# Table Saw Safety Project



## Nogoingback (Aug 20, 2019)

For some time, I've been thinking about adding some kind visual indication to the rip fence on the table saw to help keep
my hands away from the blade.  Naturally I didn't get around to it until my son used the saw the other day for a project.
10 bucks at my local metals supplier got me a strip of aluminum sheared to the correct dimensions, a couple of bolts and
spacers and some red paint was all that was needed.  I told my kid the red stripe is the ER zone...


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## Latinrascalrg1 (Aug 20, 2019)

Why not spray the blade plate red considering its the part directly around the blade?


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## Nogoingback (Aug 20, 2019)

That would work as well.


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## Latinrascalrg1 (Aug 20, 2019)

I was thinking In addition to what you already did!


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## RJSakowski (Aug 20, 2019)

As  teenager, I had forty stitches due to a table saw blade. I am extra cautious when using my saw.
When I am ripping, I hook my fingers over the rip fence to help prevent from being drawn into the blade.  I also use the crosscut slot for that purpose.


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## rwm (Aug 20, 2019)

I hate passing my finger between the blade and the rip fence. I have seen vertical feather boards used to prevent this. I may have to see if I can install one. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 3" width I start to get nervous!
Robert


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## Nogoingback (Aug 20, 2019)

I have a tool (don't know what it's called) that mounts to the table with a magnet and pushes the work towards the fence.  Is
that a feather board?  It works well, but at some point the board pops out and the last 8 inches or so has to be done by hand.
About that time I switch to pulling the work through from the other side.  I do the same thing as RJ: I hook my fingers over
the fence.

I've always been vigilant around the saw, but watching my kid the other day made me nervous.  He is careful though: he was
with me at the ER when I fed my hand into the router table.


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## Winegrower (Aug 20, 2019)

Check out the Gripper I believe it is called.  It has two legs and can pass over the blade.   I have two and use them almost every cut.


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## matthewsx (Aug 20, 2019)

My dad taught me how to run a table saw when I was a kid. I still have the saw and all ten fingers.

I also have the original Sears blade guard (plastic that goes over the blade while cutting with a hinge for the stock to push it out of the way. I never use it, any cut that even makes me nervous I use a push stick. Also stand to the side in case of a kickback.

Teach your son to respect the tool and he will do just fine.

Visual aids and guards are good but IMHO your mind and some basic safety training are really what's needed to stay safe in the shop. Practice safety yourself and he will pick up on it better than any lecture could do.

Great to hear the next generation in your family is using tools, it really needs to be taught at home now that so many shop programs are gone from the schools.

John


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## Nogoingback (Aug 20, 2019)

I have a plastic tool that serves as a push stick now.  I bought it after I got back from the ER when I had the router event.
When it happened, I actually had a note lying on the toolbox that said "make a push stick".


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## Nogoingback (Aug 20, 2019)

Winegrower said:


> Check out the Gripper I believe it is called.  It has two legs and can pass over the blade.   I have two and use them almost every cut.




Looks like a good tool.


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## Martin W (Aug 20, 2019)

Good thinking
Another good thing would be to use a riving knife behind the blade. I’m sure there would be a spot to install one. This is basically just a splitter that prevents the blade from binding as well as kickbacks.
Cheers 
Martin


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## rwm (Aug 20, 2019)

Here's one option. I only have the table featherboard at present. This and a push stick would be a good solution.




R


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## mikey (Aug 20, 2019)

Winegrower said:


> Check out the Gripper I believe it is called.  It has two legs and can pass over the blade.   I have two and use them almost every cut.



I use these,too. Great invention that really works to keep you safer.


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## ezduzit (Aug 21, 2019)

Nogoingback said:


> For some time, I've been thinking about adding some kind visual indication to the rip fence on the table saw to help keep
> my hands away from the blade...



Until I saw the photo I actually thought you were joking. Seriously, how much effort does it really take to always remember to keep your hands away from a spinning blade? You can hear the machine running and see that the blade is actually spinning. Either of these indications should be sufficient to remind you of the potential for injury.


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## francist (Aug 21, 2019)

Not all blades are equally easy to see. The "wobbler" type of dado head is especially invisible when spinning, unlike the old-time dado stacks I used in school.

I am of the mind that attention is the best prevention, although know fully well that distractions or wanderings of the mind can and do occur. Sometimes repetition is the worst culprit. I think the painted safety zone is a good reminder that things could be getting close -- pay attention! And being on top of the fence it's always visible even when you're running that sheet of plywood.

I used a table saw lots in the past, but for my home shop I'm glad I've been able to get by without one for all these years.

-frank


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## Nogoingback (Aug 21, 2019)

ezduzit said:


> Until I saw the photo I actually thought you were joking. Seriously, how much effort does it really take to always remember to keep your hands away from a spinning blade? You can hear the machine running and see that the blade is actually spinning. Either of these indications should be sufficient to remind you of the potential for injury.




If it were as simple as that there would never be table saw accidents or for that matter accidents with machines at all. There would be
no need for OSHA or for that matter there would be no auto accidents.  But as you know people get in a hurry, or get
careless,  or they're tired or they get distracted.  I'm very careful every time I fire up the saw, but as a fallible human I know I can
make a mistake.  And while I have years of experience around saws, my son doesn't.  Watching him run it made me more aware
of this.   I also know my son responds to visual
indications on things, and the fact that I took the time to paint it will, in itself emphasize to him the importance of safety awareness.
The small amount of effort it took was worth it.

