Why do so many people remove their tablesaw blade guards?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 เม.ย. 2019
- Every new table saw comes with a blade guard. So how come hardly anyone seems to be using them? I can't speak for everyone, but here's why I don't use one.
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#woodworking #tablesaw #safety - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
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My dad taught me this. Before every cut ask yourself; "Where are my fingers", so when you finish the cut you don't say, "Where are my fingers!"
Exactly. I agree with your father's line.
I have an uncle (40years a builder) who didn't ask that question before using using his worksite tablesaw. He was asking where four of his fingers were afterwards. They found 3 of the fingers and could only reattach one on them which ironically was his middle finger which he "happily" shows people regularly 😊
My fingers are safe when you run the table saw mine are in your wife 😂
Dec 2016 i fainted and my left hand went over the blade (up about half inch) took off 2/3 of my pinky and a nice cut in hand. Very freaky when i came to and saw hand all chopped up and didnt feel it or see it. Still not sure if i am caught up on all my swear words especially the f one. 48 stiches and no insurance. If guard was on, it would save me from falling face first on the blade but would also hold hand down and make cut worse.
Not all saws will accept a diving knife. My Rigid Contractor saw does not. I use my guard on every rip cut, no exception. All of the reasons given for NOT using one are all bogus.
I find squinting my eyes is the absolute best way of stopping splinters penetrating my skull through the eye socket.
looopy2u works well with grinders too!
@@crossan008 haha 😎😍🤣
This made me LOL as I stupidly find myself doing this exact thing!
Dude. Just turn away from the blade. It can't hurt you if you don't look at it.
Somewhere up above, a joke sails by.
When I was training we had an instructor who gave us safety lessons. His little joke was to draw various dangerous table saw scenarios on a blackboard, then point them out with the three remaining fingers on his right hand.
I had noticed from years of watching TV shows and TH-cam videos that they always said the blade guard was removed for illustration purposes. I started to become skeptical the more I watched. Thank you for confirming my suspicions. I'm not new to woodworking but haven't used my table saw very much and still do use the guard whenever possible.
It is always possible. And essential. All the cases he gave CAN be done with a guard in place- might not be the one supplied with the saw, but you can always use one.
Many great points in this post. In addition to your recommendations, I always keep my noggin to the left of the blade, hit the kill switch with my hip after the cut has cleared the blade, and don’t make a move to pick up the cuts until the blade has completely stopped. Takes more time when making multiple cuts, but I still have all my fingers.
Smart man 👍
best practice really if you are a hobbyist like me and does not need to rush up on everything
I pull the safety key out before I step away and unplug it when I'm not in the shop. Its no different than a bullet in the chamber.
Also another point, if I may. I read a book on wood turning by a guy in England. He makes a living turning/writing. He said twice he'd had a piece fly off the lathe and break his nose, jammed his hand once really good, and took a workpiece to the noggin, too. But he said these are rare and ONLY happened when he was overly tired and his concentration was off. So maybe don't drive when you're tired, don't turn wood when you're tired and don't operate a table saw when you're tired. That's when accidents happen. Cheers! Alex in Montana
@@NikovK I lower the blade completely and unplug the tablesaw when I'm finished.
As a 10 year veteran contractor who's never seen the guard used in the field, I've often wondered why it's included with every new table saw purchase. My hat's off to you sir, for not only explaining its intended purpose, but also the limitations of its use. And I totally agree (as was taught to me 9.9 years ago), see the cut all the way through, and where your fingers are the whole time. Well explained, great work!
The blade guard doesn't stop you seeing your fingers. It also does reduce the likelihood of a piece of wood being shot back by the blade.
I suspect that seeing the cut on a table saw is just psychological. If someone argues otherwise they'll have to give good reasons why it makes any difference. Seeing the cut when using a saw you have to guide through the cut, e.g. with a jigsaw, makes sense. On a table saw what you need to see is the wood and your hands.
I also have never seen one on a jobsite. Skill saw yes, chop saw yes, but a table saw? Never
Well, manly men don't bother using those "sissy" safety devices like eye and ear protection and all those kiddy things - manly men are invincible, right?
As a kid in the UK we got taken to an accidant injury exhibit. Basically actual accidants remodeled with wax figures including all the details. Eye injuries, table saw injuries, lathe injuries and drill press injuries.
Those images are still with me after 50 years and shaped my attitude to safety. I always use the safety features. If they are poorly designed I buy a better tool or upgraded safety device. No long hair hanging around, neck chains or hoodie cords and never ever wear rings on your fingures while working. Also a good quality first aid kit where ever you work. Proper hold down clamps and work tables are just as important as guards. I also dont work with others that dont work safe its just not worth the risk. Sawstop is good but cannot possibly eliminate all the other possibilites of injury.
Being safe has to be an attitude and manner of working. Also just think about not being able to call for help because your dialing fingers are on the floor in a pile of sawdust or because you cant see the phone. Scary but it happens.
Fantastic video, thank you.
I got my first table saw last week, and decided that I would continue to use the blade guard until I could explicitly identify the specific cases why I couldn't use it. As a beginner, I feel extra aware of just how dangerous it is, and how limited my experience is.
