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Table saw related injury

3K views 12 replies 12 participants last post by  TZH 
#1 ·
Table saw related injury

Some time ago I received a really nasty injury from my table saw.

After reading about Lenny's nice boxes he made after his recovery it prompted me to post mine as hopefully it will add to the dumb moves made with saws and possibly prevent anybody suffering the same type of injury.

On the 19 Jun 2012 I was using my 10" table saw to cut green timber into blocks.
1st dumb move!
When I finished I was unaware of a small off cut at the back of the saw and as I moved the rip fence towards the rotating blade, 2nd dumb move! it contacted the blade and was shot upwards and out striking me on the nose.
I did not see anything fly out of the saw, only the sensation of getting punched on the nose.

At the time there was no guard on the saw.

The saw guard was removed for the following, but mainly due to poor design and being a nuisance to work with.

Factors around the removal
1. The anti kick back pawls were damaging the timber.
2. The existing guard would not allow the fence to close up on the blade
3. The existing guard stopped the operator seeing what they were doing
4. The existing guard prevented using the saw to cut dados and non penetrating kerfs
5. The plastic part of the guard had a tendency to jamb in the timber adding an unnecessary additional risk, and it was also the cause of damage when doing fine cuts.

However since the accident the saw guard has been modified so it can be reinstalled and used effectively.

The modifications involved removing the original box shaped guard then adding a flat Perspex guard mounted on a hinge in its place.

The hinge also had a rare earth magnet added to allow the anti kick back pawls to be locked up out of the way so small pieces of timber can be sawn without the pawls damaging the timber surface.

The rip fence was reduced in height to allow the fence to close within 3mm of the blade, and remain under the flat guard.

When I eventually figured out what had happened I replicated the accident (mainly to understand what had happened and to test the guard) after fitting the modified guard I found the wooden off cut was again shot at a very high speed into the garage about 5m away.

All the guard did was to deflect the height of the projectile but it did not stop it.
The activity was then halted due to being dangerous to the machinery or surrounding area.

I then bought 2 x face shields as well.

All the timber blocks were relocated to the Otto Bin.

Summary: will the guard now remain on? Yes for the majority of the work however will be removed when making non penetrating cuts, for these the face shield is mandatory.

Can you buy an effective aftermarket guard? No you cannot.

A report of the accident was posted on:-

www.sawaccidents.com

The M/C helmet on the floor showed how far the offcut was shot out

Wood Floor Flooring Composite material Gas


The new guard

Wood Table Gas Hardwood Wood stain


Magnetic pawl locks up

Hood Bumper Wood Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


pawls down

Wood Bumper Flooring Gas Automotive exterior


The nose job I got

Forehead Nose Skin Chin Eyebrow


The projectile in a simulated position (as far as I can tell)

Wood Bumper Hood Floor Automotive exterior


The projectile under the guard at test time

Hood Wood Bumper Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


The additional fix.

Forehead Nose Eyebrow Helmet Jaw
 

Attachments

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#2 ·
Table saw related injury

Some time ago I received a really nasty injury from my table saw.

After reading about Lenny's nice boxes he made after his recovery it prompted me to post mine as hopefully it will add to the dumb moves made with saws and possibly prevent anybody suffering the same type of injury.

On the 19 Jun 2012 I was using my 10" table saw to cut green timber into blocks.
1st dumb move!
When I finished I was unaware of a small off cut at the back of the saw and as I moved the rip fence towards the rotating blade, 2nd dumb move! it contacted the blade and was shot upwards and out striking me on the nose.
I did not see anything fly out of the saw, only the sensation of getting punched on the nose.

At the time there was no guard on the saw.

The saw guard was removed for the following, but mainly due to poor design and being a nuisance to work with.

Factors around the removal
1. The anti kick back pawls were damaging the timber.
2. The existing guard would not allow the fence to close up on the blade
3. The existing guard stopped the operator seeing what they were doing
4. The existing guard prevented using the saw to cut dados and non penetrating kerfs
5. The plastic part of the guard had a tendency to jamb in the timber adding an unnecessary additional risk, and it was also the cause of damage when doing fine cuts.

However since the accident the saw guard has been modified so it can be reinstalled and used effectively.

The modifications involved removing the original box shaped guard then adding a flat Perspex guard mounted on a hinge in its place.

The hinge also had a rare earth magnet added to allow the anti kick back pawls to be locked up out of the way so small pieces of timber can be sawn without the pawls damaging the timber surface.

The rip fence was reduced in height to allow the fence to close within 3mm of the blade, and remain under the flat guard.

When I eventually figured out what had happened I replicated the accident (mainly to understand what had happened and to test the guard) after fitting the modified guard I found the wooden off cut was again shot at a very high speed into the garage about 5m away.

All the guard did was to deflect the height of the projectile but it did not stop it.
The activity was then halted due to being dangerous to the machinery or surrounding area.

I then bought 2 x face shields as well.

