First post on lumberjocks - a lesson learned in pain

Careless idiot? No way! It takes so little to have a terrible accident. I hope you recover fully and swiftly. And thanks for the post, I will be stopping, looking and listening a little more intently in my shop today because of it.

NO band saw I have had ,required me to remove guard on the back of the saw
Do you have to take that off to change the blade ?
If so ,,bad design

-- E J ------- Always Keep a Firm Grip on Your Tool

Oww! Always room for another safety post !Hoping your recovery is swift and complete.

-- One of these hammers oughta fix that...

Yeah, the guard has to come off in order to change the blade. What’s worse, you have to walk across the shop and get a Phillips head screwdriver and remove two screws to get it off. I’ve now modified mine by drilling out and tapping the two small screw holes to accept a 1/4-20 threaded stud which I put a little apoxy on before I inserted it. Then I put two small rubber knobs I found at lowes in the specialty drawers on there. Then the knobs ended up being too big to clear both the upper and lower doors(only about a 1/4” of space there which I think is why they used screws) so I fired up the air compressor and proceeded to drill/cut/grind notches in both doors until the knobs could come through them. I didn’t plan on having to do that but once I’d epoxy’d 1/4-20 studs in place I was committed and had to do something to make it work. I agree the initial design could have been better but I bought the thing new for about 250 bucks out the door at a “factory direct tools” outlet over in Foley, AL. That’s the same place I bought my thickness planer (ridgid 13”) for 279. Cant argue with a decent product for an outstanding price, you know?

-- "Country Roads, take me home to the place I belong...West Virginia..."

Hi Cadguy,
I once gave my right thumb a real bad cut with a Swiss Army Knife, I was fishing with a bunch of guys among some alder bushes, when I got the hook caught in an Alder for the 0ne millionth time I decided to sit and make a whistle. I cut the appropriate piece and started, well you know the rest. The Doc said I would never feel anything with the side of the thumb again, he was wrong, after about 5 years the feeling started to come back. It’s OK now, I hope you have the same luck. I only needed 5 stitches, lots of blood though. I was concerned watching my life drip away through the end of my thumb, until I got a drive to the Doctor’s office.
Jack

-- Jack Keefe Shediac NB Canada

What rear guard was that, could you show pics

-- Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life. Proverbs 16:31

I’m at work this morning replying via my iPhone so I cant show you a pic right now. Do a google image search for ridgid bs1400. The guard is a plastic guard that is grey in color and covers the blade while it runs past the power switch on the rear of the saw.

-- "Country Roads, take me home to the place I belong...West Virginia..."