My dad taught me this. Before every cut ask yourself; "Where are my fingers", so when you finish the cut you don't say, "Where are my fingers!"

I find squinting my eyes is the absolute best way of stopping splinters penetrating my skull through the eye socket.

I'm brand new to woodworking. I'll keep using my blade guard, thank you. I have a healthy respect for that blade.

Thanks for great beginner instruction (no dumb questions) attitude. And you don’t spend time gabbing! Your professional guidance is appreciated !

I would give this two thumbs up if I could find the jar where I put mine.

When I was training we had an instructor who gave us safety lessons. His little joke was to draw various dangerous table saw scenarios on a blackboard, then point them out with the three remaining fingers on his right hand.

Fantastic video, thank you. I got my first table saw last week, and decided that I would continue to use the blade guard until I could explicitly identify the specific cases why I couldn't use it. As a beginner, I feel extra aware of just how dangerous it is, and how limited my experience is. It was interesting that you said that one of the reasons you don't use the blade guard is so you can see the cut. My first cut was ripping a large piece of wood, and so all of my focus was on keeping the wood flat, straight and up against the fence while ensuring I kept my fingers well back. Again, it's because I'm a novice, but it felt like I had no time to watch the actual cut itself, because I was busy managing the wood.

As a 10 year veteran contractor who's never seen the guard used in the field, I've often wondered why it's included with every new table saw purchase. My hat's off to you sir, for not only explaining its intended purpose, but also the limitations of its use. And I totally agree (as was taught to me 9.9 years ago), see the cut all the way through, and where your fingers are the whole time. Well explained, great work!

I had noticed from years of watching TV shows and KZfaq videos that they always said the blade guard was removed for illustration purposes. I started to become skeptical the more I watched. Thank you for confirming my suspicions. I'm not new to woodworking but haven't used my table saw very much and still do use the guard whenever possible.

Many great points in this post. In addition to your recommendations, I always keep my noggin to the left of the blade, hit the kill switch with my hip after the cut has cleared the blade, and don’t make a move to pick up the cuts until the blade has completely stopped. Takes more time when making multiple cuts, but I still have all my fingers.

As a kid in the UK we got taken to an accidant injury exhibit. Basically actual accidants remodeled with wax figures including all the details. Eye injuries, table saw injuries, lathe injuries and drill press injuries. Those images are still with me after 50 years and shaped my attitude to safety. I always use the safety features. If they are poorly designed I buy a better tool or upgraded safety device. No long hair hanging around, neck chains or hoodie cords and never ever wear rings on your fingures while working. Also a good quality first aid kit where ever you work. Proper hold down clamps and work tables are just as important as guards. I also dont work with others that dont work safe its just not worth the risk. Sawstop is good but cannot possibly eliminate all the other possibilites of injury. Being safe has to be an attitude and manner of working. Also just think about not being able to call for help because your dialing fingers are on the floor in a pile of sawdust or because you cant see the phone. Scary but it happens.

I'm in the UK. Having a Crown guard as it's referred to here is thankfully the norm. I taught furniture making for ten years in a college and definitely started to see an upsurge in bad practise in the 'KZfaq generation'. There are certain instances where undoubtedly it's more convenient to take the guard off, but I'd argue that there are very few that are completely necessary if you are able to come up with better and safer ways of doing things. When you do these things as a job, and you have a bucket with hundreds of components in needing the same treatment, it's incredibly easy to drift off and become complacent. Guards, properly set are really good for those times, not to mention way better dust extraction. Still, fill your boots, and each to their own. 👍

Thank you for the metric speed conversion. I was very confused by the miles per hour, and clarifying how many kilometers per hour really helped. lol. That was great. Great video, and a very important real-talk about blade guards. Thanks!

Great articulation on a risky topic. 100% agree with your bottom line. 100% agree with the necessity of a riving knife. Actually, thanks for the reminder. It got misaligned and I haven’t put it back on and adjusted it yet... will do that now.

The “choppy direction” 😂😂😂 Great stuff 👍🏻

Thank you for this video! I'm terrified of my table saw and avoid usung it as much as I can, but I need to overcome this fear as it's such an amazing and versatile tool! So today I decided to start working on it to make it safer and more approachable! This video is very helpful :)

I would like to use my blade guard, but the guard with integrated kick back pawls that came with my (now) 16 year old saw, seems not to have been made so much for my safety, but so that the manufacturer couldn't be sued. Even the riving knife is not immediately behind the blade, but attaches to blade guard holder. I've been able to remove the guard and still use the riving knife, but boy am I jealous of the newer higher end saws with better riving knives and guards.

