# Poll: Miter / Table Saw Guards



## Remodelor (Nov 5, 2010)

Just curious how many people out there used the safety guards with their saws? 

I myself always find myself raising the guard on my miter saw manually with my thumb on my miter saw to sight down the blade to my mark, however I can see how it would protect my hand at the end of the cut. Some guards you can see through, but eventually they get scuffed up, or they're slots that are difficult to see through. Also, if I need to shave a bit more, because I was wide of my mark by a 32nd, I end up holding the guard up as well. Eventually I just disable the guard because I feel like it's more of a hazard to have to be managing that as well while cutting. I avoid injuries by always waiting for the blade to stop spinning before sticking my fingers near it, and by being very deliberate whenever I use the saw.

On my table saw, I never use the guard because I grew up with guardless saws and have never once had a kickback except for the very first time I used one. The guard seems to obscure my view of the cut in progress, which can be important for angled cuts where you have to do test cuts on the first inch, or freehanding a cut. Also, the splitter on the back can often get jambed when wood pinches, and again it doesn't allow me to freehand a cut.

To me, being aware of the tool is far more effective than a guard, and sometimes a guard can lull you into a false sense of security. I'm sure sometimes it just adds security too, but for me it is more of a hindrance than a help. I hope I don't get lambasted by safety advocates, as I've used these saws for 10 years without so much as a scratch or a bruise. It's because when I use them, I'm completely focused every time on just how dangerous these machines have the potential of being. The thought of a saw blade grabbing ahold of my skin and slamming a hand deep into the gate, shredding bones and arteries, has been imagined by me many times. You couldn't pay me enough money for any of my fingers, they're truly priceless to me. I always keep my wood tight up against the fence and have a firm, controlled grip on them. I always have a catch table/stand or a helper on the other end who knows what he's doing.


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## Ashcon (Apr 28, 2009)

I like most guys that I have worked with do not use the table saw guard.

I thumb up the guard on my miter saws when making cuts, but I would 

never pin a guard on a skill saw.? :blink:

The fact that the table saw and miter saw have their own tables and are 

stationary tools probably has something to do with my practices.

I got a new rigid portable table saw and it has a riving knife type slitter, I 

have found it to be a pain in the a$$ when trying to do blind or plunge 

cuts with the table saw.

I have twenty years in this business and still have all of my fingers, lucky 

up to this point in may career!:thumbsup:


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

All my guards are in place and I find no reason to thumb the guards on anything.

I modified my table saw so it had a riving knife on it.


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## jamesdc (Aug 27, 2010)

Table saw never has a guard.

Miter saw guard is pinned about 3/4 of the way up, just enough that it clears the table at full depth. This still allows the upper portion of the blade to be covered.

Wormdrive has the guard removed

I am the only person allowed to use my tools though.


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

You guys are dangerous.


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## Remodelor (Nov 5, 2010)

Maybe I'm just being stupid, but in my mind, the guards really don't protect against much other than an absolute idiot using the saw. Maybe it guards against those times that we're all careless, but when that blade is spinning, I know I'm completely alert and aware. It doesn't matter if I've made 100 cuts already that day.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

mitre saw, yes thats on,, ive used mitre saws where the guard is gone and they scared the bejesus outta me. 

table saw,.... i dont know where thats at... when i bought my saw i took the guard and fired it in a rubbermaid bin of random crap , doing custom trim on renos means freehanding a fair amount and you cant do it on a saw with a guard, cant see what your doing


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## Diamond D. (Nov 12, 2009)

I already admitted to taking the guard off the table saw, in a previous thread and getting 4 stitches on my thumb. :thumbsup:
Still haven't put it back on. :no:

Miter saw is intact. :thumbup: And I voted that way.

Boy, it seems like I'm doing a lot of voting this month.

D.


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## A. Spruce (Aug 6, 2010)

Miter saw the guard is pinned up. It's too difficult to operate with the guard in place, can't see the blade to line up the cut.

Tablesaw has the guard and riving knife removed. I would use them IF they could be easily disabled for the 65% of the time that they're flat out in the way and make using the saw impossible. You cannot do dados or kerf cuts with a riving knife in place, and since the riving knife and blade guard are all in one on my saw, they're sitting in a box on the shelf.

I'm all for safety, really I am, but IMHO, most safety devices actually make tools more dangerous to use.


