TS guard question.

[jlawrence]

Hi all,
Had a minor (luckily) accident with my cheapo clarke tablesaw and it got me thinking on ways to improve the blade guard.
At the moment the guard hinges up from the rear when the wood approaches the blade. I can see the sense in this as it means when no wood is being cut the blade is fully covered. However, it has a disadvantage in that if your hand slips then the guard will hinge up to allow the hand under and towards the blade - as happened to me.
I'm wondering on the logic of making a 2 part guard. What I'm envisaging is a fixed part which you set to the height of the wood and attached to that would be a sliding part which would drop to the table to ensure the blade is pretty much covered with no wood present.
Hmm, I'll try and do a sketch of what I'm thinking of - putting it in writing isn't very clear.

What sort of guard do everyone else use ?


Oh, and my injuries were pretty superficial. Painful, annoying, but nothing major - just a couple of small (ish) gouges taken out of my thumb. It did need bandaging up and no using the thumb for over a week but it could so easily have been bye bye thumb.

 

[BigShot]

Urgh! That story turned my stomach. That's the one thing I really don't like about power tools... it's all too easy to remove parts, you just don't get that with hand tools (nasty cuts, sure, but everything stays where God put it). I still have and use the things, but they always seem to me like they are just waiting for an excuse to hurt me. There was one thoroughly stupid moment with a cordless drill, an auger bit and my thumb - but it was only a tiny cut and I called myself an silly person for a couple of days after doing it.

As for the guard...

I'd imagine a long box with an internal width of about an inch or so, fixed solidly to the knife (I'd say a wingnut firmly tightened should keep it fixed in place to an elongated slot - allowing height changes if you need them) - essentially something like you already have but tightened down so it doesn't move.

Then a thinner box inside the other, hinged at the back, which lifts up when the wood comes into contact with it.

Of course, that would still allow a hand under it if the fixed box was high enough above the table, but the whole guard wouldn't hinge up without enough force to overcome the grip of the wingnut/bolt.

I've not given it much thought, but the picture in my head seems like it would work - for the little that's worth.

 

[jlawrence]

I think you're thinking of something similar to me.
I'll sit and have a play with a pencil and paper and see what I can come up with.

Of course I told swmbo it was an inherent problem with cheap TS's and I really should be allowed to buy a better one

 

[ProShop]

jlawrence,

What you need is a SUVA guard.

 

[BigShot]

Of course I told swmbo it was an inherent problem with cheap TS's and I really should be allowed to buy a better one

Ah well that just goes without saying. That's the FIRST port of call. You can then use the new saw to make a guard for the old one and keep it around as a spare or something.

Gonna post the sketch when you've done it?

 

[Steve Maskery]

See my avatar. It works well, and I'm going to improve it further.

If your guard hinges up from the back, it will let you put your hand in if you are not careful. The trick is (at least I hope it is as this is what I'm going to change) to have it hinging from the front. That way it always stays level.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Niki]

Sorry to hear about your accident and wish you quick recovery.

I think that your accident was caused by improper "Table saw techniques"...

Almost all the Saw Benches are coming with the same type of guard and I don't see anything wrong with it...here is mine...

As a substitute to my left hand, I'm using one of the below "featherboards" that keeps my left hand out of the "line of fire"...

As for the right hand - if I don't use the "Strips Sled" - I use a very long (700mm) push stick or very high push shoe as on the first picture...

That's the point that I revert to push stick

Done...please note where is my hand when the cut is finished...

In any case, you should not put your hands in a place that if the hand slides, it will hit the blade unless....you have a SawStop...

Regards
niki

 

[wizer]

Niki, do you have a set of photos on your roller feather board?

 

[Niki]

Niki, do you have a set of photos on your roller feather board?

Yes, I have one here but I'm not sure if you mean this one
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... 811#120811

If you mean the one with one wooden roller, please have a look here
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... 717#397717

Regards
niki

 

[wizer]

thanks Niki

 

[gatesmr2]

Hi jlawrence

Sorry to hear about you accident.

I,m with Bigshot i have to use a TS but to be honest i know its sitting there waiting for the day i get even a little bit complacent.
Mine is a cheap one as well, Ryobi when i use it i try and keep my hands from getting near the blade at all if possible either push sticks or a jig.
Always helpful for amateurs like me to see Steves and Nikis jigs etc.

Also hearing about other peoples near misses etc reminds me of just how easy it is to become left handed :shock:

Martin

 

[BigShot]

Niki - Agreed that it's better to stay as far from the blade as you can... the next room would obviously be the safest.
I'm inclined to think the techniques you suggest are by far the best approach, but maybe a redesigned guard for an extra level of safety wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Then again - I've got the same kind of guard on my saw and I don't have any plans to change it, preferring to take the completely-obsessive-about-safety approach and just stay out of harms way as far as is possible.

Thanks for the photos of your setup - some ideas in there I might make use of.

 

[FatFreddysCat]

What you need is a SUVA guard.

That and a decent push stick - not one which lets your hand run alongside the blade like Niki shows :roll:

 

[orangetlh]

A push stick is the key. Ideally you dont want to be getting your hands within 150mm of either side of the blade and using a push or push sticks for the last 300mm of a cut. These are industry regs anyway. If your putting enough pressure on the piece of timber to run the risk of your hand coming in contact with the blade you are either stood wrong, not using a push stick for the final part of the cut or your blade is not suitable.