Thanks again Steve. Great reminder for those of us that make “how to” content that we have the responsibility to set a good example for safety in the shop

Ah yes the perfect homage to the main man Norm Abrahms.. I love it Steve mate.. Pointing at the safety glasses was a wee classic. Isn't that how Norm always finished his piece on Workshop safety etiquette ? Brilliant ..

Thank you for having the courage to be honest about this topic.

I appreciate this and I think you do a good job demonstrating safety. It's actually one of the reasons I did subscribe to your channel. I've seen some other woodworking channels that don't even use push sticks at the saw or do really careless things like dance around with a running circular saw in their hands.

SOOO glad that you flashed that metric conversion to K/h for the "Million MPH" comment!

Wood workers are the best and laughter is really good for me now. In my busy ED I see about 2 table-saw accidents a week. Right thumb-finger-hand injuries out number right hand injuries about 20:1. Almost all are with the Irving knife off. Right hand injuries are from moments of carelessness; maybe the guard would help. It does get most of the fine dust above your work, and next to your eyes and hands, your lung care will make you a happy old man. That said, I must help those afflicted in this pandemic. Again, thanks for the humor and always “plan your cut and cut your plan.”

My blade guard even has a dust port (Saw Stop) but I rarely use it, it is just not me. Thanks for having a pair and admitting what we all know to be true. If I ever see a table saw with a blade guard on, I will notice it.

I just want to say I've been doing wood working since I was a kid most of my family are carpenters, but I have honestly learned quite a bit from your videos and things that never even crossed my mind because I've gotten complacent.

I cut half through my left index finger (just after the second knuckle) because of not caring about the blade guard. Pure complacency, since I'd used a table saw since I was a kid. It hurt. A lot. Whether you use a blade guard or not, don't be complacent.

The KMH conversion had je in stitches 😂😂. Thanks for making my day

Appreciate the candid and informative editorial on this topic. Nice job Steve!

Good video on the most part. Being a woodworker and instructor for 50 plus years it's most important to understand that safety is the utmost importance to keeping body parts and equipment safe. To under estimate the necessity of these safety features only undermines the human condition. If someone is told that something really isn't necessary then they will go to any lengths to free themselves of the burden of SAFETY - the human condition. There will times when the blade guard has to be removed. The majority of the time any piece of equipment is used is for non-specialty uses, hence the necessity to install safe working situations all the time. You can't regrow a finger or lost eye.

Primary purpose of a blade guard is to protect manufacturer from litigation.

Great topic. You covered the blade guard from ever angle! Some of your points, I had honestly never thought about. Been watching you forever Steve! Keep doing what you're doing!

Great video for beginners. I just subscribed to this channel as I think you have the perfect balance of information, emphasizing safety and real life cuts. Great job 👏

I've used blade guards in a production environment as well as hobby work for many years. The only time I don't is when cutting dados or rabbets or when using a sled, which is equipped with its own blade guard.

Mr. Ramsey, out of all of the woodworking videos I watch, which are A LOT, all of yours are the most informative and have helped me tremendously, particularly the SketchUp tutorials. I just wanted to take the time to say thank you!!!!

This is helpful! Thank you! I learned woodworking on a table saw without a blade guard years ago and now that I have my own shop I got my own saw and... it came with a blade guard. Had no idea what to do with it really; it kept getting in the way! It's good to know what it's good for and why it's there.

I just bought my first table saw and was so glad to have found this video. Thank you so much! I have learned a lot.

Love your videos. I taught woodworking for 20 years and you’re spot on. Bought my son a SawStop and sent him this video. Thanks for all your efforts on KZfaq 👍

I know it's common practice for many, but reaching over the blade gives me the willies anyways. I just don't do it, all my workflow stops my hands short of the table and moves away from the blade once cut (table saw set up so that I can use a movable workbench for outfeed table)

Thanks so much for this video Steve - really helped me understand the point/features/setbacks of a blade guard.

Steve, another great video! I'm a big fan and I've learned a lot from you. Thanks! I was also frustrated by my Ridgid guard and stopped using it for several years, but recently, I've been cutting lots of 3/4" plywood for gift desks and dust was a problem. I rigged (not ridged) a dust collection hose to the top of the guard and after shredding 1.5 sheets of plywood into parts, I barely have any visible sawdust. My narrowest cuts are 2" and I can still squeeze my push stick between the guard and the fence. I still remove it when needed, but I've become proficient at the process and it no longer bothers me.

