Omg I can't believe that old beast actually did have a guard. Train wreck of one that seems more dangerous than helpful lol don't blame ya for not using it
Well, if you ever need your bearings serviced, I am well known in the midwest for babbitt work. I have poured, scraped and aligned hundreds of pounds of Babbitt over the years. I know it's hard to find anyone with those skills in this day and age, just like finding someone with your skill set. Although I work full time for a more modern CNC machine manufacturer, I still help old clients and friends out occasionally. Keep me in your notes for the future if need be. Thanks for all you do on here. It's one of my weekend must do's, watching your videos.......
If Dave ever needs to have the babbitt bearings re-poured, a video of the process is a must! Not many have the skill or patience to do babbitt pouring and scraping these days.
Russ, to preserve your skills, could you make a series of videos on the production and maintenance of Babbitt bearings? My old lathe has them. Pity help us if they wear out.
@@brucemeller2794 Possibly in the future, but life is against it at this time. For the next several months, my plate is full. That's what happens when you become the Patriarch (Edited) of the family when your Dad passes away and your invalid Mother is still living along with working 50 plus hours a week. Don't get me wrong, I have thought about making videos, but out of the question right now.
@@N57RU Wow, Russ. Bat on. Your service to your mother will be of huge value to her. (Sorry to learn about your Dad. From my experience - Dad died when I was 19 - it’s a grief that endures through your whole life. 😢)
i guess Im randomly asking but does any of you know a tool to get back into an Instagram account?? I somehow forgot my login password. I love any help you can offer me!
There are way too many safety Sallys in the comments section of RU-vid! Don't let them wear you down! You're obviously a master craftsman at what you do, and it's not our business to tell you how to do it! Remember, most of these commenters couldn't run a pencil sharpener without eye and ear protection, heavy gloves, and a Kevlar vest. LOL Keep up the good work, I really enjoyed the table saw walk around as I had a lot of questions after the last video. Cheers
As former med school prof who has sat through many trauma meetings, I'll you that you're wrong. Both inexperienced and experienced operators have 'accidents' - one doesn't know what they're doing, and the other takes chances when they shouldn't.
Grapefruit, I build up SawStop table saws, to be delivered, by the company I work for. Last month, a customer I've known for a while, showed up, with his left (he's right handed) hand all bandaged up, with some pretty serious damage to his thumb. He had seen the used SawStop on the sales floor earlier, but refused to get it. Not this time. Boss and I delivered it, and picked up his pristine Powermatic table saw. I thought about mentioning something about closing the barn door,AFTER the livestock had escaped, but didn't. His thumb is almost OK. steve
There is nothing wrong with Babbitt bearings as long as they are well lubricated. And when they start getting sloppy you can always pour new lining. And you're absolutely right: that guard is inherently dangerous. Keep up the good work!
Keep an eye on your work. If the wood relieves it's tension against the blade stop and drive a small wedge to avoid kickback. (Or have a helper spread the off cut.)
the best thing with babbit bearings is that when they are sloppy you can pull a shim out and tighten them up again - and again and again. And only when shims end - in a 2121 maybe - Dave will recast the babbit.
I see and understand. I'm with you, keep the guard and dado blades on the shelf. You made a great comment, "Keep your head in the game." I'm still count ten too, and it's because I don't work with any distractions and take frequent breaks on long production runs.
Thank you, Dave, for another wonderful video showcasing a fantastic tool.. Again and again, in your thoughtful, laconic way, you manage to conjure memories that tug at my very heart and soul. From the time I was old enough to be allowed into the garage to watch my Dad working (some 60 years ago) until I was a teenager I didn't even know saws *came* with guards! One particular tool that scared the bejeezus out of me every time it started up, screamed through a 2x4, or even standing still was his Skil 8 1/2" Sher 850 power hand saw--no guard at all--he'd taken it off and would just wait til stopped and lay it carefully down on the ground. He (and I) used it for another 40 years and more. I think it's still in the garage somewhere. Thanks, Dave.
