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(06-12-2020, 06:10 PM)GeeDub Wrote: I believe he was offering a 'Ridiculous Suggestion' as the thread title describes. You know, like:
"I've used a tablesaw without a guard for 40 years and never had an accident. You don't need them."
I've used a table saw without a guard for 20 years and never had an accident, and the guard that came with my Jet was a piece of crap that did not add to the safety of the saw. I've seen many, many woodworkers with the same sentiment and have this to say: safety equipment that people won't use because it's poorly designed isn't safety equipment at all.
Also, explain to me how a blade guard keeps you safe. If you can touch the blade with wood, you can touch it with your hand. It doesn't prevent kickback. You're supposed to wear face protection even if you do have a blade guard so that's not a big vote of confidence in its effectiveness. Like I recently posted, lately I decided to install a splitter, and I think it's a good idea, but yeah, you absolutely can operate a table saw safely without a blade guard.
"Yes, of course duct tape works in a near-vacuum. Duct tape works anywhere. Duct tape is magic and should be worshiped." Andy Weir (in his book The Martian)
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07-12-2020, 06:02 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-12-2020, 06:05 PM by kdouglaslee.)
(07-12-2020, 06:00 PM)kdouglaslee Wrote: I've used a table saw without a guard for 20 years and never had an accident, and the guard that came with my Jet was a piece of crap that did not add to the safety of the saw. I've seen many, many woodworkers with the same sentiment and have this to say: safety equipment that people won't use because it's poorly designed isn't safety equipment at all.
Also, explain to me how a blade guard keeps you safe. If you can touch the blade with wood, you can touch it with your hand, I happen to know that for a fact because that's how my father lost the tip of his thumb while the blade guard was in place (he freely admitted it was all his fault, he just got into a rhythm and wasn't paying close enough attention -- but the point remains, the blade guard didn't stop him from getting injured). It doesn't prevent kickback. You're supposed to wear face protection even if you do have a blade guard so that's not a big vote of confidence in its effectiveness. Like I recently posted, lately I decided to install a splitter, and I think it's a good idea, but yeah, you absolutely can operate a table saw safely without a blade guard, and you can also operate it unsafely WITH a blade guard.
"Yes, of course duct tape works in a near-vacuum. Duct tape works anywhere. Duct tape is magic and should be worshiped." Andy Weir (in his book The Martian)
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Location: Elizabethtown, KY
Read about a time when there was a steel cable hanging down in a walkway and it had to stay for a few days before it could be removed.
So to keep people from bothering it they taped off the area around it and hung a big sign:
CAUTION!
10,000 OHMS!
DO NOT TOUCH!
Didn't get bothered.
Wonder how many folks cracked up as they walked past
"Truth is a highway leading to freedom" --Kris Kristofferson
Wild Turkey
We may see the writing on the wall, but all we do is criticize the handwriting.
(joined 10/1999)
