: Hi George

: With ALL due respect for you and your friends, if they lost fingers on a
: table saw from kickbacks they were breaking about every safety rule there
: is using the Table saw. Their hands had to be past the blade, which is the
: biggest NO NO in tool use. And only speculation: but they could have tried
: to pick up or otherwise grab the work piece while it was still in contact
: with the blade. NO NO number 2. If one uses the push sticks and stands off
: to the side when working, It won't happen. Kickbacks yes, but no loss of
: fingers. I've personally seen several fingers come off and EVERY ONE was
: due to negligence and unsafe tool use. If set up and used properly there
: is no reason the table saw should get you into trouble. Sometimes the wood
: can bind and kickback, but, that is not the table saw. Also, I have seen
: more kickbacks with the factory blade guards installed than when they are
: off. People get curious and start looking closer and sticking fingers
: where they shouldn't be. Not recommending anyone toss them, but, I would
: not use one. I just know what the saw is capable of and learn to respect
: it. I however, can't agree that the radial arm is more safe than the table
: saw, but, that's a matter of ones own experience. I use the tools for
: exactly what they were designed for. The radial saw was NOT designed for
: ripping. It was designed for cross cutting and angle cutting. The idea of
: ripping came from folks that didn't have a table saw and decided to
: experiment and made it work Most of your earlier saws didn't have the
: swivel head/motor and could not do it. That was added as a feature to sell
: more saws with " More Versitility." In reading the posts, I see
: that folks have their own idea of how to eliminate the kickbacks and
: material from jumping around, and also, to cut smaller items. Not Design
: features of the tool, but, after market ideas, and mostly homemade.
: There's clues in there for those who look. Yes, it can be done, but at
: what cost, added shims, stops and so forth, not to mention safety. The
: table saw is actually the more versitile tool. You can rip and crosscut,
: and both are design features, with and without the use of the mitre. If
: all you have is a Radial arm then you use it, but, be damn careful.
: Personally, I would rather use a tool that is open and I can see
: everything that I'm doing. The motor of the radial arm is always on top of
: your work and with smaller material, it's difficult to see. Again, with
: the proper/recommended push sticks, the table saw is much better for small
: stock, and You can see what you are doing without getting within inches of
: the blade. The Radial arm saw is better at what it was designed for and
: that would be CrossCutting with the material up against the fence/stop.
: Food for Thought.

: Rehd
I have no quarrel with anything you have said. After each of these accidents I gave a copy of my favorite stock pusher to each of these guys. Yes, one was an inexperienced user, but the other was an experienced woodworker (and an EMT!) who was working with a new, to him, material. Generally, I use my radial arm as a work table, otherwise, to cross cut and miter long or wide stock. For narrower stock a chop saw is more accurate. The table saw is almost exclusively use for ripping. If I'm making cabinets or cross cutting stock too wide for the radial arm I'll setup the table for this work, both for its capacity and accuracy.

I would never recommend that anyone choose the radial arm as their first or only stationary saw, but if your shop is limited in size or has to share space with the car, you may feel that is the way to go. I am fortunate to have a large shop and an understanding wife. This thread was running through my mind as I was trying to get to sleep the other night so I started to count the power saws available to me. I fell asleep somewhere around forty (including a Wood Mizer bandmill and four chainsaws). Not everyone can afford or store all these tools. Hell, I'm going to have to retire soon just to maintain them. But if you've got a radial arm and want to build a boat you're way ahead of the guy stone adz.

I will try to post a PIC of my pusher in the near future.