A SAFETY ITEM: I recently purchased this GRR-Ripper system

Hi Dick;

Anything to keep your fingers where they belong is a wise investment.

Have fun with it.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Looks like a good buy. I like my fingers.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

I picked one of these up a few months ago, and I really like it! You have to spend a little time adjusting it before you use it, but it goes quick. I think it is time well spent. For the foot rest I just built, I used the GRR-Ripper to cut 1/4” x 1/4” pieces of maple that I turned into dowels. I would never have tried that with regular push sticks!

-- http://theinquisitivewoodworker.com/

I keep looking and not getting.
It may be the right time to change that.
I spend too much time getting the saw stable for my cut and I can see this gizmo saving me some shop time.

Thanks for the heads up Dick.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Hi Dick

Sorry to be negative about the Grrriper…it’s just me

If you would post it on a UK forum, you would get a bunch of negative replies…it’s against the EU safety regulations to work without a blade guard.

I made one some 1 year ago and posted it on the UK forum before even trying it, and…if I got it…

I was sure that it’s very safe but when I actually worked with it…well, I was lucky that I was wearing my brown pants….

When my hand was over the exposed blade, I got terrified (and many scenarios past through my mind) and I could not continue…I just hit the “STOP” and never used it again…

niki

After Hawg…I ordered one just now! Thanks for the heads up, once again, Dick!

-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,

Niki – I can’t see how you guys in the EU can get anything done. Some of your safety regulations go way overboard. I like your solution though. It’s better than paying $50.

Dick – That guy in the video sure saw biased toward the Gripper. He left out the splitter and always pushed at the back right corner to make sure it rotated. All you need to do was to put a non-skid stick on rubber
pad to prevent the material from moving away from the fence.

I’m not saying that the gripper not safer, it looks like it is in some cases. I hope that it keeps your fingers where they belong!

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

Nick.
I’m curious.
How do you folks run dados with a blade guard in place?
I have to think you must perhaps use a router for this procedure?

I am also wondering how you would go about cutting thin slices from stock unless you devised a jig to cut from the outside of the stock instead of the fence side. ( But then would that not defeat the blade guard again?)

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Thank you GaryK
First, I did not say that I’m “safety angel” but, I’m an amateur and the regulations do not apply to me.
The registered businesses must obey the law and must buy the “correct machine for the correct job”...
But look at the bright side…because of those safety laws, the Table saws manufacturers must provide a Riving knife, a quick install/remove guard with dust port, the blade must stop within 10 seconds and surrounded with a shield and dust port (dust control regulation).

Bob
Most of the Table saws (including mine) are coming with short arbor so dado blade cannot be installed.
Some Table saws has a long arbor and they use the dado blade with overhead guard and that’s acceptable.
As you said, I’m cutting dados with the router…

Regards
niki

It looks like we have a little debate going here. I think it’s good thing to discuss things.

Now I can spend my time to produce something.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

On my accident, I was cutting dadoes with a 15 degree slant to tilt the dominoes. I have done it dozens of yimes before, but te repetitiveness got my lacksadasical. Coul dnot have used a roouter. (would have been my chpice for this)

Let me know if eth gripper is all that it is cracked up to be. Making boxes, it sure would be easier to use to make 1/4” or 3/8” sthick stock.

God Bless,
Hawg
(finger is doing fine!)

-- Saving barnwood from the scrapyards

Dick:
a peace oiffering!
Last thing I want here is confrontation/debate.
What’s to learn if we don’t discuss?

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

I’ve been using the Grr-Ripper for four years; I have two of them. When cutting pieces for small boxes, they are invaluable. It allows one to control small pieces of wood with hands and fingers well away from the blade. I can’t imagine how else I could make some of the cuts I do with complete safety.

It would be interesting to learn just how many home woodworkers in Europe and other parts of the world actually keep their blade guards on the saw. I persisted for a few years trying to do so, but quite frankly, ofet found I was pushing the limits of safety trying to work with the cumbersome guard.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.canterburybaptist.org/

Hi Dick

There is no debate…so far, I’m the only one that does not feel safe with the Grriper…

I think that safe or unsafe is a personal feeling and everybody is free to choose…

Please have a look at the picture below…I think that many will tell me that it’s unsafe but, I feel very comfortable and safe with it (for the last 11 years)...personal feeling…

Don
I don’t have any idea how many home woodworkers in Europe keeps the guard “ON” but if you noticed, on most of my posts the guard is installed and till today I did not have any problem cutting even small pieces using push shoes, and for crosscut, hold downs or clamps, usually with a sled.

Best regards
niki

Niki,
Thanks for your input, but I don’t think I’d ever use my hand held saw without the guard. Mine has a lever, if you want the guard out of the way temporarily.
Hand held power equipment can be very dangerous. A guy that worked for me removed the guard on a right angle grinder, because he thought it was a nuisance. One of the other guys was using it , & the wheel caught on his coveralls, & almost ripped them off of him. Luckily he didn’t get hurt.

Bob: What great price for the grripper.

Don: You upped my confidence, that I made a good purchase.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Hi Dick

”I don’t think I’d ever use my hand held saw without the guard.”

