Safety First

I know it goes without saying, but for everyone's sake, I'm going to say it anyway.

You can't be too CAREFUL!

Now with that out of the way, let me tell you a little story about safety. Like a lot of people I know, I thought it was "cool" to use my table saw without the blade guard/splitter assembly. The damn thing was always in the way, right? Well I still think it's in the way, but now I always use it anyway! Here's what happened to convince me.

I was making something for a friend of mine. He needed a small attachment for a piece of equipment he uses in his work. He is a musician, and he wanted a small add-on shelf made to hold his latest gizmo - an audio controller. I was making it out of 1/2" plywood and as I was cutting it to width, I had a kickback. That small piece (10 1/2" X 8") caught the blade, and was flung back into my stomach with such force, that I had to go to the doctor because of the bruising which resulted. Before it was done, the bruise was about 10" X 10" and a lovely shade of deep purple. The only thing good about it was that I didn't get hit in the face. You see just before that, I had been trying to get a closer look at the line of cut from a much lower angle, like just above table level.

There was no permanent nor serious damage done I'm happy to report, but man, that taught me a lesson about safety. It could have been much worse! You just can't be too careful. This goes for any and all operatons you may be performing in woodworking. Follow the manufacturer's safety recommendations and use the safety devices they provide. If you think your hands are a little too close to the "action", they probably are. Don't gamble!

When I was a young boy and my dad was trying to teach me about woodworking, he always said, "the most important thing in woodworking is to treat your tools with the respect they deserve". Had I followed his guidelines, I wouldn't have gotten hurt. Thank goodness it wasn't any worse.

SAFETY RULES TO ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND:

• If it feels a little dangerous, it probably is. Find another safer way to accomplish this task.
• Always follow the manufacturer's safety recommendations
• Always keep your hands well clear of the "action"
• Always use push sticks (see the Project Plan section for easy to make push sticks)
• Always protect your eyes with safety glasses. Anytime you're using any tool, you should be wearing them,,,,,,,make it a habit! Although faceguards & goggles do provide some limited amount of protection, safety glasses are the only SURE way to protect your vision!

It is assumed that vistors to these pages have at least some woodworking experience. Nothing should be attempted without being absolutely sure that you have the ability to do the job safely. These projects should not be attempted unless you are certain that you can complete all phases of the projects SAFELY! If you're not sure of something, don't attempt it without first seeking the assistance of a competant woodworker.

Now that we've covered the basic safety recommendations, please click on HOME below and then click on PHOTOGRAPHS OF MY PROJECTS and let's continue our tour of Grampa's Workshop.