# Improper bandsaw use - PSA



## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

My plan was to cut a piece of a Cherry log to make some signs on the CNC. I cut two pieces before disaster struck and it was all my fault. I'll tell you before you watch this that it isn't pretty but this video is not gory, no blood. But a Laguna 1" Resaw King blade was destroyed in the process. This is my Public Service Announcement for 2017 - don't do what I did.

David


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Yea that would qualify as improper. I cringed on the first two cuts and couldn't believe the last one.


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## Willy-N (Apr 16, 2017)

Boy on that last cut I saw that coming! You were lucky and we all have made these mistakes in the past and hopefully we learn from them. Thanks for showing this.


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## 35015 (Nov 24, 2012)

You're a Champ for making this video...Folk can learn from that kind of service in self admonishment...Good for you.

I am very happy you only got the crap scared out of you...(like the rest of us watching, I'm sure)...I still jumped knowing something was going to happen...I'm personally still shaking...Yikes!!!!

It does happen to us all the longer we do this stuff...Live and learn...


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*It's always about the physics ....*

David at 1:30 seconds into this, you state that you can not ignore the physics involved. If you have been reading my posts here, that is one of the statements I make repeatedly. Woodworking involves high speed cuttters that spin or rotate, wood that moves of it's own accord, and must be secured when cutting forces are applied. Table saws, shapers and router tables, lathes and drill presses can be "an accident waiting to happen" unless you understand the physics involved when a cutting tool or blade enters the workpiece.

Thanks for posting this video and you must have had the foresight to be making it ahead of time. If you were just videoing the process, it certainly has turned into a learning experience you can share with all of us. :thumbsup:

Everyone of us has had a situations where we know that "something bad might happen" but we often carry on regardless.:surprise2: That''s the time to STOP and reconsider the physics involved, how the rotational forces are working and what might happen if only ONE thing goes wrong.


*Murhpy's Law and gravity are big factors in woodworking.*
If it can go wrong it will, as the saying goes. Just a few minutes spent analyzing the operation, securing the work and keeping your hands and fingers safely away from or out of the cut path will be time well spent. :smile3:


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

woodnthings said:


> David at 1:30 seconds into this, you state that you can not ignore the physics involved. If you have been reading my posts here, that is one of the statements I make repeatedly. Woodworking involves high speed cuttters that spin or rotate, wood that moves of it's own accord, and must be secured when cutting forces are applied. Table saws, shapers and router tables, lathes and drill presses can be "an accident waiting to happen" unless you understand the physics involved when a cutting tool or blade enters the workpiece.
> 
> Thanks for posting this video and you must have had the foresight to be making it ahead of time. If you were just videoing the process, it certainly has turned into a learning experience you can share with all of us. :thumbsup:
> 
> ...


I am *very definitely* lucky, blessed, and fortunate to still have 10 fingers! The cameras were there because I was starting the process of making a couple of signs on the CNC and figured I'd start with cutting the slices off the log. Otherwise this would been a bunch of still photos. I'm glad it was captured on video, I hate that it destroyed an expensive blade, but I am hopeful it may save someone from doing something stupid like this in the future, even at my own expense and admission of less than stellar technique.

And yes, I read most of your posts - good stuff! :smile3:

David


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## renraw9002 (Mar 19, 2016)

I'm just finishing my morning coffee so the morning poo was soon to come, but now I think it's done cause i'm pretty sure I just pooed myself. I've had a lot of close ones growing up working on metal with my dad. Luckily none since I started woodworking, but I don't have any large tools like a table saw or bandsaw to have failures like this... yet. You're very lucky nothing hit you.


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## Willy-N (Apr 16, 2017)

The day I compound fractured my pointer finger on my left hand that was broke in haft by a little piece of wood. It shot out off the table saw only 3/4" by 12" but with enough power it broke it in haft. Besides me resetting it fast for less pain it took 13 stiches to sew up that finger and 10 for the finger next to it plus a trip to the emergency room glad the VA paid that one off! Since that happen I have gain a bunch more respect for this equipment and talk to myself about what could go wrong if I did it this way or that way. A split second is all it takes to ruin/end your life or a few more minutes to do it the right way.


