Jump to content
🐰 Easter - Custom Ornament Business Kit 🌼 50% Off through March 31, 2024 ×
  • 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.

    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments



    I will not use any tool until everything around me is cleared away glasses on, face mask on and hearing protection then clothes tucked in I look like a space man but you only get one set of eyes, ears, hands and feet.

     

    Be careful out there everyone it's scary in the workshop take heed on the Messmans words they make sense.

    Thanks for the reminder.

     

    Roly

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Health and safety is down to the individual, a lot of guards are put there to protect the manufactures from liability it's up to the user wether or not to use them , if its a new machine then by all means follow the safety manual, but really it's up to you, just like a fire arm you must have respect for anything that is going to bite you back, but the truth is the more you use the power tool the more you get nonchalant and that's when accidents happen, please take care it's hard ordering five pints of beer when you only have four digits......Paul

    Ps hope the finger gets better chris it's a painfull way to kick start the health and safety in a workshop regime.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Ah yes the same thing just about happened to me .I was useing my hand held electric planer and found that if i slide my finger under the planer it would act as a perfect guide for doing the edge of a door.i don't know what happend but my little finger got sucked in the blades and jamed the machine.I never bleed and barely ripped the skin.i still see the marks on my finger but will never do that again.Yes i'm a bone head sometimes!

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Most of my tools have the gaurds removed  but i'm 3 times as carefull with them , however my radial saw has all the gaurds in place. something about that one tool says i'm gonna get you sucka LOL. Thank God the only time a tool hurt me was my fault of course useing a biscuit cutter and trying to hold the peice in my hand. 18 stitches later i learned a lesson -- clamps are for clamping ??? I agree with all said be safe

     

    sully

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Wow you were lucky with not loosing a finger. I have seen too many severly hurt using the table or radial arm saws.

    Some in the places I was working. One supervisor had operator take gaurd off so she could make the cuts on plastic part faster. And the most amazing part same operator same supervisor repeated the same mistake a year latter. 3 fingers gone and said she would take gaurd off again because it was just to hard to use machine with it.

    Some days one has to wonder. Like one of my buddies said after slicing open his hand after chewing his Son out for a finger end loss. Boyo that was stupid on my part both chewing out the kid and then ignoring the safety.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I only know one person that has used a table saw for years, and yes without the protective saftey guards, who has not, at one time or another, has a piece of wood, located between the blade and the fence, come racing back into their ribs, I have to say that I have had this happen to me on more than one occasin through the years.I also have to admit that I do not use my saftey goggles very often, when on teh table saw. The table saw is probably the most dangerous of all the wood working machines and the saw does not  care who the operator is, it will do it's thing whenever one relaxes in the way we use the machine. I know I am  an idiot for not wearing eye protection when I run my saw..Thanks for the reminder. The one thing that I like about the scroll saw is one has to really want to cut off a finger, to lose one on that machine.

    WE NEED TO BE REMINDED TO BE SAFE WHEN WE USE MACHINERY OF ANY KIND, EVER ONCE IN AWHILE.  THANKS FOR THE RE-AWAKENING US.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I took the blade guard off my table saw, I had the Blade set high and ran a 3/4 in stock thru it, Had the radio going and lost constriction and got my thumb in the path of the cut and cut my thumb completely off right at the knuckle and they couldn't sew it back on. I now have the blade guard in place, the blade is set just high enough to cut thru the wood, and the radio is in the trash. When you are using power equipment and loose constriction the chances of you getting hurt is great. It was my left hand so I can still mouth a Bass, So I can live without it.and still use the scroll saw. Some people never learn I have taken the blade guard off the scroll saw,  

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    The older saws have safety equipment that can be a pain to set up and has to be removed for certain operations ie dados. The newer saws have a better system with riving knifes so no excuses. A long with proper safety is state of mind. After an argument with the wife and being a little tired clipped my finger that was 3 months of physical therapy and still doesn't work the same.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Error's for what ever reason are costly Table saws ,Chain saws ,band saws ,punch presses * of course MOTOR CYCLES ,None feel, taste or care ,even the best attempts at safety some times is not enough ,Murphy lives ,usually when you think you are in command is when accidents happen .a small flying stone just caused the death of a motor cycle driver yesterday .Anytime you play with fire there is the chance you will get burned ,all you can do is the best you can and pray Murphy is some where else that day ,even the osha cowboy is not exempt!  

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Regarding saw dust safety if you are using a mask while cutting or sanding, don't take it off once you turn the machine.  It is then that you probably need it the most.  Small dust particles are circulating in the environment and you may be inhaling them. It is not the larger dust particle that you vacuum or sweet up that will hurt you.  Instead they are the ones in the environment that you can barely see.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    shop safety gets taken for granted by all of us very easily. I've got a 1950's ts that has no guards, riving knife, nothing, just the fence & the blade. I make my own safety guards if i need to get very close to the blade, & I never stand behind the saw. I always stand on the left side of it. I've got full control of what I'm cutting, & can see over the blade. 

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I keep my riving knife in my saw unless I am using a stacked dado set. I also use use push sticks and and my GRR Grippers . I had 3 fingers on left hand re-attached  a few years ago after I lost the argument with my table saw. Safety is the first thoughts in my shop. 

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites




    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
    Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

    Guest
    Add a comment...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • Sponsored

    (Log In or Sign Up to remove this ad.)

×
×
  • Create New...