All the timber blocks were relocated to the Otto Bin.

Summary: will the guard now remain on? Yes for the majority of the work however will be removed when making non penetrating cuts, for these the face shield is mandatory.

Can you buy an effective aftermarket guard? No you cannot.

A report of the accident was posted on:-

www.sawaccidents.com

The M/C helmet on the floor showed how far the offcut was shot out

Wood Floor Flooring Composite material Gas


The new guard

Wood Table Gas Hardwood Wood stain


Magnetic pawl locks up

Hood Bumper Wood Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


pawls down

Wood Bumper Flooring Gas Automotive exterior


The nose job I got

Forehead Nose Skin Chin Eyebrow


The projectile in a simulated position (as far as I can tell)

Wood Bumper Hood Floor Automotive exterior


The projectile under the guard at test time

Hood Wood Bumper Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


The additional fix.

Forehead Nose Eyebrow Helmet Jaw
Damn, that was a scary wreck! Glad you survived and "got right back up on the horse that bucked you off!"
 

Attachments

#3 ·
Table saw related injury

Some time ago I received a really nasty injury from my table saw.

After reading about Lenny's nice boxes he made after his recovery it prompted me to post mine as hopefully it will add to the dumb moves made with saws and possibly prevent anybody suffering the same type of injury.

On the 19 Jun 2012 I was using my 10" table saw to cut green timber into blocks.
1st dumb move!
When I finished I was unaware of a small off cut at the back of the saw and as I moved the rip fence towards the rotating blade, 2nd dumb move! it contacted the blade and was shot upwards and out striking me on the nose.
I did not see anything fly out of the saw, only the sensation of getting punched on the nose.

At the time there was no guard on the saw.

The saw guard was removed for the following, but mainly due to poor design and being a nuisance to work with.

Factors around the removal
1. The anti kick back pawls were damaging the timber.
2. The existing guard would not allow the fence to close up on the blade
3. The existing guard stopped the operator seeing what they were doing
4. The existing guard prevented using the saw to cut dados and non penetrating kerfs
5. The plastic part of the guard had a tendency to jamb in the timber adding an unnecessary additional risk, and it was also the cause of damage when doing fine cuts.

However since the accident the saw guard has been modified so it can be reinstalled and used effectively.

The modifications involved removing the original box shaped guard then adding a flat Perspex guard mounted on a hinge in its place.

The hinge also had a rare earth magnet added to allow the anti kick back pawls to be locked up out of the way so small pieces of timber can be sawn without the pawls damaging the timber surface.

The rip fence was reduced in height to allow the fence to close within 3mm of the blade, and remain under the flat guard.

When I eventually figured out what had happened I replicated the accident (mainly to understand what had happened and to test the guard) after fitting the modified guard I found the wooden off cut was again shot at a very high speed into the garage about 5m away.

All the guard did was to deflect the height of the projectile but it did not stop it.
The activity was then halted due to being dangerous to the machinery or surrounding area.

I then bought 2 x face shields as well.

All the timber blocks were relocated to the Otto Bin.

Summary: will the guard now remain on? Yes for the majority of the work however will be removed when making non penetrating cuts, for these the face shield is mandatory.

Can you buy an effective aftermarket guard? No you cannot.

A report of the accident was posted on:-

www.sawaccidents.com

The M/C helmet on the floor showed how far the offcut was shot out

Wood Floor Flooring Composite material Gas


The new guard

Wood Table Gas Hardwood Wood stain


Magnetic pawl locks up

Hood Bumper Wood Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


pawls down

Wood Bumper Flooring Gas Automotive exterior


The nose job I got

Forehead Nose Skin Chin Eyebrow


The projectile in a simulated position (as far as I can tell)

Wood Bumper Hood Floor Automotive exterior


The projectile under the guard at test time

Hood Wood Bumper Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


The additional fix.

Forehead Nose Eyebrow Helmet Jaw
One takes a huge bite of humble pie when posting their accident. Thank you for sharing yours Robert. I had forgotten until you posted the name but I also reported my accident on sawaccidents.com. Best wishes to you as you work with your revamped guard.
 

Attachments

#4 ·
Table saw related injury

Some time ago I received a really nasty injury from my table saw.

After reading about Lenny's nice boxes he made after his recovery it prompted me to post mine as hopefully it will add to the dumb moves made with saws and possibly prevent anybody suffering the same type of injury.

On the 19 Jun 2012 I was using my 10" table saw to cut green timber into blocks.
1st dumb move!
When I finished I was unaware of a small off cut at the back of the saw and as I moved the rip fence towards the rotating blade, 2nd dumb move! it contacted the blade and was shot upwards and out striking me on the nose.
I did not see anything fly out of the saw, only the sensation of getting punched on the nose.

At the time there was no guard on the saw.

The saw guard was removed for the following, but mainly due to poor design and being a nuisance to work with.

