Let's hear some excuses then (the poll on table saw safety)

[johnelliott]

The poll on the front page regarding riving knife and guard, are there really 94 people who never use these basic safety items? Surely they're joking. If they aren't, then surely they are jokers?

John

 

[Anonymous]

John,

Dont know anything about a poll on this. I would use a table saw without a guard or riving knife only in certain circumstances. 1. When grooving drawer sides or sinilar. 2. When sawing wood deeper than the height of the blade. ie reversing it.(old, dry wood only. I would be nervous of sawing new timber this way)

On older machines you dont need to take the knife off to do both the above.

I wouldnt use the table saw without these things as a matter of course and I wouldnt let an employee use it at all without them on.

I fully understand why they need to be there but on the above operations if the blade is about 9-10" dia max, sharp and TCT then with care I dont think its a problem. You've just got to be sensible? Which, granted alot arn't.

Am I, in your eyes, a joker?!!

 

[llangatwgnedd]

John,
you can count me as one of the jokers from the front page as I dont
use a riving knife and gaurd and my truthful vote is in there somewhere.
The reason being that I was given the tablesaw off a freind who had removed them and they had dissapeared.
Very rare do I use the saw these days since a purchase of a bandsaw
but when I am using it I make sure I got a push stick and always stand to one side.
The worst incident I have had with the machine is leaving a metal rule on the table and firing the machine up, no knife or gaurd would have stopped that projectile

 

[Anonymous]

First thing I did when I bought my 2nd hand Elu 3151 was buy the blade guard support that was missing :shock: . Unless I am grooving or similar where I need to cut shallower than the depth of the stock, the blade guard is gernerally fitted, and I never remove the riving knife, just adjust it to suit the blade I am using at the time. I am quite happy to remove the guard for grooving or cutting tenons, its only a 2 minute job to remove it & another 2 minutes to replace it

 

[Charley]

Yes I couldn’t believe the results of the poll either :? :?

I always use the riving knife and guard when using my table saw. I personally don't see the point in not using them. The router/ router table does a great job at doing grooves...

matstro, the poll is on the index page of UKW - click 'HOME' at the top of this page.

 

[johnelliott]

then with care I dont think its a problem. You've just got to be sensible? Which, granted alot arn't.

Am I, in your eyes, a joker?!!

IMO opinion the guard is there for when people AREN't being careful. Happens to me sometimes, a moment's inattention, loss of footing, distraction. For anybody who is always careful then I guess it isn't a problem

The joker comment was a bit strong, and I withdraw it

John

edited for bad speling and poor tuping

 

[Martin]

I have to confess at being one of the jokers that removed both (and voted in the poll), but my excuse is more to do with the tablesaw being a bit rubbish in the first place than any lack of safety on my part.

I always stand to one side (never in front of what could be thrown back), and as John alluded to, I find I treat it with a great deal more care and respect with the guard off.

The reason I removed it is because the saw came with what I can only describe as appalling guard/riving knife/anti-kickback system which are all combined. i.e. you can't take the anti-kickback device off without removing the guard and the riving knife.

It's the anti-kickback system that's caused me all the grief, because unless you very carefully align it, I found that 9 times out of 10 the leading edge of the out-fed material would get caught on it as you pushed the material through. This stops you in your tracks, and then you only have a couple of options:

- remove the work, re-align the guard system and then try again
- try to force it through

Neither satisfactory (and not very safe in my opinion), and in both cases the cut ends up ruined. The guard alignment gets knocked out very easily.

As a result I only use the tablesaw rarely (mostly use the bandsaw now). If I had a bigger workshop I'd chuck the flaming thing and buy a new (better) one....

 

[Keystone]

Do you use the guard and riving knife when using your table saw?

Now there is the problem. I do not have a riving knife, and the OEM gaurd was more of a hazard IMO that a help. I do use a spliter and anti kickback device, but since the question did not address that, I had to answer that I don't use the gaurd and riving knife! :lol: [/b]