It was interesting that you said that one of the reasons you don't use the blade guard is so you can see the cut. My first cut was ripping a large piece of wood, and so all of my focus was on keeping the wood flat, straight and up against the fence while ensuring I kept my fingers well back. Again, it's because I'm a novice, but it felt like I had no time to watch the actual cut itself, because I was busy managing the wood.
I would give this two thumbs up if I could find the jar where I put mine.
I read your comment and hope you kidding
ok, you win. that was a good one.
See, you still have one. You're fine
Hal Songer, YIKES !!!!!
Must be a high school shop teacher 😉
I just want to say I've been doing wood working since I was a kid most of my family are carpenters, but I have honestly learned quite a bit from your videos and things that never even crossed my mind because I've gotten complacent.
SOOO glad that you flashed that metric conversion to K/h for the "Million MPH" comment!
This is a great video!!! Your breakdown on when and when not to use a guard lined up with my (little) experience.
But I think the most valuable thing I was taught about ANY saw is “if something is going wrong get your hands AWAY from the blade.” you can get another piece of wood or in a disaster another saw. You can’t drop by the hand store and get a new pair of hands.
Thanks again Steve. Great reminder for those of us that make “how to” content that we have the responsibility to set a good example for safety in the shop
Thank you for having the courage to be honest about this topic.
Yeah, there are a lot of videos out there that say they removed the blade guard for video purposes they always use it...yeah no they don't. LOL.
Thank you for this video! I'm terrified of my table saw and avoid usung it as much as I can, but I need to overcome this fear as it's such an amazing and versatile tool! So today I decided to start working on it to make it safer and more approachable! This video is very helpful :)
I felt the same way @ first, I did not use my saw for quite awhile, but eventually I just starting cutting scrap wood to overcome my fear.,
Nothing to be afraid of, but you need to have a healthy respect for it.
A minimal fear is good to keep your full attention to what you do, the day you have zero fear becomes the main problem, at this moment you start doing stupid mistakes even if you perfectly know every good secure technics.
@@pascaljutras178 as I have said I have zero fear, but healthy respect. I’m not afraid of my table saw but I respect the fact that I could be harmed by it if I don’t pay attention. No Fear Here
get a bosch table saw.. it takes the fear out of it...
Love your videos. I taught woodworking for 20 years and you’re spot on. Bought my son a SawStop and sent him this video. Thanks for all your efforts on TH-cam 👍
I'd love a Sawstop, just can't afford Sawstop's version of my cabinet saw LOL...Someday I definitely want the Sawstop though, saving up my pennies LOL.
Thank you for the metric speed conversion. I was very confused by the miles per hour, and clarifying how many kilometers per hour really helped. lol. That was great. Great video, and a very important real-talk about blade guards. Thanks!
I also appreciate the metric conversion, thankyou
Simple math conversion.
MPH x 1.6 = KPH
or just add 60 percent.
100 mph = 160 kph.
A mile is about a kilometer and a half.
Too bad metric nazi's don't have the same courtesy
Can't tell if this is a serious comment or not...
Great articulation on a risky topic.
100% agree with your bottom line.
100% agree with the necessity of a riving knife. Actually, thanks for the reminder. It got misaligned and I haven’t put it back on and adjusted it yet... will do that now.
The guard for my saw (an old Rockwell Model 10) was long gone when I inherited it from my grandpa, if it ever had one to begin with.
First three upgrades I did to the saw were to replace the fence with a better one, make a zero clearance throat insert, and install a Microjig MJ Splitter. I rarely have to take the splitter out except when making shallow (>1”) non-through cuts.
Once you see a kickback up close; making sure the riving knife is there will never again be something that slips your mind.
I removed the driving knife off my new saw. Can't stand it. That's just me.
I removed the guard and the knife from my jobsite saw. Both at a complete pain when doing carpentry and trying to rip partially down a board for trim, ect.. The knife had cleats that would not allow me to pull the board back out, and it scratched everything.
I need to find the riving knife for my old table saw, I know it had one, but for the life of me I have no idea where the heck it went. I was looking at it the other day wondering where the heck the riving knife was....guess I'm gonna have to go digging around for it.
My new table saw has one, but it don't work on my old saw of course LOL. Different brand saws too, and like 20+ years apart HAHA!!!
Today I used a table saw for the first time. Having watched your videos for a long time, I've taken your advice to heart and installed the blade guard. I made three cross cuts and found that, while using the blade guard, I had to position myself awkwardly to see what I'm doing. I felt like I didn't have full control. I took the blade guard off and put in just the riving knife and I actually felt a lot safer, now that I was able to see when the wood was touching the blade, if it was an accurate cut and the wood had passed the entirety of the blade. I would probably recommend to everyone to use your blade guard as much as possible, but this was my personal experience while using a table saw for the first time.
Funny to hear you call out New Yankee Workshop's "guard removed for clarity" disclaimer and still finish with Norm's catch phrase!
I loved watching all of the old PBS woodworking shows and it was a conflict si would watch it with my dad, hand to read the manuals and how-to guides before working with him in our shed, BUT see our TV heros not following their own advice.