You and I are so much alike it is scary. LOL Same philosophies especially on the guards, etc. Yes it is a little less safe, but we take that into account. I build and repair stringed instruments have over 500 videos on YT. I also live on a farm have horses and have rebuilt a couple horse drawn rigs. So I can fully relate to everything you do and "go through' on YT.
Ah, Dave, I love the way you make things so plain and simple. And I love your memorable sayings like, “Keep your head in the game.” Somehow, you make even the mechanics of an old table saw essential viewing. Thanks so much for serving all of us. 👌👍👏🙏
This reminds me of the mindset of my father.. I have this dado blade, but i never use it because it does not work....But i did not discard it, so now it sits in my garage, taking up space. Multiply this by 40 years, and there is a lot of old "crap" that never gets used, but is still somehow to "valuable" to throw away for some reason :)
Don't blame you for not using the guard or that dado blade.I don't use the guard either.40+ years using a table saw and I too still have all my fingers.Thanks for showing the the saw in detail.
There probably are only a couple of people out here that have run machines that are as dangerous as some of yours. they have never said a word about the way you do things. I’m surprised there’s even a guard made of this saw. Yes there are people that get hurt on equipment, that’s life. I guess they need a fence on all the beaches cause they are dangerous, people drown. I could keep on going but a Master Craftsman like Dave does not need second guessers to tell him how to do his job. He’s got more knowledge in his pinkie fingernails than these people punching the dislike thumb cause their JEALOUS. Love you Dave stay safe.
Thank you for the video and your explanation of the saw and how and why you operate the way you do. I don't think a lot of the folks here will realize how much productive work time you lost to make this. I appreciate it.
You are absolutely right, keep your head in the game anytime you use a power tool, or any tool for that matter. That saw is some thing I would love to have and use. It is a gem.
In my lifetime in the woodworking trade, the most common accidents I’ve seen were kickbacks. A riving knife would probably help prevent some of those kickbacks that are caused by binding. And they definatly work for your basic twisty wood binding. So they might be worth a try. I only know one guy who uses them, and he swears by it. Crown gaurds seem to limit the capabilities of the tool far to much to be practicle. I make up a half dozen push sticks at a time and use them religiously, my hand never goes closer than 6 inches to a moving blade, and so far so good. Saftey is in control, and in control is precision.
The thing about protecting us from risk is that it encourages us to think we are protected. In other words we don,t develop any street smarts. Like you Dave, I have all my fingers and a great respect for power tools. 'Common sense' is not all that common today. Thanks once again Dave for another Friday night special.
Somehow I missed this video when it came out. I've been around and used a lot of antique machinery in my life and I've got to say that is the nicest old table saw I've ever seen. What a beauty!! Looks like you take great care of it as well. Made to last !!!
As an old boy said to me years ago (I'm 59) "The only thing about common sense is that you have to have it to use it" that's the trouble with so many things now, they try to make things so safe it makes them dangerouse or not usable for what you want to use them for. I'm an Access Engineer (Scissorlifts and Cherry pickers) I work on the older machines that no one want to fix as you have to be able to use your brain not an analyser and get your hands dirty occasionally, painfully lacking in today's younger so called engineers. Well done Dave.
I like that saw. Someone at your skill level never should have to explain why you do it this way. Crossing the street is dangerous you could be hit by a bus. Keep it up Dave.
Very interesting video, and I fully understand the reasoning behind the steps you take with the saw. Thank you for showing us and answering our questions. Looking forward to the next video.
I completely agree with you that that guard is more dangerous then just paying attention. The biggest safety feature is always your own awareness. Nothing is fool-proof, and sometimes someone trying to make it so will inevitably make it more dangerous. my favorite quote is "the biggest problem with making anything foolproof is underestimating the ingenuity of complete fools" Thanks for giving the best advice of all, "pay attention and you'll keep your fingers" btw, I can tell winter is around the corner, Dave's beard is getting bushy :)
That is quite the piece of machinery , saying that it was built with quality to last a lifetime and then some , regular maintence is key with anything . Watching you use that saw numerous times has shown it's a very valuable piece of equipment for your type of work , many a wood shop would be envious to have it . Nothing wrong with being a junkyard hound cheapskate , sometime improvising is better that the original
So glad to see you maintaining the the old saw shows what quality construction and preventative maintenance can achieve well done Dave enjoyed the video
Thanks, Dave, for the tour of that saw. I agree totally about using the guard. I've been making sawdust for more than 40 years and every time I go to a saw, jointer, or whatever, I think, "How's this thing going to kill me today?"
