A safety question for all of you experts: The first thing I did when i got
my Powermatic Artisans saw was to remove the splitter blade assembly. Never
replaced it. I have been doing projects for years with NOTHING on my
tablesaw for safety. How many others do this? Am I nuts?? Will I get hurt
eventually? Thanks - Mike
Mike, where do you get wood that has no internal stresses? Have you
never ripped a piece of wood and had the kerf close up tight behind the
blade? The splitter is intended to keep the wood from clamping shut on
the rising teeth of the blade.
If you like the idea of taking a piece of wood into some soft part of
your body, please, by all means, continue to leave the splitter in the
drawer. If you value your internal organs, ribs, face, etc., put the
damn splitter in.
Just because you've never had it happen before doesn't mean it won't.
It's like saying, "I've never had an accident before so I don't need a
seat belt."
I don't use a blade guard but I take other precautions to prevent my
digits from getting nibbled on by the blade. I refuse to wear plate
armor in my shop so I do use a splitter. Mine is a homemade one in a
zero clearance throat plate. I bet you don't have one of them, either.
Mike Marlow, it sounds like you took it a little more personally than
it was meant. Especially since I wasn't replying to you in the first
place. I think you can smooth your hackles now.
My reply was to the other Mike who wrote: "A safety question for all of
you experts: "The first thing I did when i got
my Powermatic Artisans saw was to remove the splitter blade assembly.
Never replaced it..."
Dave
> having learned on and used saws with no safety equipment at all for
> the first 20 years or so of my woodworking carreer I have in the last
> few years started using a splitter. I'm using a zero clearance insert
> mounted one, and I'd say it has increased my margin of safety a bit
> without creating any hassles.
Here's an inexpensive idea for anyone wanting to add a splitter to their
saw. I'll be picking one up later on today. At this price it's a no brainer.
<http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=51151&cat=51&ap=1>
> [email protected] wrote in news:[email protected]:
>
> > A safety question for all of you experts: The first thing I did when
> > i got my Powermatic Artisans saw was to remove the splitter blade
> > assembly. Never replaced it. I have been doing projects for years
> > with NOTHING on my tablesaw for safety. How many others do this? Am
> > I nuts?? Will I get hurt eventually? Thanks - Mike
>
AFTER reading your reply which gave your experience
level I say "if it works for you then go ahead on". For
a newbie reading this thread, please check out this
stuff BEFORE you do what an "old hand at woodworking"
does. There are a lot of things that can go wrong when
using a table saw. Understanding which ones can
hurt you and WHY may help when doing your own risk
analysis.
http://home.comcast.net/~charliebcz/KickBack1.html
Blood is not an attractive wood finish and is very
hard to remove. Time spent in the emergency room
and subsequent healing time is time not spent in
the shop woodworking (though it could be an excuse
to clean up and organize stuff)
Me, I've got a riving knife, push sticks (the GRRRIPPER
is great for controling short stuff), Draw-Tite magnetic
hold downs/hold against the fence - and no blade guard.
I also have the TS-Aligner Jr. Delux and use it to
make sure my saw blade parallels the miter slot and
the fence as well. A bad set up can be a major source
of grief. Better to know the set up's right than to
assume it is when in fact it isn't.
Horsepower is nice, but knowledge, when used properly,
is more powerful.
BTW - when a mortising chisel gets stuck in
a mortise - DO NOT have your forehead (or in
my case a 5 or 6 head) in it's exit path. You
WILL actually "see stars". Same goes for
removing a stuck tenon.
http://home.comcast.net/~charliebcz/OOPS/OOPS1.html
Ya'll have fun - and be safe - please.
charlie b
mp wrote:
>>having learned on and used saws with no safety equipment at all for
>>the first 20 years or so of my woodworking carreer I have in the last
>>few years started using a splitter. I'm using a zero clearance insert
>>mounted one, and I'd say it has increased my margin of safety a bit
>>without creating any hassles.
>
>
> Here's an inexpensive idea for anyone wanting to add a splitter to their
> saw. I'll be picking one up later on today. At this price it's a no brainer.
>
> <http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=51151&cat=51&ap=1>
>
>
If the wood pinches this splitter and the blade continues to lift the
job, you stand a chance of having wood and the finger plate thrown at you.