Your video provides much needed clarity as to how to safely REPLACE general safety devices and cautions and limitations to be aware of when using the saw with or without the guards. Thank you!
I would like to use my blade guard, but the guard with integrated kick back pawls that came with my (now) 16 year old saw, seems not to have been made so much for my safety, but so that the manufacturer couldn't be sued. Even the riving knife is not immediately behind the blade, but attaches to blade guard holder. I've been able to remove the guard and still use the riving knife, but boy am I jealous of the newer higher end saws with better riving knives and guards.
I had to recommend the Grr Ripper and correct the horrible recommendation of using gloves on another channel. You have the best advice, I cringed when another channel said"use two gloves, even three because they look cool" 🤦
Thanks for great beginner instruction (no dumb questions) attitude. And you don’t spend time gabbing! Your professional guidance is appreciated !
So, last year I bought a used table saw. Craftsman. It didn’t have a manual but I watched a lot of videos and read many books. I thought I was prepared enough to give this a try. I’ve used a circular saw many times and I had bought a miter saw so I was feeling good about this. There wasn’t a blade guard or any attachments. I go to rip down some plywood with the intention of making more sawdust than straight cuts. After all, I’m learning. Well, somehow or another it bound up and tossed my board and jammed the blade. I unplugged it super fast and put it storage. I’m m terrified of it. Later I showed my brother the pieces and the saw since he has used them for years. He freaked out and told me I could have gone to the er. Where are the guards and the fence???!?
Yep. Still terrified of it. Thank you for this video!
Mr. Ramsey, out of all of the woodworking videos I watch, which are A LOT, all of yours are the most informative and have helped me tremendously, particularly the SketchUp tutorials. I just wanted to take the time to say thank you!!!!
Good video on the most part. Being a woodworker and instructor for 50 plus years it's most important to understand that safety is the utmost importance to keeping body parts and equipment safe. To under estimate the necessity of these safety features only undermines the human condition. If someone is told that something really isn't necessary then they will go to any lengths to free themselves of the burden of SAFETY - the human condition. There will times when the blade guard has to be removed. The majority of the time any piece of equipment is used is for non-specialty uses, hence the necessity to install safe working situations all the time. You can't regrow a finger or lost eye.
Yeah, but a manly man doesn't bother with all that safety sissy stuff.
Loved the Norm Abrams "New Yankee Workshop" safety glasses refrence. As a New England native whos grandmother was a woodworker, I grew up watching that show. Always loved when Norm would use the massive radial arm saw and when I was researching a good first miter saw my father-in-law mentioned a radial arm would be better as opposed to a "chop saw." While he simply didnt know the capability of modern miter saws, his suggestion also put me down that memory lane. Thanks for these great videos Steve, we amateurs sure appreciate it.
Good video steve. Glad you called out this topic. I can say in my own experience, the guard seems like it is always in the way, which can lead to frustration and sloppy cuts - which reduces safety.
The number one safety tip when working with a table saw is awareness.
I appreciate this and I think you do a good job demonstrating safety. It's actually one of the reasons I did subscribe to your channel. I've seen some other woodworking channels that don't even use push sticks at the saw or do really careless things like dance around with a running circular saw in their hands.
I've used blade guards in a production environment as well as hobby work for many years. The only time I don't is when cutting dados or rabbets or when using a sled, which is equipped with its own blade guard.
Wood workers are the best and laughter is really good for me now. In my busy ED I see about 2 table-saw accidents a week. Right thumb-finger-hand injuries out number right hand injuries about 20:1. Almost all are with the Irving knife off. Right hand injuries are from moments of carelessness; maybe the guard would help. It does get most of the fine dust above your work, and next to your eyes and hands, your lung care will make you a happy old man. That said, I must help those afflicted in this pandemic. Again, thanks for the humor and always “plan your cut and cut your plan.”
The first thing dad told me about using the table saw:" You see that blade? That blade does not care about your fingers". Best advice ever.
The “choppy direction” 😂😂😂 Great stuff 👍🏻
haha, I just purchased an new Bosch table saw yesterday and my fellow craftsman all joked about the first thing you do when you buy a new table saw...chuck the guard lol
I’v been using table saws for 40 years and always use my blade guard unless the specific cut I’m doing will not allow it. How many times have you heard someone say ... I don’t really know what happened, I looked down and my finger, thumb, whatever, was gone, or “Thats never happened before”!
Great topic. You covered the blade guard from ever angle! Some of your points, I had honestly never thought about. Been watching you forever Steve! Keep doing what you're doing!
I know it's common practice for many, but reaching over the blade gives me the willies anyways. I just don't do it, all my workflow stops my hands short of the table and moves away from the blade once cut (table saw set up so that I can use a movable workbench for outfeed table)
Me too. I actually shut the saw off and walk around to retrieve. I don't ever want to get to the point where I am 'comfortable' leaning over a spinning blade
NEVER Reach over Reach around. Learn the proper way to use the saw from the beginning. ALWAYS focus on safety. don't be lazy. 20 plus year career as a woodworker building yachts. Used table saws every day. Never an injury. You have to want it. Be Smart.