I also have to say I don't appreciate your sarcastic reply to this thread.  If you think that what I did was a waste of time fair enough, but
it wasn't necessary to suggest it was some sort of joke, which it isn't.  I doubt that the folks on this forum who have injured themselves
on a saw like RJ take it as a joke either.


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## rwm (Aug 21, 2019)

Smart guys like me only put our fingers in bandsaws!
Robert


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## ezduzit (Aug 21, 2019)

Nogoingback said:


> ...If you think that what I did was a waste of time fair enough...



Your concern for your son's safety seems very reasonable. If I thought what you have done was simply a waste of time I might not have replied at all. But what you have done appears to actually be a distraction to draw his eyes _away _from the very danger inherent in every table saw--the spinning blade! No one should ever be looking at the top of the fence while using their saw.


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## hman (Aug 21, 2019)

I've always tried to be careful with my table saw, and all my digits are still intact.  Turns out that nearly all my owies have happened with hand tools - easy to see that I'm right handed, because the scars are on the left hand 

Anyway, I sincerely wish I could use nice items like rwm's feather board.  But my Ryobi BT3000 has an aluminum table.  I've yet to find an effective aluminum magnet!  

PS - Love those Magswitches!  Made a couple of very handy fences for both of my bandsaws using oak boards and Magswitches.


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## Cooter Brown (Aug 21, 2019)

Run a big beef steak through it with your son watching, he'll figure it out really quick after that....


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## Bi11Hudson (Aug 22, 2019)

With no children at all, I just have to keep track of my own fingers. Still all 10 of 'em, I'm glad to say. Having been in industrial maintenance, I spent more time on someone else's machines than on my own. Both wood and metal working machines... ... Because of that perspective, I had to develop ways to protect myself, many (most) of the machines really didn't have OSHA guards. Much of my career was before OSHA even existed, anyway. 

The point here is that I watch the cutting edge, closely. If a finger (hand, foot, whatever) comes into my field of vision, it's too close. I need to back off and rethink what I'm doing. Push sticks are a must. A screwdriver will ruin a saw blade or router bit, but if that's all that's available... ... 

At 70-ish, give or take, I still have 10 fingers and 10 toes, so I guess I did something right. I have busted my knuckles several times, but still got all my fingers. Kneeling off to the side is the only thing that kept me from flying off a roof on a piece of plywood many times. How does one pass along something of that nature? Watch 'em when they take up a tool and raise Hell if they don't watch what they're doing is the only way I know. And don't do such shenanigans alone, ever!

.


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## Boswell (Aug 22, 2019)

I don't think there is anything wrong with safety warnings like making the danger zones etc. Just something to help remind you to THINK.  Like other people have said the most important safety device is ourselves. I try to go through a mental checklist each time I am in a potentially dangerous situation. 
1. Where is the danger zone
2. What direction are the forces in (am I pushing toward a blade are pulling away from it )
3. What the common failure modes and what am I doing to protect from these (kickback or if I slip when pushing, a lifting strap breaks ...).  

I don't always do this although I try. it is also easy skip the checklist on tools that I use a lot, like the vertical band saw but I do manage to think through it often and especially when I have something that is awkward or unusual.


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## Cooter Brown (Aug 22, 2019)

Boswell said:


> I don't think there is anything wrong with safety warnings like making the danger zones etc. Just something to help remind you to THINK.



I disagree, I think safety signs and warnings are awful, they make people forget how to think for themselves..... Most people do stupid things just because there a sign telling them not to.... Before all the warnings people would have to think for themselves before doing something stupid....

Safety Third!


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## talvare (Aug 22, 2019)

Don't know if any of you have ever seen the Saw-Stop system, but we had one of these in the carpenter shop at the company I worked for. I got to see it demonstrated a couple of times. It's pretty impressive to see.  I know this is probably beyond the means of a lot of hobbiests, but if I remember correctly, the saw itself wasn't much more expensive than any other good quality commercial table saw. Anyway, just thought it may be interesting to some.






Ted


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## Cooter Brown (Aug 22, 2019)

talvare said:


> Don't know if any of you have ever seen the Saw-Stop system, but we had one of these in the carpenter shop at the company I worked for. I got to see it demonstrated a couple of times. It's pretty impressive to see.  I know this is probably beyond the means of a lot of hobbiests, but if I remember correctly, the saw itself wasn't much more expensive than any other good quality commercial table saw. Anyway, just thought it may be interesting to some.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




This is cool but how do you cut aluminum with the stop saw.....?

The only reason I have a table saw is for cutting aluminum.....


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## matthewsx (Aug 22, 2019)

I learned long ago never to question what a parent does to keep their child safe.

Again, I commend you sir for teaching your kid how to run a table saw and anything else in your shop. That's the real message here, pass along your knowledge while you can.

Cheers,

John


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## hman (Aug 23, 2019)

Cooter Brown said:


> This is cool but how do you cut aluminum with the stop saw.....?
> The only reason I have a table saw is for cutting aluminum.....


There's an override switch on the control panel, meant only for occasional use (wet wood comes to mind).  If all you cut is aluminum, then the SawStop is not what you'd want to spend your money on.


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