Jeff G
--
Jeff Gorman, West Yorkshire, UK
email : Username is amgron
ISP is clara.co.uk
www.amgron.clara.net
[email protected] wrote:
> A safety question for all of you experts: The first thing I did when i got
> my Powermatic Artisans saw was to remove the splitter blade assembly. Never
> replaced it. I have been doing projects for years with NOTHING on my
> tablesaw for safety. How many others do this? Am I nuts?? Will I get hurt
> eventually? Thanks - Mike
You might like to look at my web site - Circular Sawbench Safety -
Riving Knives.
Jeff G
--
Jeff Gorman, West Yorkshire, UK
email : Username is amgron
ISP is clara.co.uk
www.amgron.clara.net
"Dave" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mike Marlow, it sounds like you took it a little more personally than
> it was meant. Especially since I wasn't replying to you in the first
> place. I think you can smooth your hackles now.
Ok. Hang on a minute... (spitting in hand and stroking gently from top to
bottom...). There - all smoothed now. A bit wet, but all smoothed.
>
> My reply was to the other Mike who wrote: "A safety question for all of
> you experts: "The first thing I did when i got
> my Powermatic Artisans saw was to remove the splitter blade assembly.
> Never replaced it..."
>
> Dave
>
I'm sorry Dave. I jumped out of instinct of some sort I guess. Or for some
other equally brain dead reason. My bad. Please excuse my reaction.
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
"Dave" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mike, where do you get wood that has no internal stresses? Have you
> never ripped a piece of wood and had the kerf close up tight behind the
> blade? The splitter is intended to keep the wood from clamping shut on
> the rising teeth of the blade.
Yes - I have encountered that. I use wedges to keep the wood open in that
case. Just like a splitter but not part of the saw. I don't disagree with
what a splitter does, it's just that my saws don't have them so I use other
techniques. Having said that, I looked at my saw recently and think I have
come up with a way to build a riving knife for it that I will probably do.
It's a bit down on my priority list right now since I have to get the car
that I've been working on for the past 4 months out of my "shop".
>
> If you like the idea of taking a piece of wood into some soft part of
> your body, please, by all means, continue to leave the splitter in the
> drawer. If you value your internal organs, ribs, face, etc., put the
> damn splitter in.
You didn't read what I wrote. I said the saw did not come with a splitter -
it's not in the drawer. And... there are ways that are equally effective to
keep the wood from twisting back into the blade. I never mentioned that I
did not understand how wood moves and did not take actions to accomodate
that. There really is more to using a table saw than only using those
devices you are familiar with. It pays to understand what is happening with
things like kickback and to take measures to avoid it. I do this. You
jumped to a bad conclusion.
>
> Just because you've never had it happen before doesn't mean it won't.
> It's like saying, "I've never had an accident before so I don't need a
> seat belt."
I never said that and that is an alarmist cry. Equally, with your plastic
guard and your pin splitter, you are equally vulnerable to an accident. My
point might even be that many put too much confidence in pieces of plastic
and feel they are past the point of danger driving awareness.
>
> I don't use a blade guard but I take other precautions to prevent my
> digits from getting nibbled on by the blade. I refuse to wear plate
> armor in my shop so I do use a splitter. Mine is a homemade one in a
> zero clearance throat plate. I bet you don't have one of them, either.
>
So - you take the course of employing intelligence and alternate methods to
accomplish what a blade guard attempts to provide, but you post this stuff
dumping on me for doing the same? You would not know what I have because I
never gave out enough information for you to arrive at a conclusion. You
jumped again because you wanted to get up on a horse and you are completely
wrong in your assumptions. I never said a splitter was useless, I never
even mentioned zero clearance plates. It seems like you really wanted to
get up on a soap box with this post but you should have made sure the soap
was dry - the box is slipping out from under you.
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
"Mike Marlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
oh crap - I think I just got sucked in...
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
I never use guards but always use the splitter. It is a homemade one. I used
a brass plate with no kickback fingers. It keeps the back side of the wood
from getting picked up by the teeth on the back side of the blade.
max
> A safety question for all of you experts: The first thing I did when i got
> my Powermatic Artisans saw was to remove the splitter blade assembly. Never
> replaced it. I have been doing projects for years with NOTHING on my
> tablesaw for safety. How many others do this? Am I nuts?? Will I get hurt
> eventually? Thanks - Mike
"Mike Marlow" <[email protected]> prophesized in message>
<[email protected]> confessed in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> A safety question for all of you experts: The first thing I did when i
>> got
>> my Powermatic Artisans saw was to remove the splitter blade assembly.
> >Never replaced it. I have been doing projects for years with NOTHING on
> >my
>> tablesaw for safety. How many others do this? Am I nuts?? Will I get
>> hurt
>> eventually? Thanks - Mike
>
> Ya just hadda go and open this can of worms now, didn't ya? There's a
> special place in hell for people that do this.