I did it once many years ago, and nicked the tip of my finger on the blade. Took years to feel normal and not hurt if I tapped it on something just right. But I was very lucky and I don't do that anymore. I don't cut the middle of boards suspended on each end. I adjust the blade depth to just past thickness of stock being cut. Make sure cord is out of way of blade.Learn what right looks like and analyze near misses.
@@keithmarlowe5569 I just got to that point yesterday Woodworking for 12 years, just caught the tip of my thumb, was batch ripping for a bunch of identical pieces two rips per board so I'd rip set the first one side bring the off cut back over the blade to make the second cut, that's when it happened, I should have just ran all the pieces through then gathered the off cuts.
Same. I always imagine my feet slipping out and falling face/chest first into the blade.
If I'm in a hurry it's not enjoyable. If it's not enjoyable it's not a hobby--it's work.
I cut half through my left index finger (just after the second knuckle) because of not caring about the blade guard. Pure complacency, since I'd used a table saw since I was a kid.
It hurt. A lot. Whether you use a blade guard or not, don't be complacent.
no, it wasn't because you didn't care about the blade guard, it was because you were NOT PAYING ATTENTION to the cut you were making --- it's never the tools fault unless it malfunctions while in use -- it is ALWAYS do to human error
Brent Miller Jesus christ, you want a cookie for your comment?
@@deceps Brent's other name is Jesus Christ?
The KMH conversion had je in stitches 😂😂. Thanks for making my day
Your honesty is refreshing... thanks for the content. I think the most valuable piece of advice you gave was to visualize each cut prior to engaging - good for more than just saws, excellent life advice as well!
Measure twice cut once, and the board was still too short LOL.
I always try to visualize what I'm doing before I make the cut...it helps to prepare for where things will end up after it goes through the saw....hopefully not through the back wall of the shop behind me, or up in the rafters LOL. I had that happen once...luckily it missed the shop light, that would have been a mess to clean up....but man was that a major wakeup call. I can't even remember what I was cutting now, but it shot out of the saw and up into the rafters....I'm far more careful at what I'm doing around the table saw....and I never run anything through that is warped...which was what I was doing when that incident occurred...I just can't remember what it was I was cutting, if it was dimensional material, or if it was a piece of plywood. Whatever it was, it was twisted and warped pretty bad.
I'm brand new to woodworking. I'll keep using my blade guard, thank you. I have a healthy respect for that blade.
Steve literally is one of the best at explaining things and teaching.
Another really useful video Steve. Just one thing worth pointing out about those Microjig push blocks is that if, like a lot of saws, the riving knife has a height above the blade, you cant use them as they wont clear the knife height.
This is helpful! Thank you! I learned woodworking on a table saw without a blade guard years ago and now that I have my own shop I got my own saw and... it came with a blade guard. Had no idea what to do with it really; it kept getting in the way! It's good to know what it's good for and why it's there.
I'm in the UK. Having a Crown guard as it's referred to here is thankfully the norm. I taught furniture making for ten years in a college and definitely started to see an upsurge in bad practise in the 'TH-cam generation'. There are certain instances where undoubtedly it's more convenient to take the guard off, but I'd argue that there are very few that are completely necessary if you are able to come up with better and safer ways of doing things. When you do these things as a job, and you have a bucket with hundreds of components in needing the same treatment, it's incredibly easy to drift off and become complacent. Guards, properly set are really good for those times, not to mention way better dust extraction. Still, fill your boots, and each to their own. 👍
I would agree there.....Steve has partly excused himself i think.....on his recent safety video I posted loads negative comments regarding him NOT using a guard. We will never know how many accidents can be accredited to his ....no guard approach?? Best John uk
@@johntaylor1359 we can probably guess though, by looking at how much more common table saw injuries are in the US than Europe (spoiler: they’re a LOT more common in the US)
I keep mine on unless it absolutely needs to be off. I also know for a fact it stops a piece of wood being thrown backward.
@@loganmedia1142 It does not always prevent kickback, but the type it prevents (there are two types) is the more dangerous. It NEVER needs to be off. Might need to be changed for a different type, but a guard is ALWAYS possible.
7:09 - The Norm salute! My wife refuses to watch NYW with me because I say/do it along with him every single time :)
All of the reasons mentioned in this video are spot on. There is one more. In a small shop, the table saw is also the assembly table and the workbench, and even if you have a separate workbench, the table saw is often the most convenient place to roll out plans, do lay out, or assemble a tricycle.
Honesty is the best policy. You are doing the right thing here. Kudos.
Your biggest safety tool is paying attention. I became careless using my Dad's tablesaw when I was 16. Luckily, I had a fantastic surgeon and have spent 30 years using a computer keyboard to make my living. However, the memory of carrying a bouquet of my severed fingers to the hospital keeps me vigilant.
sounds wonderful
sounds terrible
sounds exceptional
Sounds painful
Gee, you sure are a manly man, invincible in every way!
