How come Norm gets away without using a riving knife

[Woodsmith]

Hi guys, well I started out as a woodmachinist and retrained due to the poor salary that companies offered. I have experiences kickback even with riving knives so I guess he is taking some risks - not to mention breaking the law. I have also worked with blokes with their finger tips missing. I saw a bench saw on ebay today with no crown guard!
The old guys used to take the crown guard off and lower the riving knife so that they could use the saw to rebate timber ( 2 passes) if you ask me its pretty stupid. The only way you should use a saw without a crown guard and riving knife is by using a tunnel guard - something thats rarely seen these days. basically its a box clamped to the fence which covers the saw and the timber snuggly passes through it. Mostly it used to be used for grooving with trenching heads or gang saws. Maybe with the newer european regs even that is now banned! And these days we have things like routers and spindle moulders. Personally I wouldn't do it. I suppose one of the main causes of kickback is dull tools but some timbers do spring as they are being cut and wet timber doesnt cut too well.
well I must head off to bed - sleep well all - dont have nightmares about chopping your fingers off!
they used to say that the best machinists had lost a finger - some were stupid enough to keep making the same mistakes!

 

[Anonymous]

Funny thing, passage of time............

20 years ago grooving drawer sides on an unguarded circular saw was the norm at alot of places. The riving knife being slightly lower than the blade allowed this also. I never had a nasty with a circ saw. No "kick back" never ever! Mind you the max. blade I would ever use for this would be about 10" and always TCT.

Buying new saws nowadays you can't do any of this. If you have employees they cant use them if the machines are not up to current regs.
I used to have a startrite, lovely saw, got a Kity now, not so lovely!!

Its very easy to get cought out with wood pinching. You only have to have a damp workshop in winter with seemingly dry timber stored. Cut some of this up sometimes, it has a mind of its own!!

To confess, if my saw would do so easily, I would groove drawer sides etc with no guards etc but still have great respect for the pitfalls in doing so.

I've watched New Yankee several times. Talk about stressfree and effortless! I'd love to see the out takes!

Regards