# Safety Education/Equipment



## SMLWinds (Jan 25, 2012)

I've been reading about woodworking and preparing to do it for a while. I have a very large shop and am currently assembling a list of equipment to purchase. With that said, I want the equipment with the best safety features on the market, completely regardless of price. I am an orthopaedic surgeon so I make a living repairing fingers that find there way into a table or band saw. Obviously I know as well as anyone the need to be safe while working.

What I would like to know is 2 things:
1) Where can I educate myself about general safety and safe woodworking practices? I obviously have common sense and grew up on a farm so I'm familiar with safety and working with my hands but there are probably things that are second nature to the seasoned craftsman that a rookie like myself would never think to do/not to do.
2) I know about the SawStop and personally, I will own no other table saw! I am definitely getting one of those. I have written them several times and asked them to expand their technology to other items. In the mean time, what other tools are out there with great safety features? I've been thinking of innovative ways to place guards around blades in order to protect myself further.

In the end, my approach is to act like there are no safety features while working, but at the same time to make the equipment safe enough that I would have to try to cut my fingers. Any suggestions, information, or ideas are greatly appreciated!


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*the laws of Physics really apply*

First off, Welcome Doc.!
In every instance where a cutter meets a workpiece, the forces acting upon it need to be understood and compensated for. 
Rotating cutters can lift or push on a workpiece either in predictable ways or if not understood......unpredictable ways. :blink:
Other than one on one education from an experience teacher, which you may want to do, You Tube is a wealth of info. not all of which is credible. Like this excellent one demonstrating kick back on the table saw:





  bill


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*other ideas*

Two types of mishaps:
!. Blades and cutters remove wood and flesh.
2. Kickbacks normally just cause surface wounds and bruises but when hands are out of position they can be drawn across the blade on a table saw. I have 1 friend with a missing fingertip from a table saw mishap. Never reach behind the blade for any reason until it stops. Push the work off the saw table onto a supporting out feed table and retrieve it from there even if it means walking around to get it.
Most other machines like a bandsaw or jointer generally will not kickback, but fingers must be out of the cutter path. I have 1 friend with a missing finger tip from improper jointer use. The bandsaw is a bit of a sleeper in that sometimes there is a lot of exposed blade running and it often takes a few minutes for it to spool down after a cut. My rule is to "bat" the scraps from behind the blade toward the operator using a thin stick or pencil.
Planers rarely kickback but can have devastating results when they do.
Router table and shapers are probably the most dangerous with rotating cutters, feed direction, grain changes, hold downs and feather boards all playing a role in safe operation. I have 1 friend with a missing finger tip from a shaper.
I have all of mine and intend on keepin' 'em. :yes: bill


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## SMLWinds (Jan 25, 2012)

Thank you for the responses! I appreciate the input and am continuing to learn about woodworking safety. The kickback video was very educational. However, I must say (call me crazy) but my thumb will be nowhere near as close to the blade as that guys! He is advocating having your thumb a couple inches from the blade....I prefer mine to be a couple feet away! 
Any other thoughts or suggestions are appreciated!


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

I'm a former woodworking instructor. My ortho surgeon took my class after sewing back the tip of my thumb. He figured I'd be pretty good on safety, which I was to the Nth degree. For Adults, I'd spend an entire evening, 3hrs., on just the table saw. We would start by reading the owners manual which is often a good source. I would demonstrate checking the saw for proper set up, adjusting guards, choosing the correct blade, setting blade height, when and how to use a fence, miter head, sleds, push sticks and we'd all practice with me as the outfeed table. There is quite a bit to it, just at the fundamental level.

My accident was a strange one. It happened while changing out the knives on a 16" jointer. This was an industrial shop, large 3 phase equipment, all machines were wired to a buss bar and had an emergency shut off that killed all power. I hit that button before working on the machine. Checked the indicator light but had to leave the shop for 20 minutes, thought I was alone after school. To turn on the power, you needed a key to get in the tool room. Apparently, someone did, made one cut and left. The power indicator light wasn't on but I found out later that it had burned out. The magnetic switch on the jointer had been changed before my time and the on button was just slightly proud of the enclosing shield. My knee must have brushed it as I was working. A split second before, all my fingers were in the cutterhead opening placing a knife. I came very close to losing them all as the machine suddenly fired up. Despite the unusual circumstances, I failed to do one thing, check that the power was off. Rule #1, unplug and check that power is disconnected before doing any work such as changing cutters.

