Being left handed has risks when using certain power tools. What can I say pretty much a right handed world. Anyway, I have 2 Portaband saws 1- Corded Milwaukee and one cordless Dewalt.
Both have a certain potential blade cutting risk. The Milwaukee blade travel is tucked up farther you so it is less then the Dewalt, but both pose the same risk. Reason being is, the saw is set up for the user to hold in his right hand and steady with the left. The steady hold points are on the left or the top. All these areas are well protected. When you use it left handed, the only steady points available is on the top, and the right side on the top where the blade circles back is slightly exposed. This leaves the left handed user's right hand potentially exposed to the moving blade, albeit it is only and 1/8"exposure. If you lose focus, you can ting your finger and cut it, which I did. Not a big deep cut, but still a cut.
So I think, "you know better dummy", fix this now. So the pix are my fix.
I took an old cubby thermo-plastic box and cut a piece out of it and made a shroud to fix this so in case I ever have a mental lapse again, the shroud will protect me from the blade being exposed. Not sure why Dewalt or Milwaukee don't put something here out of the box.. Maybe they think lefty's can suffer...cause it is a right handed world,
more likely the companies are just saving money on the build design.
Both have a certain potential blade cutting risk. The Milwaukee blade travel is tucked up farther you so it is less then the Dewalt, but both pose the same risk. Reason being is, the saw is set up for the user to hold in his right hand and steady with the left. The steady hold points are on the left or the top. All these areas are well protected. When you use it left handed, the only steady points available is on the top, and the right side on the top where the blade circles back is slightly exposed. This leaves the left handed user's right hand potentially exposed to the moving blade, albeit it is only and 1/8"exposure. If you lose focus, you can ting your finger and cut it, which I did. Not a big deep cut, but still a cut.
So I think, "you know better dummy", fix this now. So the pix are my fix.
I took an old cubby thermo-plastic box and cut a piece out of it and made a shroud to fix this so in case I ever have a mental lapse again, the shroud will protect me from the blade being exposed. Not sure why Dewalt or Milwaukee don't put something here out of the box.. Maybe they think lefty's can suffer...cause it is a right handed world,
more likely the companies are just saving money on the build design.
