How many use a TS with zero safety features?

[John TenEyck]

The saws in my shop both have guards on them and I use them religiously. Sort of feels like driving without my seat belt if they aren't on. However, my jobsite saw has no guard, only because I bought it used and whoever owned it prior to me took it off and lost it, and I've been too cheap to buy one for it. But it scares the begeebers out of me every time I use it, so I think I need to pony up the money for the guard. In the meantime, it has my absolute undivided attention whenever I turn it on. Regardless of how careful you are, accidents can, and do, happen.

I think I'll order that guard today.

[David Hostetler]

I chose a Ryobi BT3100 over a slew of 1950s / 1960s vintage Rockwells etc... because of the Riving Knife. I have had kickback on a table saw that was not splitter or RK equipped, and it scared the snot out of me... I am unwilling to use a saw that lacks one now. My guard is a Shark Guard 10.4 (4" dust port model). I will be upgrading to the new, narrower model soon as I want to give Lee's new design a try.

Now having said that, I am not sure all safety tech is worth it's money. And please I don't want the flame junk that comes along with saying this, so if it offends please just hold your tongue as it were... But I don't know if the SawStop is a reliable technology long term. Mostly because it hasn't been around all that long, so very little history on the technology. I do have some philisophical problems with SS inventor as well, but that is a different story all together... IF I had the $$ to buy one, and could afford to replace it if it didn't pan out well, sure I would grab a SawStop... But I don't have that sort of funding...

[Brian Kent]

I won't work on a table saw without a splitter. The kickbacks punched me in the gut and nearly broke a couple of fingers. With a splitter, no problem. I am still looking forward to getting a high quality guard that I would be willing to use.

[Larry Fox]

I use a splitter whenever it is possible to do so for a particular cut. I also have a shark guard with built-in splitter that I also use whenever possible. When I can't use the shark (too narrow of a cut or something like that) I have a Biesemeyer snap-in splitter. I also use a magnetic featherboard whenever I can. I really don't want a kickback.

[Bobby O'Neal]

I didn't mean to imply at all that I'm against safety equipment. I would love to have a riving knife. If i am being totally honest, I dont know that I'd use a guard if I had one, though. There's something about not being able to clearly see the cut that doesn't sit right with me.

[Rod Sheridan]

I didn't mean to imply at all that I'm against safety equipment. I would love to have a riving knife. If i am being totally honest, I dont know that I'd use a guard if I had one, though. There's something about not being able to clearly see the cut that doesn't sit right with me.

Hi Bobby, I owned a cabinet saw with an all metal guard, it was a General 650.

When I worked in industry, most of the machines had guards that you couldn't see through, who cares, there's nothing to see in that area.

When you are ripping, your eyes need to be on the fence/wood interaction, not on the saw blade. I guarantee that it's still cutting even if you don't watch it.

This isn't Schroedingers cat we're talking about, it's wood machinery.

When you are crosscutting, use a mitre gauge or sled with a flip stop for length, then watch the mitre gauge or sled and wood interaction, no point watching the cut, you don't need to see it.

Do yourself a favour and buy a splitter or riving knife, and a good overhead guard with dust collection. You deserve to be safe................Rod.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I guarantee that it's still cutting even if you don't watch it. This isn't Schroedingers cat we're talking about, it's wood machinery..

OK, it's Friday, and we can now give the Cleverest Line of the Week award to Rod.

Wish I had thought of that hook, Rod. Well played. In fact, I can guarantee you that I will steal that one for conversations.

On the original topic - my 13 yr old Uni came with the classic Mickey-Mouse OEM POS guard, splitter, fingered pawls, etc. That thing disappeared 12 yrs 364 days ago. The guard itself - that one, or a better replacement - does nothing for me personally, to be honest, but someday, the dust collection potential might drive me that direction. Even though I always stand out of the line of fire, 2 kickbacks in 13 years means I should really get an aftermarket quick-disconnect splitter, though. I do a lot of dado work on the saw.

[glenn bradley]

I am extremely safe when working.

As Brian, Larry and others stated, it is virtually impossible to use a tablesaw safely without a splitter. Make yourself a ZCI and spend a whole $20 on an MJ Splitter setup. Getting your hand pulled into a saw is not the time to say "I shoulda . . . ".

[John McClanahan]

Ryan, rather than scrapping out the lightweight saw, get a sanding disk for it to replace the blade and use it as a disk sander.

John

[David Keller NC]

I have a early 2000's Unisaw. There's little arguing that the guard that came with the saw was non-functional, and I do use the saw without a blade guard. But I would never use it without a splitter, anti-kickback pawls and a featherboard. Also, I suspect that I'm more cautious than most - my hand and fingers never get within 18" of the blade - ever.

[Ryan Mooney]

Ryan, rather than scrapping out the lightweight saw, get a sanding disk for it to replace the blade and use it as a disk sander.

John

John, Thats one option under consideration and has the advantage that the table is useful as well (although I'd probably cut a chunk off of the "back" side to save the space.. and rebuild the cabinet and... heh). The other option under consideration is to use the motor to drive a homemade drum sander. Time will tell depending on how ambitious I end up feeling.

[Rod Sheridan]

Kent, glad I could provide some amusement on a Friday, feel free to use that line..............Rod.

[ed vitanovec]

I use the riving knife and guard all the time, they come off for dado cuts only. I like zero clearance inserts, the slots on the original inserts were to wide and thin strips would get stuck at times. I used to cut without a guard in place and I would be careful, I brushed the blade once with my fingers and was very lucky I did not have to go to the hospital. No matter how careful you are, a slight kickback can push your hand into the blade....It is not worth the risk.

Regards!
Ed

[Alan Schwabacher]

I use a saw with a riving knife now, but I got my first saw used without any guard or splitter. I made a splitter from a piece of metal and mounted it to the bracket inside the saw before I ever used it. I made a set of various sized splitters to swap in and out so it would behave as a riving knife. I timed it once, and it took something like 23 seconds to change the splitter, including hanging up the wrench.

[Kent E. Matthew]

I have been on many job sites. I have not seen one table saw with a guard on them. My saw at home doesn't have a guard. I've had a couple of kick backs on the unisaw at work. I make it a habit to take a half step to the left so any kick back will go by without contact. I do make use of a home made push stick though.