Normally when ripping relatively narrow stock I stand to the left of the blade and push the stock through between the blade and the fence (using a push block more often than not).
What is the proper technique for ripping when using an overhead guard? Do you just push the piece through under the support arm and then let go of the piece? What if the outfeed support isn't enough to hold the piece by itself?
I've never used an overhead guard, so I'm curious about proper technique with one.
It's gonna vary a little bit. I have the Biesemeyer overhead guard and it requires some minor adjustments in the way you do things.
On a "typical" rip, I stand to the left of the blade and push it with my right hand. I have a very large saw and my table top is quite large (38x48) and I have a very full outfeed, which I strongly recommend.
By creating an outfeed table, you will greatly reduce a number of "problems" that come up with ripping.
Plywood is MUCH easier to deal with ,as are all wood products. The addition of the outfeed table is quite remarkable and you will wonder what the hell you were thinking when not having one.
Here is an older picture of that saw...
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will notice that the entire outfeed is NOT up... In that picture I had the lower 3 feet lowered down.
Here the is the full setup.
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's over 98" from the front of my saw(operator side) to the end of the outfeed.
The overhead guard was not installed at the time of these pictures.
I don't know that there's necessarily a single "proper" technique, if you can do it safely and it works with your setup, it should be fine.
For my system, I have my workbench behind the saw to serve as a big outfeed table and I have rollers available if I need to support it off the side. I made a long pushstick that can easily push a piece past the blade and onto the bench without having to reach all the way around the guard support. I stand to the left, like pretty much everyone else, push one side with my left hand and use my right hand with the pushstick to push the other.
I really prefer the overhead guard, you never have to cut without a guard, even when you're doing dados, etc. Mine is home-made, ceiling mounted and adjustable, it sticks at whatever height I set it at, or I can loosen it a little so it automatically drops down to table height whenever nothing is under it. I have blade inserts with integral splitters for when I need them and I just switch out the insert for one without when I'm running dados.
You'd really have to try hard to come into contact with the blade.
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