Table saw safety

[Keith 66]

I took advice from my old Data trainer & he confirmed what i had thought & what you guys have also said. I emailed him shortly afterwards & gave him the advice & hse guidance on tablesaws.
He took the message with good grace, He now has the problem of getting the guys to go along with it. Ultimately this may involve showing people the door. I know another local shed had to do exactly that a few years back.
Thanks for the advice, i will find out what happened in due course!

 

[TominDales]

I took advice from my old Data trainer & he confirmed what i had thought & what you guys have also said. I emailed him shortly afterwards & gave him the advice & hse guidance on tablesaws.
He took the message with good grace, He now has the problem of getting the guys to go along with it. Ultimately this may involve showing people the door. I know another local shed had to do exactly that a few years back.
Thanks for the advice, i will find out what happened in due course!

You done good as they say. Its hard giving friends advice like this. You have done him a good turn. Maybe he should get you or others of experience from the community to lay the law down for his shed. The HS&E guidance is very clear. Best wishes Tom

 

[okeydokey]

Some years ago I visited a fairly newly setup men shed and was asked if I wished to join and perhaps take on a trustee or supervisory role or first aider role. I thanked them for showing me around but said at the moment I didn't have the time as I was busy enough pottering around with my own odd jobbies/hobbies.
In reality all of the above H+S issues/concerns/liabilities was in the forefront of my mind and perhaps selfishly I have kept well away. If I had trainer qualifications and etc then perhaps my decision could have been different. But even if I had taken it up... probably the trainer person (could have been ME) who set up a system that without training nobody could use stuff still picks up a none escapable liability. Well thats my thoughts anyway

 

[Devmeister]

Using a table saw assumes you have been trained. I received training years ago in high school when they had shops. I also have copies of Oliver’s training Manuel’s written for teaching table saw safety in boys votech programs.

Today I see young folks using table saws with no training both within the hobby and the industry. Not Good!

The assumption you can’t get hurt if your using a saw stop is simply false. The vast majority of accidents are kick back related. Sure there are fools who simply get their fingers to close to the blade, but most accidents are kick back related.

What most folks don’t know is a kick back is not a linear action. The flight path is curvilinear with a large radius. What this means is significant. As a board begins its kick back, it actually rotates bringing your fingers online with the blade. So know you have a finger accident. If your in line with the flight path of the kick back, your likely going to get hit as well.

The riving knife will go a long way to preventing this rotation action. But you also need to be aware of ride up. Ride up will turn a cut kerf into a rack and pinion gear set very quickly and efficiently.

So guys who run old iron with decades of experience and training make it look easy. It’s a case of Do as I say Not as I do.

 

[Morag Jones]

Please, hope this is not too contentious...

I 'inherited' a Bestcombi 2000, seems adequate for my needs, but I dont need it every day. So I made a cover for it with scrap worktop so I can extend my work area. Routed a shallow slot to allow for the blade. Even when fully retracted it is a little proud of the surface. Is it meant to go all the way down (below flush) btw?

The riving knife got lost along the way and a mate gave me one out of his scrap box which looks remarkably similar to the OE. But this protrudes up even further. You'll see a little notch at the back, this allows me to use the orange guard/dust hood. It has a much bigger port than the original Kity one.

So my question; is there any safety reason why I shouldn't cut a bit off the top and re-drill the hole to keep the protrusion only marginally more than the blade? Approx at the thicker marked Sharpie line. This would let me put the cover on without faffing about taking the knife off every time?

Sorry if this is an obvious basic question, would appreciate advice. Thanks.

 

[Bingy man]

Please, hope this is not too contentious...

I 'inherited' a Bestcombi 2000, seems adequate for my needs, but I dont need it every day. So I made a cover for it with scrap worktop so I can extend my work area. Routed a shallow slot to allow for the blade. Even when fully retracted it is a little proud of the surface. Is it meant to go all the way down (below flush) btw?

The riving knife got lost along the way and a mate gave me one out of his scrap box which looks remarkably similar to the OE. But this protrudes up even further. You'll see a little notch at the back, this allows me to use the orange guard/dust hood. It has a much bigger port than the original Kity one.

So my question; is there any safety reason why I shouldn't cut a bit off the top and re-drill the hole to keep the protrusion only marginally more than the blade? Approx at the thicker marked Sharpie line. This would let me put the cover on without faffing about taking the knife off every time?

Sorry if this is an obvious basic question, would appreciate advice. Thanks.View attachment 133024

I have no experience with your machine but if you’ve read all the posts in this thread you will find as I did removing the riving knife is not recommended at anytime ( I’m guilty of this but not anymore) my background as a gas engineer would tell me not to alter a safety device (riving knife ) or fit non original parts to what can effectively cause you serious injuries. I’m sure that others on this forum will have much more experience in this area and with your machine - obvious ? Have you tried ordering an original part ( if available) . As far as your blade height I would expect it to be lowered below the table surface which would suggest a possible adjustment reqd or again obvious?? Is it the correct blade diameter for your machine.