Factors around the removal
1. The anti kick back pawls were damaging the timber.
2. The existing guard would not allow the fence to close up on the blade
3. The existing guard stopped the operator seeing what they were doing
4. The existing guard prevented using the saw to cut dados and non penetrating kerfs
5. The plastic part of the guard had a tendency to jamb in the timber adding an unnecessary additional risk, and it was also the cause of damage when doing fine cuts.

However since the accident the saw guard has been modified so it can be reinstalled and used effectively.

The modifications involved removing the original box shaped guard then adding a flat Perspex guard mounted on a hinge in its place.

The hinge also had a rare earth magnet added to allow the anti kick back pawls to be locked up out of the way so small pieces of timber can be sawn without the pawls damaging the timber surface.

The rip fence was reduced in height to allow the fence to close within 3mm of the blade, and remain under the flat guard.

When I eventually figured out what had happened I replicated the accident (mainly to understand what had happened and to test the guard) after fitting the modified guard I found the wooden off cut was again shot at a very high speed into the garage about 5m away.

All the guard did was to deflect the height of the projectile but it did not stop it.
The activity was then halted due to being dangerous to the machinery or surrounding area.

I then bought 2 x face shields as well.

All the timber blocks were relocated to the Otto Bin.

Summary: will the guard now remain on? Yes for the majority of the work however will be removed when making non penetrating cuts, for these the face shield is mandatory.

Can you buy an effective aftermarket guard? No you cannot.

A report of the accident was posted on:-

www.sawaccidents.com

The M/C helmet on the floor showed how far the offcut was shot out

Wood Floor Flooring Composite material Gas


The new guard

Wood Table Gas Hardwood Wood stain


Magnetic pawl locks up

Hood Bumper Wood Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


pawls down

Wood Bumper Flooring Gas Automotive exterior


The nose job I got

Forehead Nose Skin Chin Eyebrow


The projectile in a simulated position (as far as I can tell)

Wood Bumper Hood Floor Automotive exterior


The projectile under the guard at test time

Hood Wood Bumper Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


The additional fix.

Forehead Nose Eyebrow Helmet Jaw
I'm Glade you were not hurt any worse than that Robert.
 

Attachments

#5 ·
Table saw related injury

Some time ago I received a really nasty injury from my table saw.

After reading about Lenny's nice boxes he made after his recovery it prompted me to post mine as hopefully it will add to the dumb moves made with saws and possibly prevent anybody suffering the same type of injury.

On the 19 Jun 2012 I was using my 10" table saw to cut green timber into blocks.
1st dumb move!
When I finished I was unaware of a small off cut at the back of the saw and as I moved the rip fence towards the rotating blade, 2nd dumb move! it contacted the blade and was shot upwards and out striking me on the nose.
I did not see anything fly out of the saw, only the sensation of getting punched on the nose.

At the time there was no guard on the saw.

The saw guard was removed for the following, but mainly due to poor design and being a nuisance to work with.

Factors around the removal
1. The anti kick back pawls were damaging the timber.
2. The existing guard would not allow the fence to close up on the blade
3. The existing guard stopped the operator seeing what they were doing
4. The existing guard prevented using the saw to cut dados and non penetrating kerfs
5. The plastic part of the guard had a tendency to jamb in the timber adding an unnecessary additional risk, and it was also the cause of damage when doing fine cuts.

However since the accident the saw guard has been modified so it can be reinstalled and used effectively.

The modifications involved removing the original box shaped guard then adding a flat Perspex guard mounted on a hinge in its place.

The hinge also had a rare earth magnet added to allow the anti kick back pawls to be locked up out of the way so small pieces of timber can be sawn without the pawls damaging the timber surface.

The rip fence was reduced in height to allow the fence to close within 3mm of the blade, and remain under the flat guard.

When I eventually figured out what had happened I replicated the accident (mainly to understand what had happened and to test the guard) after fitting the modified guard I found the wooden off cut was again shot at a very high speed into the garage about 5m away.

All the guard did was to deflect the height of the projectile but it did not stop it.
The activity was then halted due to being dangerous to the machinery or surrounding area.

I then bought 2 x face shields as well.

All the timber blocks were relocated to the Otto Bin.

Summary: will the guard now remain on? Yes for the majority of the work however will be removed when making non penetrating cuts, for these the face shield is mandatory.

Can you buy an effective aftermarket guard? No you cannot.

A report of the accident was posted on:-

www.sawaccidents.com

The M/C helmet on the floor showed how far the offcut was shot out

Wood Floor Flooring Composite material Gas


The new guard

Wood Table Gas Hardwood Wood stain


Magnetic pawl locks up

Hood Bumper Wood Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


pawls down

Wood Bumper Flooring Gas Automotive exterior


The nose job I got

Forehead Nose Skin Chin Eyebrow


The projectile in a simulated position (as far as I can tell)

Wood Bumper Hood Floor Automotive exterior


The projectile under the guard at test time

Hood Wood Bumper Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


The additional fix.

