table saw safety and the Grr-ripper

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  • photocurio
    Senior Member
    • Jul 2012
    • 400

    table saw safety and the Grr-ripper

    I have a small Ridgid portable table saw. I've been using it for a few weeks and it seems just fine.

    I saw this pushblock product in my local woodworker's store (Rocklers). Its called Grr-ripper.


    The world's safest pushblock for use with table saws, router tables, band saws, and jointers. Make ultra accurate cuts with one hand, protect fingers, and prevent kickback. No other pushblock offers this level of precision, control, and safety.


    I thought right away that this pushblock system gives you much more control over the piece of wood that you're cutting. So much better than the push stick. The guy in the store assured me it was not a toy and that it was a well engineered tool.

    So I bought it.. and then when I got it home I realized that I'd need to remove both the blade guard and the anti-kick thing from my table saw. I guess I can use either the safety system that came with the saw, OR the Grr-ripper system, but not both. What do you guys think?
  • Saxe Point
    Member
    • Nov 2012
    • 48

    #2
    Great question - I have the same saw.

    Comment

    • eflanders
      Senior Member
      • Jan 2013
      • 335

      #3
      Re: table saw safety and the Grr-ripper

      I may catch a lot of grief for this reply but here goes anyway:

      Working with small pieces of stock, one often will remove safety guards in order to better see what you are doing and to maintain total control the stock being worked on. This is where push blocks and other devices are extremely helpful and the safest way to go. I may be wrong and this is where I am likely to catch the most grief on here, but I'm going to guess that while most shops will not openly admit it (for liability reasons), many of them do not use the guards regularly if at all, regardless of the make, size or model of the machine.

      I AM NOT RECOMMENDING THAT YOU REMOVE ANY SAFETY DEVICE!

      GOOD COMMON SENSE, TOTAL AWARENESS and NOT GETTING DISTRACTED while working is THE best way to work safe with any machine that removes stock and/or body parts.

      The Grr-ripper push block system you bought is a modified (innovative) and well marketed ways to effectively help control the stock as it is being fed into the machine. It does allow you more control than the old-style basic push block many of us were taught how to make and use years ago. But the basic push block can easily be made better by using / adding some of the ideas from this well marketed device.

      Most kickback issues arise from the stock binding between the blade and the fence or if the material being ripped closes-up at the blade. It happens most frequently with "green" stock or stock that is warped and/or lots of knots and wood pitch in it. Preventing kickback starts with properly aligning the fence AND the riving knife or splitter to the blade. KICKBACK HAPPENS and thus you should ALWAYS align your body so that you can: 1). Safely control the feed & support of the entire length of stock as it is being fed into the saw. 2). AND make sure that you are not standing directly in back of the material (AVOID) should it kick back into you. As soon as you do NOT do one of these two things, you will at some time or another get hit with a kickback. Remember, it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when.

      Comment

      • Oldad
        Senior Member
        • Jan 2008
        • 3415

        #4
        Re: table saw safety and the Grr-ripper

        I have been a professional woodworker all of my adult life and even as a child was allowed to use my dad's power tools including the table saw. I have not had a splitter or guard on any table saw, even the 5 hp model when I ran the carpenter shop at the college where I worked for 10 years. Using a tool like the gripper or homemade push sticks and knowing that saw can cripple the hell out of you in the blink of an eye is better than any splitter or guard. Never use the saw when you are angry, drinking or more than a bit tired or distracted and always be mindful of what the saw can do to you, but never afraid of it either. I guess I would like to have one of those thingys that go on your saw that won't cut a hotdog but probably never will.

        Comment

        • jpatrick
          Measures twice/Cuts twice
          • Jun 2010
          • 4003

          #5
          Re: table saw safety and the Grr-ripper

          I think they saw you coming. That thing looks like a complete hassle. I use a plywood push stick that is sacrificial. That is, it can get cut along with the stock. One only needs to push the stock that is between the blade and the fence. Actually, pushing the outer stock is dead wrong. Once the cut is complete, the outer stock will just sit there. The spinning blade may bump it but it won't kick it back. The stock between the fence and the blade is another matter. You never want to let go of that bit.

          I've never seen a guard set-up that will allow one to rip narrow offcuts. If a guard won't work for that situation, it's useless.

          A riving knife is the best safety device a table saw can have short of the Sawstop thing. If you can install one onto your saw... Do it!

          Jeff

          Comment

          • Mike J
            Senior Member
            • Nov 2012
            • 573

            #6
            Re: table saw safety and the Grr-ripper

            All of the above plus my two cents. I rarely use the blade guard or the riving knife, but I always use featherboards. For ripping strips, I have a long shop made featherboard holding the stock next to the fence, and a long strip of plywood clamped to the fence to keep the stock flat to the table. The key is to keep the stock from moving in any direction but past the blade. The handful of kickbacks I've had have been directly caused by me getting careless and not securing the stock. Your attention is the best safety device.
            Mike Builds a Boat on YouTube!!

            Comment

            • SBrookman
              Senior Member
              • Feb 2007
              • 1110

              #7
              Re: table saw safety and the Grr-ripper

              I bought a couple of the Grippers to help make 16' staves for a birdsmouth mast. I really liked them as they worked great allowing me to single hand 16' 10x2's rip then routed the stock by leapfrogging the units. I got a lot of practice as I made more kindling than staves, rejecting many cause of knots. In the past it was a challenge working solo with that length of material even with featherboards, but with the Grippers I had good control, felt safe, and quickly filled the shop with kindling and finally 8 staves. I need to get better at selecting lumber.!

              Steve B
              Sjogin IIIa
              PAYTON 13' Pea Pod

              RIVUS 16' Melonseed


              "If a man must be obsessed by something, I suppose a boat is as good as anything, perhaps a bit better than most." E. B. White

              Comment

              • alienbogey
                Junior Member
                • Nov 2014
                • 2

                #8
                Re: table saw safety and the Grr-ripper

                15 years ago I bought my PM66 brand new, put it together, then promptly took off the various blade guard impedimenta and haven't used them since - I'm not even sure where they are now and good riddance.

                I also bought the Grripper last year and can see that it is a good, well-engineered product, but I have become so used to my various shop made push sticks that I haven't picked up the Grripper in months. Personally, I could see using it in a few special situations, but other than that I guess I'm not very re-trainable.

                If you're relatively new to the tablesaw and use the Grripper from the start I'm guessing it could be a good tool.

                Comment

                • MoMan
                  Flaccid Member
                  • Nov 2009
                  • 1062

                  #9
                  Re: table saw safety and the Grr-ripper

                  I tossed out my blade guard years ago, but I still use a splitter. My splitter wouldn't work w/ the Gripper, but you could buy the MicroJig Splitter, which has a lower profile ($30-$40). Looks like it is made by the same company as the Gripper.

                  “It doesn’t matter how slowly you go -- so long as you do not stop.”
                  -Confucius

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