Member
#1 most of the time but I will use my Micro Jig splitter at times depending on what I'm doing. I've tried to use the guard that came with my Sears saw but they are just too dangerous and unwieldy. I would like an overarm guard for the dust collection if I could set up my garage shop better.
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Mark Patoka
Stafford, VA
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Member
#3
I use the guard and splitter that came w/ my 10" saw. I've gone 360 degrees on the topic.
When the saw was new I used it, but then got to not using it for dados, etc, and ultimatedly got lazy and left it off. Fast forward about 25 yrs. My left middle index finger got a up close and personal caress from the blade on my CMS - and 8 stitches. I was lucky - no bone or other damge - but the site of the scar is still somewhat numb. Since that time, guards are installed.
Jim
Contributor
I don't use a guard or riving knife, mine only gets used for ripping with a power feeder.
Contributor
Thats funny Max, I have a miserable time sometimes ripping with the feeder if I dont use a knife (not that you said yours even had the knife or not). If I dont run the riving knife on hardwoods I will have a lot of stalls even if the material is super clean and straight. Just that little bit of pinch in the rip will stall the feeder especially when the wheels get dirty/dusty. Western Roller was telling me about some anti-static brushes that would be handy to fit to ride against the wheels and the chips supposedly just fall off but I have never tried it.Originally Posted by Max Neu
The stalls foul me up because I am usually walking to or from my wood storage bay and not even at the saw if it stalls. With the knife I just shove a board in and head for the next one while its running through.
Last edited by Mark Bolton; 10-29-2014 at 2:27 PM.
Contributor
This is a great poll. I'd love to see the compiled results. It seems like it's a close race between #3, #1 & #2, in that order, from brief observation.
As for me, I'm #1. I have a perfectly good splitter that I never use. I guess I must have removed it at one time and never found a reason to put back but, certainly, there are times when it seems like it would come in handy.
Member
#3 for me. As I got older, I got more careful.
Jim Davenport
Reporting from the depths of the Magic Garage
Member
#2 for me with a MJ splitter. Before I got the splitter, it was #1 for me. My saw didn't come to me with any guards, but I'd like to someday get a Shark Guard and move up to #3.
~Garth
Member
#1, before "the accident" that required 3 surgeries and 6 months of therapy to put my hand back together and allow it to function again.
#3 ever since.
Moderator
#2. I have a Sawstop though. Would consider #3 (but would probably end up doing #2) if I didn't have a Sawstop.
Contributor
I use neither. My Unisaw is from the era of "those items were complete junk". They found the recycle bin before the saw was ever powered up.
When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.
Member
#1 for me, with an occasional #2. If I upgrade my saw and can get decent dust collection off the blade, that would change my habits.
Contributor
No guard but I do use a riving knife all the time on my SawStop saw.
Mike
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Moderator
Number 2 for me: no guard and I use an MJ splitter most of the time.
Contributor
#3 all the time. Just can't afford the risk of injury. Consequences are just too big to do anything different. In fact I was all set to ugrade from a Unisaw to a SawStop for extra safety and came upon a good deal on a Minimax combo, which is great because by design my hands are nearly always away from the blade. Although, the absolute best would have been a euro slider with the SawStop technology. Yes, belts and suspenders when it comes to safety.
Member
Hi:
I'm a consistent #2. However... this reflects what I'm doing rather than habit and is certainly not a recommndation for others.
The reasons 2 works for me include:
1 - I'm not doing much repetitive work. People who do, often let their attention wander and that's when passive safety devices pay off most.
2 - I find being able to watch exactly what the blade is doing important because I'm mainly either making small cuts close to the maximum precision I can manage or rough cutting pieces that are longer than my table and thus needed to be held level while feeding through.
3 - the riving knife is particularly important when cutting difficult hardwoods like hickory and jatoba because tensions inside the wood could otherwise jam the blade.
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