"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
I witnessed a big box store employee cross cutting a PT 2 x 10 in half with the panel saw. I would guess that was the only equipment available as I didn't see a RAS. Thankfully everyone made out OK, but it sure sounded and looked ugly. I should have tracked down a manager, but I didn't. I would hate to see someone, employee or customer, get hurt because the correct machines weren't available. It seems to me that it is up to us as knowledgeable users of these machines to point this out. I always wonder how it will be taken.
Matt
That was my experience. They wouldn't halve a sheet of MDF for me, and the guy explained that it chipped and was a safety issue. After I scratched my head a bit, I realized there was probably a prohibition on cutting formica or something. I checked in with a manager and got my MDF cut no problem.
My worst experience, however, was asking an HD guy to make a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" oak veneer ply into two 4x4 pieces. He jammed the saw through the sheet so violently that the veneer was splintered up to 5" away from the cut. The sheet looked like it had been torn in half by the Hulk, not cut.
In Canada the stores have RAS's in them with a large guard on the table.
I guess if they removed the RAS's they would have problems cross cutting timbers, as a CMS wouldn't be as safe as the RAS with the guard system.
Regards, Rod.
I was at a Lowe's an asked for several sheets of osb to be split in two.. the associate about went through the complete inventory before he got 8 parts that were 24" wide each??????