The problem with blade guards is the negative impact on the user interface. It obstructs vision and often in the way of some material movement. Due to the often mentioned litigation issues of providing a saw without a guard, most manufactures provide a guard that fully enclosed the blade adding to all the negatives mentioned. I visited a shop with a very effective blade guard with few of the drawbacks. It was a home built device to provide visual and tactile feedback to the operator of the danger zone. Most people who lose fingers is because the tips of the spinning blade are not seen and it is assumed they are further away than they really are.
The blade guard in this shop was simply a pair of metal rods on each side of the blade with bent up ski tips in front. It provided no obstruction of view for lining up the kerf with a line. It provided a very clear indication of the danger zone. The area under the ski on each side of the blade is the area to stay out of. The guard beside the blade was only 1/2 inch high. It was high enough so while feeding material, you move your fingers out of the way to prevent contact with the blade. No danger of riding over the short fence and getting hurt. Great view of the work.
Witnessed that on my first project today. Couldn't see well, couldn't line up cuts, and the guard got caught on a longer split I was doing.
What you're describing doesn't sound like it is a blade guard at all. The standard clear blade guards give a very clear indication of the danger zone, so no risk of assuming you're further away than you really are. Once I've set up the cut there is really nothing I need to see around the blade. So to me the current design of clear plastic that extends from the bottom right over the blade is the right one.
I agree with everything in this video, but my experience says that whenever anyone on the internet says anything contrary to popular belief, they get down-voted. This video fits that description. Personally, I've used the blade guard on my saw maybe 10 times, if that. The other 3000 cuts had the guard removed for all of the reasons in this video. One additional consideration is that when you are using a zero clearance insert, you tend to use the cut in the insert to line up the cut and it is difficult to see that when the blade guard is installed. I instead made a riving knife for my saw a long time ago out of some 1/8" steel to prevent the workpiece from pinching the blade. I think that works better than the guard.
I appreciate your videos. I can use these tools, but I just figured it out (Men aren’t the only ones who toss the instruction booklet aside!). You’ve given me a lot of helpful tips. I have a HUGE fear of losing a finger every time I pull my table saw out. 💛
Thank you for making this video. Personally, I've only seen one situation where a blade guard made perfect sense. It was on a saw making identical rips cut all day, and the guard also collected the dust. Most included blade guards are less than practical, and seem to be designed by the saw marker's lawyer.
I new at woodworking and the table saw still freaks me out lol thanks for making those videos!
GOOD! Don't get too comfortable around it. That's usually when the bleeding begins
Yep, even as a carpenter for decades, I don't take the tablesaw for granted. I always preplan my motions to keep my fingers at least 6" away from the blade through the cut. Jigs such as crosscut sleds are also very helpful at reducing risk of injury.
I just bought my first table saw and was so glad to have found this video. Thank you so much! I have learned a lot.
My blade guard even has a dust port (Saw Stop) but I rarely use it, it is just not me. Thanks for having a pair and admitting what we all know to be true. If I ever see a table saw with a blade guard on, I will notice it.
I'm always wearing my eye protection in my shop (I've even caught myself wearing them into a few grocery and hardware stores, and a few times picked up my kids from elementary school with them on).
Most of my curs on the table saw are crosscuts and I'm using my sled.
Ripping tends to be on my Jet bandsaw. It's too nice to not use
I like your helmet inside a car analogy. Especially because professional racecar drivers wear helmets inside cars with five point harnesses, extremely high quality crumple zones and roll cages.
Appreciate the candid and informative editorial on this topic. Nice job Steve!
Great video for beginners. I just subscribed to this channel as I think you have the perfect balance of information, emphasizing safety and real life cuts. Great job 👏
When I was 15 or so a buddy of mine got his father to buy us a table saw, cause we wanted to do wood working shit.
More specifically, his father owned a auto shop and we wanted to build custom shit for cars.
My grandpa had a craftsman table saw that was powerful enough, and very versatile, consumer grade shit. Good.
And I was comfortable with it.
I suggested something like that.
His dad took us to Lowe's and bought us one of the best table saws they had.
A Delta. Had a cast iron top, a motor so powerful it was belt driven to the blade on a spring loaded tray that would jump like hell when you turned it on, and it weighed a million pounds.
And I had to assemble the damn thing.
One day I was trying to rip a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" birch longways, no help, no guard, no guide, no supports set up to catch the wood.
Just freehand, following the line I drew. 🤦♂️😬
Needless to say, I got a lil crooked and the blade bound up and threw the whole sheet at me like a pillow.
Didn't feel like a pillow when I hit me in the hip though.
I finished what I was doing, but the saw never got used much after that.
Except by me. My buddy refused to use it.
He still has it too, 15 years later, just collecting dust in the back of the shop.
Dont know what the point in story was, other than to make myself look like a dumbass, but shared anyways.
Don't do stupid shit you know you shouldn't, maybe, idk🤷♂️😂.
Don't buy equipment more powerful than what you need or should be using.
On some table saws the blade guard has a connection to the dust extraction, which is a fair reason to use it
Thanks for sharing. My personal summary would be to use a blade guard whenever possible, even when slightly inconvenient. It is always good to have several layers of safety.