Forehead Nose Eyebrow Helmet Jaw
Thanks for sharing your story. We can all be grateful that in spite of that shop accident, you are still incredibly handsome!

:)
 

Attachments

#6 ·
Table saw related injury

Some time ago I received a really nasty injury from my table saw.

After reading about Lenny's nice boxes he made after his recovery it prompted me to post mine as hopefully it will add to the dumb moves made with saws and possibly prevent anybody suffering the same type of injury.

On the 19 Jun 2012 I was using my 10" table saw to cut green timber into blocks.
1st dumb move!
When I finished I was unaware of a small off cut at the back of the saw and as I moved the rip fence towards the rotating blade, 2nd dumb move! it contacted the blade and was shot upwards and out striking me on the nose.
I did not see anything fly out of the saw, only the sensation of getting punched on the nose.

At the time there was no guard on the saw.

The saw guard was removed for the following, but mainly due to poor design and being a nuisance to work with.

Factors around the removal
1. The anti kick back pawls were damaging the timber.
2. The existing guard would not allow the fence to close up on the blade
3. The existing guard stopped the operator seeing what they were doing
4. The existing guard prevented using the saw to cut dados and non penetrating kerfs
5. The plastic part of the guard had a tendency to jamb in the timber adding an unnecessary additional risk, and it was also the cause of damage when doing fine cuts.

However since the accident the saw guard has been modified so it can be reinstalled and used effectively.

The modifications involved removing the original box shaped guard then adding a flat Perspex guard mounted on a hinge in its place.

The hinge also had a rare earth magnet added to allow the anti kick back pawls to be locked up out of the way so small pieces of timber can be sawn without the pawls damaging the timber surface.

The rip fence was reduced in height to allow the fence to close within 3mm of the blade, and remain under the flat guard.

When I eventually figured out what had happened I replicated the accident (mainly to understand what had happened and to test the guard) after fitting the modified guard I found the wooden off cut was again shot at a very high speed into the garage about 5m away.

All the guard did was to deflect the height of the projectile but it did not stop it.
The activity was then halted due to being dangerous to the machinery or surrounding area.

I then bought 2 x face shields as well.

All the timber blocks were relocated to the Otto Bin.

Summary: will the guard now remain on? Yes for the majority of the work however will be removed when making non penetrating cuts, for these the face shield is mandatory.

Can you buy an effective aftermarket guard? No you cannot.

A report of the accident was posted on:-

www.sawaccidents.com

The M/C helmet on the floor showed how far the offcut was shot out

Wood Floor Flooring Composite material Gas


The new guard

Wood Table Gas Hardwood Wood stain


Magnetic pawl locks up

Hood Bumper Wood Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


pawls down

Wood Bumper Flooring Gas Automotive exterior


The nose job I got

Forehead Nose Skin Chin Eyebrow


The projectile in a simulated position (as far as I can tell)

Wood Bumper Hood Floor Automotive exterior


The projectile under the guard at test time

Hood Wood Bumper Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


The additional fix.

Forehead Nose Eyebrow Helmet Jaw
Good on ya. Still gorgeous im sure.
 

Attachments

#7 ·
Table saw related injury

Some time ago I received a really nasty injury from my table saw.

After reading about Lenny's nice boxes he made after his recovery it prompted me to post mine as hopefully it will add to the dumb moves made with saws and possibly prevent anybody suffering the same type of injury.

On the 19 Jun 2012 I was using my 10" table saw to cut green timber into blocks.
1st dumb move!
When I finished I was unaware of a small off cut at the back of the saw and as I moved the rip fence towards the rotating blade, 2nd dumb move! it contacted the blade and was shot upwards and out striking me on the nose.
I did not see anything fly out of the saw, only the sensation of getting punched on the nose.

At the time there was no guard on the saw.

The saw guard was removed for the following, but mainly due to poor design and being a nuisance to work with.

Factors around the removal
1. The anti kick back pawls were damaging the timber.
2. The existing guard would not allow the fence to close up on the blade
3. The existing guard stopped the operator seeing what they were doing
4. The existing guard prevented using the saw to cut dados and non penetrating kerfs
5. The plastic part of the guard had a tendency to jamb in the timber adding an unnecessary additional risk, and it was also the cause of damage when doing fine cuts.

However since the accident the saw guard has been modified so it can be reinstalled and used effectively.

The modifications involved removing the original box shaped guard then adding a flat Perspex guard mounted on a hinge in its place.

The hinge also had a rare earth magnet added to allow the anti kick back pawls to be locked up out of the way so small pieces of timber can be sawn without the pawls damaging the timber surface.

The rip fence was reduced in height to allow the fence to close within 3mm of the blade, and remain under the flat guard.

When I eventually figured out what had happened I replicated the accident (mainly to understand what had happened and to test the guard) after fitting the modified guard I found the wooden off cut was again shot at a very high speed into the garage about 5m away.