This is a great video!!! Your breakdown on when and when not to use a guard lined up with my (little) experience. But I think the most valuable thing I was taught about ANY saw is “if something is going wrong get your hands AWAY from the blade.” you can get another piece of wood or in a disaster another saw. You can’t drop by the hand store and get a new pair of hands.

I make furniture in the Neterlands as a profession! I use my guard becouse there is a port for a vacuum nothing els. I work a lot with MDF and want to pik up every piece of dust i can!

Funny to hear you call out New Yankee Workshop's "guard removed for clarity" disclaimer and still finish with Norm's catch phrase! I loved watching all of the old PBS woodworking shows and it was a conflict si would watch it with my dad, hand to read the manuals and how-to guides before working with him in our shed, BUT see our TV heros not following their own advice. Your video provides much needed clarity as to how to safely REPLACE general safety devices and cautions and limitations to be aware of when using the saw with or without the guards. Thank you!

So, last year I bought a used table saw. Craftsman. It didn’t have a manual but I watched a lot of videos and read many books. I thought I was prepared enough to give this a try. I’ve used a circular saw many times and I had bought a miter saw so I was feeling good about this. There wasn’t a blade guard or any attachments. I go to rip down some plywood with the intention of making more sawdust than straight cuts. After all, I’m learning. Well, somehow or another it bound up and tossed my board and jammed the blade. I unplugged it super fast and put it storage. I’m m terrified of it. Later I showed my brother the pieces and the saw since he has used them for years. He freaked out and told me I could have gone to the er. Where are the guards and the fence???!? Yep. Still terrified of it. Thank you for this video!

I had to recommend the Grr Ripper and correct the horrible recommendation of using gloves on another channel. You have the best advice, I cringed when another channel said"use two gloves, even three because they look cool" 🤦

The problem with blade guards is the negative impact on the user interface. It obstructs vision and often in the way of some material movement. Due to the often mentioned litigation issues of providing a saw without a guard, most manufactures provide a guard that fully enclosed the blade adding to all the negatives mentioned. I visited a shop with a very effective blade guard with few of the drawbacks. It was a home built device to provide visual and tactile feedback to the operator of the danger zone. Most people who lose fingers is because the tips of the spinning blade are not seen and it is assumed they are further away than they really are. The blade guard in this shop was simply a pair of metal rods on each side of the blade with bent up ski tips in front. It provided no obstruction of view for lining up the kerf with a line. It provided a very clear indication of the danger zone. The area under the ski on each side of the blade is the area to stay out of. The guard beside the blade was only 1/2 inch high. It was high enough so while feeding material, you move your fingers out of the way to prevent contact with the blade. No danger of riding over the short fence and getting hurt. Great view of the work.

Loved the Norm Abrams "New Yankee Workshop" safety glasses refrence. As a New England native whos grandmother was a woodworker, I grew up watching that show. Always loved when Norm would use the massive radial arm saw and when I was researching a good first miter saw my father-in-law mentioned a radial arm would be better as opposed to a "chop saw." While he simply didnt know the capability of modern miter saws, his suggestion also put me down that memory lane. Thanks for these great videos Steve, we amateurs sure appreciate it.

This man encouraged me to get rid of my blade guard.... and now I have stump for a hand...thanks!

Steve literally is one of the best at explaining things and teaching.

7:09 - The Norm salute! My wife refuses to watch NYW with me because I say/do it along with him every single time :)

Fantastic video! You are a natural speaker and teacher.

Another really useful video Steve. Just one thing worth pointing out about those Microjig push blocks is that if, like a lot of saws, the riving knife has a height above the blade, you cant use them as they wont clear the knife height.

I'm always wearing my eye protection in my shop (I've even caught myself wearing them into a few grocery and hardware stores, and a few times picked up my kids from elementary school with them on). Most of my curs on the table saw are crosscuts and I'm using my sled. Ripping tends to be on my Jet bandsaw. It's too nice to not use

haha, I just purchased an new Bosch table saw yesterday and my fellow craftsman all joked about the first thing you do when you buy a new table saw...chuck the guard lol

Hi Steve- good video for beginners. I love the micro jig and use it whenever I can. I do however tend to use the blade guard when cutting large sheets of plywood- the riving knife and anti- kickback pawls on the guard ensure stability.

I love that you made this video. I get called out on this all the time on my channel and I never have a good answer. Thanks Steve!

I new at woodworking and the table saw still freaks me out lol thanks for making those videos!

Your biggest safety tool is paying attention. I became careless using my Dad's tablesaw when I was 16. Luckily, I had a fantastic surgeon and have spent 30 years using a computer keyboard to make my living. However, the memory of carrying a bouquet of my severed fingers to the hospital keeps me vigilant.