I'm not goin'.. Get yourself one of these to help you. But YMMV. Some
smaller versions even have a magnetic base. I have one on the dashboard of
my truck.
http://home.mchsi.com/~lhote5/pray4us.jpg
Larry
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>A safety question for all of you experts: The first thing I did when i got
> my Powermatic Artisans saw was to remove the splitter blade assembly.
> Never
> replaced it. I have been doing projects for years with NOTHING on my
> tablesaw for safety. How many others do this? Am I nuts?? Will I get
> hurt
> eventually? Thanks - Mike
The way you are setup is VERY dangerous. The way to correct it is to put
the blade on backwards and work from the other side of the saw.
My dust collector stayed out a little to late last night so I grounded it
for a month.....I also took away the chip collector
"B a r r y" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] wrote:
>> A safety question for all of you experts: The first thing I did when i
>> got
>> my Powermatic Artisans saw was to remove the splitter blade assembly.
>> Never
>> replaced it. I have been doing projects for years with NOTHING on my
>> tablesaw for safety. How many others do this? Am I nuts?? Will I get
>> hurt
>> eventually? Thanks - Mike
>
>
> It depends...
>
> Is your dust collector grounded?
>
> Barry
Dave wrote:
> Mike Marlow, it sounds like you took it a little more personally than
> it was meant. Especially since I wasn't replying to you in the first
> place. I think you can smooth your hackles now.
>
> My reply was to the other Mike who wrote: "A safety question for all of
> you experts: "The first thing I did when i got
> my Powermatic Artisans saw was to remove the splitter blade assembly.
> Never replaced it..."
>
> Dave
>
I take it you're not in the market for a SawStop table saw?
--RC
charlie b wrote:
>>[email protected] wrote in news:[email protected]:
>>
>>
>>>A safety question for all of you experts: The first thing I did when
>>>i got my Powermatic Artisans saw was to remove the splitter blade
>>>assembly. Never replaced it. I have been doing projects for years
>>>with NOTHING on my tablesaw for safety. How many others do this? Am
>>>I nuts?? Will I get hurt eventually? Thanks - Mike
>>
>
> AFTER reading your reply which gave your experience
> level I say "if it works for you then go ahead on". For
> a newbie reading this thread, please check out this
> stuff BEFORE you do what an "old hand at woodworking"
> does.
Or in a few cases an old _handless_ at woodworking.
--RC
[email protected] wrote in news:[email protected]:
> A safety question for all of you experts: The first thing I did when
> i got my Powermatic Artisans saw was to remove the splitter blade
> assembly. Never replaced it. I have been doing projects for years
> with NOTHING on my tablesaw for safety. How many others do this? Am
> I nuts?? Will I get hurt eventually? Thanks - Mike
There was a series on tablesaw safety printed up in ShopNotes a while back.
Should I make you a pdf copy, and post it on ABPW? ;-)
Patriarch,
(who is DEFINITELY joking...)
On Wed 23 Feb 2005 10:46:36a, [email protected] wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> A safety question for all of you experts: The first thing I did when
> i got my Powermatic Artisans saw was to remove the splitter blade
> assembly. Never replaced it. I have been doing projects for years
> with NOTHING on my tablesaw for safety. How many others do this? Am
> I nuts?? Will I get hurt eventually? Thanks - Mike
The guard/splitter that came with my Griz was worthless. I went without a
guard or splitter for a long time, then got a deal on some roughsawn
white oak, and every other time I ripped a piece, it bent back and
pinched the blade. Pinched it so hard one time it started squealing and I
shut the thing down right quick.
After I worked the wood off the blade, the very next thing I did was make
a splitter out of a piece of the rule off an old combination square. It's
easy to take in and out, it's just about the same thickness as the kerf
and it lines up perfect with the blade. Haven't had any problems since I
did it, and I just FEEL better having it there. But if I hadn't sawn some
twisty wood, I'd probably be still thinking about putting one on.
I'll be putting an overarm guard on the saw this summer but the main
reason I'm doing it is for dust collection.
On Thu 24 Feb 2005 11:29:01a, "J" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> How did you mount this? I've been thinking of doing something similar
> with my Griz 1023. If you have any comments you can pass along I'd
> appreciate it.
