50 – Shop Safety: What If?

Video - May 6, 2008

One thing I do every time I approach a tool is think of the worst-case scenarios. Its a bit gruesome to let your imagination take you there, but there is a good reason for it. This simple mental exercise not only raises your awareness of the potential dangers, but essentially shows you exactly what you need to do to prevent injury.

10 comments on “50 – Shop Safety: What If?”

Kip May 6, 2008 1:08 pm

Well my Safety Tips are “Don;t work late at night”. And “Triple check your machine setups”.

Make sure your wide awake and alert and focused on what your doing before using a power tool.

Case in point, I was in the shop alone about 10:30 at night. I had
set up a router table to cut a dado. It was a blind cut to start the groove, and as I placed the board down on the cutter it came up through the board ( since I neglected to triple check the height setting) and gave me a manicure it took the emergency room to stitch up. I was lucky I ended up with a very minor deformation on a thumbnail.

I have since not worked with no one in the house or past 8:00 PM. A rule my wife strictly enforces.

Marc I hope this is what you were asking for in your recent safety Video.

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Kyle May 6, 2008 3:44 pm

Anybody ever see the Sam Maloof videos on the woodworking channel? Watching that guy use a bandsaw makes me cringe. It’s a miracle he sill has all his fingers. That would be a good “what not to do” video.

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Vic May 6, 2008 6:23 pm

Sylvia is a fainter. If I ever hurt myself and I have on several occasions (always doing something mundane so I wasn’t giving the procedure my full attention). I tell Sylvia that I’m going into town to get something, because if she sees what I’ve done, she faints, possibly hurting herself. Then I’m transporting two people to the hospital.

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Jim May 6, 2008 8:13 pm

Your discussion at the bandsaw reminded me of something really stupid that I used to do when I just started out in woodworking. While using my small benchtop TS, I would push the wood about 3/4 of the way thru the blade and then reach around to the back of the saw and pull the wood the rest of the way thru. Of course I had know splitter, I didn’t even know what that was. Fortunately I never got hurt or had any kickback.

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Mark May 6, 2008 8:56 pm

Another way to make the bandsaw safer is to lower the guide arm. The less space there is between the guide and the table, the harder it will be to cut yourself.

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jack August 14, 2009 10:07 pm

is a radial arm saw or table saw more dangerous?

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- thewoodwhisperer August 14, 2009 10:30 pm
  
  Both are dangerous. General consensus would probably be that the radial arm saw is more dangerous though.
  
  Reply
Mike January 4, 2012 2:58 am

Just watched and read the comments…..

I’ve used a RAS for past 25 yrs and feel safer using it then the TS! For some reason the TS frightens me more…..go figure?

Maybe because the RAS has a better blade guard, rising knife and anti-kickback pawls when ripping….Never ever had kickback with a RAS …..never-the-less use the TS for ripping as easier.

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Dan March 9, 2014 3:28 am

Know this is old an no one will probably see this but I’ll say it anyways. The most important piece of safety equipment in the shop is your brain. Bring it with you or leave.

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Ross Williams March 29, 2015 10:03 am

Unfortunately your brain is also your least reliable safety equipment. If you disagree, you sort of proved the point.

Safety is best accomplished in layers. If three thing need to go wrong, instead of one, you dramatically decrease your chances of being hurt. A 1/100 chance becomes 1 in a million.

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