 

[Lazurus]

I can see no reason why you couldn't remove a small amount from the riving knife. I have seen several that have been shortened so rebates can be cut without removing the knife completely, but as with all things safety first. Oh and on my Sheppach 4020 I have the same issue with the blade standing a little proud, it is annoying yes.

 

[Morag Jones]

I have no experience with your machine but if you’ve read all the posts in this thread you will find as I did removing the riving knife is not recommended at anytime ( I’m guilty of this but not anymore) my background as a gas engineer would tell me not to alter a safety device (riving knife ) or fit non original parts to what can effectively cause you serious injuries. I’m sure that others on this forum will have much more experience in this area and with your machine - obvious ? Have you tried ordering an original part ( if available) . As far as your blade height I would expect it to be lowered below the table surface which would suggest a possible adjustment reqd or again obvious?? Is it the correct blade diameter for your machine.

Thanks. Needs more investigation I think. I don't know why there wasn't a riving knife on it when I got it, as the prev. user had passed away. The manual is not hugely helpful, other than showing a knife that looks identical.

 

[Bingy man]

Thanks. Needs more investigation I think. I don't know why there wasn't a riving knife on it when I got it, as the prev. user had passed away. The manual is not hugely helpful, other than showing a knife that looks identical.

Fully understand and better to be safe than injured so take your time other members will probably be able to help you further especially if they have the same machine -good luck

 

[Essex Barn Workshop]

Warning, injury photo coming up.
Ive been using table saws safely for years, and here was so lucky that I didn’t touch bone. This is after a hospital visit and 10 days healing time.

This is current, I did it about 12 days ago.

 

[Bingy man]

Warning, injury photo coming up.
Ive been using table saws safely for years, and here was so lucky that I didn’t touch bone. This is after a hospital visit and 10 days healing time.

This is current, I did it about 12 days ago.
View attachment 133090

The angels were with you that day - looks like just a brief encounter with the blade .

 

[Spectric]

Ive been using table saws safely for years,

A major contributing factor in safety, you get over confident and become less aware of the hazzard, but in a split second you are brought back to reality, this time you got away with keeping your thumb but that tablesaw has always been dangerous and waiting for you to give it a digit!

 

[Phill05]

Rather than cut the riving knife down I have lengthened the slot below where you can then adjust the knife to suit the blade then lock it up.

 

[6x4]

Rather than cut the riving knife down I have lengthened the slot below where you can then adjust the knife to suit the blade then lock it up.

+1 for this, I did it and think it’s the right thing to do, just consider if the slot needs to angle/curve to preserve the separation from the back of the blade.


This way the knife can stay in (lower) for grooving (dadoes) or partial cuts provided you’re ok with this and be pulled up for full capacity with the guard

 

[SamG340]

I was thinking about this the other day, I'm a novice woodworker. I was wondering what side of the table saw you should stand ?

I figured to the right so the fence is in-between me and the blade but being right handed that doesn't give me much control over the wood

 

[Morag Jones]

I had considered lengthening the slot, but as you say Phill, it will need slight keyhole at the top to allow it to rotate around the blade. At present it is 3mm clearance around the blade. The length below the fixings might not allow the knife to go any lower.
Thinking a cardboard mock-up pattern would be prudent before getting the grinder out!

 

[6x4]

I had considered lengthening the slot, but as you say Phill, it will need slight keyhole at the top to allow it to rotate around the blade. At present it is 3mm clearance around the blade. The length below the fixings might not allow the knife to go any lower.
Thinking a cardboard mock-up pattern would be prudent before getting the grinder out!

I think i got dividers out to mark a constant radius from the arbour the the knife will naturally arc around. It is probably just mild steel so careful progress with a file, maybe a drill might be a prudent approach. (Other) Phil

 

[6x4]

I was thinking about this the other day, I'm a novice woodworker. I was wondering what side of the table saw you should stand ?

I figured to the right so the fence is in-between me and the blade but being right handed that doesn't give me much control over the wood

A few points, I’m no professional machinist so there will be better authorities here and elsewhere on the web, this represents what I do/don’t do;

but, you want to be in reach of the off switch without reaching over/through the work - that’s typically on the front left, fence on the right.

you want to be applying consistent/just enough pressure to the fence when ripping. Reaching over the blade & fence to pull the workpiece towards you is going to be a hazard.

by all means stand out of the firing line of the blade in case of chips or the dreaded kickback, but hopefully on here you’re a) British and b) use a riving knife and guard to help avoid all that.

 

[SamG340]

A few points, I’m no professional machinist so there will be better authorities here and elsewhere on the web, this represents what I do/don’t do;

but, you want to be in reach of the off switch without reaching over/through the work - that’s typically on the front left, fence on the right.

you want to be applying consistent/just enough pressure to the fence when ripping. Reaching over the blade & fence to pull the workpiece towards you is going to be a hazard.

by all means stand out of the firing line of the blade in case of chips or the dreaded kickback, but hopefully on here you’re a) British and b) use a riving knife and guard to help avoid all that.

Thankfully I am British

I see what you mean about being near the off switch that's a good point

 

[shed9]

With all that table saw nonsense aside, can I ask on what the best way to sharpen a plane blade would be?