# Table saw guard use (or not)



## IC31 (Nov 16, 2012)

How many folks really use their table saws with a guard?

Getting into my 'dotage', still have all 10 fingers and all pieces of them still attached - but of course with various scars and aches. My many year old JET JTS-10 contractor type came with a splitter, anti kickback pawls and blade cover (might even be called a guard by some). This is complete junk, serving only to jam anything you try to cut. I have made up a splitter that does work well. The rest of this 'guard' assembly has been relegated to the back corner of a cabinet for many years. So far, only one close call, and that was about 15 years ago when a kick back removed a fingernail and left the most colorful bruise on my stomach and with no lasting effects but healthy respect for what a 10" blade turning at 5000 rpm powered by a couple of horsepower can do. Yep, am aware that some TS cut functions need to have any guard removed

Now with all that said, am starting to wonder if pulling that claptrap off the saw was a great idea, especially after reading some other folks TS experiences. So with that thought, are there any retrofit guards that are worth a look? Shark do not make one for my saw, Brett - OMG!! Does that thing work for or against a woodworker. And the cost at $500++ or so bucks - might as well get a SawStop. The Penn State version looks very flimsy and has poor reviews. 

Are there any homemade versions worth a look? I did a search and really didn't find much that wasn't pretty crude and not much more then a dust collector. I do have some steel fab and welding skills as well as some other metal work tools so that is not a deterrent.

Comments??? Help?? Ideas? 
:help:


----------



## denniswoody (Dec 11, 2011)

The only time my guard will jam is if it is installed improperly. That is with the splitter not properly aligned with the blade. Why does yours jam? I use my guard as often as possible, both for safety and better dust collection.


----------



## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

Dave, I would never suggest to anyone to not use the safety guards on the table saw. Do I use them myself? No but use caution and foresight to the fullest. :bad:


----------



## Daisy149689 (Dec 23, 2012)

Buddy, you're either very lucky, very cautious or both. After seeing my first cut off finger on the table in a pool of blood in an AMF bowling lane flooring facility when I was a teen I have alway used whatever safety devices I could. Even so I have come up with the rib bruises you reference from careless use of a radial arm saw. Hate to say so but I find the saw stop I finally upgraded to (thank you to my wife who wouldn't hear of anything else once she saw the demo at the Woodcraft store) the best investment in short term safety and accuracy I have made in the last 50--Regards--Lyn


----------



## IC31 (Nov 16, 2012)

I'm not asking for lectures nor first or whatever person misadventures you or others have had. I'm well aware of the dangers of using a table saw without a guard. PLEASE read my first post again. I'm looking for alternatives for the vintage 1986 piece of junk that JET supplied originally. IT DOESN'T WORK !!!! It has been adjusted, readjusted, bent, twisted, shimmed, aligned or whatever. It STILL wont work without causing a problem.

As a note, the Craftsman 3Hp contractor size radial arm saw and the miter saw have their guards which do work as designed as do every other tool that have guards


----------



## Phil P (Jul 25, 2010)

Hi Dave

Is it necessary? I was trained that it is essential. But you don't have to break the bank to have a good blade guard. there are several DIY "models" out there. Take a look at these:

1. From Badger Pond (by Gordon J Sampson) - although it can be suspended in other ways than from the ceiling (see here)

2. Shop Notes #92 has a nice design which someone built a version of in Sweden, whilst another guy published a first video, then a second one on the same guard in use and a few extra pointers (although personally I would have been happier had he learned to use a push stick or two!)

3. Whilst this guy over at Sawmill Creek built a superb copy of the Shark Guard

There are others, but those are three good ones I've come across, the Badger Pond one many years ago. Even just adding a piece of timber on top of the riving knife/splitter like this improves the safety. and on the subject of splitters, I recently came across a really nifty and cheap splitter made cheaply from a gate hinge. Who says that innovation is dead?

Saw safely!

Phil


----------



## IC31 (Nov 16, 2012)

Phil - you have given me probably enough information for me to do a design. I like the fixed blade cover of the first one along with the mounting method of the second(Shark clone) as I may be able to use the existing guard bolt pattern of my old JET saw. The only drawback that I see is that I'm currently using thin kerf Freud Diablo blades which may limit strength of that kind of mount. If that mount method wont work, I can probably come up with an over arm design and mounted to my mobile cabinet. 

The guy doing the videos - frightens me with his fingers way too close to the spinning blade and no push stick/block or other aid


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Those are some great links Phil. I copied the first one too. I am more interested in the dust collection aspect that the other part. I was considering something similar but suspended with chains from the ceiling so as to be adjustable in height but I may rethink that. Beefed up a little that design might double as a hold down with some small modifications.

When I cut a lot of mdf I start getting flu-like symptoms which is telling me I need dust control over my blade.


----------



## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Have looked and researched. My Rockwell is old enough it didn't come with one. I see the need.

I am making my own. My own made blade inserts include a splitter. Still see the need for an overhead crown guard that includes dust collection. My own requirements are that it not be connected to the splitter and float above the blade.

I looked at the beisemeyer style over head crown guards. Suspended from rail from the right rear corner. That was close. "Phil P" from this forum sent me a shopbuilt design that suspends from the ceiling and has a cantilever suspension. I like the design and it's the one I settled on to build.

The 2 links he sent me were as follows (both are basically the same design):
http://www.woodcentral.com/bparticles/blade_guard.pdf
Overhead Lexan Saw Guard | Flickr - Photo Sharing!