>
Drilled a hole in the rule, the same size as the bolt where the original
guard/splitter mounted, and then hacksawed a slot in it from the bottom
to the hole, so I could just loosen the nut and pull it out easy for
dados etc without having to completely remove the nut and then put it
back, and then remove the nut to re-install it, and then drop the nut and
fish it out of the sawdust, and aw-dammit-the-hell-with-it. The slot's
long enough so it can bottom out and keep itself from moving if it gets
hit. I needed a washer on both sides to keep it centered with the blade.
Then I fitted it and cut it off where it seemed about right.
Got the idea from a web page someplace. Lemme see if it's still around
here...
crash thud shove mutter
Yeah, here it is...
http://www.thewoodshop.20m.com/howto_splitter.htm
He's using just a hole. I like the slot. About two hours work and zero
money. Not bad for the peace of mind I get from it. :-)
I didn't put in that wooden blade guard, though.
"Mike Marlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Mike Marlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
>
> oh crap - I think I just got sucked in...
Probably should have grounded that rogue dust collector before it got you.
-j
"Dan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The guard/splitter that came with my Griz was worthless.
> After I worked the wood off the blade, the very next thing I did was make
> a splitter out of a piece of the rule off an old combination square. It's
> easy to take in and out, it's just about the same thickness as the kerf
> and it lines up perfect with the blade.
How did you mount this? I've been thinking of doing something similar with
my Griz 1023. If you have any comments you can pass along I'd appreciate it.
-j
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> A safety question for all of you experts: The first thing I did when i
got
> my Powermatic Artisans saw was to remove the splitter blade assembly.
Never
> replaced it. I have been doing projects for years with NOTHING on my
> tablesaw for safety. How many others do this? Am I nuts?? Will I get
hurt
> eventually? Thanks - Mike
Ya just hadda go and open this can of worms now, didn't ya? There's a
special place in hell for people that do this.
Well... I've never had a table saw with a blade guard or a splitter. My
saws have always been used before I got them and if they even came with
these new, they were certainly gone before I got them. I've never lost any
sleep about not having them, never nicked a finger, etc. I have experienced
kickback a long time ago before I realized what caused it, but haven't in so
many years since, that I couldn't even tell you when that was. You
certainly learn to use your tool with respect and to watch for the stupids
when you have an exposed blade spinning through the table top. I don't
think you're nuts at all, as long as you are fully aware of what you're
working with and take all of the right steps to keep yourself out of
trouble. You must by now or you'd have been reporting that you can't figure
out why you keep cutting off body parts and impaling yourself with flying
wood spears. Will you get hurt eventually? Don't know - I busted my damned
crystal ball. Neither do the safety nazis know - (ok - safety "advocates").
You could just as well get hurt with all of the safety equipment in the
world installed on your saw. IMHO you'd be more foolish to place confidence
in the safety gear and forsake awareness.
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 16:46:36 GMT, [email protected] wrote:
>A safety question for all of you experts: The first thing I did when i got
>my Powermatic Artisans saw was to remove the splitter blade assembly. Never
>replaced it. I have been doing projects for years with NOTHING on my
>tablesaw for safety. How many others do this? Am I nuts?? Will I get hurt
>eventually? Thanks - Mike
having learned on and used saws with no safety equipment at all for
the first 20 years or so of my woodworking carreer I have in the last
few years started using a splitter. I'm using a zero clearance insert
mounted one, and I'd say it has increased my margin of safety a bit
without creating any hassles.
guards won't keep you from getting hurt if you behave stupidly enough,
and lack of them won't automatically cause injuries. in some cases,
the standard US safety equipment is poorly enough designed to create
significant hazards of it's own. I have heard speculation that the
poor design is deliberate- the machinery is barely useable with the
factory guards installed, so the vast majority of users remove them,
which gives the manufacturer an argument to avoid liability.
On Thu, 24 Feb 2005 08:11:10 +0000, Jeff Gorman <[email protected]>
wrote:
>mp wrote:
>
>>>having learned on and used saws with no safety equipment at all for
>>>the first 20 years or so of my woodworking carreer I have in the last
>>>few years started using a splitter. I'm using a zero clearance insert
>>>mounted one, and I'd say it has increased my margin of safety a bit
>>>without creating any hassles.
>>
>>
>> Here's an inexpensive idea for anyone wanting to add a splitter to their
>> saw. I'll be picking one up later on today. At this price it's a no brainer.
>>
>> <http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=51151&cat=51&ap=1>
>>
>>
>If the wood pinches this splitter and the blade continues to lift the
>job, you stand a chance of having wood and the finger plate thrown at you.
That is my concern with any splitter mounted to the insert. Actually
the stock splitter on the very cheap guard on my very cheap TS does a
pretty good job. The rest of the guard sucks, though, so it is usually
catching dust.
