Jump to content
💝 Valentine's Day Custom Ornament Business Kit - 30% Off Through Feb 14! ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ ×

Shame on me

amazingkevin

By amazingkevin
in Bragging Rights

 Share

Recommended Posts

amazingkevin Zen Scroller

amazingkevin

Posted
Posted

I did a lot of cutting on my table saw and band saw today.Felt real confident too.I even wore the wrong glasses and nicked my thumb on the table saw because i could not see the blade .First time for everything ,but feeling no pain and bleeding not bad but drops here and there on the project  i switched to the band saw.No covers over the wheels that hold the blade as they  come off now and then . cut so many things all with my fingers millimeters from the unforgiving blade.Well i was in a hurry and needed to slow the blade to a stop and used my finger on the side of the 1/2" blade to slow it down.What was i thinking.No  accident here but it was sure waiting to happen.kevin kevin kevin,yes i did say that !

Link to comment
Share on other sites
CharleyL Pro Scroller

CharleyL

Posted
Posted (edited)

65 years ago my uncle was the first to teach me about using table saws and other power tools. He had a "6 inch rule" that he taught me that has saved my hands and fingers all these years. It's a simple rule "Never, under any circumstances, let your fingers and hands get closer than 6 inches from the exposed cutting parts of a power tool", in this case the table saw (of course, this can't be applied to scroll saws). He told me that if doing that ever became necessary, to stop woodworking and find a different "safer" way to do it. The 6 inch rule also applies to reaching over the cutting blade, so I've learned to work around the table saw so that I don't have to reach over the blade for any reason. My out feed table is as long as my table saw top so there is never a reason to need to reach over the blade to catch an off cut or work piece. 

 

This is the rule that I've followed all these years (I'm 74 now) and all has gone well until I bought Grrippers 8 years ago. When using them it's necessary to hold the handle and pass the Grripper over the blade for most cuts, requiring me to put my fingers less than 2" above the blade. It took me almost 6 months to mentally accept that using a Grripper this way was OK and safe, because there is a plastic guard between my fingers and the blade, and when using a Grripper it is necessary to set the blade height to just above the work thickness, which leaves about a 1" air gap between the blade tips and the plastic guard part of the Grripper, but when not using a Grripper the 6" rule still applies to every power tool that I use.  I never use a blade guard on my table saw, but I always use a pop-up splitter when ripping solid wood. I don't use a blade guard, because much of what I'm usually doing cannot be done with a blade guard in place, but I always have a way to hold the work down as well as push it through the saw, router table, etc. if it is small enough to cause my hands and fingers to be closer than 6". Long thin push sticks are only used when pushing narrow pieces under or past Feather Boards that are  holding the work down and against the fence, and they are a foot or more long. My other work feeding jigs are all designed to hold the work down as well as push it, and the off cut, forward with my hands and fingers located well away from the blades.  Again, the "6 inch rule" keeps me safe.

 

I WOULD NEVER USE A BAND SAW without some kind of cover over the wheels to keep the blade from coming completely off as I was using it. I once worked in a metal shop and saw the results of one of these accidents. It wasn't pretty, and he was out of work for over 2 months. He needed almost 100 stitches in both arms and his face.

 

Charley

Edited by CharleyL
Link to comment
Share on other sites
amazingkevin Zen Scroller

amazingkevin

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Kevin, I know that you love to work and a cutting might be worth a couple of bucks and the good feeling of doing a great job but your fingers are irreplaceable and priceless. Just be very careful mate.

 

Happy belated birthday and happy (and careful) scrolling. :)

 

Tony

I got in a comfort zone , the job was going good and i left my guard down.Thanks Tony! :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
amazingkevin Zen Scroller

amazingkevin

Posted
  • Author
Posted

65 years ago my uncle was the first to teach me about using table saws and other power tools. He had a "6 inch rule" that he taught me that has saved my hands and fingers all these years. It's a simple rule "Never, under any circumstances, let your fingers and hands get closer than 6 inches from the exposed cutting parts of a power tool", in this case the table saw (of course, this can't be applied to scroll saws). He told me that if doing that ever became necessary, to stop woodworking and find a different "safer" way to do it. The 6 inch rule also applies to reaching over the cutting blade, so I've learned to work around the table saw so that I don't have to reach over the blade for any reason. My out feed table is as long as my table saw top so there is never a reason to need to reach over the blade to catch an off cut or work piece. 

 

This is the rule that I've followed all these years (I'm 74 now) and all has gone well until I bought Grrippers 8 years ago. When using them it's necessary to hold the handle and pass the Grripper over the blade for most cuts, requiring me to put my fingers less than 2" above the blade. It took me almost 6 months to mentally accept that using a Grripper this way was OK and safe, because there is a plastic guard between my fingers and the blade, and when using a Grripper it is necessary to set the blade height to just above the work thickness, which leaves about a 1" air gap between the blade tips and the plastic guard part of the Grripper, but when not using a Grripper the 6" rule still applies to every power tool that I use.  I never use a blade guard on my table saw, but I always use a pop-up splitter when ripping solid wood. I don't use a blade guard, because much of what I'm usually doing cannot be done with a blade guard in place, but I always have a way to hold the work down as well as push it through the saw, router table, etc. if it is small enough to cause my hands and fingers to be closer than 6". Long thin push sticks are only used when pushing narrow pieces under or past Feather Boards that are  holding the work down and against the fence, and they are a foot or more long. My other work feeding jigs are all designed to hold the work down as well as push it, and the off cut, forward with my hands and fingers located well away from the blades.  Again, the "6 inch rule" keeps me safe.

 

I WOULD NEVER USE A BAND SAW without some kind of cover over the wheels to keep the blade from coming completely off as I was using it. I once worked in a metal shop and saw the results of one of these accidents. It wasn't pretty, and he was out of work for over 2 months. He needed almost 100 stitches in both arms and his face.

 

Charley

Ok you got through to me .6 "s it is and the covers going back on the band saw.I don'nt like playing with fire and getting burned!T"hank's Teacher! :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:

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
Reply to this topic...

×   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.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...