Table Saw Safety Project

[Nogoingback]

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.

 

[Martin W]

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

 

[rwm]

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



R

 

[mikey]

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.

 

[ezduzit]

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.

 

[francist]

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

 

[Nogoingback]

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.

 

[rwm]

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

 

[ezduzit]

...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.

 

[hman]

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.