I saw two co-workers injured while dadoing red oak, back in the 80s. It kicks back with a mind of its own. Fortunately they both healed up well. Meanwhile I learned to get by without a dado head, ever since. Appreciate your pointing out the risks.
Dave, I’ve had a Powermatic 2000 table saw for 20 years, snd a radial arm saw before that. I have never used a blade guard for the exact same reasons you point out: visibility of the blade is poor and that results in an unacceptable risk to me. I’m a retired, ten fingered physician. I must say that I had no idea that a saw made in 1908 would even have a guard. Love all your videos!
I've dealt with safety guards on table saws since 1961, using very expensive high quality equipment and cheap Chinese stuff. They are all dangerous, and as you say Dave, you have to keep your head in the game or you will de-digitize your system. LOL. Thanks for the video, and another lesson in common sense, wish we all had it.
Miałem stolarnię dwadzieścia lat ale takiej wspaniałej piły nie widziałem. Mimo to również mam dziesięć palców. 😁 Film świetny. Pozdrawiam kolegę stolarza
For what it's worth Mr. Engels, I have in the past bought packages of saw blades,, you know where there are 2 or 3 all the same bundled together on sale, and stacked them on the arbor, tooth of one in the gullet of the other sort of thing to use as a makeshift dado. Worked not half bad with blades of low tooth count and sure speeded up plowing grooves. As always I do enjoy your videos and thank you for sharing them.
Very enjoyable video & beautiful old machine, thank you for lifting the hood! Really enjoyed this. Would enjoy other vids on the tools in your shop as well, maybe I missed them though? Either case thank you for sharing
Thanks for a very interesting & informative video. I'm surprised that a piece of equipment as old as your saw even had safety guards as original features. It is very unique and caught my eye immediately (last week) when you rotated the blades. Thanks for taking the time from your busy schedule to show us this piece of history.
It is always a pleasure to cue up Mr. Engles' videos, not least for the measured speed of his commentary. As almost all experienced folks working with old machinery, he regards the afterthought blade guard as not very effective. He is quite right. These accessories give the term safety equipment a bad name. If not for the development of more thoughtful safety engineering forced by the European Union, manufacturers would still be handing us this crap. True riving knives are at the top of the list, closely followed by rip fences that can be easily set to extend no further than the blade, or for thin versus thick stock. All very simple changes in the mechanical design, and should have been universally adopted in the US by now. The practically useless crown guard becomes quite a bit more functional and convenient when mounted directly on a riving knife in a tool-less way, and also used for chip collection. All of these are difficult or impossible to implement by those of us that love and utilize the old industrial iron, of course.
I completely agree with your thinking. Maybe the guys who designed the saw put the guard on as an afterthought, as the rest of it is a work of art. Some tools come with additions that are never used by their owners. I have a smart TV, but I don't use most of the functions! Maybe my age (69) has something to do with it.
i love the way you do not hesitate to spend your time to explain to your followers who are not regularly using electric tools that tool guards are often time not so practical and as safe as they pretend. Safety accessories list is too wide to detail here but with or without guard, electric tool utilisation needs a lot of concentration, as we can notice on all your videos, to avoid any injuries. Again thank you for caring your viewers with huge attention.
LOL. That is funny but so true. I keep my Oliver guard and Wadkin guard on the wall for shop decor. I have hated saw guards my whole life because I can’t see what I am doing! The only injury I ever had was when a straight line safety shield cold cocked me in the head at work. So much for safety guards!
This old saw is certainly “prehistoric”, but it also has that look and vibe of how things were built to be functional and last along time that makes it really cool….Except for that pretty much useless guard.
Thanks for taking the time to show that amazing old saw. As a woodworker, I think the key is to not take short cuts... take the time to do it safely. I don't have the guards for my 30 yr old table saw, the cost to replace them is more than the saw... use push sticks, and your brain
I was just thinking about the dado saw on the last video and why you didn't use one. Now I know that you would probably spend more time changing out the blades than actually working! Thanks for another great video, Dave!
