Guard on a RAS at Home Depot

[Mitchell Andrus]

How's this for keeping duimmy's fingers safe??? You can't even see the blade.
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[Peter Quinn]

Same at my local Borg. Appearantly they had a very serious amputation at one of the stores and that is now the chain wide protocol. Sharp blades, a good setup and a qualified operator cannot be guaranteed there, so saw in the bubble serves to keep things safe. How do they site the cut line?

[Tom Veatch]

... How do they site the cut line?

Known offset from the edge of the blade house?

Must not have much call for mitered or beveled cuts.

[Michael Donahue]

They don't cut miters and most of the associates can barely get you within an inch of what you need:D

[Brian Peters]

LOL @ home depot. Any time I ever had someone rough cut something for me they always looked so scared and uncomfortable with using the saw. One time the guys hands were shaking starting it up. But believe me, someone will find a way to hurt themselves even with that guard!

[Tom Veatch]

...most of the associates can barely get you within an inch of what you need:D

I can relate to that. Some days it seems like I can't get within a inch of what I need, either.

[Peter Quinn]

Seems like for all their effort and expense a cut off (up-cut) saw like a Whirlwind might have been a more useful item. Most 'associates' can probably step on a pedal, they make them with safeties that require two hands NOT in the path of the blade but on pneumatic actuators, and they have pneumatic hold downs automatically applied when the pedal is pressed for increased safety and accuracy. A good up-cut saw will easily cut the widest and thickest things I have ever seen for sale at the borg.

As a side note, my local quality lumber yard has an old 20" Dewalt monster in the yard, few guards or safeties, big as a house, and to my knowledge none of their employees has ever cut off anything unintended. They are also able to cut within a 1/16" of my desired lengths! I have little need for this service beyond trimming the occasional 20' trim board to fit in my van, but its nice to know its available.

[Dino Makropoulos]

Seems like for all their effort and expense a cut off (up-cut) saw like a Whirlwind might have been a more useful item. Most 'associates' can probably step on a pedal, they make them with safeties that require two hands NOT in the path of the blade but on pneumatic actuators, and they have pneumatic hold downs automatically applied when the pedal is pressed for increased safety and accuracy. A good up-cut saw will easily cut the widest and thickest things I have ever seen for sale at the borg.
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Peter.
Dead Wood Concept? ;)


Looking at the safety system...
Its like trying to make an elephant fly.:rolleyes:

They did it. :D

[Dennis Mas]

All I can say is they probably know their employees better than we do.

[Michael Schwartz]

I was in a borg one day while they were installing one of these and I couldn't help but wonder.

But then again having seen what they do with a RAS at some home depots its probably a good Idea.

[Chris Schumann]

My Home Depot is excellent. When I get lumber rough cut, it's within a pencil line, unless I tell them to just get it close. The cuts aren't very smooth, but they are straight. I guess we're lucky to have the people we do at this store. (#2801, Maplewood, MN)

[Matt Meiser]

I don't think Lowes even has the ability to crosscut 2x material in the store unless their panel saw will do it so I guess its better that that. That system actually looks like it would work pretty well for their needs. I haven't seen it in use but have looked it over. Those sliding parts with the handles left and right of the saw carriage are used to hold the workpiece in place. Short of sticking a hand into the box it looks like it would be nearly impossible to get hurt even if you had NO training. If they added a trigger switch on those handles and a requirement that one trigger switch plus the switch on the saw be made, it would be even harder. Still, its probably a much safer job now at HD than running a hi-lo.

Menards gives their employees a miter saw to use, mounted in a bench with a fairly crude stop system every 2'. The only complaint was that the blade must have been DUUUUUULLLLLLL. They had to cut 16' composite decking down to 8' for me because they were out of the 8s. I thought the stuff must be pretty tough the way he was pulling and the saw was straining. Mine zipped through it though.

Not sure what my local lumber yard uses since they don't bother to keep hours that would allow me to go there (7-5, M-F) so I don't bother trying.