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  • Messman
    Messman

    Bonehead Mistakes Can Cost You Dearly

    Originally published in The Village Square - February 2010

     

    How many of you truly use the safety equipment that comes with your tools? I would venture to say that you like me, probably don't use most of your safety gear that came with your tools, especially the safety equipment that came with that work all-important workhorse, your table saw. The come with the splitter and blade guard, and you can pick up other equipment for them such as feather boards.

    We set up our newly acquired tools, drooling at the prospect of cutting that first piece of wood, or running that first piece of wood through that planer, or doing whatever with that new tool. We get almost completed in setting that nice new shiny tool up, the only thing left is to put that safety equipment on, but we think to our selves, "I am careful, I have been woodworking for xx amount of years and have never had an accident. I don't need that safety gear. I am too good I always know where my body is in relation to the moving parts and blade of my equipment. Na I don't need it." Or maybe you say to yourself, "That safety gear is a pain to work with. It is comber some, and it just plain gets in my way, so I am not going to use that gear, I don't really need it." (Sound Familiar) So you don't put the safety features on your tool.

    Well, guess what folks. Its there for a reason. Its called safety devises for a reason. They are designed to help keep you safe!! I implore you to use them. If you haven't put them on your equipment, you need to go out to your work area, find them, clean all the dust off them and place them on your equipment now. Let me show you why.

    Here is my own finger (picture missing), and yes I was very lucky, the day after I ran it through a table saw that was running. It took about six hours for it to stop bleeding completely, and it will take, of course, much longer to heal.

    I guess you say that I decided that the finger was too long. Actually here is what happened. I was cutting down some wood on my table saw that was to be used as edging on a project that I was working on. When I was almost completed making that cut, it kicked back on me. When it did, my finger went under the wood I was cutting and right into the saw blade. I was very lucky, it could have been my whole finger or even more. Just so you are aware, the cut is deeper than the picture can show.

    One more piece of advice for you make sure you invest In a good First Aid Kit. Included with that first aid kit should be a bottle of eye cleaner/flushing solution. This is very important in a woodshop since we have all that sawdust/chips flying through the air. First aid kits are not expensive. You can pick up a good kit for $20.00 and up. You can also pick them up cheaper, all though I would personally not recommend the smaller kits. Your First aid kit should be mountable, clearly marked, and placed in a location that can be easily reached in your shop with no obstructions in its way. I also recommend that as you use items from your first aid kit that you replace that item.

    Don't make that costly mistake. Use the safety equipment that comes with your equipment, and for god sakes use the most important safety device you have, your brain!!!!! Don't be a bonehead like I was. Keep on Woodworking, and be safe.

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    My brother in law cut his finger down to the bone with an electric chainsaw.  His job was a part time handy man.  He had terrible insurance.  The accident cost him $5000 out of pocket plus he was pretty much out of work for a month. Had no problem with getting the CFO to approve a SawStop.

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    The first time I took the wife to a wood workers show - While I was watching a demo for a "Really neat" tool, she came and dragged me over to watch the Grr-Ripper push blocks demo. I watched with her and thought they were "Really neat", but expensive, and I had push blocks & sticks. She then asked the vendor for her bag, which she handed to me. After we got home, I found, that if I wanted to sleep in my own bed, I'd better be showing how I used those fancy push blocks. So, now they are second nature for me. If I'm not using a special jig to push wood through the saw, I'm using the Grr-Ripper blocks. I like the way they hold the board to the fence.

    The biggest safety hazard on the table saw is when you take the upper blade guard off, which also removes the Riving Blade. The Riving Blade is what helps prevent wood from twisting into the back of the blade. When the back of the blade catches the wood is when kickback happens and wood starts flying. If you do take the upper guard off, you must have something behind the blade that acts as a Riving Blade. Some saws will come with one - my Sawstop did. Some may have to be purchased as an accessory - MicroJig makes the Splitter kits that are cheap and easy to install.

    I hear folks who make & use zero clearance Inserts (ZCI) tell me that the way a ZCI is made prevents the use of a Riving Blade or upper Blade Guard. Baloney! I have a video that shows how to cut a ZCI so a Riving Blade or upper guard can be re-installed and works fine. While I'm demonstrating on a Sawstop, I've used this method on Delta, Powermate, Grizzly, Craftsman, and other saws. And it makes no difference what you use to make the ZCI.

    You don't have to buy an expensive Sawstop to have a safe table saw. Although, if your wife ever watches a Sawstop demo, you probably will. But using common sense you can have a table saw that is safe to use. You gotta remember - these machine don't have brains - we have to use our own.

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    My husband was looking at the Sawstop table saw a couple of years ago now.  I insisted that he purchase it.  I told him if it saved his hand or a finger it was money well spent.  He also had all the other safe tools that helped make it safer to use a table saw and had good habits but as I told him, it just takes once to slip so he listened to me and bought the Sawstop. 😉  Aren't I a good wife.?!?☺️  I still won't use the table saw yet.  If I need something cut that requires it, I wait and let him do it for me. :oops:

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