Table saw

[caretaker]

I have just brought a cheep second hand table saw and my first project is to make a sled.
I started looking on utube for idea's and I am confused, not with the sled building but most video's the saws had no blade protectors.
My cheep o saw has a clear plastic one, it dose seem a bit flimsy.
Should I remove it.

 

[Myfordman]

Yes and build a blade guard into your sled. You will possibly have to shorten the riving knife to below the top of the blade as well.

 

[MattRoberts]

The official advice is no, the blade guard is there for a reason and should never be removed.

Unofficially, I never even installed mine from day one, and I shortened the riving knife as suggested above

 

[heimlaga]

First and foremost you should be aware that must utubers are Americans.
In America it is unfortunately very common amoung certain groups in society to practise a kind of retroactive birth control by means of unguarded stationary power tools.

I don't want to bash the Americans as a whole. There are a great number of great craftsmen over there. Some of the best in the world. There is just something missing with the safety culture. I suppose it all goes back tio the old adage that "Irishmen are cheaper than pitprops". Money has always been first priority in that country unfortunately........ plus the fact that lots of the Utubers who pretend to teach stuff are totally incompetent by any standards.

Every table saw must have a riving knife in my oppinion. I am oldfashioned and prefere a riving knife that doesn't protrude above the saw blade pluis an overarm blade guard. That was industrial standard in most of Europe for decades. The low riving knife doesn't have to be removed for trenching cuts.
Guards fitted to a high riving knife that protrudesc above the blade is just a modern low budget solution designed to be cheap at the cost of almost half the usefulness of the saw.

 

[caretaker]

I am looking forward to making and using my Sled and as I'm getting a bit old in the tooth (72 this year) don't wont to loose any pinkies.
I will remove the plastic blade guard but incorporate in to the Sled a guard of some sort.
Riving knife, is that for kick backs ?.
I will get my mate Eddie to shorten it, you say just under the blade height.
It will be at least a week till I am set up as I have to put in a power point nearer to the machine.
Not that it will take that long but my shed needs a good clear out.
Thanks for all the replies, Reg
.

 

[doubleb]

I’m a few years younger than you and I did the very thing you are about to do. My old saw was a B&Q cheapo, I raised the blade as high as I could, removed the guard and riving knife and just used it for ripping with a wonky fence. Bought myself a band saw and thought I could manage with that so got shot of the saw bench. I was told that my life insurance was invalid while using the saw. I have now just bought a new saw bench and will not be altering that one…….you take care and good luck...bb
nb...heimlaga, nothing wrong with your English.

 

[caretaker]

My saw update so far.
As I was sorting out my shed I found 3 more blades from an old saw I had 20 plus years ago, they did have a bit of rust on them but look like new, I cleaned then up and all 3 fit, I changed the blade to a 40 teeth hoping for a finer cut.
Removed the riving knife set to with hacksaw to shorten it then replaced it.
Binned the plastic blade guard.
Will buy plywood tomorrow to start on the sled.
I have rewired the shed with 4 double power points switched.
I have the saw screwed down to the bench and was considering removing the wire mesh bottom and making a shoot so the sawdust falls into a removable bin as my hover is not a good one (the wife's old one).
I presume the mesh is a guard below the blade, do I need to remove this or not?
I have not tried out the new found blade yet, will give it a spin tomorrow.