All the guard did was to deflect the height of the projectile but it did not stop it.
The activity was then halted due to being dangerous to the machinery or surrounding area.

I then bought 2 x face shields as well.

All the timber blocks were relocated to the Otto Bin.

Summary: will the guard now remain on? Yes for the majority of the work however will be removed when making non penetrating cuts, for these the face shield is mandatory.

Can you buy an effective aftermarket guard? No you cannot.

A report of the accident was posted on:-

www.sawaccidents.com

The M/C helmet on the floor showed how far the offcut was shot out

Wood Floor Flooring Composite material Gas


The new guard

Wood Table Gas Hardwood Wood stain


Magnetic pawl locks up

Hood Bumper Wood Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


pawls down

Wood Bumper Flooring Gas Automotive exterior


The nose job I got

Forehead Nose Skin Chin Eyebrow


The projectile in a simulated position (as far as I can tell)

Wood Bumper Hood Floor Automotive exterior


The projectile under the guard at test time

Hood Wood Bumper Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


The additional fix.

Forehead Nose Eyebrow Helmet Jaw
Hear hear on the handsom for sure, glad to hear it was not any wprse
 

Attachments

#8 ·
Table saw related injury

Some time ago I received a really nasty injury from my table saw.

After reading about Lenny's nice boxes he made after his recovery it prompted me to post mine as hopefully it will add to the dumb moves made with saws and possibly prevent anybody suffering the same type of injury.

On the 19 Jun 2012 I was using my 10" table saw to cut green timber into blocks.
1st dumb move!
When I finished I was unaware of a small off cut at the back of the saw and as I moved the rip fence towards the rotating blade, 2nd dumb move! it contacted the blade and was shot upwards and out striking me on the nose.
I did not see anything fly out of the saw, only the sensation of getting punched on the nose.

At the time there was no guard on the saw.

The saw guard was removed for the following, but mainly due to poor design and being a nuisance to work with.

Factors around the removal
1. The anti kick back pawls were damaging the timber.
2. The existing guard would not allow the fence to close up on the blade
3. The existing guard stopped the operator seeing what they were doing
4. The existing guard prevented using the saw to cut dados and non penetrating kerfs
5. The plastic part of the guard had a tendency to jamb in the timber adding an unnecessary additional risk, and it was also the cause of damage when doing fine cuts.

However since the accident the saw guard has been modified so it can be reinstalled and used effectively.

The modifications involved removing the original box shaped guard then adding a flat Perspex guard mounted on a hinge in its place.

The hinge also had a rare earth magnet added to allow the anti kick back pawls to be locked up out of the way so small pieces of timber can be sawn without the pawls damaging the timber surface.

The rip fence was reduced in height to allow the fence to close within 3mm of the blade, and remain under the flat guard.

When I eventually figured out what had happened I replicated the accident (mainly to understand what had happened and to test the guard) after fitting the modified guard I found the wooden off cut was again shot at a very high speed into the garage about 5m away.

All the guard did was to deflect the height of the projectile but it did not stop it.
The activity was then halted due to being dangerous to the machinery or surrounding area.

I then bought 2 x face shields as well.

All the timber blocks were relocated to the Otto Bin.

Summary: will the guard now remain on? Yes for the majority of the work however will be removed when making non penetrating cuts, for these the face shield is mandatory.

Can you buy an effective aftermarket guard? No you cannot.

A report of the accident was posted on:-

www.sawaccidents.com

The M/C helmet on the floor showed how far the offcut was shot out

Wood Floor Flooring Composite material Gas


The new guard

Wood Table Gas Hardwood Wood stain


Magnetic pawl locks up

Hood Bumper Wood Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


pawls down

Wood Bumper Flooring Gas Automotive exterior


The nose job I got

Forehead Nose Skin Chin Eyebrow


The projectile in a simulated position (as far as I can tell)

Wood Bumper Hood Floor Automotive exterior


The projectile under the guard at test time

Hood Wood Bumper Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


The additional fix.

Forehead Nose Eyebrow Helmet Jaw
Wow thanks for all the kind words of support!

Hey What's with the gorgeous and hansom stuff though? you (guys) making me nervous!!

A full recovery occurred and yes I am still handsome ( if you call it that at age 60+)

Good work! many thanks
 

Attachments

#9 ·
Table saw related injury

Some time ago I received a really nasty injury from my table saw.

After reading about Lenny's nice boxes he made after his recovery it prompted me to post mine as hopefully it will add to the dumb moves made with saws and possibly prevent anybody suffering the same type of injury.

On the 19 Jun 2012 I was using my 10" table saw to cut green timber into blocks.
1st dumb move!
When I finished I was unaware of a small off cut at the back of the saw and as I moved the rip fence towards the rotating blade, 2nd dumb move! it contacted the blade and was shot upwards and out striking me on the nose.
I did not see anything fly out of the saw, only the sensation of getting punched on the nose.

