TS safety, be carefull

[la Huerta]

found this link regarding some injuries from a tablesaw...

anyone not using a overhead guard must be nuts, i installed a overhead guard on mine a while back and will not use the saw without it, it's a strong plywood one with a perspex window and attached to a strong metal arm, i had a piece a wood jamed once and the guard prevented it from ending up in my head...

http://www.amgron.clara.net/circular.../accidents.htm

[rat52]

Couldn't finish reading it. Way too scary

Reminded me of all the near misses I have had.

[munruben]

It is scary but might remind us not to become complacent when using these machines which I think we are all guilty of from time to time.

[Hickory]

As an old WWing teacher, I shudder everytime I see a (supposedly intelligent) fellow tell of how he is too good to use a guard, Overhead or otherwise. My favorite is the Brett guard but I can only afford the device shipped with my TS... Sure there are setups that defy the use of a guard but an astute fellow will find a way to spend a few seconds longer to protect himself from harm. The most dangerous fellow is the one too smart to get hurt.

[mcarthur]

http://www.amgron.clara.net/circular.../accidents.htm

Cutting the end off a piece of birch 760mm (30in x 12in), not using a mitre fence. Possible internal defects in the board. ‘While feeding the piece, I felt it hang slightly’ but pushed harder and the fence moved. 5HP motor on sawbench. Board kick backed and hit him on the head of the penis.

My eye's are watering...

Ripping 6mm (1/4in) plastic into 50mm (2in) strips. A piece kicked back, hitting just below the groin. Punctured the femoral artery

I read them all. And gulped. Many times. Where's that body armour ebay site...

[martrix]

The least scary one.

Operator replacing the blade, forgot to wipe it clear of oil. On switch-on a strip of oil was formed about two inches wide from the top of his head down the center of his face and (fortunately) across his glasses.

[jaspr]

... every TS needs blade guard, splitter/knife, push sticks, but most importanatly extreme vigilance!!!

I can't believe the number of people demonstrating TS functions with the guard off - do they think we don't know that below it is a whirling blade cutting through timber??!!?? You don't actually need to see the cut to know its happening.

Far more sensible for all the online demonstrators to use the machines properly - so it reinforces for eveyone the need to use these machines safely.

[bitingmidge]

OK, I'll take a completely contrary view.

I've read all the texts, I've had a time for years when I religiously removed/replaced the guard for each task as appropriate.

I removed it about three years ago when I bought the Grrrippers, and haven't replaced it since.

By correctly using these devices, the timber on each side of the blade is controlled, eliminating any chance of kickback, and at the same time, one's hands and their bits are separated from the blade. I have never had a scare in that time, previously there was always the chance of the piece binding on the guard, or the anti-kickback pawls doing something untoward, as well as the need to control the waste piece, particularly if it was quite small.

How do you use a cross cut sled with a guard? Again the sled is an extremely safe method of cutting, as both pieces are controlled and there's no possibility of kickback, unless you are really stupidly careless. My sled has a blade stop thingy to stop going through the back, and I used to have a plastic cover over the blade, but removed it as I found reaching under it to be give less control over the timber.

I'm not talking about a careless use of the machine without guard here, but think there's a better way!

cheers,

P

[jaspr]

I have side guards on my sled - one either side of the blade, but nothing over the top. I hold the timber on the outside of these side guards.

But my issue was more that you see people all the time on videos/TV using a TS for ripping with no guard at all.

I agree, in the right situations, a Ggrrripper (however it's spelt) would do. I have one, but don't use it a lot. I must admit that my TS has probably one of the best guard/riving knife arrangements to use - it's very quick and easy when I have to take it off to fit the sled. And I always put it back on. I appreciate that some of the others are not as easy and so get left off all the time. The people I am criticising (those that make the videos) don't use Grrippers either.

It's a bad example to set.

And there are plenty of types of cut where a Grripper probably wouldn't work either - cutting large sheet material or long rips.

I was struck by the number and variety of injuries that occurred even when people were using guards and pushsticks. The accidents don't happen often, but when they do they can be very nasty. I guess I just believe in doing everything I can to minimise the chance of errors. And for me that includes using a guard - as well as pushsticks and a riving knife - AND extreme vigilance based on a knowledge of what could go wrong.

[bitingmidge]

Fair call jaspr, and now that you mention it, I hadn't cut one for so long I'd forgotten, but I DO use the guard for sheets.

As for long rips, two Grrrippers (I can't spell it either) used hand over hand is by far the safest, if not fastest method of long ripping.

I've done a stack of 2.7's today, and feel much more secure knowing that the waste is controlled, and that the item is being held snugly against the fence for the length of the cut. I haven't used my featherboards since I've had 'em.

I wasn't intending to make light of a serious safety issue, just point out there is an alternative which does provide a safe and secure methond of work.

Cheers,

P

[la Huerta]

Bittingmidge...what about the dust, don't you get a mouth full of it without the guard, i have had no guard in the past (before i built one) and a lot of sawdust would fly up, i'm talking about whilst the DC is on, but with the guard and the DC connected to that too, it's almost dust free...