(snip) I disagree completely. I think a lot of accidents in the shop happen
to people
who are knowledgeable and aware, but whose attention slips briefly at just
the
wrong moment.

I have to disagree with your disagreement. To operate table saw safely it
requires the operators full undivided attention. If someone is not
disciplined enough to give it their full attention, there is a good chance
that there will be an accident in their future with or without a guard.
As an example, if you get American Woodworker mag, check out page 28 in this
months issue. The owner of a small woodworking shop and operator of a new
SawStop says he was in a hurry batch cutting stock when his finger went
under the blade guard and hit the blade. Of course the brake saved him for
major injury, but, as you noted, accidents can happen when attention wanders
even briefly. This is the part of running a machine that takes discipline.
IMHO, if one can give their machine their full undivided attention at all
times, the chances of an accident are small.
BTW, I do not think I'm invincible or anything because I can run a table saw
comfortably with no guard, or believe for a second that an accident could
never happen to me. I run a table saw almost daily and am disciplined
enough to not let anything distract me while I'm running it. Regardless of
whether or not it has a guard, MY fingers are at stake here, and the saw
has my full undivided attention at all times. This has played the key role
for me in keeping all 10 intact.
I do think, however, that it is very possible that people who do use a guard
may get a false sense of security and may become a little more relaxed with
regards to giving their undivided attenion to the saw during a cut.
With that said, I certainly don't recommend anyone remove their guard but to
run their table saw as if it wasn't there at all. The guard is merely to
HELP prevent accidents, not eliminate them. Safe use of a table saw still
lands squarely on the operators shoulders. --dave


"Doug Miller" wrote in message
om...
In article .net, "Dave
Jackson" wrote:
(snip) If anything, you're making a good argument *for* using the blade
guard!

I'm not trying to argue anything here. Just because YOU use one doesn't
mean everyone else should.

My point, which you appear to have missed, is that the failure of
construction
workers to use guards means absolutely *nothing* with regard to whether
doing
so is a good idea, or not -- in my experience and observation, most
construction workers use little if any safety equipment, even something as
basic as goggles when running a Sawzall *overhead*.

Have you ever run yours without a guard? And if
so, why are you using one now.

Yes, I have -- some cuts are impossible to make on my saw with the guard
in
place. (I'm using the factory guard, which has an integral splitter. The
splitter has to come off for a dado or rabbet, which means the guard does
too.)

(snip) If you have not already learned to pay close attention, you
shouldn't
be
operating the tool *with* a guard, let alone without one.

On the flip side, if you *truly* have learned to pay close attention to
the
task at hand why would you need a guard?

Mostly because it provides a little extra protection for those moments
when,
for whatever reason, that close attention wanders a bit.

Guards surely prevent accidents,
but accidents in the shop generally don't happen to someone who is aware
of
, and more importantly knowledgeable, about what they are doing.

I disagree completely. I think a lot of accidents in the shop happen to
people
who are knowledgeable and aware, but whose attention slips briefly at just
the
wrong moment.

I suppose you'd have a big crisis if I mentioned I am also perfectly
comfortable cutting something freehand on a table saw as well! --dave

No, I won't have a big crisis from you mentioning it, but *you* will some
day
from *doing* it. That's just not a smart idea.

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

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