At the time there was no guard on the saw.

The saw guard was removed for the following, but mainly due to poor design and being a nuisance to work with.

Factors around the removal
1. The anti kick back pawls were damaging the timber.
2. The existing guard would not allow the fence to close up on the blade
3. The existing guard stopped the operator seeing what they were doing
4. The existing guard prevented using the saw to cut dados and non penetrating kerfs
5. The plastic part of the guard had a tendency to jamb in the timber adding an unnecessary additional risk, and it was also the cause of damage when doing fine cuts.

However since the accident the saw guard has been modified so it can be reinstalled and used effectively.

The modifications involved removing the original box shaped guard then adding a flat Perspex guard mounted on a hinge in its place.

The hinge also had a rare earth magnet added to allow the anti kick back pawls to be locked up out of the way so small pieces of timber can be sawn without the pawls damaging the timber surface.

The rip fence was reduced in height to allow the fence to close within 3mm of the blade, and remain under the flat guard.

When I eventually figured out what had happened I replicated the accident (mainly to understand what had happened and to test the guard) after fitting the modified guard I found the wooden off cut was again shot at a very high speed into the garage about 5m away.

All the guard did was to deflect the height of the projectile but it did not stop it.
The activity was then halted due to being dangerous to the machinery or surrounding area.

I then bought 2 x face shields as well.

All the timber blocks were relocated to the Otto Bin.

Summary: will the guard now remain on? Yes for the majority of the work however will be removed when making non penetrating cuts, for these the face shield is mandatory.

Can you buy an effective aftermarket guard? No you cannot.

A report of the accident was posted on:-

www.sawaccidents.com

The M/C helmet on the floor showed how far the offcut was shot out

Wood Floor Flooring Composite material Gas


The new guard

Wood Table Gas Hardwood Wood stain


Magnetic pawl locks up

Hood Bumper Wood Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


pawls down

Wood Bumper Flooring Gas Automotive exterior


The nose job I got

Forehead Nose Skin Chin Eyebrow


The projectile in a simulated position (as far as I can tell)

Wood Bumper Hood Floor Automotive exterior


The projectile under the guard at test time

Hood Wood Bumper Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


The additional fix.

Forehead Nose Eyebrow Helmet Jaw
These kind of accidents can happen to anyone. Glad you are okay.

I always stand to the left or the right of the blade and the piece being fed.

Never directly behind it.

Not sure if this would have prevented getting hit or not.

Its easy for a small mistake to turn into a serious injury.

And we all make mistakes.
 

Attachments

#10 ·
Table saw related injury

Some time ago I received a really nasty injury from my table saw.

After reading about Lenny's nice boxes he made after his recovery it prompted me to post mine as hopefully it will add to the dumb moves made with saws and possibly prevent anybody suffering the same type of injury.

On the 19 Jun 2012 I was using my 10" table saw to cut green timber into blocks.
1st dumb move!
When I finished I was unaware of a small off cut at the back of the saw and as I moved the rip fence towards the rotating blade, 2nd dumb move! it contacted the blade and was shot upwards and out striking me on the nose.
I did not see anything fly out of the saw, only the sensation of getting punched on the nose.

At the time there was no guard on the saw.

The saw guard was removed for the following, but mainly due to poor design and being a nuisance to work with.

Factors around the removal
1. The anti kick back pawls were damaging the timber.
2. The existing guard would not allow the fence to close up on the blade
3. The existing guard stopped the operator seeing what they were doing
4. The existing guard prevented using the saw to cut dados and non penetrating kerfs
5. The plastic part of the guard had a tendency to jamb in the timber adding an unnecessary additional risk, and it was also the cause of damage when doing fine cuts.

However since the accident the saw guard has been modified so it can be reinstalled and used effectively.

The modifications involved removing the original box shaped guard then adding a flat Perspex guard mounted on a hinge in its place.

The hinge also had a rare earth magnet added to allow the anti kick back pawls to be locked up out of the way so small pieces of timber can be sawn without the pawls damaging the timber surface.

The rip fence was reduced in height to allow the fence to close within 3mm of the blade, and remain under the flat guard.

When I eventually figured out what had happened I replicated the accident (mainly to understand what had happened and to test the guard) after fitting the modified guard I found the wooden off cut was again shot at a very high speed into the garage about 5m away.

All the guard did was to deflect the height of the projectile but it did not stop it.
The activity was then halted due to being dangerous to the machinery or surrounding area.

I then bought 2 x face shields as well.

All the timber blocks were relocated to the Otto Bin.

Summary: will the guard now remain on? Yes for the majority of the work however will be removed when making non penetrating cuts, for these the face shield is mandatory.

Can you buy an effective aftermarket guard? No you cannot.

