Warning- I am biased- I manufacture a safety tool for ripping.

But you shoud really know- there is a better way to rip wood than using
your fingers.

I have ripped over 5 million linear feet of thin, knotty, warped, and
cupped lumber over the last 15 years at woodworking shows without
kickbacks or fingers near the blade.
I get to see the short fingers for three days per weekend at
woodworking shows. A question I ask is "Has anyone in this group (of
10 or so) tangled with a tablesaw?" Almost always someone has.
Usually the fingers have been sewed up or back on, but do not work as
well anymore.

The key to finger safety when ripping or dadoing is to use something
other than your fingers to hold the wood against the fence, down (both
before and after the blade), and use something other than your fingers
to push the wood by the blade.

Question:
How often do you use a featherboard instead of your fingers?
The reason you don't is that clamped feather boards take too long
to clamp in place and remove. You use them only when you have to.

The solution is a magnetic featherboard or roller feeder that sets up
with one hand, as quick as putting your fingers there- Something you
actually use. It exists- and 250,000 table saw owners use it on every
rip, and jointer cut.

I apologize for the rant, but I have seen too many short fingers to
keep quiet.

Jerry Jaksha
http:// www.grip-tite.com

PS: we are giving away 25 Grip-Tites to public school shop programs
this fall- please tell any shop teachers you know about this.


Samson wrote:
I haven't used a blade guard for years, but was reading a book
today on table saws that insisted to use them whenever possible.

Question: Do you use one? If not, why not?