Do you really have a guard on your table saw?

[Scott Velie]

I admit it. My table saw guard is hanging on the wall. It has been there for a long time.
How about all of you?

Scott

[Robert Bassett]

Yes. I became a believer when I sliced y thumb pretty bad.

[Bill Lantry]

Mine's on the saw. For every cut. *EVERY* cut.

Others may pick and choose as they wish, but as for me, give me fingers, or let me find something else to do...

Thanks,

Bill

[Greg Just]

My saw is 25 years old and i have no idea where the guard is. With that said, I am very careful operating the TS and have great respect for the blade.

[James Hart]

I use the POC original guard that came with my PM 66 on every cut except non-through cuts where I can't.

I have a guard on order from Lee Tyron, looks like it's much more user friendly.

Jim

[Scott Velie]

Bill,
Don't get me wrong I am not against guards. I make a lot of cuts that cannot be made with the guard on. I just got tired of removing and installing it.

Scott

[Charles Green]

I use a shark guard on every cut that I can. I try to avoid the cuts that require it to be removed. I like the protection and the dust collection is nice too.

[Nissim Avrahami]

Yeap, all the time except when I work with the crosscut sled.

I had only one time "occasional contact with the blade" but ah....the guard was on the way so I could not cut my hand....

Many people are not using the guard because they like to "see how the blade is cutting the wood" or something like that...When I'm cutting, I'm looking at the fence because I have a lot of confidence that the blade does cut the wood but for me it's mote important to see that the wood is always attached to the fence...

Saying that, I don't blame anyone that removes the guard because, the poor design is simply encouraging to remove it...

Here are 2 pics of my blade guard, you can see the notch...

Regards
niki

[Mark Carlson]

The guard that came with my cabinet saw is stored away somewhere. Never got installed. My shark guard on the other hand is used for almost every cut, rip and cross cut.

~mark

[Matt Bickford]

I love this question. I haven't been in too many shops, but I really don't think I have ever seen a guard on a table saw. I have personally never used one. I don't kid myself by believing that my level of awareness is high enough that I don't need one. I have just never used one or seen one in use, so I never put it on.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Mine stays on the saw EXCEPT for cuts that force me to remove it.

[Jim Becker]

Riving knife 100% of the time. Guard, rarely, but the one I have now is certainly more comfortable to use since it attaches to the top of the riving knife quickly and easily. The issue with the "stock" guards on way too many American design saws is that they are a pain in the you-know-what to take off and put back on...so many folks don't bother. And when you remove the guard (either forever or for a non-through cut), you also are removing the most important part of the assembly...the splitter. Fortunately, all new model saws are shortly going to have to be released with a true riving knife which follows the blade up and down and can stay on the machine for non-through cuts. That will solve a good part of the problem for at least the folks buying a new model machine.

[Richard Dragin]

No guard but I plan on ordering a Shark Guard soon.

I am sure this will sound shocking to many but in all the shops I have worked in (entertainment industry so I have worked in a LOT of differant shops) splitters are unheard of. Some of the studios have purchased Saw Stops and they have the knife/guard which stays on because of the dust collection not working without it. Because of OSHA there is a lot of harping to keep the guards on but that doesn't seem to keep guys from doing what they are accustomed to.

[Bruce Page]

Nope. Never even put it on when I was setting up my Unisaw.

I do use my snap in splitter faithfully.

[Mike Cutler]

The stock OEM Guard was never installed. I do have an overhead blade guard/ DC pickup that I use most of the time. I need to install a riving knife though.