unionjak1

With unemployment almost the highest in the US, schools going to hell in a handbasket, business leaving the Golden State in droves, unfunded State and Local pensions out of sight, it's conforting to know that some public servant in Sacramento can find the time to be concerned about my fingers.

I bought my Dewalt RAS years ago. Then I became enamored with Inca tools, including their utilitarian looking RAS, and bought table saw,thicknesser planer, band saw.....etc. A friend of mine fell in love with the RAS and I gave it to him only to miss it terribly - so I bought another one, which I still own. This saw is more accurate (and stays that way,)does more things than any US RAS or miter saw - the blade can be replaced with a router or sanding carriage. The instructions for cross cutting called for a push instead of a pull. The little 259 table saw (circa 1981) had a riving knife that moved with the saw blade and a suva saw guard. You can't buy Inca gear in this country anymore - safety issues I understand.

My entry into woodworking was 29 years ago with an Inca 259 with riving knives - there were two, one for an 8" blade and one for a 10" blade. My wife bought me a hold down, hold against the fence accessory called "Ripstrate" which I found worked equally as well on my small Davis & Wells shaper. I have transferred that Ripstrate to every saw I own or have owned and have just installed it on a General 650. Somewhere along the line, I bought another Ripstrate. Unfortunately in this world, many of the smart things disappear all too quickly and the product is no longer out there. Riving knives, Ripstrate,push sticks and simple care and alertness have paid off for me.