johnep

Thanks Niki, I now understand exactly what it is. I believe Health and safety regs in UK make commercial operators fix suitable guards. Certainly my circular hand saw has heavy casing around half the blade and a sliding circular guard over the rest.

My bench grinder has similar fixed guard and swivel eye shields. If you have insurance, could be invalidated by removal of guards. Many industrial companies fined heavily when employees remove guards from guillotines, presses etc.

I am a devotee of Air Crash Investigation which shows how minor things can kill hundreds. Worse was leaving duct tape over pitot holes in plane after washing it down. (Peru airlines).
have saved Ray Girlings site.
johnep

niki

Hi John

Yes, the EU safety regulation and especially, the UK ones (HSE) are very strict (Riving Knife is mandatory from the 60th).

Just click on this link and you will get tons of them.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...aw&btnG=Search

About the Peru Airline crash...well, I was flight engineer and had 14,000 hours "up there" so I know about most of the crashes (we were studying them...it's good to learn from experience...but not my experience, as we were saying)

In this case the crew could save the airplane...there is a procedure that we call "Unreliable Airspeed Indicators" and they had to follow it. Besides, every pilot knows if his airspeed is correct or not (plus minus) just by looking at the HSI (horizontal situation indicator)...if the nose is too high, your speed is low...

One of the duties of the flight engineer (and the pilots) is to confirm that the Pitot and Static ports are free of objects during the external inspection before every flight...

niki

johnep

Yes I was amazed that Gail's chest was sawn with no guard at all, but presumed removed for filming.

During my search for info, discovered the Jimmy jig on Utube. somewhat eccentric but idea seemed good.

With regard to the Peru crash, problem was, so I understood, that cleaner used standard tape instead of fluorescent orange. so silver tape matched the aluminium and the walk round was at night. Even more sad was that the pilot kept asking ATC for a radar fix, but the ATC just gave the transponder reading.

Sorry, I have revealed another of my interests, flight simulation.

Wood is involved because flight simulators make wooden mock cockpits, so relevant on a wood working forum.

regards,

johnep

johnep

thought your link would take me to dry as dust regs, but actually very good with illustrations of safe set ups.
johnep.

niki

Hi John

Ray Girling is very respected member of the UK woodworking forum and another American woodworking forum.

He is also a demonstrator of the Triton routers.

About the crash...making the pre-flight check at night, is not an excuse to "I could not see it" (or check it)...every crew member must carry a flash-light....you don't start the flight if you are not sure for 100% that you checked every item in the pre-flight check...remember that you cannot "click" the 4 blinkers and stop at the side of the road...

It was discovered in many crash investigations that, the crew just did not follow the procedures...

And, I don't like flight simulators!!! every time that I went there, it was 4 hours of Abnormals and Emergencies (at least 4 times a year)...but, it was good to do the training, as they say "hard in training - easy at war"...

Best regards
niki

Gerry KIERNAN

Hi John

I don't have any technical explanation for kickback, all I know is that suddenly the piece of wood that you were feeding through the saw gets grabbed by the saw blade and comes whanging back at you with incredible speed, and force. Also, I know, that if one of your digits happens to be in the way of the piece of wood, when it comes whanging back at you, it really smarts. I also know that this tends to happen more frequently with short pieces of wood. Longer pieces of wood seem to be a lot safer to work with.

Gerry

Gerry KIERNAN

Hi All

With regard to the crashes, we have a program, that we receive in Canada, called Mayday. As I was employed by a small regional airlne, in Canada, called Pacific Western Airlines, for about 12 years, I have a decided interest in what brings aircraft down. Perhaps we should start an "off topic" conversation. I have also been following the investigation results of the crash you are talkig about.It is also an interest of mine.

