GRR-Ripper

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2004393/8909/Micro-Jig-GRRRipper-S...

I saw this tool in operation and after all the years that I have been exposed to the table saw dangers this product impressed me the most. I think it would be of benifit for all of us to watch this in operation and it is reasonable in price as well. Much better than any push stick or kick back devices I have used

Comment by Kerry Drake on April 26, 2011 at 9:00am: I have a pair of Grippers and they are the best things EVER (well maybe not EVER but pretty close).

Comment by Jay Boutwell on April 26, 2011 at 10:23am: Kerry, this is good to know. I was impressed with how they worked on the saw and I didn't have the opportunity to use it very long. However I did feel comfortable pushing the lumber through. I plan on getting a better idea of how they work as I will be laying out a few coins to own one. I value my fingers more than the few dollars they cost. It is great to have a good saw and a good sharp blade, some safety glasses and an accurate fence but this extra bit of insurance against an accident is worth more than money. It is the first method I have seen where the wood on both the fence side and the off fall is controlled on the table. Thanks for your thoughts on this.

Comment by Gary roofner on April 27, 2011 at 2:34pm: I got have one I like my fingers

Comment by Robert Brennan on April 29, 2011 at 3:28am: Hello Jay

Good info mate, I checked out the site,and if I can find a supplier in Brisbane I will buy two of them.

I have spent many hours looking for a solution to a "useable" splitter and saw guard for my table saw, however there is nothing available.

This is a very important safety device but it using the saw to its best ability they all get removed because it impedes (my) the ability to use the saw effectively.

I have received injuries from from the saw, cut thumbs and a kickback stick to the stomach along with frightening my wife with high velocity bits of small timber flying around,so its not that I don't know any better.

But I am yet to find a practical solution to having the safety guards in place, and if you were a safety guru you wouldn't be able to use your saw, due to the exposed saw blade risk.

Every time I service my saw I replace the splitter and guard but its not there for long when I want to use my saw to its fullest ability.

Keep up the good work

Robert Brennan

Comment by Art S. Hamilton on April 30, 2011 at 2:14am: Hello, Jay.

When Lee Valley started offering the GGGRIPPER, I was interested, so I went online and

watched any demo videos I could find. Then I ordered a couple of the complete packages

which cost together about 160 bucks in British Columbia.

Simply said, I believe no saw should be sold without a pair of these included.

At first, when you assemble the kit, it seems like a lot of moving parts to come loose

or get lost in combat. But the fasteners are retained with o-rings.

It also seemed like the average user might not continue to want to take the

time to make the necessary adjustments to their changing wood sizes. It might be

quicker to just grab the old pushstick. Well, after close to a year of ownership,

the value and strengths of these pushblocks hasn't grown stale for me. I feel more

intelligent when I use them, no matter how silly that sounds. And there's no

disputing that I have made a positive LEAP towards being able to enjoy woodworking

more, because the anxiety of tricky cuts is in the past.

Maybe a lot of us might not like to admit how insane some of our cuts have been

done at times, when you almost dialled 9-1 on the phone first, so that you only had

to push the 1 button after the cut maybe went all to hell and removed some real estate

from your body. I strive for safety like it's an obsession, but I have certainly done

risky things when there seemed no alternative. Now I feel fortunate that I survived to

feel stupid, after adopting this very respectable system.

Expensive? Oh yeah, no doubt. Money really well spent. Could not imagine a wiser

purchase.

Comment by Jay Boutwell on April 30, 2011 at 3:04am: Robert and Art, thank you for the well written eye opening advise of which I am hopeful that maybe this might save someone who uses tablesaw and other wood cutting tools in unsafe methods, from a serious accident. I can't tell you how many times I have seen well seasoned craftsmen who take unnecessary risks everyday and never think about it. I know that safety devices are out there and I have used as many as I can get my hands on but lets face it some are overrated and often times are the cause of an accident. When I saw these GRIPPERS at a friends shop and I got a chance to use them I was convienced and made a decission to pass this piece of good fortune on to as many as I can. Apparently these are just now hitting the pacific northwest as they are listed as being a new tool.

Robert I will see if I can find a dealer whom will be able to supply these in your area.

Art that was a well written post on the circle saw conversion the the member Danny posted. I posted one on his page as well. This is what scares me the most about the in-experienced persons whom are trying the learn. It is the learning phase that is most dangerous time for them and if they do not learn the safety of the profession they are even at a higher risk through out their woodworking career. Woodworking is just a dangerous activity even when we attempt to use every per caution and safety device the danger is always there changing with every move we make. Thanks again men for your imput.

Comment by ray vile on April 30, 2011 at 5:03am: Hi Jay, I checked out the gripper awhile back and also thought it was a great idea and then I completly forgot about it until your post here. I will be ordering one in the near future, but for anyone that wants to see one in action www.microjig.com they have a video there

Comment by Robert Brennan on May 1, 2011 at 12:23am: Jay,

I have just returned from the Wood working Expo in Maleny.

Looked for the GRR Ripper but to no avail.

I did however find on the net via microjig a contact in Australia,

That was Northwood Tool Company 16-29 Rose hill Drive Burpengary

but with the current flood we have just had it look like they lost their premsis and stock to a level they cannot trade.

Sent a email to Microjig attempting to find an alternate supplier

Regards

Robert Brennan

Comment by Peter Green on June 25, 2011 at 5:00pm: Ordered mine yesterday, arrived this morning (saturday). It was the last one in England but more are on the way in a couple of weeks. 'Wood workers workshop' near Oxford are the only importer in the UK, The owner, Robert Phebey, is very helpful and his prices, allowing for air freight, are reasonable.

http//:woodworkersworkshop.co.uk

Worth a look as they carry stuff not available anywhere else in the country.

I have no connection with the company

Pete

Comment by Robert Brennan on June 25, 2011 at 11:39pm: Peter

Oh to be able to find a dearer of the GRR Ripper in Brisbane QLD Australia.

I am at a loss to understand why its not readly available in most wood specality shops.

With the current value of your greenback and the Ozzie dollar if I buy from Micro jig the freight alone is more then the buy cost.

However I reckon somebody's gotta PU the dealership in QLD as its a very good product.

I would think that would also make it a very marketable top end seller item in the woodworkers field, however they are very scarce

Regards

Robert Brennan

Robert Brennan