Do You Use Your Blade Guard

[dkerfoot]

Overall the riving knife is good, but the blade guard does interfere with close rips.

Sounds like yours has a number of problems. Assuming you have a BT3, the things you describe are not normal. I do have the SharkGuard and it is definitely easier to take off and put back on, the original worked quite well.

Instead of removing the springs on the pawls, I suggest putting a strip of duct tape across the underside. Stops the scratching, but they'll still dig in if kick-back is occurring.


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[s78wingrider]

guard

never been on saw since I brought it home. No way in ---- I could do what I do with it in the way! It,s a 3000, guess I've had it at least 15 years

[Stytooner]

I hate to say it, but it sounds like ignorance talking. I can elaborate if needed.

[s78wingrider]

Gaurd

I should have said, I don't recommend this to anyone else!

[master53yoda]

I just put a shark guard on my bt3000. I had a 3" dust port put on it as i use RV hose for my dust collection connections. It completely eliminated the top of the saw dust when cutting fiber board. The Guard is easily removed and reinstalled when making very narrow cuts and only takes seconds. I also found that the Guard attachments come off leaving the riving knife for submerged cuts as well. All in all it will be the best money that I have spent in my shop in a long time.

[fastfoodkills]

I rarely used a guard on the BT3K or on it's replacement saw, a Steel City 3 HP, until a friend had his finger amputated by in an accident on his own saw - an ancient Craftsman without a guard. Apparently it happened when he was ripping 3" cuts and it's still not clear as to what happened, i.e., kerf closing up on the board or allowing it to slip away from the fence. In either case, it may have been a "perfect storm" contributing factors (no splitter, no push stick or featherboards, blade too high, etc.). No doubt a guard and safe practices would have been a good idea in this case. After 30K worth of medical procedures and a painful and lengthy recovery, he was able to restore most the movement in the finger. He's determined to buy the Saw Stop as a replacement saw now that an entry level unit is available.

Within a few days I ordered the Shark Guard I'd been eyeing for years and try to use it whenever possible. The built in dust collection port alone makes it worthwhile to keep on the saw. The only time it's removed for a cut is when I'm using a crosscut sled or or for narrow strips and lastly dados.

[Brado]

My current saw doesn't have a guard and I have never used a saw that did, I have always tried my best to avoid the blade, and be very careful however last year I had an incident and almost lost my thumb ( it went to the bone but not through). I am going to replace the saw I have now this year and will likley use the blade guard that it comes with as much as possibe. I have never heard of the "shark guard however I will do some research on it since all of you seem to like it so much.

[dbhost]

Since this was brought back up from the dead by someone else, I wanted to mention the addition / upgrade to my Shark Guard. Lee Styron had a special I guess it was August or September where he discounted the Shark Guard, and I got a fully loaded up SG 10.4 with Shark Pawls. Honestly, the Pawls just get set out of the way and never used, but the guard itself. For those of you that don't use one, I wonder if you have ever tried the SG, this thing is so easy to use, and the above table dust collection it gives is fantastic!

[pelligrini]

I use my Shark a lot more than I used to, mostly due to reexamining my safety methods, some of it just for dust collection.

[steve-norrell]

I use the blade guard all the time. But then, its a Shark with riving knife. So much better than the Ryobi original equipment.

The only time I don't use it is when cutting a dado.

[jnesmith]

No, I disassembled the guard and use only the riving knife. I remove the knife only when making non-through cuts.

Me too. I also cut down the knife so I can use it on non through cuts. The top is even with, or slightly below, the top of the blade.

I use a couple of grippers, other push sticks, featherboards and common sense. I don't have and have never used a Shark Guard. However, I found the stock guard to be more problematic than protective.

[crybdr]

I use mine whenever possible.

However, for really thin cuts or 'blind' cuts - I have to remove it. I've run the blind cuts without any type of riving knife....which is probably bad practice (or really bad practice). I always use push sticks and supports - but a riving knife for 'blind' cuts would be an extra piece of safety.

I'll figure out a riving knife solution for those situations before I attempt them again.

[sblg43]

When I was given (traded some work for) my BT3000, it came without the guard. I picked up a used guard assembly from ebay.

I have an experienced woodworking friend who recently lost his ring finger in a table saw. Also, I work in a hardware store and just within the last week, I met two different guys with bandaged fingers. Both claim to be missing 1/8" (blade width) of flesh from an index finger.

So the answer would be, "I should probably start using it"

[lucifer1306217]

Always use my stock guard on through cuts. I'm a tad clumsy and working without the guard for the non-through cuts scares me. I'll do my best to continue to be scared.

"I always use a guard when possible, but I NEVER depend on it. I keep it there, but then act like it isn't. My fingers never come within 4 inches of the blade and have never inadvertently touched the guard."

Ditto on what Doug said above. I allow my fingers to come a lot closer than 4 inches, but I've never accidently touched the guard.

[pelligrini]

Welcome lucifer!

I'm suprised that the 'No Guard' option is leading. I thought it would be more like a 70-30% split the other way. I doubt I would use mine as much if I didn't have a riving knife and easy on/off shark. I'd be using my grippers a lot more though.