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

renraw9002 said:


> I'm just finishing my morning coffee so the morning poo was soon to come, but now I think it's done cause i'm pretty sure I just pooed myself. I've had a lot of close ones growing up working on metal with my dad. Luckily none since I started woodworking, but I don't have any large tools like a table saw or bandsaw to have failures like this... yet. You're very lucky nothing hit you.


Oh, I got hit - I just didn't mention it in the video. Something flew up and hit me under the chin, not sure what hit, though. 

The project was the Cherry so I typically don't include me in the videos except as necessary. I kind of wish now that I had included me 'cause I bet it was an ugly face I made when I cringed, but I guess that's redundant. My friends say it's an ugly face now! LOL! The cut under my chin stopped bleeding after a bit and it's only mildly sore now so not that big of a deal.

David


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## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

Well that looked like a lot of no fun.. Just think of all the bad things that could have happened, but didn't. 
I get a fear that a bandsaw blade is going to snap and I'll have 93.5 inches of sharp blade swirling around the shop with me in the path of it.. Luckily that hasn't happened yet. 
I was thinking that you were trying to recreate the potential actions of a real dragon there.. 

Yesterday I was ripping a mere 14" 2x4 on the table saw. I didn't realize it, but the wood had closed up on the blade and completely stopped the motor and threw the breaker.. Other than ruining the piece of wood nothing else bad happened, but because I don't have a splitter on the saw plenty of bad could have happened. I had already cut about 8 identical pieces with no issues until the one piece and by then I was no longer on high alert.. I'm back to high alert.. lol


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

allpurpose said:


> Well that looked like a lot of no fun.. Just think of all the bad things that could have happened, but didn't.
> I get a fear that a bandsaw blade is going to snap and I'll have 93.5 inches of sharp blade swirling around the shop with me in the path of it.. Luckily that hasn't happened yet.
> I was thinking that you were trying to recreate the potential actions of a real dragon there..
> 
> Yesterday I was ripping a mere 14" 2x4 on the table saw. I didn't realize it, but the wood had closed up on the blade and completely stopped the motor and threw the breaker.. Other than ruining the piece of wood nothing else bad happened, but because I don't have a splitter on the saw plenty of bad could have happened. I had already cut about 8 identical pieces with no issues until the one piece and by then I was no longer on high alert.. I'm back to high alert.. lol


We had something similar happen when we built the Curly Maple and Walnut cross recently. The internal structure is cut from a 2x4 so I had to rip 8' long pieces. They closed up just like yours only the 3HP PM66 doesn't stall, doesn't trip the breaker, _*it won't do anything except do its best to win*_. Sandy was gone and not helping on the outfeed side where I have wedges prepared and ready to keep a board from closing back up on the blade. I couldn't let go with one hand to turn the saw off because it was taking both hands to hold the board to keep it from kicking back at me. I had just cut a piece from the same board and no issues but the next cut closed up quickly. I guess it's time for a splitter...

David


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## Catpower (Jan 11, 2016)

Thanks for posting, and glad you didn't get hurt too bad

I need to show it to my grand kids, a while back one of them was trying to cut a piece off a round thing he had made on the lathe, luckily it just did in the blade

I can't believe how fast the wood accelerated, I think it might have been faster then a table saw blade


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

Catpower said:


> Thanks for posting, and glad you didn't get hurt too bad
> 
> I need to show it to my grand kids, a while back one of them was trying to cut a piece off a round thing he had made on the lathe, luckily it just did in the blade
> 
> I can't believe how fast the wood accelerated, I think it might have been faster then a table saw blade


We have 10 grandkids, 6 of which are under 10 years old and they love the shop. A couple of them were in the shop not long ago and their mom told them 'that bandsaw will cut your finger off so be careful'. I told them 'that bandsaw will cut your finger off _at the shoulder_ and never know it cut anything.' 

Three of them are in town today and they will all see this video. Much as I hate to have to see it again it's important for them to see it.