That’s exactly what I meant by “safety is a matter of personal feeling”...It’s ok for you to work without guard on the table saw but big “no, no” for the circular saw…I feel the opposite.
The saw on the picture has an electric brake and stops in less than a second once I release the switch.

There is another EU safety regulation that states “the blade must stop within 10 seconds” that was made after the accidents survey shown that many accidents happened during the “run down” of the blade (from 2008 the regulation will be mandatory for all the power machines).

Regards
niki

Hi Niki,
I’ve had my old Wards Powercraft saw for over 40 years now. I’ve gone through 2 sets of bearing, & brushes, so you can see that I’ve used it quite a bit. I don’t think I’ll be parting from it, but if I were to buy a new saw, I’d buy one with the brake like Niki recommends.

This is excellent advice for all of you Newbies.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Dick, I’ve had the Grrrriper for a couple of years and use it almost every time I’m ripping anything narrow. I used it today to rip some 1/4” pieces – it’s handy as pockets on a shirt, and whether it makes things safe or not – I feel safer. I also have a zero clearance plate on my TS and use it 99% of the time – I have one of those little Green Splitter blades (Can’t recall their name) installed and leave it in place when I use the
Grrrriper – no problems. You have made a great addition to your shop.

-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/

I have used the gripper ripper for about 3 years and think it is one of the most inovate and usefill tools intro0duced for a long time. There is no way to cut strips and do router tasks as msafe as using this jig. I cannot agree with the negative comments with this jig. It is a fantastic piece of equipment. I got rid of most of my push tools ounce I learned how to use it.

-- WOOD/DON (...one has the right to ones opinion but not the right to ones own facts...)

I love my Gripper for both the added safety and the better efficiency of cuts. Costs a bit but lots less than prosthetic fingers.

I first seen the Grripper on the woodworking channel about a year ago. I figured it was about time I got one.

Safety should always be first, it’s so easy to procrastinate.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Just to bring this discussion up to date, I find that Micro-Jig” is comming out with a new Grrr-ripper .

That is why the old one is being discounted at some outlets.
It seems a shame that the purchasers of the first one were not given some sort of upgrade path or at least acknowledgment of their support.
I don’t completely understand what the advantages are with the new on yet.
Apparently you can piggy back two together now- Oh Joy! a $150.00 jig on top of a $75.00 old style jig.
Not a good move from a marketing perspective.
That will definitely invite Competition.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

I bought an extra when I bought mine from Woodcraft. It may be the upgrade. You can change the angle of the handle, raises it a little higher, & also a stop block for jointer. It’s part B.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

It looks like it is a new handle and is listed at $12.95?

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

I have to jump in here.

As you can imagine, I buy pretty much whatever I felt neccessary to make my shop safe. I also bought many gimmicks, that seemed to be a good idea at the time. (sometimes I’ll buy something simply because the store had nothing else that caught my eye, or I didn’t already have one or two of them.

That being said, and realizing I’m a compulsive buyer, I havent bought one of these.
And I am a safety NUT! I generally use different thicknesses of MDF push sticks. These sticks are aywhere from 12 – 20 inches long, and ard made in 1/8”, 1/4”. 3/8”, and so on to 3/4” The shape of it is like a sports car in the front, and a vertical section in the rear which looks like an inverted pistol handle. This handle is shaped so when you push forward, you are also pushing down. The underside is cut to a straight edge, roght up until the center of the handles center point of balance between the downward pressure, and the forward pressure.That ends up being toward the front of the handle section, whigh is shaped to comfortably provide for a firm hand Grip. The remanider of the bottom is stepped up about an 1/8” less than the thickness of the piece being cut. All edges are routed to provide a comfortable grasp, except the bottom edges. The handle area is about 4 1/2” higher than the workpiece, so I feel my hands are safe. A zero clearence blsde insert is also a good idea’
I find these to be very quick to produce, sacfraficial, meaning I regulary cut them too in the course of cutting
something.

My thinking is they are easy to make, cost next to nothing, as we use scraps, are riding on our rip fence, so there always handy, and they perform quite well.

Smoetines I’ll cut the bottom edge on an angel, which helps to hold it in as well.

Beyond these push pistols, I am very secure in protecting my mathamatical abilities with them , and don’tfeel the need to go further with it.

I also use the same concept in using a large board on a jointer. The only real difference here is the handle is facing the rear of the push block, so I can pull it down to the table, and in to the cutter, simultainousy.

I reall feel no need to add anoither product to set up and learn. Don’t forget, I’m getting old. and set in my ways.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Boy.

IMHO one of the best discourses on this site.

-- No piece is cut too short. It was meant for a smaller project.

Well. after my accident I value my fingers all the more! I bought the MJ splitter, which is the removable splitter for use with the Grr-ripper, which I am ordering from Rockler. $15.00 for the splitter, and $40.00 for the Grr-ripper is a cheap payment to protect my hands and fingers when I make those small strips for boxes!

I will keep you informed as to my findings on them!
God Bless,
Hawg

-- Saving barnwood from the scrapyards