In article , Bruce Barnett wrote:
(Doug Miller) writes:

[Curious here, not argumentative] Why? How can you be more
comfortable without the guard than with it?

I didn't make the post, but I can see the point.

I'm a hobbyist. When I use the saw I
1) Take my time and don't rush

Safety Rule Number One, for any power tool. For most hand tools, too, for that
matter.

2) Use fingerboards/sleds/etcs so my hands never get within a
foot of the blade

Another good idea, although a foot is perhaps a bit overcautious IMO.

3) Keep my eye on the blade, especially when it's spinning.

Why? What's it gonna do?

I tend to turn off the saw when I'm done with a cut. Not very
efficient, but I feel comfortable with this.

It's excellent safety practice, in my opinion. And the impact on "efficiency"
is very, very minor. I've timed my saw: it goes from stopped to full speed in
much less than one second, and when switched off, coasts to a complete stop in
less than ten.

But while that blade is spinning, I'm watching it.

WHY? What's it gonna do?

If it had a guard, I might take my eyes off it, and forget about the
blade. So the guard might make me more comfortable, and less cautious.

Sorry, but that just doesn't make any sense. You don't need to see the blade
in the first place, so taking your eyes off of it doesn't matter. You don't
(or at least shouldn't) need to be able to see the blade in order to remember
that it's there, and that it's dangerous. You don't need to see it in order to
make a proper cut, because the cut path is determined by the setting of your
rip fence, miter gauge, or whatever you're using to guide the wood past the
blade. So what purpose does it serve to watch the blade?

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.