Last time I used the table saws the riving knife had been removed from the “other saw” (not the SawStop). I couldn’t figure out how it attaches and didn’t want to create a potential projectile hazard by attaching it incorrectly.
I can think of few, if any, reasons why the riving knife would need to come off.
Yah I’ve tried to reattach it as well and can’t get it on. Lack of a riving knife is what cause my (thankfully only) kickback incident on my own table saw. $1,000 ER bill later and I put it back on.
ER bill? If I had your resources I’d just stuff a cat in the wound and tape it up real good.
I agree that Woodshop has seen too many accidents lately. I am very interested in seeing what recommendations and actions the Chair, Vice-Chair and Committee put forth to help raise awareness / promote safety in Woodshop.
I was in thursday to resaw a board on the big bandsaw. As I got to the end I looked around for a pushstick. There wasn’t one in sight. I shut it off and looked around some more. I’m sure there was one around it just wasn’t jumping out at me so I used a wooded scrap block. Pushsticks are easy and we should fabricate a few and attach them to each machine that needs one so that they are easy to find.
I fully acknowledge that I should have looked for one BEFORE I started the job.
cheers!
Agreed. the same is true for the saw guards. Sure there are a few cases (like dadoes) when you need to remove them but mostly not. I’m sure we’ll hear arguments against that. Usually the same arguments made by people that don’t have all their fingers.
I agree that the priority is “What can be done”, but in my 30 years in the USAF safety was briefed and discussed daily, but people were still prone to ignore signage, their training and constant warnings, but somehow seeing a film of some guy getting squished in the tail section of a C5A got their attention. I’m not interested in telling stories so much as reminding people that the wood shop is a very dangerous place and if you are not diligent about safety you will get hurt.
So why are the safety guards removed? Why aren’t there safety first signs posted everywhere? Why aren’t there little QR codes on every machine that take you to the manufacture’s website on how to use the machine? Why aren’t there tests to take like they have in metal shop for every device?
Are these the kinds of ideas you are looking for?
All great ideas, and low hanging fruit to help make Woodshop more cognizant of the dangers and mitigation to said dangers.
I believe there are (were) several “whale” push sticks on shelves to the left of the miter saw. Not hands-reach convenient but at least in a known location.
I acknowledge I should have found it ahead of time, and I’m sure you meant for those that knew about it.
Perhaps “consistent location” would have been a better choice of words.
I saw a large pile of crafted push sticks over by the miter saw (hanging from their handle bits off the top shelf against the back wall). This was a few weeks ago though, so no telling what the shop elves have done with them.
And if I’d kept reading, @HankCowdog beat me to it…
Thanks for the important safety reminder. Glad you are mostly good.
There are magnetic push sticks on the side of every bandsaw.
I removed (and later reinstalled) one last night so that I could use the crosscut sled on the non-SawStop saw.
On a related note, if we rebuild the crosscut sleds at some point, making the entry end a bit taller would allow them to be used without removing the riving knife (at least on the one I used on Thursday).
Even if one must remove a riving knife to use the sled or dado stack there is no excuse for not reattaching it when done. Being lazy and inconsiderate is a “reason” but not an “excuse.”
ETA: I DO see that you reattached it, btw.
Could a new block of wood not just be glued on top to make it higher and then a new end slot cut?