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Dave; re the 'Shark' package, did you actually correspond with the folks at Leeway?
I got the distinct impression that they're not above doing a custom application. They certainly do other (?) JET packages. Perhaps they've already done one for your model but there's not enough demand to actually list it? Worth an e-mail, eh?
Jet


----------



## Phil P (Jul 25, 2010)

IC31 said:


> The guy doing the videos - frightens me with his fingers way too close to the spinning blade and no push stick/block or other aid


Me too, Dave! 

I've worked on big industrial panel saws (Altendord, SCM, Wadkin, etc) which had a similar style of long arm cantilever guard and they are pretty effective at keeping your hands away from the blade (even if using a dado set) as well as collecting dust. I feel that the ability to lift and lower the guard separately from the splitter/riving knife gives them a major advantage over the type of crown guard which is atttached directly to the splitter/riving knife). BTW a plus point of having a crown guard is that should you experience a kickback the crown guard can in some many circumstances limit the board's "flight pattern" somewhat.

Regards

Phil


----------



## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

I know someone who has very successfully used the blade guard posted on woodcentral.com and have been considering it for my setup. Also, work in a splitter some how. This is one of the best methods of preventing kickback. The MJ Splitter is a great option for older TSes.


----------



## JCJCJC (May 15, 2012)

Mr. New Yankee you-know-who has a lot to answer for here, despite the careful 'read, understand and follow' script. Personally I love his shows, and have learnt a lot from him, but he does use the TS without a guard. I'm generally working alone, and I'm always conscious that there will be no-one to come if I injure myself, so in all things I observe safe practises. However, if I'm cutting a rebate or something like that on the TS where the cut isn't right through the wood, there's no way to do it except with the safety guard off the saw. I've never attempted a cove cut using the method of putting the wood over the teeth of the blade at an angle, but some day I probably will - same for dadoes, I don't have a cutter but would like to have one. As for kick-back - I don't stand in the line of fire, as someone here accurately put it.

JC


----------



## squarenails woodworking (Nov 26, 2012)

*table saw guard*

Dave, As a safety professional, I am obviously a firm believer in machine guards. Over 24+ years working in the education system, I have heard both sides of the story with regards to the value vs inconvenience of guards. I have used and installed the excalibur guard on many of the secondary schools in our school board. They are an overhead guard system that in my opinion is well made and balanced, give a clear view of the cut area. They can be used for ripping and cross cutting quite nicely. They also have an effective dust collection port. Our shop teachers quite like them and are more likely to use them than not 
Jim


----------



## IC31 (Nov 16, 2012)

Jim - Back in Post 7 of this thread I said I was working around the ideas that Phil P had posted with his links (Post 6). I have my 3/8" Lexan ($$$!!) for the blade now have to come up with the trapeze and the over arm design and a way to mount on my mobile cabinet. 

That Excalibur guard looks nice - but the $400 + shipping price doesn't. I'm going to a woodworking show in E. Springfield, MA. on Saturday - and maybe someone (Peachtree?/Rockler?/ or??)will have a guard on display for my "review" and plagiarism.


----------



## sakle2k (Jan 8, 2013)

NiceG316 said:


> The MJ Splitter is a great option for older TSes.


I've been using the MJ Splitter along with the GRR-Ripper for a few years now on an older Ridgid TS. Really worth the money.


----------



## greenacres2 (Dec 23, 2011)

I'd take a hard look at the SharkGuard from Leeway (Jet). Lee seems to have his engineering down and he's a woodworker. In my opinion, he does things the right way for the right reasons (though he is an Alabama football fan--and they whipped my Fightin' Irish Monday night. I can't hold that against his products...just against him!!)


----------



## hobbyshop (Jan 3, 2013)

Thank you for sharing these. I have to admit that I had given up on my Delta Contractor guard also. No matter how I try to adjust it I have problems with it when ripping.


----------



## Phil P (Jul 25, 2010)

JCJCJC said:


> ......if I'm cutting a rebate or something like that on the TS where the cut isn't right through the wood, there's no way to do it except with the safety guard off the saw.


Actually, John, there is. But you need the right type of guard - the type which is suspended above the blade NOT mounted on the splitter/riving knife. Incidentally my current strapline is a quote from Norm himself on the subject of safe technique.......



JCJCJC said:


> I've never attempted a cove cut using the method of putting the wood over the teeth of the blade at an angle, but some day I probably will - same for dadoes, I don't have a cutter but would like to have one. As for kick-back - I don't stand in the line of fire, as someone here accurately put it.


Cutting a _cavetto_ moulding on a table saw can be handled safely by simply fixing a guard piece over the top of the two guide sticks where the blade is (which in any case will help hold the material down), however that technique of making a diagonal cut does tend to generate a rather rough finish in my limited experience which can take a bit of cleaning up. It all depends on how good your blade is - and how much time you have for cleaning up the cut. 

Dado heads for cutting rebates and housings are a completely different issue, but once again if an overhead suspended crown guard is used I can't see why it wouldn't be possible to make a cut with a safety guard in place. There shouldn't be any excuse for taking unnecessary risks - the information is out there:










_Above: the "Badger Pond Guard" as designed by Gordon J. Sampson
Below: A similar guard from a UK HSE leaflet on saw safety_










Regards

Phil


----------

