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Your
Safety
Safety
is a lot more than just a six-letter word. It carries with it the
essence of responsibility, good, common sense and self-respect.
No project is worth risking an injury.
The faithful practice of safety is absolutely imperative when operating
a table saw (or any other power tool, for that matter)…it's just
that simple!
The consequences of even the slightest misuse of your machinery
can be avoided by religiously using your Shopsmith Safety Kit, your
Saw Guards, good, straight stock and most importantly of all your
brain!
Start
be reviewing the safety procedures outlined in your Owner's Manuals
and following them. When working in the shop, don't be thinking
about your latest challenge at work, what's happening in the stock
market or the great plays made by your favorite team in last night's
game. If you can't concentrate on what you're doing right now…right
here in the workshop…perhaps you should turn off your machinery
and walk away until you can!
Additional Tips for Safe Operations
Cutting
stock safely with the table saw is simply a matter of paying attention.
Here are some additional suggestions that will help make all of
your table sawing operations safer:
- Always
use your saw guards* Exposing part of the blade during cuts
increases the risk of danger many-fold. Make sure all guards are
in place and that anti-kickback devices are working properly.
- For
narrow ripping cuts,
always use a fence straddler or push stick…and if necessary, an
auxiliary wooden fence extender so your fence doesn't interfere
with your saw guard.
- Never
reach over the machine. You could lose your footing, and if
you grab the stock, it could kick back and pull your hand into
the blade.
- Always
stand to the side, NEVER in a direct line with the blade.
In the event of a kickback, doing so could cause the workpiece
to fly directly into you, causing personal injury.
- When
ripping large or cumbersome workpieces alone, use a Roller
Stand or Support
Table to support your workpiece on the outboard side of the
main saw table. If you're not using such a support device and
your stock begins to fall after the cut, it's safer to release
it and let it do so. You can always pick it up later after you've
turned off your machine.
- When
making a rip cut to bevel an edge, always work WITH
gravity by positioning your rip fence on the down side of the
saw blade and NEVER above it.
- When
making a crosscut to bevel an edge, always place your miter
gauge on the down side of the saw blade and NEVER above
it.
- Never
crosscut a workpiece freehand, without the aid of a miter
gauge or similar safety device. If you must crosscut an extremely
long board, a Cross-cut
Sliding Table will make your work much safer.
- Keep
your saw
blades clean and sharp. A dull blade or one coated in
pitch or gum can create a dangerous situation.
- NEVER
use 8" diameter or smaller saw blades on the Shopsmith MARK V.
Doing so will render the anti kick-back device on your machine
ineffective.
- NEVER
use your rip fence as a stop for crosscutting without attaching
an auxiliary stop block to it. This stop block will prevent the
workpiece from binding between the fence and the blade…a situation
which could cause a dangerous kick-back.
*NOTE:
The Upper Saw Guard cannot be used during grooving, dadoing or molding
operations, but the Push Block can. Push Blocks keep your hands
well away from the blade. If a kickback occurs, it's the push block
and not your hands that will contact the blade.
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