Thursday, May 28, 2009















Saw guards have been problematic for decades, and saw manufacturers continue to use the very old hood guard that is attached to the splitter. The splitter lifts for wood pushed into it, and it lifts for hands. In other words, the hood guard doesn't work very well. Since the guard must be removed for non-through cuts, this guarantees the guard will be removed and left off. In addition, the guard flops all over the place, and it can hit the blade and shatter. It is almost a relief to remove the guard.




Safety Engineering Resources has been working on a new saw guard design. One of the early prototypes is shown in the photograph on the right above. A second generation saw guard is presently under construction and shows promise.




The Brett guard is an improvement over the hood guard. Basically, the flat guard hangs over the saw blade. The guard must be adjusted up and down for each thickness of wood. A picture of the Brett guard is shown above on the left.


There also is the new SawStop guard that stops when a finger or hotdog touches the blade. The invention is truly amazing, but it will take time to lower the cost where it can be universally used. The technology works but the guard is not economical for the average user. A surgeon or a musician would invest in the guard since they depend on their fingers for their livelihood. The price is almost $3000. Go to http://www.sawstop.com/ for more information.








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