Regards

Gerry

toolsman

First thing I did when I got my Delta Unisaw 6 years ago was take off the blade guard. Bad move. I was ripping a large piece 3/4 plywood and pushed a little too hard on the outer edge. It flew up and dislocated my finger and scared the dickens out of me. After I popped my finger back in to position I dusted off the blade guard and have used it ever since, except for dado and partial thru cuts. I later installed a dust collector on the clear plastic guard and it works great. I cut out a small rectangular hole in the top of the guard and slid in the thin wand end from my shop vac, attached some 2 inch hose and ran it to my 4 in collector line. It works great and keeps the sawdust off my pants and reduces airborne dust.
Toolsman

Gerry KIERNAN

Hi Toolman

I was trying to figure out what would be the best way to collect the sawdust from my table saws. I was thinking of putting some kind of curved pan under the blade to catch the stuff coming down from the cut. You indicate you are getting good results from a collector mounted above the blade. Do you have any pictures you can post???

Gerry

rob.hough

So where does one find a U.S. saw with a riving knife setup? Most of the saws I've looked at do not have this. Usually only the bigger cabinet saws.

I'm guessing you can't really get an aftermarket setup for this? I like the idea of having one but at the same time... I'm not going to shun a saw simply because it doesn't have it. Ya'know?

toolsman

I'm away for a week but will try to post a photo when I return. Collecting sawdust under a cabinet saw is easy because most have a 4 or 5 inch collector port in the base. If you have a contractors type saw and the base is open you'll have to do what I did on my 1952 Sears craftsman. I built a box that fit under it fairly tight and added a 4 inch plastic port for my collector. It wasn't perfect but it got rid of 90% of the sawdust

toolsman

Above the blade you'll need the plastic blade guard in place. Also, I drilled a 3/4" hole in the front of my zero clearance insert to allow dust to be sucked from below.

Bruce B

I use kitchen dish soap on my safety glasses to stop the fog-up works for me.

Bruce B

In July of this year I got a kickback hit to my stomach, I went down to my knees it hurt so bad. It happen so fast and I was in the shop by myself. I was lucky this time, now I always stand off to the side when I push a board through and there is a sign in my shop now at the saw so I don,t forget.

johnep

Seeing all this talk of sawdust reminds me when UK had a 'cluster' of nasal cancer cases. Eventually traced to woodworkers in furniture industry around High Wycombe Bucks. just a cautionary note.
johnep

Frosty

The first table saw i used didnt have a guard so i got used to not using one. Then when I was loaned a table saw I was given the guard but never put it on. I gave the saw back and 3 months later found the guard for it. Oops. Then with my current table saw the guy i bought it from had the guard on but in order for me to get it home I had to take it off and i never put it back on. Now in my woodshop class at school they have a guard and I feel unsafe because i cant see the blade at all. And they make me use push sticks that i feel are going to break at any second. Ive never used push sticks unless its close to the blade. I feel safer not using them because then theres no chance of the stick sliping.

jodiemeglio

The guard from my new saw is still wrapped in plastic and it's on top of a cabinet in the shop. I am going to get a small splitter for it though.

__________________
Tile/Finish work www.donnellymeglio.com

Hawki39

I am new here so I'll give you all a quick version about me. I am a basement (Small basement)woodworker/scrollsawer. Completely self taught. I make some shelves, smaller furniture etc. I have yet to tackle a large remodel project or tackle a large/complicated wood project...Yet.

On the subject of saw safety...anti kick back devices....
I removed the guard from my Ryobi table saw while I was making a Kitchen Island for my niece. As I was cutting the 1/4" thick panels for the doors I had a piece of the panel kick back...hitting my middle finger knuckle on my left hand.
I did Not break my finger or cut any fingers off , I did manage to DISLOCATE the knuckle to the point of needing surgery to correct the 30 degree sideways bend and I've been off of work Since Sept. 8 going thru therapy to get my middle, still swollen digit to actually bend like it is supposted to.
Getting the tendons back to where they are Supposed to be Located is a painful... process requiring me to be torchered 3 times a week.
On the bright side...the Island project turned out really nice.
I have re installed the blade guard/anti kickback device on my saw.

vicwebb

The reason people take them off is to use the saw for rebates and other joint cutting. Maybe the best answer is to modify the splitter so that it is below the tooth top-line and does not stop you making partial depth cuts.

Ken Johnson

Anybody know where I can get a riving knife for a Ridgid contractors saw?

Ken