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## chris klee (Feb 5, 2008)

i could never see a reason to pin a circ saw guard up. on occasion i can see holding the guard up to make a cut, but if you let go the guard will snap back closed. 
my Hitatchi miter saw i used to line up the cut by thumbing up the guard, but my Dewalt 716 has slots in the guard enough that i don't have to. you can see the blade fine. i cant under stand pinning up the guard in the miter saw permanently either. i used one and it was too scary. thats a big blade spinning too close to my fingers. i have small pieces get sucked in by the blade (shoe returns pieces are great at flying) once and a while and that scares me enough. i couldn't imagine if there was no guard at all.
the table saw, i rarely use the guard. the guard on my new unisaw is still in the plastic. will prolly stay that way. the riving knife on my portable table saw makes is so much nicer to use that i dont even use the kickback pawls either. i wouldn't have a table saw with out one again.


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## pinwheel (Dec 7, 2009)

Like a lot of others have already said. Miter saw guard in place, but do occasionally thumb it up. Table say. Do they make a guard for those machines?:whistling Skillsaw? Pretty rare I pin that guard up. It's going to be a specialty plunge before I do.


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## Splinter (Apr 5, 2005)

Guard stays on the circ saw and Mitre saw... I'll thumb up the mitre saw guard when cutting large pieces, but otherwise I can see the cut just fine with normal guard operation...

My unisaw has a splitter/ anti-kickback pawls that slide down when I have to dado something. Just lift the throat plate and push it down with a thumb... Takes two seconds... I wouldnt rip anything without the splitter up. I took a scrap of 1/4" ply in the belly once when I was careless. That was a small piece and it hurt like hell. I dont want to risk hard maple flying at me.


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## A. Spruce (Aug 6, 2010)

Splinter said:


> My unisaw has a splitter/ anti-kickback pawls that slide down when I have to dado something. Just lift the throat plate and push it down with a thumb... Takes two seconds...


That's the problem with my Powermatic 66, the damn thing is bolted in place through the throat plate and behind the table. You can't just flip it out of the way or slide it down under the throat plate. I'd definitely keep the splitter in place if it were usable, it just isn't.


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## Splinter (Apr 5, 2005)

I'll snap a picture when Im in the shop friday morning... It might still be available as an aftermarket add-on. I tried to google it, but just the bolt-on splitters came up...


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## dkillianjr (Aug 28, 2006)

Its funny, I bought the table saw that I have because of the nice 3 piece blade gaurd. After using it for a bit I took it off, its to hard to use with it on. I keep the riving knife and the antikickback paws on though. 

The miter saw gaurd is always on, I do thumb it up quite a bit though. I guess its just a habit.


Dave


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## A. Spruce (Aug 6, 2010)

Splinter said:


> I'll snap a picture when Im in the shop friday morning... It might still be available as an aftermarket add-on. I tried to google it, but just the bolt-on splitters came up...


I recall the old Rockwell/Delta saws having what you describe, or at least one of the saws I used in my youth had it. I remember pulling the throat plate, pushing the riving knife down and resetting the throat plate - it was just that easy.


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## Winchester (Jun 29, 2008)

tablesaw guards are so useless...

take it off and put it back on again everytime I want to dado or cut partway through something?

you gotta be kidding me!

very rarely have an issue with my mitre-guard being in the way. then I just tape the guard up for that cut. it would be to easy to lose my thumb while thumbing that up.

thumb up my skillsaw guard quite often for plunging, etc.. but i would never wedge or pin it open


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## mgb (Oct 31, 2008)

Miter saw - yes
Table saw - no

I pin the guard on my miter saw when it hinders certain cuts (i.e. mitering a 3" cedar cap with a 15* back bevel). Even then its scary and I make sure not to move my hands till the blade stops.

I never use guides on table saws. But using a 220V table saw makes me a little nervous. Those things don't seem to bog down no matter what blade/material you are running through it.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

mgb said:


> But using a 220V table saw makes me a little nervous. Those things don't seem to bog down no matter what blade/material you are running through it.


Trust me, a 120V saw won't bog down when it hits meat.

As the saying goes, more injuries are caused by dull knives than sharp ones. I'd prefer a beast saw any day. :thumbsup:


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## A. Spruce (Aug 6, 2010)

Tinstaafl said:


> TAs the saying goes, more injuries are caused by dull knives than sharp ones. I'd prefer a beast saw any day. :thumbsup:


Like bandaids, it hurts less it limbs are ripped off quickly! :shutup::w00t::laughing:


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