A report of the accident was posted on:-

www.sawaccidents.com

The M/C helmet on the floor showed how far the offcut was shot out

Wood Floor Flooring Composite material Gas


The new guard

Wood Table Gas Hardwood Wood stain


Magnetic pawl locks up

Hood Bumper Wood Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


pawls down

Wood Bumper Flooring Gas Automotive exterior


The nose job I got

Forehead Nose Skin Chin Eyebrow


The projectile in a simulated position (as far as I can tell)

Wood Bumper Hood Floor Automotive exterior


The projectile under the guard at test time

Hood Wood Bumper Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


The additional fix.

Forehead Nose Eyebrow Helmet Jaw
Good job on the guard updates. Tell me was it a KO or a TKO. Just kidding. That pic of your nose shows it had to hurt. You have to be attentive to what your doing at all times when your working with running equipment. I doubt you'll ever forget that.
Listen up newb's.
 

Attachments

#11 ·
Table saw related injury

Some time ago I received a really nasty injury from my table saw.

After reading about Lenny's nice boxes he made after his recovery it prompted me to post mine as hopefully it will add to the dumb moves made with saws and possibly prevent anybody suffering the same type of injury.

On the 19 Jun 2012 I was using my 10" table saw to cut green timber into blocks.
1st dumb move!
When I finished I was unaware of a small off cut at the back of the saw and as I moved the rip fence towards the rotating blade, 2nd dumb move! it contacted the blade and was shot upwards and out striking me on the nose.
I did not see anything fly out of the saw, only the sensation of getting punched on the nose.

At the time there was no guard on the saw.

The saw guard was removed for the following, but mainly due to poor design and being a nuisance to work with.

Factors around the removal
1. The anti kick back pawls were damaging the timber.
2. The existing guard would not allow the fence to close up on the blade
3. The existing guard stopped the operator seeing what they were doing
4. The existing guard prevented using the saw to cut dados and non penetrating kerfs
5. The plastic part of the guard had a tendency to jamb in the timber adding an unnecessary additional risk, and it was also the cause of damage when doing fine cuts.

However since the accident the saw guard has been modified so it can be reinstalled and used effectively.

The modifications involved removing the original box shaped guard then adding a flat Perspex guard mounted on a hinge in its place.

The hinge also had a rare earth magnet added to allow the anti kick back pawls to be locked up out of the way so small pieces of timber can be sawn without the pawls damaging the timber surface.

The rip fence was reduced in height to allow the fence to close within 3mm of the blade, and remain under the flat guard.

When I eventually figured out what had happened I replicated the accident (mainly to understand what had happened and to test the guard) after fitting the modified guard I found the wooden off cut was again shot at a very high speed into the garage about 5m away.

All the guard did was to deflect the height of the projectile but it did not stop it.
The activity was then halted due to being dangerous to the machinery or surrounding area.

I then bought 2 x face shields as well.

All the timber blocks were relocated to the Otto Bin.

Summary: will the guard now remain on? Yes for the majority of the work however will be removed when making non penetrating cuts, for these the face shield is mandatory.

Can you buy an effective aftermarket guard? No you cannot.

A report of the accident was posted on:-

www.sawaccidents.com

The M/C helmet on the floor showed how far the offcut was shot out

Wood Floor Flooring Composite material Gas


The new guard



Magnetic pawl locks up



pawls down



The nose job I got



The projectile in a simulated position (as far as I can tell)



The projectile under the guard at test time



The additional fix.

1. Don't make adjustments while the blade is turning
2. Shut off saw to remove off cuts if there is any possibility of the off cut or body parts touching the blade
3. I don't think your new "safety" device is workable because it does not allow use of a push stick to control the material between the blade and fence.
 

Attachments

#12 ·
Table saw related injury

Some time ago I received a really nasty injury from my table saw.

After reading about Lenny's nice boxes he made after his recovery it prompted me to post mine as hopefully it will add to the dumb moves made with saws and possibly prevent anybody suffering the same type of injury.

On the 19 Jun 2012 I was using my 10" table saw to cut green timber into blocks.
1st dumb move!
When I finished I was unaware of a small off cut at the back of the saw and as I moved the rip fence towards the rotating blade, 2nd dumb move! it contacted the blade and was shot upwards and out striking me on the nose.
I did not see anything fly out of the saw, only the sensation of getting punched on the nose.

At the time there was no guard on the saw.

The saw guard was removed for the following, but mainly due to poor design and being a nuisance to work with.

Factors around the removal
1. The anti kick back pawls were damaging the timber.
2. The existing guard would not allow the fence to close up on the blade
3. The existing guard stopped the operator seeing what they were doing
4. The existing guard prevented using the saw to cut dados and non penetrating kerfs
5. The plastic part of the guard had a tendency to jamb in the timber adding an unnecessary additional risk, and it was also the cause of damage when doing fine cuts.

However since the accident the saw guard has been modified so it can be reinstalled and used effectively.

The modifications involved removing the original box shaped guard then adding a flat Perspex guard mounted on a hinge in its place.