Thanks for this informative video. I used to work in a cabinet shop where management was always bullying the floor guys for taking off the blade guard... and the floor guys were always taking off the blade guard. It's worth pointing out that the shop also had literally no training or safety programme, so the only method management had left to limit liability incursions was to lose its temper and bully the work force.
This message comes to you from an untrained guy who was nearly hospitalised by a truly gruesome kickback in that shop.
So thanks again for all your frank safety instruction.
I make furniture in the Neterlands as a profession! I use my guard becouse there is a port for a vacuum nothing els. I work a lot with MDF and want to pik up every piece of dust i can!
Well, if you mechanically suck all the dust off the MDF, it can cause septum cancer.
Elroy So, which is it - do you make furniture, or do you work with MDF? It can't be both, because real furniture doesn't contain MDF. Well, unless it's IKEA, but IKEA is based in Sweden, and you're in the Netherlands.
@@jimtownsend7899 Nice gatekeeping
Jim Townsend amen. Mdf is a joke, I cannot stress how useless it is for anything other than wrapping plywood for painting
Jim Townsend MDF in the Netherlands is wa different then in other countries (thats what they told me atleast) I still hate it though...
Nice Norm Abrams impersonation at the end. "And remember, there is no more important piece of safety equipment than these... safety glasses."
We were all thinking it!
Thanks so much for this video Steve - really helped me understand the point/features/setbacks of a blade guard.
A blade guard works well for rip cuts to Steve. When ripping sheet goods it creates no restriction or hinderance to performing the cut. I agree with most of your arguments and work pretty much the same as you do including using the GRR-Ripper and always a riving knife the only exception being with a dado set. But I do use it when breaking down sheets of plywood and ripping boards. The kickback paws in the guard and the riving knife will prevent kickback. Thank you for posting this video.
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A slogan I came up with over 15 years ago and use as my signature line on forums is:
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"It's a table saw, do you know where your fingers are?"
I don't have a problem with my bladeguard as a safety feature. But in the case of my DeWalt 745, it's attached to my riving knife. Which makes it impossible to do non-through cuts or using the maximum height of my saw blade. Long story short, I use it whenever it's possible.
I used to tell people: If you don't fear the SkillSaw when you pick it up, don't pull the trigger. This works for every kind of saw.
I have a healthy fear/respect for my table saw and circular saw... for some reason the reciprocating saw is not as scary.
Roofers will tell you that when you're scared, that's when you die. It applies in a lot of places, but probably not SkillSaws.
My grandfather told me when he taught me to handle weapons that you're always safest when you don't fear the item, but always remember to respect what it is capable to do. It was well said and applies pretty much everything.
@@autonomous44 Fear AND Focus makes a safe worker. The day you are too confident is the day you start to lose fingers. talk to the best and oldest in the business, they will always tell you a little bit of fear will allow you to respect the power of these machines you operate.
I don’t fear my power tools any more than I fear my car or my stove. I don’t need to fear something in order to handle it properly. I’m well aware of what these things can do when we’re not careful, just as I’m well aware what happens when people are careless with their cars.
I love that you made this video. I get called out on this all the time on my channel and I never have a good answer. Thanks Steve!
This man encouraged me to get rid of my blade guard.... and now I have stump for a hand...thanks!
The front of the blade is the "choppy" direction ? Yes -- Good safety point! (Great video, thanks)
Ray Mitchell I’m curious what you mean by this. Personally I’m more concerned about the back of the blade.
@@KeithsTestGarage the blade cuts toward you, not away from you i.e. the cut's direction is toward the front. Also, any part of the edge cuts, but ignoring the cutting action the front wants to drag stuff in and down (it drags you into itself), the back and top tends to push things up/forward. They're all dangerous af, but technically the front is worse.
Can't tell you why they work without them. For the past 15 years i work with the blade guard. Only when i cut bigger timberwood i remove them. Or very small cuts. Because there is no room for the blade guard. The blade guard saved me from injuries a few times 👍
any professional will NOT use a blade guard on a table saw, I make hundreds of cuts each day and a great deal of them can not be done with a guard in place and I dont have time to be taking the guard off and on all day. I have been a cabinet maker/installer for 25 years, never once have I been cut or even had a close call.Ive had a few kickbacks but nothing to write home about, if you know how to use a table saw and you keep a healthy fear of being cut you will not be well served by having a clunky guard in the way. my suggestion for beginners is to use the guard or better yet buy a sawstop saw. if you so much as begin to nick flesh it instantly stops the blade and throws it down into the machine, they are great and they really work.
@@AsTheWheelsTurn same goes for me. For example today i made about 1200 cuts on the tablesaw. Out of 1x8 and 2x4 17ft long pine all cut to various width and length for a customer. I think maybe it is how you learned working with a table saw over the years. This works fine for me. It only takes me a few seconds to take it on and off.
Dutch shed woodshop I think you’re right after I left my comment I was thinking about it and I think that was a little bit of a snarky reply from me I learned woodworking in a small Mennonite shop and all their tools were older than my grandpa and could hurt you real quick,I just learned to be very careful and very very aware so I guess for me it’s hard to do something different I feel uneasy with a guard on but it’s just because that’s what I’m used to.
