height of the blade for safety and a better finish. the riving knife on many table saws leaves much to be desired but mine is superbly made with shims to get it just right and it doesnt interfere at all. this is another reason i dont use thin kerf blades. i use the blade gaurd for sawing up sheets of mdf etc as it has extraction. i know i know but just telling as it is. ps i always use the gaurds on planers, spindles router tables etc etc.

 

[Anonymous]

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[Niki]

Well, I had my credit card on the desk next to the computer, just about to buy my first table saw. After reading the HSE docs, It appears that there is no safe way of using one, every possible safety precaution (push sticks, guards etc) seem to be just another missile.
I'm getting cold feet now , maybe I should find room in the workshop for a big bandsaw instead

Hi Petl

Don't be so discouraged from a few posts about a table saw dangers and accidents.....most of the woodworkers/amateurs do not have accidents (still, most of them have all the fingers ).

Of course there are some basic rules that you must know but, ones you know them and follow them, you will have a lot of enjoyment from the table saw (like I have - I love it....and respect it).

It's like in every profession, they always tell you the "bad things" and how dangerous it is and what happened here and what happened there...

I cannot talk for the other guys here but, as for me, I work already 13 years on the table saw (10 of them on a "home-made" without riving knife or crown guard that you can see on page 2 of this post) and no kickbacks, no "close call" just enjoying it.

It's like they'll tell you how dangerous is to fly and what happened on this flight and that flight...so, I have some 14,000 flight hours "up there" at 35,000' so I can tell you...maybe, only 1% of the accidents are because of malfunctions, all the rest are "Pilot induced crash" (as we call it - "Controlled crash") and if you'll compare the number of the accidents to the number of flights, they are almost negligible, it's still the safest transport medium.

Almost in every dispatch room you can see it in big bold letters:
"ACCIDENTS DO NOT HAPPEN - THEY ARE CAUSED"
Very true also for woodworking or other professions

So, go out there and buy yourself a good table saw and enjoy...just remember one thing;
If the little voice inside you tells you "Don't do it" - don't do it, find different and safer way to make the cut.

Regards
niki

 

[Anonymous]

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