The hinge also had a rare earth magnet added to allow the anti kick back pawls to be locked up out of the way so small pieces of timber can be sawn without the pawls damaging the timber surface.

The rip fence was reduced in height to allow the fence to close within 3mm of the blade, and remain under the flat guard.

When I eventually figured out what had happened I replicated the accident (mainly to understand what had happened and to test the guard) after fitting the modified guard I found the wooden off cut was again shot at a very high speed into the garage about 5m away.

All the guard did was to deflect the height of the projectile but it did not stop it.
The activity was then halted due to being dangerous to the machinery or surrounding area.

I then bought 2 x face shields as well.

All the timber blocks were relocated to the Otto Bin.

Summary: will the guard now remain on? Yes for the majority of the work however will be removed when making non penetrating cuts, for these the face shield is mandatory.

Can you buy an effective aftermarket guard? No you cannot.

A report of the accident was posted on:-

www.sawaccidents.com

The M/C helmet on the floor showed how far the offcut was shot out

Wood Floor Flooring Composite material Gas


The new guard

Wood Table Gas Hardwood Wood stain


Magnetic pawl locks up

Hood Bumper Wood Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


pawls down

Wood Bumper Flooring Gas Automotive exterior


The nose job I got

Forehead Nose Skin Chin Eyebrow


The projectile in a simulated position (as far as I can tell)

Wood Bumper Hood Floor Automotive exterior


The projectile under the guard at test time

Hood Wood Bumper Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


The additional fix.

Forehead Nose Eyebrow Helmet Jaw
I sure am glad that it didn't take one of your eyes and I hope that you've healed up ok.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
 

Attachments

#13 ·
Table saw related injury

Some time ago I received a really nasty injury from my table saw.

After reading about Lenny's nice boxes he made after his recovery it prompted me to post mine as hopefully it will add to the dumb moves made with saws and possibly prevent anybody suffering the same type of injury.

On the 19 Jun 2012 I was using my 10" table saw to cut green timber into blocks.
1st dumb move!
When I finished I was unaware of a small off cut at the back of the saw and as I moved the rip fence towards the rotating blade, 2nd dumb move! it contacted the blade and was shot upwards and out striking me on the nose.
I did not see anything fly out of the saw, only the sensation of getting punched on the nose.

At the time there was no guard on the saw.

The saw guard was removed for the following, but mainly due to poor design and being a nuisance to work with.

Factors around the removal
1. The anti kick back pawls were damaging the timber.
2. The existing guard would not allow the fence to close up on the blade
3. The existing guard stopped the operator seeing what they were doing
4. The existing guard prevented using the saw to cut dados and non penetrating kerfs
5. The plastic part of the guard had a tendency to jamb in the timber adding an unnecessary additional risk, and it was also the cause of damage when doing fine cuts.

However since the accident the saw guard has been modified so it can be reinstalled and used effectively.

The modifications involved removing the original box shaped guard then adding a flat Perspex guard mounted on a hinge in its place.

The hinge also had a rare earth magnet added to allow the anti kick back pawls to be locked up out of the way so small pieces of timber can be sawn without the pawls damaging the timber surface.

The rip fence was reduced in height to allow the fence to close within 3mm of the blade, and remain under the flat guard.

When I eventually figured out what had happened I replicated the accident (mainly to understand what had happened and to test the guard) after fitting the modified guard I found the wooden off cut was again shot at a very high speed into the garage about 5m away.

All the guard did was to deflect the height of the projectile but it did not stop it.
The activity was then halted due to being dangerous to the machinery or surrounding area.

I then bought 2 x face shields as well.

All the timber blocks were relocated to the Otto Bin.

Summary: will the guard now remain on? Yes for the majority of the work however will be removed when making non penetrating cuts, for these the face shield is mandatory.

Can you buy an effective aftermarket guard? No you cannot.

A report of the accident was posted on:-

www.sawaccidents.com

The M/C helmet on the floor showed how far the offcut was shot out

Wood Floor Flooring Composite material Gas


The new guard

Wood Table Gas Hardwood Wood stain


Magnetic pawl locks up

Hood Bumper Wood Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


pawls down

Wood Bumper Flooring Gas Automotive exterior


The nose job I got

Forehead Nose Skin Chin Eyebrow


The projectile in a simulated position (as far as I can tell)

Wood Bumper Hood Floor Automotive exterior


The projectile under the guard at test time

Hood Wood Bumper Motor vehicle Automotive exterior


The additional fix.

Forehead Nose Eyebrow Helmet Jaw
Just looked at your modification and am impressed. The modification to your nose - not so much. OUCH! Just glad it wasn't worse. I, too, got a small block flung at me by the saw once - it hit me in the gut, and I had a black and blue mark for awhile. Lucky I was wearing several layers of clothes (tucked in of course). Also lucky the blow didn't go lower (I'm 6'4" tall). Anyway, thanks for sharing your war story here. Every little bit helps, that's for sure.

TZH
 

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