Replies

1. 
   woodhoarder | Jan 14, 2005 09:34pm | #1

   Jab-

   My 8 remaining fingertips know just what you are talking about.

2. 
   woodensplinter | Jan 15, 2005 02:16am | #2

   That's kind of interesting.  I've had more than a few people in my shop that kinda snickered and asked me why I keep that "thing" on my saw.  That "thing" is the guard.  Actually had one guy, who worked in the construction business, tell me mine was the first saw he'd seen with the guard on it.

   Scarier than you story, I think.

    

   Thinking about chaning my name to Ten Finers.  LOL

1. 
   Ribeye | Jan 15, 2005 04:45am | #3

   yeah....

   I've been on both sides of this situation for over forty years. I really DO believe in the guards.  So darned manhy of the guards are so hard to use that it's crazy! The Craftsman 22124 table saw that I now own is the first (and only!) machine that I've stumbled over in the past many years that actually makes it encouraging (for me)  to use a blade cover thing -- and I actually do use it ~!~ 

   (Every other Mfr except Orion seems to have taken deliberate steps to make it far more likely to end up at an Urgent Care Center. How come simple things like SAFETY sometimes have to be so hard?  I LIKE that I can pop the guard on the 22124  on-&-off between dado cuts and regular rips/crosscuts so darned easily.)

   In spite of everything else over the mis-matched years, I still have all ten; and the fingerprints to match. But I think that's due to PARANOIA :-)-- Steve

   Enjoy life & do well by it;

   it might well be the only chance you get.

   http://www.ApacheTrail.com/ww/

1. 
   tms | Jan 15, 2005 08:15am | #4

   I recently underwent carpal tunnel surgery, and in a pre-op discussion with my hand surgeon, I mentioned that I was a woodworker. His reply:"Oh, you're one of those guys that spoils my weekend with my family."He should know.Be careful out there,
   Tom

2. 
   woodensplinter | Jan 15, 2005 09:59am | #5

   Didn't know the Craftsman guard was easily removable.  I understand the Ridgid is too.

   You'd think, after all these years manufacturing saws, and easy on/off guard would be standard.  Maybe even one that stay aligned.

   In an industrial environment, guarding has taken huge strides forward in the past 20 years from an enclosure standpoint.  It has made it much more difficult from an operational or maintenance point.  I guess that's why, to me, the few minutes it takes to install  or remove the guard isn't really that big a deal.  Bit of a pain, maybe, but you gotta use what you have.

   Eventually, I would like to switch to a Merlin splitter and an overarm guard.

   Edited 1/15/2005 2:03 am ET by wooden splinter

1. 
   jes | Jan 16, 2005 09:42am | #9

   I used to own the bosch benchtop tablesaw, and the blade guard for that was such a pain in the a** to take on and off it spent 99% of the time collecting dust on a shelf.  I now own a Ridgid, and what a difference.  Losing the tip of my ring finger to my jointer as well as spending 10 minutes doubled over on the floor after having a chunk of fir kickback into my pelvis woke me up to the improtance of safety.  All that is involved in attaching/removing the Ridgid guard/splitter is a few turns of a knob that is easily accessed on the back of the saw.   Takes about 20 seconds.  It has two self-indexing pins, so no fussing neccessary.   Hopefully this is a trend that'll catch on.

   Nine and Nine Tenths Fingers

   aka

    Jesse David

1. 
   Denis364 | Jan 16, 2005 10:35am | #10

   Hi:

   I had to write because this is my gripe with American table saw manufactures. All of them make these worthless splitters and blade guards which are cumbersome, easily misalighned, and in general a pain in the behind.  It's no wonder that most table saws have had the guard and splitter removed.

   This could be easily fixed.  The European table saws have splitters and blade guards that actually work.  On my Inca, the splitter fits around the blade and is not in the way for any cut.  It also stays in adjustment.  The overarm blade guard works for most cuts, and when it doesn' t it can be lifted out of the way.  This is not new technology, its been used in europe for the past 40 years!

   I realize that it would cost the saw manufactures a fair amount of money to retool their saws, but it would save hundreds of injuries a year.

   Any ideas on how to get them to do it?

   Dennis

    

    

3. 
   woodensplinter | Jan 15, 2005 10:21am | #6

   I don't know if you've had a chance to see it yet, but Popular Woodworking's "149 BEST TRICKS OF THE TRADE " has an idea on page 49 for a quick release for a standard guard.  It simply uses longer mounting bolts, convex washers and springs to hold the guard in place.  To remove it, simply pull up.  To reinstall it, remove the throat plate, install the guard between the washers and push down.  TOO SIMPLE!

1. 
   forestgirl | Jan 16, 2005 03:31am | #7

   Unfortunately, what most of us are trying to remove I think is the splitter with the guard being part of the same.  forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

1. 
   Ribeye | Jan 16, 2005 08:41am | #8

   Yeppers as usual, FG :-)

   The guard cover doohickey gobbeldywocker thingy actually is connected to the splitter in 99-99/100ths of our situations. It's the splitter thingymajammer what's so easy to remove from the new Craftsman saw itself.  The blade guard simply stays attached and goes along for the ride, as it were. 

   On the C'man 22124 saws, it's a simple matter of loosening the big red knob at the back that serves to tighten/loosen the clamping devices that hold the splitter to the rod that's connected to the whole blade assy (so that the splitter tilts to the left along with the blade when the blade gets tilted from the big old crank handle on the side) and then lifting the splitter/guard assy off. 

   (WOW! that was a long-winded sentence :-) )-- Steve

   Enjoy life & do well by it;

   it might well be the only chance you get.

   http://www.ApacheTrail.com/ww/

2. 
   woodensplinter | Jan 16, 2005 10:46am | #11

   Yup.  When they're attached together you can't remove one without the other.