Dutch shed woodshop I need to remind myself now and then not to become one of those guys that thinks his way of doing something is the only way!
While at college for carpentry we never used blade guards, ever, but driving knives were present at all times. What we were made to fear most however, was the spindle moulder, a big fuck off industrial machine that, we were told, tied first with an improperly used planer thicknesser in terms of degloving and flat out deadening. The table saw was almost seen to be one of the safest machines we used, but were still taught to respect it and never let our concentration slip while using it.
I always ask myself where are my hands going when making a cut on the table saw and I do this only because you mentioned it in one of your many videos (including this one) and for that I thank-you sir!
The bloody things gets in the way Steve, and I've been using a table saw for about forty or so years and I haven't been hurt yet!
Yep, I only put mine on for dust extraction on MDF and the like. My fingers or hands never get close to the blade as I use push sticks instead all the time. 2 kick backs in the last 5 years and both times it was me trying to cut over long lengths without bothering using the long sliding carriage I made for the job.
I use my table saw to cut boxes on a bevel. For boxes cut so that the two halves must mate together perfectly, one technique is to build the entire closed box, and then cut the complete box around the perimeter creating two halves that will then mate perfectly. If you build the halves separately, especially if you use box (finger) joints, it's very difficult to get them perfect enough where the two halves won't be at least 1/32nd of an inch off at some point.
For straight cut boxes, the riving knife can stay in place. But for cutting the box on a bevel, it's a lot trickier. The table saw has to be used in plunge fashion using the blade-height hand wheel turned a precise number of cranks so that the black will plunge at precisely the right spot at precisely the right angle. A riving knife can't plunge in this manner, so it has to come off.
As far as safety, all of the blade is at all times inside the box, so you can't even see it when making this kind of cut, so nothing can fall on the blade, and there is virtually no chance of any kind of kickback.
The trickiest part of the cut is that the blade must be raised to just the right height that the blade radius angle approximates a 45 degree angle in order to form the miter-like bevelled corners.. Then the blade must be plunged in so that it barely touched the edge of the box to form the far corner. The box must then be moved against the rip fence until the blade just barely touched the near corner. If you overshoot the edge, then the bevelled-inward half of the box gets a bevel angled cut through the side where you really don't want it to be.
If done just right, you get a halved box with one half bevelled outward, and the other half bevelled-inward, which makes the box self-align when the halves are put together. But you can't do this cut with a riving knife installed. Most certainly not with a blade guard.
Steve, another great video! I'm a big fan and I've learned a lot from you. Thanks!
I was also frustrated by my Ridgid guard and stopped using it for several years, but recently, I've been cutting lots of 3/4" plywood for gift desks and dust was a problem. I rigged (not ridged) a dust collection hose to the top of the guard and after shredding 1.5 sheets of plywood into parts, I barely have any visible sawdust. My narrowest cuts are 2" and I can still squeeze my push stick between the guard and the fence. I still remove it when needed, but I've become proficient at the process and it no longer bothers me.
Ah yes the perfect homage to the main man Norm Abrahms.. I love it Steve mate.. Pointing at the safety glasses was a wee classic. Isn't that how Norm always finished his piece on Workshop safety etiquette ? Brilliant ..
Primary purpose of a blade guard is to protect manufacturer from litigation.
Blade guards were around before manufacturers had to worry about litigation.
God that's dumb, it's like saying the primary purpose of seat belts is to stop car companies facing litigating.
@@JimmiWazEre Umm... you do know the federal government forces car companies to install seat belts. And airbags. And a host of other safety features. They don't have a choice. Now, to be fair, some car companies have chosen to exceed safety requirements and some people are willing to pay for the extra perception of safety, so there is a market for it. And companies were putting airbags and seat belts in cars long before the federal government required it. But, not every car manufacturer was doing it, and people forced Congress to become mommies and take care of us because they felt that people just shouldn't' be allowed to have the freedom to choose.
And so it goes with table saws. In 2006, the Consumer Product Safety Commission voted to make table saws safer because thousands of people are idiots. So obviously, the rest of us that have used table saws for 40 years or more and never gotten hurt will have to pay for actions of those idiots if and when we buy a new table saw.
And we will also do like we do now, remove any safety features that get in the way because it's my house. Like how I've replaced every single stupid switch that requires that stupid plastic key to operate. Which I always thought was stupid, my kids were taught to never touch my power tools without asking, and either they never did or were smart enough to not get hurt or caught. Either way, I'm good with the outcome.
Of course, these are the same government entities that have removed merry go rounds and tall metal slides from playgrounds, because we can't let junior know the pain of a scraped knee.
More likely the insurance companies lobbied to pass safety laws.
Good points, though for the ones who think I am dumb, I think they perhaps are naive.
I do like the riving knife, but the blade guard, especially the old ones, are a greater hazard than a safety device. I use jigs, and they all need the guard removed. That useless piece of plastic is long gone.
