The importance of practising what one preaches

[PAC1]

The sad reality is that stopping the saw, waiting for the blade to come to a complete halt, clearing away each individual off-cut, then re-starting the saw and moving on to the next workpiece, would crush productivity. If you've got a thousand window frame components that have all been machined over length and now need 50mm crosscutting off the end, well, making a profit means most commercial saw operators would argue they don't have a choice but to let the off-cuts pile up. That's why Peter's post was such a shocker, everyone does it and I never dreamed the outcome could be so serious. The worst i'd have thought might happen is a relatively small off-cut being thrown backwards, but well to your right hand side. Peter's post shows the off-cut can come across the saw blade and hit the operator with enough force to amputate a finger.

Hello,

The right tool for the job! A chop/mitre saw in this case. Productivity is never an excuse for poor safety, but the correct tool can restore efficiency and safety.
Mike.

Not necessarily several years ago I was mitring some cove mould for a side board and cut the end of a piece at 45 the off cut took flight and inbedded itself in my thumb. Two stitches

 

[Steve Maskery]

Some saws have an off switch on the RH side which negates the need to enter the danger zone. The worst thing to do is to lean down to turn off the saw and then put your face in the danger zone.

Peter, do you mean this? Do you not mean the LH side? I can understand that.

My switch is fixed on the RH side. I've looked at the possibility of moving it, but it looks too complicated for me with my 13A fuse replacement skills, so I have built a kick-stop so that I don't have to reach down and across to it. It works really well and I enjoy the feeling that there is someone's face on it every time I use it.

No-one on this forum need fret about the identity...

S

 

[Peter Sefton]

Some saws have an off switch on the RH side which negates the need to enter the danger zone. The worst thing to do is to lean down to turn off the saw and then put your face in the danger zone.

Peter, do you mean this? Do you not mean the LH side? I can understand that.

My switch is fixed on the RH side. I've looked at the possibility of moving it, but it looks too complicated for me with my 13A fuse replacement skills, so I have built a kick-stop so that I don't have to reach down and across to it. It works really well and I enjoy the feeling that there is someone's face on it every time I use it.

No-one on this forum need fret about the identity...

S

You are right Steve, I meant left hand side!

I will edit the post, good idea about the foot switch.

Cheers Peter

 

[lurker]

Most of the time we are lucky, sometimes we run out of luck.

Unless you are Jacob and then you are so bluddy perfect it never goes wrong :roll:

 

[iNewbie]

Most of the time we are lucky, sometimes we run out of luck.

Unless you are Jacob and then you are so bluddy perfect it never goes wrong :roll:

You think a kickback hasn't happened and a lump of wood hasn't hit him on the head in his career?


Its times like these you count your blessings. I know I would.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Come on guys. Let's not let this get personal. I don't want this thread to get locked. I think there is a lot of good sense spoken here, whether we agree with everything or not.
S

 

[iNewbie]

Its a bit of banter steve - no harm no foul.

 

[Jacob]

Most of the time we are lucky, sometimes we run out of luck.

Unless you are Jacob and then you are so bluddy perfect it never goes wrong :roll:

Goes wrong quite often. I've had a few narrow escapes too. I'm a bit paranoid about safety as I do seem to know a few people who have had some nasty experiences and it's taken me some time to work out my own approach. I haven't had anything kick back after the first couple of scary ones - pieces shot off like cross-bow bolts to embed themselves in the plaster board.
Not bluddy perfect just bluddy cautious

These are best IMHO. Simple and secure, tightly fixed close up behind the blade so even if it catches the blade it'll stay in place. Dust extractor on top, Small footprint so it doesn't get in the way. Strong enough to hold down an escaping piece kicked up

 

[Paul Chapman]

Hope you and your saw are both feeling better soon, Steve

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Steve Maskery]

That's not bad, Jacob, not bad. But not perfect either.

It's not available, AFAIAA, as an aftermarket accessory to most TSs. Great if it were, but it isn't. At least not to my knowledge. Happy to be proven wrong.

