ts75027

Since I have a large stack of red oak, courtesy of a tornado a few years ago and a friend with a sawmill, it's actually cheaper for me to build with solid wood; at least until my current supply runs out, that is. But I prefer to make cabinets out of plywood (except for face frames & door frames) because its simpler and faster than gluing up large panels from solid wood. I can't spend all my free time in the shop, unfortunately. I find building with plywood is still satisfying, and that's what I'm in it for.

From reading most of these posts, I see one common theme: a blade guard would have prevented most of the injuries described here. If not prevented, it would at least provide some warning, as your thumb would hit the guard first. I think I'm going to put my blade guard back on and just get used to it.

I've also noticed on woodworking shows and online videos, the blade guard is typically removed so the viewer can better see the action. Maybe its time someone start setting a better example, and leave the guard in place? I don't need to see the blade cut the wood to believe it works.

Cheap tools. In particular, a cheap table saw where the table isn't quite flat. I'm learning, but a "good deal" is still hard to pass up...

I'm curious if anyone running a woodworking business has asked their insurance agent if replacing a standard table saw with a sawstop table saw would reduce their insurance rates. Anyone?