Don't know what I'd have done without the 2:37 conversion
This is possibly the best and most honest video. Like everything dangerous. BE CAREFUL when using something dangerous. With great power comes great responsibility.
Very reasonable explanation. As a hobbyist who has no need for speed, I use a blade guard whenever it is reasonable to do so, which as you pointed out is likely 10% of the time. But if I'm making a through cut that's wide enough for the fence to not touch the blade guard, then I use it. If not, I don't.
I agree about the riving knife. That is the most bang for you buck safety features. Almost no downside with a huge decrease in risk.
In shop class, we were told another reason for blade guards was to offer some degree of protection in the event that any carbide-bit separated from the 3500 rpm-spinning blade. They were only tack-welded on back then---don't know if other methods (like super-epoxies) are used to attach them nowadays. But, if a thing can be attached, a thing can come loose.
Thing doesn't even need to be attached to come lose. Just put enough force on it, or the right wear/stress/damage, or both, and stuff will come loose.
@@louisvictor3473 Just like spinning turbofan blades. Under the right stress conditions they can just break and become flying hot butter knives through butter, ripping through an aircraft fuselage and everyone within it.
Wouldn't the severity of that cause the guard to shatter anyway, though I guess it would slow down the chip before it reached your safety eyewear
Phil o'Macc not if its safety glass rated material
What is this thing. Letting other people use your tools? 😉
Great video Sir.
Yeah never trust one with your tools lmao lotsajerks give en back in bad shape OR not cleaned and the fact you need to re-set everything to your own customs again
Hi Steve- good video for beginners.
I love the micro jig and use it whenever I can.
I do however tend to use the blade guard when cutting large sheets of plywood- the riving knife and anti- kickback pawls on the guard ensure stability.
I've never met anyone who removes their tool guards to have all their fingers. But maybe that's just rural Indiana.
I was taught to always use every safety precaution available to you. If my cuts are slightly off I use all five of my fingers to sand out my mistakes :)
Nobody says that you "have to use all of the safety guards", and if you lose a finger or two (or an eye) in the process you can comfort yourself by remembering that "nobody forced you to use those safety devices". ;)
I remember the first table saw I bought was a Delta with a blade guard. On the first cut, the guard didn't drag evenly on the material and it twisted into the blade and was immediately thrown around by the blade.
I'll never use one again!
Poor quality guard. Use a cast aluminium guard that is rigid
To be clear, what will you never use again: a blade guard or a table saw? 😉
Happened to me with a delta chop saw. No more blade guard
I brought my first table saw around 6 months ago, with no previous experience. I set it up with the blade guard in place and tried to use the saw, but it was really awkward to use to the point of feeling dangerous, I think it might just be a poor design. I went away and watched some TH-cam videos of other people using their table saws, and like you noticed hardly any of them were using the guard, so I took mine off and haven't looked back since, it's made the table saw feel so much more usable. I also think it is safer for me to use it like this as I respect the spinning blade more, because I can see it!
Back in 1960 I was working as a electrician helper and cut my arm bad on a meter box, I asked a carpenter if he would run me to the hospital, he said he didn't have time to mess with me. I had to wait till the electrician got back from the supply house to take me. 16 stiches and two days later I was back at work. I heard a blood curdling scream, it was the carpenter with four fingers missing. I didn't have time to mess with him.
I have that Rigid saw and I use the guard always. The guard will flip up and click in place for measuring the cuts with a tape measure.
Ajey as will the dewalt
Who uses a tape measure with a table saw? Buy some good quality stainless steel rulers for higher accuracy cuts.
@@honkhonklersr.4340 Yeah, you're right Art. I can't get 1/32" readings using my trusty Stanley 33-312. I should definitely go out and by some $100 steel rulers because you said so. Dumbass.
i feel the same steve i need to now where the blade is when i'm making a cut.
Blade guards are designed strictly for liability insurance reasons. In a production shop where one tool is set up for the same operation I have seen some very well designed guards but consumer saws have guards that range from clumsy to dangerous. The best practice I employ is to never reach over or past a moving blade, stopping the saw only takes a second and I have my stop switch were I can hit it with my leg so my eyes never leave the work piece.
I'm a newbe table saw user. Love the videos on safety, mitre sled and pusher. At this point in time I will continue using the blade guard...a bit of a pain (no pun intended) at times when watching along the cut line.
You know, watching this video... the blade guard almost seems like an "The illusion of safety". . .like,
it seems to be able to cause more harm than good in 95% of real world usage situations.
Now if you were in a "factory/manufacturing" setting & were just making sh*t tons, of repeat cuts, the
kinda cuts that suck a little piece of your soul away with each pass... I can understand the blade guard.
That kind of production work does not require humans and they have auto feed to do just that.
When I first got my table saw I left it on, only taking it off when it got in the way of a certain cut. After a while I got tired of taking it off and putting it back on again. Now it stays off. I respect my tablesaw and don't do anything stupid on it so I think I can justify the risk.
Until you can't, which will be right after something bad happens.
Putting the metric conversion for a million miles an hour in text at the bottom of the screen? *Chef's kiss*
That's how you make a video, right there.
Fantastic video! You are a natural speaker and teacher.