Blade Guard Assembly - Shop fox W1819 Owner's Manual

The term "blade guard" refers to the assembly that con-
sists of the clear polycarbonate shield, the spreader, and
the anti-kickback pawls on each side of the spreader
( ). Each of these components have important
safety functions during the operation of the saw.
The clear polycarbonate guard allows the operator to
see the blade cut the workpiece during operation. This
guard is designed to lift as the workpiece is pushed into
the blade and remain in contact with the workpiece
throughout the entire cut.
The guard reduces injury risk by providing a barrier
around the blade that prevents accidental contact and
contains flying wood chips.
To ensure that the guard does its job effectively, it must
always be in the downward position against the table
in the resting position during idle operation, and the
hinge mechanism must be maintained in good working
condition so the guard can freely pivot up and down to
accommodate the height of the workpiece and return to
the table surface.
The spreader is a metal plate that prevents the newly
cut kerf of the workpiece from pinching the backside of
the blade, causing kickback. The spreader also acts as a
barrier behind the blade to shield hands from being pulled
into the blade if a kickback occurs.
To ensure that the blade spreader works safely, the
following requirements MUST be met when installing
new blades:
The spreader MUST be aligned/adjusted to the blade.
In order to work properly, the spreader
cannot be bent or misaligned with the
blade. If the spreader gets accidentally
bent, take the time to straighten it
or just replace it. Using a bent or
misaligned spreader will increase the
risk of kickback!
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Blade guard assembly

components.