I’m so thankful for your channel! You’re the best !!

Honesty is the best policy. You are doing the right thing here. Kudos.

I don't have a problem with my bladeguard as a safety feature. But in the case of my DeWalt 745, it's attached to my riving knife. Which makes it impossible to do non-through cuts or using the maximum height of my saw blade. Long story short, I use it whenever it's possible.

I use my table saw to cut boxes on a bevel. For boxes cut so that the two halves must mate together perfectly, one technique is to build the entire closed box, and then cut the complete box around the perimeter creating two halves that will then mate perfectly. If you build the halves separately, especially if you use box (finger) joints, it's very difficult to get them perfect enough where the two halves won't be at least 1/32nd of an inch off at some point. For straight cut boxes, the riving knife can stay in place. But for cutting the box on a bevel, it's a lot trickier. The table saw has to be used in plunge fashion using the blade-height hand wheel turned a precise number of cranks so that the black will plunge at precisely the right spot at precisely the right angle. A riving knife can't plunge in this manner, so it has to come off. As far as safety, all of the blade is at all times inside the box, so you can't even see it when making this kind of cut, so nothing can fall on the blade, and there is virtually no chance of any kind of kickback. The trickiest part of the cut is that the blade must be raised to just the right height that the blade radius angle approximates a 45 degree angle in order to form the miter-like bevelled corners.. Then the blade must be plunged in so that it barely touched the edge of the box to form the far corner. The box must then be moved against the rip fence until the blade just barely touched the near corner. If you overshoot the edge, then the bevelled-inward half of the box gets a bevel angled cut through the side where you really don't want it to be. If done just right, you get a halved box with one half bevelled outward, and the other half bevelled-inward, which makes the box self-align when the halves are put together. But you can't do this cut with a riving knife installed. Most certainly not with a blade guard.

Always appreciate your honesty. Thanks.

The KPH conversion was hilarious!

Thank you for making this video. Personally, I've only seen one situation where a blade guard made perfect sense. It was on a saw making identical rips cut all day, and the guard also collected the dust. Most included blade guards are less than practical, and seem to be designed by the saw marker's lawyer.

Can't tell you why they work without them. For the past 15 years i work with the blade guard. Only when i cut bigger timberwood i remove them. Or very small cuts. Because there is no room for the blade guard. The blade guard saved me from injuries a few times 👍

Good video steve. Glad you called out this topic. I can say in my own experience, the guard seems like it is always in the way, which can lead to frustration and sloppy cuts - which reduces safety. The number one safety tip when working with a table saw is awareness.

Today I used a table saw for the first time. Having watched your videos for a long time, I've taken your advice to heart and installed the blade guard. I made three cross cuts and found that, while using the blade guard, I had to position myself awkwardly to see what I'm doing. I felt like I didn't have full control. I took the blade guard off and put in just the riving knife and I actually felt a lot safer, now that I was able to see when the wood was touching the blade, if it was an accurate cut and the wood had passed the entirety of the blade. I would probably recommend to everyone to use your blade guard as much as possible, but this was my personal experience while using a table saw for the first time.

The front of the blade is the "choppy" direction ? Yes -- Good safety point! (Great video, thanks)

On some table saws the blade guard has a connection to the dust extraction, which is a fair reason to use it

New and Nervous with my new table SAW. Your videos are awesome and re-assuring

Thanks so much Steve.. very useful advice... as you explain it is very difficult to make a few cuts with the guard blade... very good...

The bloody things gets in the way Steve, and I've been using a table saw for about forty or so years and I haven't been hurt yet!

I like your helmet inside a car analogy. Especially because professional racecar drivers wear helmets inside cars with five point harnesses, extremely high quality crumple zones and roll cages.

Your honesty is refreshing... thanks for the content. I think the most valuable piece of advice you gave was to visualize each cut prior to engaging - good for more than just saws, excellent life advice as well!

Appreciate the honesty and tips.

