: (Dear Uncle Nick: Can you add a Subject Prefix for
: "Rant"? Thank you.)

: Well, I just got a nasty shock -- and it's always a particularly
: sad and scary thing when it's yer own government delivering it.
: I just learned about "riving knives", and that good
: old fashioned table saws that are free of "safety"
: contrivances and gewgaws are now as much of a thing of the past
: as lawnmowers that functioned simply and reliably. I want to
: cry.

: So what are you other old-school woodworkers recommending for
: newbies these days? I always liked the 10" Delta
: Contractor's Saw as a full-size machine that was way inexpensive
: for what you got, was light and agile enough to move around the
: shop as needed, yet solid enough to handle even heavy lumber
: pretty darn well. I also like the conventional cast iron top
: that allows throat plates to be easily made from 1/2"
: plywood, and allows use of magnetic accessories like
: featherboards. Plus it comes with, or ready to accept, a
: professional grade fence system (Unifence rules!!).

: The people who sell 'em aren't allowed to answer this next one, so
: can we talk amongst ourselves for a minnit? How possible is it
: to buy a new contractor's style saw, like a Jet, Powermatic (now
: redundant, sigh), or Grizzly, and shuck all that crap off so to
: get a saw like everybody sold and used up 'til just a few years
: ago? And please, no safety/responsibility comments, just stick
: to the question .... in return for the courtesy, I seriously
: doubt I'd ever suggest removal of the stuff unless the victim, I
: mean buyer, was as experienced as me; it's not like I need any
: blood on my hands. And besides, I think just knowing options
: exist would help my attitude tremendously. I am finding this
: incredibly distressing, and suddenly anxious that my Delta
: Contractor's Saw is gonna last the rest of my life.

: Photo: My god, just look at this horrible bloody death trap -- the
: mind truly boggles.....

I swear by the riving knife on my Griz. I have had it for about two years now, and take it off only for using a thin kerf Skil saw blade (ie. only for ripping strips). I spent about 20 minutes lining the knife up the first day and it has been fine with everything since. It works nicely with my 10" thin kerf blades.

The blade cover was never put on the machine. I hope some users are asked about the "SawStop" gimmicks. They are only for the imaginations of those that never have used a table saw. Real users just do not push their hands into a moving blade. But kickbacks happen often and really hurt with a 1Hp saw, and have killed with a 3Hp saw. I have not had one yet with my riving knife.