Is the SS tablesaw the most dangerous piece of equipment out there?

paulsgreenbarn · Post by **paulsgreenbarn** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 12:16 pm

Never mind.i guess I can't get my point across the way i mean to.It's not a riving knife or alignment issue.It more of a lot more splinters and crap flying off the blade issue. PLEASE DELETE

wa2crk · Post by **wa2crk** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 12:32 pm

Paul
Can you give some more info about your setup? I have never been hit by sawdust from the machine, it either falls on the floor under the machine or if it above the line of the saw blade it is contained by the upper saw guard. Do you use the upper saw guard? If not you should.
On my last project I had to rip some pine strips for some trim. They were 3/4" by 1/8". The 1/8 side was between the saw blade and the fence with the fence to the left of the blade so that the 1/8 piece was between the fence and the blade. This is not the best setup but I needed to have consistent results on the 1/8" piece. I stood to the right of the blade and when the cut was finished the 1/8" piece was thrown back from the saw but I was well to the safe side.
I have never had a piece 2" large come off the saw.
I hope that you do not have the saw set too high for the cut. That will cause the teeth at the rear of the cut to catch the piece and throw it up.
Is your machine aligned correctly? Is the piece getting pinched between the fence and the blade?
Just some thoughts for you.
Bill V
PS, I live in a retirement community and am a moderator for our woodworking club and I still believe that the best piece of safety gear is the one that resides between the right ear and the left ear.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 12:46 pm

I'm quite surprised to hear you say this. Since you are a professional woodworker, I have to consider this as a credible observation.

I have had some pieces thrown back at me but I have always known why. It was always something that I did that caused it. If it was the machine, it was because I somehow misused or misaligned it.

As for saw dust in my face - OFTEN; but I can explain that too. I often do not use the upper saw guard. I built my own riving knife a long time ago just so that I could rip with out having the upper guard in the way.

One question. Are you working primarily with rough cut lumber?

To answer your question. NO, I do not consider my Mark V Table Saw to be the most dangerous . It might, however, be the most easily misused!

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 12:46 pm

My 'vote' goes to a chain saw.

It is so dangerous, there are no 'safety regs'. i.e. Impossible to make 'safe' and still perform it's function.

I guess the centrifugal clutch is a safety 'feature'.

edflorence · Post by **edflorence** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 2:41 pm

JPG wrote:

a chain saw.

It is so dangerous, there are no 'safety regs'. i.e. Impossible to make 'safe' and still perform it's function.

.

I agree...the machine can't be regulated into being more safe...however, the human element in the "sawing system" can be trained...I remember some chain saws that were sold with a shield over the upper front portion of the bar and chain in an attempt to prevent kickback...however every chain saw operator knows the utility of plunge cuts and cutting with the "back" of the chain...with training these cuts can be made safely.

How does this relate to the topic of this thread? The causes of table saw kickback are well known and with training the operator can avoid them. Any spinning blade be it router, tablesaw or sanding disk can and will, given half a chance, kick back. I have no reason to believe the SS ts is any worse in this regard than any other ts. Blade height above the table, as mentioned, can contribute to kickback, but I can't see where table height above the floor would make a difference.

An angled fence that pinches the workpiece on the outfeed side of the blade can create a kickback and while keeping the fence parallel with the blade may require a bit more attention with the SS than with other sorts of self-aligning fence systems, it really isn't a problem and it doesn't take much "training" before you are in the habit of checking the fence before each rip cut. Likewise, once the habit of never ripping without the splitter or riving knife in place is trained, the likelihood of kickbacks is greatly reduced.

Some of this training comes through experience but a lot of good training can be had by learning from other people's mistakes as well. Lots of good info on safe ripping practices to be found in this forum, elsewhere on the web, in PTWFE, on YouTube and in countless books.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 4:13 pm

paulsgreenbarn wrote:.....and the other day by a piece about 2" square.
What is it about this machine or am I the only one.It may be the higher operating height or something?

No the Shopsmith is not any more unsafe than any other table saw. SawStop included.

If a woodworker is being hit or attacked by pieces of wood, It is operator error.

Trapping wood between fence and blade is asking for Kickback. If the table is not aligned with the blade, the operator is asking for kickback. If the saw blade is dull and/or the wood not held down there will be kickback.

About sawdust in the face: If the operator is short (under 5 ft. tall) I suppose there is a sawdust issue, especially if not using the upper saw guard,

Another way to reduce the saw throwing sawdust is to raise the table so only the gullets of the blade protrude above the wood. The higher the blade = higher tossed sawdust.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 4:22 pm

charlese wrote:No the Shopsmith is not any more unsafe than any other table saw. SawStop included.

If a woodworker is being hit or attacked by pieces of wood, It is operator error.

Trapping wood between fence and blade is asking for Kickback. If the table is not aligned with the blade, the operator is asking for kickback. If the saw blade is dull and/or the wood not held down there will be kickback.

About sawdust in the face: If the operator is short (under 5 ft. tall) I suppose there is a sawdust issue, especially if not using the upper saw guard,

Another way to reduce the saw throwing sawdust is to raise the table so only the gullets of the blade protrude above the wood. The higher the blade = higher tossed sawdust.

I would tend to believe any sawdust thrown towards the operator was created by the blade coming back up through the kerf and skimming debris off the edge of the cut. alignment can minimize that, but we all know wood is not rigid and will move as internal stresses are relieved. Hence the riving knife to the 'rescue'.

wa2crk · Post by **wa2crk** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 5:39 pm

I get more crap ( a technical term) thrown on me from the lathe than the table saw!!
Bill V

paulsgreenbarn · Post by **paulsgreenbarn** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 7:21 pm

thanks for your input.

ChrisNeilan · Post by **ChrisNeilan** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 9:31 pm

Not sure what table system you have, but on my Mark 7 with the new style tables I have no problem with the table saw system. I have the lower guard and upper guard with riving knife in place. Works like a charm, especially when I remember to turn on the dust collector! I have also made sure to check table alignment the right way. That helps a lot. I never use my Mark V as a table saw anymore, but had very few issues when I did. I kept it to smaller pieces on that system.