Three years ago after watching you using this saw. I did a search online and found none with the slider. Sir, that saw is a cabinet makers dream saw.......Oh, and I like the planner upgrade. Insert, Helical cutter head.
Like most craftsman’s who relay on a good table saw, guards do not prevent injuries, like you showed it could just as well cause an injury! Most craftsmen, gender aside, have multiple uses for a table saw including running vertical stock to make tenons and also running thicker material than guards allow. If your just an average person working on a saw occasionally, I would highly recommend the use of a guard, it does protect the user. Just my opinion as a retired wood craftsman. Thanks for the details of your saw, they really do not make them of heavy cast metal today, the weight of the saw actually helps the safety issue.
Safety Is No Accident. That was the famous motto of the Leviton Electric Company. But you are certainly right about the saw guard. It seems that the benefit is far less than the cumulative risks. As for dadoing, you mostly use hard woods which will kick back a ton. When I worked in furniture production, our wood cuts that needed dados were never harder than poplar. But it was mostly pine or composites made of pine, no problem. We had to do a lot of dadoing. You are doing mostly bespoke work and you are way better off sticking to the carbide blade.
I see people all the time with blade guards and saw stop saws doing stupid stuff all the time.. been using a table saw since I was a kid without a guard.. as you I respect it and I still have all my fingers.. I think having some fear of the saw keeps you honest 👍😊
Having guards on equipment can lead to relying on them to the point of carelessness! Having a healthy respect for equipment, not to the point of fearing it, will lead to safer working. I have been woodworking more than 45+ years and never used a guard on the tablesaw. It was ALWAYS in the way.
The first time dad let me watch him use the table saw he told me, "Billy, the saw is stupid. It doesn't know the difference between wood and meat. You have to be smarter than the saw." For many years thereafter he tought me numerous ways to do just that. I can still count to 10 w/o removing my shoes. It appears that you have had similar instruction. Thanks, Dave, for passing on the knowledge and attitude of being smarter than one's tools. Don't zone out! Ya gotta keep your head in the game! Words to live by.
Almost the exact comment to me by my dad, but in a different situation. The old farm machinery did not come with guards, belts chains and gearing were mostly in the open. so his comments were related to that. I am a retired (80 year old) machinist, cabinet maker, etc and still have all ten top and bottom due to this advice. Can you imagine the safety gurus with the old buck saw we used for fire wood, 24" blade no guards and belt driven off the tractor 20 feet away. The best safety is between the ears.
@@charlescartwright6367 In my humble opinion, concerning hand tools, power tools, and firearms the only reliable safety is between the ears. Also my dad tought me that 97% of happiness is between the ears and the other 3% doesn't matter.
My dad always told me that the machines were just waiting to bite you at the first chance they get, so to always watch where your hands and fingers are at alle times. Can't say that i have never been bitten, but i still have all my fingers to this day. :)
Great Tutorial on the Saw. How do you lube the Table 'ways'? Sometime please demo that strange HD clamp on the wall to the Left of the Wire Brush. Thanks.
Dave, you could spend 30 minutes talking about how snow flakes accumulate and it would be both interesting and educational. Thank you for making this video.
Forrest will bore blade holes to your specification. As for the blade guard, I'm sure that it would be possible to create a better one. And I've seen some transparent polycarbonate guards that are suspended from the ceiling joists with dust collection included.
This was very cool. It would be nice to have a video on each of the old tools in your shop. I like seeing how they work, they really made quality back then. As for the guards, don't let the safety nazi's get to you. I'm convinced that 99% of table saw accidents are because someone was rushing, or not paying attention to what they were doing, or maybe even trying to do some wood working after a bit of beer or weed. Or maybe not having the tablesaw fence truly in line with the blade or maybe having a super dull blade and having to push too hard. I also think that a SawStop could breed complacency and cause people to be LESS careful than normal, because "if I screw up the SawStop will save me" mentality.