When I was 15 or so a buddy of mine got his father to buy us a table saw, cause we wanted to do wood working shit. More specifically, his father owned a auto shop and we wanted to build custom shit for cars. My grandpa had a craftsman table saw that was powerful enough, and very versatile, consumer grade shit. Good. And I was comfortable with it. I suggested something like that. His dad took us to Lowe's and bought us one of the best table saws they had. A Delta. Had a cast iron top, a motor so powerful it was belt driven to the blade on a spring loaded tray that would jump like hell when you turned it on, and it weighed a million pounds. And I had to assemble the damn thing. One day I was trying to rip a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" birch longways, no help, no guard, no guide, no supports set up to catch the wood. Just freehand, following the line I drew. 🤦‍♂️😬 Needless to say, I got a lil crooked and the blade bound up and threw the whole sheet at me like a pillow. Didn't feel like a pillow when I hit me in the hip though. I finished what I was doing, but the saw never got used much after that. Except by me. My buddy refused to use it. He still has it too, 15 years later, just collecting dust in the back of the shop. Dont know what the point in story was, other than to make myself look like a dumbass, but shared anyways. Don't do stupid shit you know you shouldn't, maybe, idk🤷‍♂️😂. Don't buy equipment more powerful than what you need or should be using.

Nice Norm Abrams impersonation at the end. "And remember, there is no more important piece of safety equipment than these... safety glasses."

Thanks for your honesty!

I'm a newbe table saw user. Love the videos on safety, mitre sled and pusher. At this point in time I will continue using the blade guard...a bit of a pain (no pun intended) at times when watching along the cut line.

Don't know what I'd have done without the 2:37 conversion

I remember the first table saw I bought was a Delta with a blade guard. On the first cut, the guard didn't drag evenly on the material and it twisted into the blade and was immediately thrown around by the blade. I'll never use one again!

Great video, great points. Just starting so I will be using my blade guard until I get comfortable. Thank you.

Thanks for this informative video. I used to work in a cabinet shop where management was always bullying the floor guys for taking off the blade guard... and the floor guys were always taking off the blade guard. It's worth pointing out that the shop also had literally no training or safety programme, so the only method management had left to limit liability incursions was to lose its temper and bully the work force. This message comes to you from an untrained guy who was nearly hospitalised by a truly gruesome kickback in that shop. So thanks again for all your frank safety instruction.

I have that Rigid saw and I use the guard always. The guard will flip up and click in place for measuring the cuts with a tape measure.

i feel the same steve i need to now where the blade is when i'm making a cut.

I appreciate your videos. I can use these tools, but I just figured it out (Men aren’t the only ones who toss the instruction booklet aside!). You’ve given me a lot of helpful tips. I have a HUGE fear of losing a finger every time I pull my table saw out. 💛

Excellent video. Whenever I am making a cut that is in any way new, I rehearse the movement first with the saw unplugged and blade retracted. Taking that step helps you notice simple steps to improve safety. For example, you might realize a different push stick would be better, etc.

I used to tell people: If you don't fear the SkillSaw when you pick it up, don't pull the trigger. This works for every kind of saw.

LOL, "the choppy direction", is the official term used in the Woodworking for Mere Mortals guide book?

Love this subject! Thanks for the insightful perspective!

A blade guard works well for rip cuts to Steve. When ripping sheet goods it creates no restriction or hinderance to performing the cut. I agree with most of your arguments and work pretty much the same as you do including using the GRR-Ripper and always a riving knife the only exception being with a dado set. But I do use it when breaking down sheets of plywood and ripping boards. The kickback paws in the guard and the riving knife will prevent kickback. Thank you for posting this video. . A slogan I came up with over 15 years ago and use as my signature line on forums is: . "It's a table saw, do you know where your fingers are?"

When my saw was new, I tried using the anti-kickback paws, but they scratched my plywood, and the first time I took them off, I found them too hard to put back on.

In shop class, we were told another reason for blade guards was to offer some degree of protection in the event that any carbide-bit separated from the 3500 rpm-spinning blade. They were only tack-welded on back then---don't know if other methods (like super-epoxies) are used to attach them nowadays. But, if a thing can be attached, a thing can come loose.

Great channel. Plenty of good advice. You mention that the guard is mainly good for keeping dropped piece of wood from kicking back. I have another example that involves fingers and blade height. A family AND another friend have both done a nasty cut working with the blade height a bit too high. After the cut, while reaching over to get the out piece, they BOTH caught the nail of their pinky on the moving blade. Finger and meat gone. Yes, there are several safety issues here. The point is the guard serves a possible second function as a backup to other missed safety steps. Thanks for such a great channel.

Very good explanation of the blade saw guard 👌🏿

What is this thing. Letting other people use your tools? 😉 Great video Sir.

When I first got my table saw I left it on, only taking it off when it got in the way of a certain cut. After a while I got tired of taking it off and putting it back on again. Now it stays off. I respect my tablesaw and don't do anything stupid on it so I think I can justify the risk.

This is exactly the video I needed to see, thank you

Thank you for the information. As a new woodworker I can use all the useful information I can get . Thumbs up 👍 is