It has good protection from above, and a surprising number of injuries are caused by people falling onto the blade. I guess it is because we are all old fat middle-aged geezers who are in in our dotage and have a heart attack while we are excited by the smell of burning oak.

Hey, ladies, don't give me a hard time on that, it was a light-hearted stereotypical jest, not a gender-political-ageist point. OK?

But it does nothing to stop anyone from putting their fingers to the blade from the front. The wood can get in unimpeded, so can fingers.

With a guard like mine, it is IMPOSSIBLE to make contact with the blade without making contact with the guard first.

Yes, other weaknesses have been exposed, but in execution, not in design.

Trumps.

 

[Steve Maskery]

PS The second pint is on me.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Just a pic update, as of this evening:

As I say, I would have preferred it not to have happened, but in the grand scheme of things, it's OK. Could have been worse. A lot worse.

 

[DennisCA]

I think the overhead suva design is the best compromise of them all. Because it's the one that's least likely to be removed and then just forgotten about afterwards. The wide ones are clumsy but they are usually made so because they support a proper DC hood that needs a good diameter hose, and so that the blade can tilt inside the hood. Mine is all sturdy metal and won't be going anywhere. I just lift it up a bit when working with a jig for instance, or a sled. I'd have to disassemble the crownguard everytime I used a jig or sled or did a no through cut and I know for me that happens enough that I simply wouldn't use the thing after a while.

With this design it has to be lifted up a bit so you can get push sticks in there so it's not as effective in that sense I guess, but still pretty good and covers the blade so it's hard to get your hands near it, and if you fall on it it will provide more protection than that plastic crownguard. And it'll be there for 100% of operations as opposed to being removed and put back (hopefully).

If there was one improvement I'd make it would be making it from polycarbonate so it's all see through. Or add PC windows to the metal frame of my current guard.

 

[ayuce]

I'm thinking of making a carbon copy of my toy saw's green ABS (?) blade guard or SUVA style home made guard. I'll use metal sheet (as frame) + polycarbonate/lexan , or fully from PC if i can. I want some transparency to see front of blade. Is it safer to leave as it is ? Any comment on that ?

 

[Jacob]

I'm thinking of making a carbon copy of my toy saw's green ABS (?) blade guard or SUVA style home made guard. I'll use metal sheet (as frame) + polycarbonate/lexan , or fully from PC if i can. I want some transparency to see front of blade. Is it safer to leave as it is ? Any comment on that ?

Transparency difficult - it'll either get dusty (immediately) or just scratched up. Don't bother.
Crown guards; "not available, AFAIAA, as an aftermarket accessory to most TSs"? They come as standard with many machines so I presume are available as spare parts.

 

[DennisCA]

Lots of PC hoods out there, factory as well as homemade, that's stood up to the test of time when you look around.

 

[PAC1]

After market identical version (well the same colour) http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-in ... rown-guard

 

[lurker]

Chaps

I am gong to open a post in the jigs section so folks can post options we can consider.

 

[Steve Maskery]

PAC, fair enough, I stand corrected.
But I have to say, given that the saw had something similar originally (no DX spout and die-cast metal, but otherwise that type) I would never go back after using mine.
It doesn't cover the front or side of the blade, only the top. It does not rise and fall as the wood enters and leaves. Perhaps this particular accident would not have happened, but blade/finger contact would be much more likely. I prefer something between me and the sharp bits at all times.

 

[Jacob]

.....but blade/finger contact would be much more likely.

Not if you use TWO push sticks. Finger contact becomes extremely improbable.

I prefer something between me and the sharp bits at all times.

Me too; TWO push sticks!!

PS cutting that bevel would be safest with blade tilted towards the fence (as they all do) but with a hold-down feather attached to the fence to stop the workpiece getting lifted up. This might mean clamping the far end of the fence too, to stop it lifting. Plus crown guard, push sticks etc.