David


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## Kerrys (May 2, 2016)

Wow! Thanks for posting. Glad your injury was minor. That looked terrifying.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*The 10 year old's brain .....*



difalkner said:


> We have 10 grandkids, 6 of which are under 10 years old and they love the shop. A couple of them were in the shop not long ago and their mom told them 'that bandsaw will cut your finger off so be careful'. I told them 'that bandsaw will cut your finger off _at the shoulder_ and never know it cut anything.'
> 
> Three of them are in town today and they will all see this video. Much as I hate to have to see it again it's important for them to see it.
> 
> David


I can't remember what my thought process was at 10 years old, but I don't think I could grasp all the aspects of this event at that age. What seeing it just may do is instill a FEAR of the machine to the extent they will shy away from it without understanding what caused the sparks, the loud noises and the flying wood. They may never want to use one after seeing this.... I donno? You've probably scared off more than one woodworker here without even any gory photos...LOL.

Since it is about the physics involved, it may be over their little heads. Lot's to factor into this "experiment" gone awry even for the experienced woodworker. Sawing a round object on a bandsaw or a table saw means you have to resist the force of the blade entering the round at the beginning, where it's not supported and wants to rotate the workpiece. Then as the blade travels through the center where it is support against the downward forces it's relatively safe. Now when the blade makes it's way through the remaining unsupported portion it want to spin the workpiece the opposite direction. WE got all sorts of forces acting in at least 3 directions ...... :surprise2:


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

woodnthings said:


> I can't remember what my thought process was at 10 years old, but I don't think I could grasp all the aspects of this event at that age. What seeing it just may do is instill a FEAR of the machine to the extent they will shy away from it without understanding what caused the sparks, the loud noises and the flying wood. They may never want to use one after seeing this.... I donno? You've probably scared off more than one woodworker here without even any gory photos...LOL.
> 
> Since it is about the physics involved, it may be over their little heads. Lot's to factor into this "experiment" gone awry even for the experienced woodworker. Sawing a round object on a bandsaw or a table saw means you have to resist the force of the blade entering the round at the beginning, where it's not supported and wants to rotate the workpiece. Then as the blade travels through the center where it is support against the downward forces it's relatively safe. Now when the blade makes it's way through the remaining unsupported portion it want to spin the workpiece the opposite direction. WE got all sorts of forces acting in at least 3 directions ...... :surprise2:


Yes sir, I have now explained that a couple dozen times! I may have to draw it up and post it to help those who need visuals. My wife is one who wants to see a drawing over a description on most things.

David


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## Cowpokey (Feb 10, 2017)

Thanks for sharing, glad you didn't lose any digits, and hopefully it saves someone else from making a mistake.

I had an awaking moment yesterday cutting some 1x1 oak on the mitre saw for my wife's garden. Thought it would be quick and easy to chop the edges off and make the sticks pointed to drive into the dirt. No more than the blade touched the wood and it tried to drag my hand into the blade. No blood was lost, but the scroll saw used to make the rest of the cuts.


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## Pineknot_86 (Feb 19, 2016)

> *Murhpy's Law and gravity are big factors in woodworking.*


Compared to me, Murphy was an optimist!


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## ford33 (Jan 1, 2013)

Thanks for posting

For those of us not familiar with bandsaw safety, how should the wood have been secured to cut it safely?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*apparently there's more than 1 wrong way to cut log slices ....*



ford33 said:


> Thanks for posting
> 
> For those of us not familiar with bandsaw safety, how should the wood have been secured to cut it safely?


I haven't watched this all the way through but ....


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## Tennessee Tim (Dec 15, 2010)

OUCH!!!! I just watched it......the BLESSING is you DIDN'T have your hand on top as the other 2 cuts.....I got to hear that BEAUTIFUL guitar playing!!!!

WOW that video...slowed down....slowed down again.....and again.....then again....it still spun like wild....I 'll definitely earmark this one....I have several friends in woodworking and one that's wanting to experiment with this resawing....I happen to have his bandsaw now......
This is a great teaching for safety.....

I'm glad the Lord was with you and your hands.......He's SO AWESOME....PRAISES to His Holy Name!!!!


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