"Oil Can Maintenance" is a long lost art!!! And in my opinion, relying on safety guards is an abdication of responsibility. A person HAS to be in charge of the machine he is using... as I mentioned, last week, THIS MACHINE HAS NO BRAIN.... USE YOUR OWN!!! Thanks, Mr. Dave!!!! :-)
Dave, thank you for the update on your table saw I’ve never seen one before and it was very interesting. sometimes I wish people would keep their opinions to themselves and those that think that the world rotates around them. if they use safety equipment they think everybody else to use also. You’ve been doing good working probably 10 years more than I have and I still have all my 10 digits. They need to understand that this is your shop and you he will do the things that are best for you.
You overlooked the workbench cover that I see is the most frequently used attachment! Actually, you count FIVE fingers on both hands, not ten! May your gloves always be at full capacity!
Brother Dave you are hands down the coolest guy on the Internet. Your skills, knowledge and overall demeanor express true Learning easily accessible and acceptable for every age and every skill level. Thank you for the calm and happiness you bring into my home each and every week. You are much loved, respected and appreciated. שבת שלום
Thanks,I enjoyed this video!! I have been in const. 50 yrs. and this is the first time I have seen this type of table saw!!! Of course we have seen you use it but have not seen all that comes with it!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!! R and W (Randy)
Common sense and awareness of the danger and the responsibility to yourself is sadly lacking , guards have their place but it won't replace common sense and skill . Great video 👍🇬🇧
As someone who's been bitten by 2 different table saws over 30 + years, and still has all 10 digits, I agree that some guards are just too dangerous to use, including many of the modern guards that end up bending or breaking because of the cheap stamped steel and plastic that they are made of. They just get in the way and don't allow you to see what you are doing. Table saws are inherently dangerous to use, as are most industrial machines that tradespeople use on a daily basis. You have to go in with that knowledge and respect the machine, and never allow anything to distract you from what you are focusing on. That's how I got bit, luckily I didn't lose anything but a small amount of motion in one of my fingers, could have been way worse. The "Safety Sally's" likely never had to use these machines daily for years on end. As an old NE carpenter, I love watching you create, or recreate history. Thank YOU!!
I was really surprised that the drive for those blades was a belt...I was kind of expecting a wide rubber wheel that rubbed against another one on each blade's drive axle (arbor). Pretty dang nifty how they did it with a belt instead...thank you for showing us this :)
The best safety guards are ourselves! If you are not sure how to be safe doing something, then don't do it unless you are able to get some advice and teaching from someone who has the experience and skills to help you get the job done safely. I'm with Dave on this one, respect the tools you use, but don't become complacent and think it'll never happen to you! It happens to everyone sooner or later to some extent. Keep up the great work!
I love all the vintage machines you have in your shop! I don't know where people find equipment like this but would love to have a shop full of them. Is there a way you can make an adaptor to use a modern dado set on that saw or is the arbor too big to accommodate one? If you had a mind to you could get a modern overarm blade guard and adapt it to your saw but I am guilty of not using blade guards myself and still have all my fingers as well.
Very nice saw, but that guard looks like it makes the saw more dangerous instead of less dangerous, I can imagine very bad things will happen if the blade catches the guard on the side.
Very much enjoyed this; thank you. Awesome saw, and yes, we can easily see why you don't prefer the dado blade or the blade guard. It IS possible to use dangerous equipment AND retain all digits. Thank you for showing us all about the saw.
Guards have there place but only if they are designed well for the task. I teach my sons to follow well thought out safe work practices and they will become a safe habit. I've known of people who have used a particular tool for years without injury then one day they have an accident and hurt themselves. It's only later we find out they were talking chances with their safety for years and got away with it. Then their age caught up with them and reduced reflects couldn't save themselves. Good safety habits will protect you even if the guards fail.
This table saw is a superb example of a great piece of kit. As you point out Dave how can a basically great design have so many poor design features? Well Dave, like so many things in life common sense is required. I guess that's why most people can't use machinery - NO COMMON SENSE!
I had been wondering about that saw, I've never seen one like it and now that i know it was made in 1908 I can see why. 112 years old and it works great they don't make them like that anymore.