Tim Douglass
http://www.DouglassClan.com
Exactly, the best safety device you have doesn't even come with your saw;
it's mounted on top of your shoulders!
John C.
"Mike Marlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> A safety question for all of you experts: The first thing I did when i
> got
>> my Powermatic Artisans saw was to remove the splitter blade assembly.
> Never
>> replaced it. I have been doing projects for years with NOTHING on my
>> tablesaw for safety. How many others do this? Am I nuts?? Will I get
> hurt
>> eventually? Thanks - Mike
>
> Ya just hadda go and open this can of worms now, didn't ya? There's a
> special place in hell for people that do this.
>
> Well... I've never had a table saw with a blade guard or a splitter. My
> saws have always been used before I got them and if they even came with
> these new, they were certainly gone before I got them. I've never lost
> any
> sleep about not having them, never nicked a finger, etc. I have
> experienced
> kickback a long time ago before I realized what caused it, but haven't in
> so
> many years since, that I couldn't even tell you when that was. You
> certainly learn to use your tool with respect and to watch for the stupids
> when you have an exposed blade spinning through the table top. I don't
> think you're nuts at all, as long as you are fully aware of what you're
> working with and take all of the right steps to keep yourself out of
> trouble. You must by now or you'd have been reporting that you can't
> figure
> out why you keep cutting off body parts and impaling yourself with flying
> wood spears. Will you get hurt eventually? Don't know - I busted my
> damned
> crystal ball. Neither do the safety nazis know - (ok - safety
> "advocates").
> You could just as well get hurt with all of the safety equipment in the
> world installed on your saw. IMHO you'd be more foolish to place
> confidence
> in the safety gear and forsake awareness.
>
> --
>
> -Mike-
> [email protected]
>
>
On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 16:46:36 GMT, [email protected] wrote:
>A safety question for all of you experts: The first thing I did when i got
>my Powermatic Artisans saw was to remove the splitter blade assembly. Never
>replaced it. I have been doing projects for years with NOTHING on my
>tablesaw for safety. How many others do this? Am I nuts?? Will I get hurt
>eventually? Thanks - Mike
======================================
As far as I am concerned you ....are nuts...and lucky....
I always use a splitter...(although it is only a Nail tightly inserted
in the zero clearance inserts I use)... yes a nail...
I purchased and installed an over head guard on my saw
over ten years ago....and looking back it has been one of the best
buys I have ever made.. I use it all the time .. but like the seat
belts in my car.. have never needed it...
Bob Griffiths.
Mike Marlow wrote:
> "Mike Marlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>
> oh crap - I think I just got sucked in...
>
=8^0
mp wrote:
>> having learned on and used saws with no safety equipment at all for
>> the first 20 years or so of my woodworking carreer I have in the last
>> few years started using a splitter. I'm using a zero clearance insert
>> mounted one, and I'd say it has increased my margin of safety a bit
>> without creating any hassles.
>
> Here's an inexpensive idea for anyone wanting to add a splitter to their
> saw. I'll be picking one up later on today. At this price it's a no brainer.
>
> <http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=51151&cat=51&ap=1>
I've got one of these and it works great. The only thing I regret is that it
won't work on any angle other than 90°. It took me a few minutes to set up the
first one but once I figured it out, making new holes for the splitter in other
inserts only took a second. They can't help it if I'm a little thick at times.
--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
[email protected]
On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 16:46:36 +0000, mike wrote:
> A safety question for all of you experts: The first thing I did when i
> got my Powermatic Artisans saw was to remove the splitter blade assembly.
> Never replaced it. I have been doing projects for years with NOTHING on
> my tablesaw for safety. How many others do this? Am I nuts?? Will I get
> hurt eventually? Thanks - Mike
You could ask Carnac, but he's dead. Not sure if Miss Cleo is outa jail.
- Doug
--
To escape criticism--do nothing, say nothing, be nothing." (Elbert Hubbard)
It was somewhere outside Barstow when [email protected] wrote:
>Will I get hurt eventually?
How much greenish wood do you rip ?
I often work without a splitter, but not for ripping.
[email protected] wrote:
> A safety question for all of you experts: The first thing I did when i got
> my Powermatic Artisans saw was to remove the splitter blade assembly. Never
> replaced it. I have been doing projects for years with NOTHING on my
> tablesaw for safety. How many others do this? Am I nuts?? Will I get hurt
> eventually? Thanks - Mike
It depends...
Is your dust collector grounded?
Barry