Dang it woodworkers keep those fingers away from that saw blade!

8iowa · Post by **8iowa** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 2:45 pm

A thread poasted a year or so ago on Lumberjocks asked how many woodworkers used their saw guards. The vast majority of responders, at least 90% did not use the guards. Many had thrown them away, or didn't even know where the guards were.

A recuring "assertion" was that real "he men" didn't use guards. I ask you now: What is macho about going to the emergency room with your digits in a bag of ice?

I've always suspected that a much higher percentage of Shopsmithers use their guards, and other safety equipment. Comments..............

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 3:16 pm

8iowa wrote:A thread poasted a year or so ago on Lumberjocks asked how many woodworkers used their saw guards. The vast majority of responders, at least 90% did not use the guards. Many had thrown them away, or didn't even know where the guards were.

A recuring "assertion" was that real "he men" didn't use guards. I ask you now: What is macho about going to the emergency room with your digits in a bag of ice?

I've always suspected that a much higher percentage of Shopsmithers use their guards, and other safety equipment. Comments..............

8iowa
Now this is getting plain silly I'm agreeing with you again:eek:
I do think more shopsmithers do use their guards, the reason? I believe the Shopsmith is a thinking man's machine, thus they think through the idea of macho and emergency room and decide to install the guard.

Best to ya!

terrydowning · Post by **terrydowning** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 3:23 pm

[quote="Ed in Tampa"]8iowa
Now this is getting plain silly I'm agreeing with you again:eek:
I do think more shopsmithers do use their guards, the reason? I believe the Shopsmith is a thinking man's machine, thus they think through the idea of macho and emergency room and decide to install the guard. ]

new saw guards http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/catalog/sawguardsystem.htm 184.36

Trip to emergency room with emergency hand surgery tens of thousands of dollars

it's not a difficult choice really

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 4:00 pm

terrydowning wrote:new saw guards http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/catalog/sawguardsystem.htm 184.36

Trip to emergency room with emergency hand surgery tens of thousands of dollars

it's not a difficult choice really

Or you can order a Sharkguard, http://www.leestyron.com/shopsmith510.php
for $125 and have a really hot setup. The Sharkguard is made for 505, 510 and 520 and I guess it would work on the Mark 7.

I love my Sharkguard both the looks and the utility. Incidently you get to pick the thickness of the riving knife.

damagi · Post by **damagi** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 4:12 pm

terrydowning wrote:new saw guards http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/catalog/sawguardsystem.htm 184.36

Trip to emergency room with emergency hand surgery tens of thousands of dollars

it's not a difficult choice really

If you go that route, then a sawstop is an order of magnitude more expensive, but still a few orders of magnitude less than the cost of the accident.

robinson46176 · Post by **robinson46176** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 4:37 pm

Yes, that is the picture Joe. Scary isn't it?

I rarely used a guard in the past. I have no problem using a good one but this page tells pretty well why us old guys threw those old guards away and it was not a macho thing... Almost all of them were dangerous junk designed to cover somebody's ass, not protect an operator.

http://www.safetyengineeringresources.com/2009FC5.htm
My Foley Belsaw planer/molder/ripsaw/sander does have a "decent guard on the rip assembly and I do use it. I also try to use the one on my Ridgid TS-3650. It is also a "decent" guard. My Shopsmith 510 has a "decent guard as well. I have guards for my other SS's but it doesn't matter since I never use them as a saw anyway. They are much more likely to be left with a dado set-up or the like. Most of the "old" table saws I see floating around on the yard/garage sale market are old Craftsmans and the guards on most of those needed to be thrown away...

I always preached to my son that there were only two dangerous things on most table saws. The blade and the drive belt The drive belt if there is one, is around back and the blade is right on top where you can see it. Concentrate on that blade and the cut...

terrydowning · Post by **terrydowning** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 5:14 pm

I forgot to add

Knowing to keep your fingers and/or other body parts away from the sharp spinning thing (be it a saw blade, router bit, shaper head, sanding disc, or any other rotating or reciprocating cutter in your shop), along with NOT wearing gloves, loose long sleeves, or anything else that rotating items like to grab onto! (priceless!)

MikeG · Post by **MikeG** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 8:18 pm

robinson46176 wrote:Yes, that is the picture Joe. Scary isn't it?
I rarely used a guard in the past. I have no problem using a good one but this page tells pretty well why us old guys threw those old guards away and it was not a macho thing... Almost all of them were dangerous junk designed to cover somebody's ass, not protect an operator.
http://www.safetyengineeringresources.com/2009FC5.htm
My Foley Belsaw planer/molder/ripsaw/sander does have a "decent guard on the rip assembly and I do use it. I also try to use the one on my Ridgid TS-3650. It is also a "decent" guard. My Shopsmith 510 has a "decent guard as well. I have guards for my other SS's but it doesn't matter since I never use them as a saw anyway. They are much more likely to be left with a dado set-up or the like. Most of the "old" table saws I see floating around on the yard/garage sale market are old Craftsmans and the guards on most of those needed to be thrown away...
I always preached to my son that there were only two dangerous things on most table saws. The blade and the drive belt The drive belt if there is one, is around back and the blade is right on top where you can see it. Concentrate on that blade and the cut...

Thanks for the link. Very interesting reading. I have only used the aluminum upper guard on my SS 500 once and it had several of the bad points listed: could not see where the cut would be and moved sideways into the blade. I've always used the lower guard, but have never gotten the upper to work. Maybe it's my fault, but I got it out the other day again and tried to follow the setup from the manual and it just does not work for me. Has anyone else had problems with the aluminum upper guard? If not, how did you get it to work?

sawdust · Post by **sawdust** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 9:09 pm

I have had problems with the upper guard on my 500, also. I use a length
of hard wood to make sure the spliter is aliqned with the center of the blade.
If the wood will slide along each side of the blade with out hitting the spliter
you are good to go. This does require some amount of adjusting and will be
frustrateing if you are in a hurry. Also, make sure that your rip fence doesn't
pinch the saw kerf as it comes of the back side of the blade.
Hope this might be of some help.
George

mjsworkshop · Post by **mjsworkshop** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 11:36 am

I noticed something when I was at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine.

They have Sawstops and after a few months of using them, many of my fellow students were putting their hands way too close to the blade for my comfort.

When I mentioned it, several said the saw would stop if they touched the blade so they didn't need to worry about it.

To me that's just a bad idea. None of those students own Sawstops and they are developing a VERY bad habit in losing respect for the VERY dangerous spinning blade of a table saw.

I agree with the previous posts that you should do everything you can to make yourself more aware of the danger zone and always think before you begin using the saw.

-Mark