This is important to realize. Although there may be redundant safety mechanisms in place, any of them are mechanical devices and they may fail. Never trust a switch or something like the SawStop brake. Most machines can cut you up but electricity can kill you. Always inspect cords and other electrical connections for abrasions, wear or pulling out of the retainers. Make sure you don't cut a cord when using a portable power tool and use a GFCI if working on a damp floor or outside on the ground.

I've been around the block a few times, former solder under fire, EMT and volunteer firefighter. Often a first responder and I'm a bit used to situations that are out of control. Despite that, I could feel my body reacting to my injury and wanting to go into shock. You can't help it. You need an emergency response plan, someone that knows where you are, a means of calling for help, unrestricted emergency egress paths, fire extinguishers where you can get to them and help you get out as well as accessible first aid, eye wash materials. Having a plan in place can save valuable seconds when they really count.

Some of the basics are often what will get you. Using approved safety glasses. A face shield usually doesn't meet the standard, nice to wear in addition to glasses but they won't stop a flying knot or piece of carbide. No rings, watches, loose clothes, long sleeves. Clean working area around machines, no slippery dust and nothing on the machines like a tool or work pieces that might vibrate around or fall off and distract you. 

I had worked over 20 years in the trade before I started teaching it. I thought I was pretty experienced and had coached and directed numerous folks on job sites. It wasn't until I started teaching that I came to realize just how little I actually knew and that teaching was another whole profession to learn. I had responsibility for the well being of somebody else's child, father, loved one and I had to step up my game. Just passing on things I had learned wasn't good enough and my working past didn't come up to OSHA standards. That's a problem when you talk to old salts that have been around. They don't even realize how much they don't know. A lot of videos, TV shows, magazine articles are perfect examples of good intentions but lacking in complete training. Finding good materials to augment my classes was very difficult. Most served as analytical tools to determine what misinformation and inappropriate procedures were being shown. Be careful.

I haven't addressed any specifics regarding operation of particular tools and machines, I'm already long winded enough. If you are interested and not already bored, I'll talk about the table saw. Being a doctor, you know the value of detailed training and the responsibility to continue to self educate. If you know the situations that can get you into trouble when operating a specific machine, you can avoid them in the first place. That's probably the most important knowledge, safety devices are then a secondary back up.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Great response!*

Thanks for taking the time to write all that out. Now I know why your posts were spot on for good advice and accuracy. :yes: bill


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## SMLWinds (Jan 25, 2012)

That was an amazing response! Thank you so much for taking the time to share it! I would be interested and appreciative of any further advice you have to offer!

I am not a reckless person and have rarely hurt myself in life, but I do push the envelope a lot of times for fun and recreation. Despite that, I mince no words in saying that I have mixed feelings because I love woodworking (what little I have done) but am deathly afraid of the machines!

I realize that you must sacrifice some comfort, time, and maybe even quality to be extra safe. But, I am more than willing to do that. I have also brainstormed numerous ideas for safety features for woodwoorking equipment. It is the same thing when I am in the operating room--it is more comfortable and easier to operate if I am not wearing an eye shield, only have one pair of gloves, etc. But, I always wear my eye protection and wear 3 pairs of gloves including a pair of cut resistant Kevlar gloves! It is kind of like wearing a seat belt to me--at first it is a pain in the butt and you are uncomfortable but eventually you can't ride without it because you don't feel safe. That is the same point I was making about the table saw in the video above--I am sure you can get a precise cut by placing your hand as he suggests and pushing past the saw. However, you will not catch my thumb inches for the saw!

I'm glad your accident was a relatively minor one and you're ok. It serves as a lesson to everyone that you can be experienced, smart, & cautious and STILL have accidents. The phrase gets over used but it is true..."you can't be too careful."

Thanks for your help--I am appreciate of anything further people have to add.

Lastly, aside from SawStop, are there other companies out there that have safety features that rival the competition? Does anyone have a much safer saw/planer/router/etc. than everyone else? If so, that would go to the top of my list for purchase!


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*there a thread on gloves here somewhere*

I personally don't wear any. There are some rubber coated non-slip one that I use on slippery board on the jointer, but that's it. You lose your sense of touch wearing gloves and that's necessary to me. I don't think any type glove would stop a table saw blade from cutting and if it were to get "snagged" it would make a nick into a full blown amputation. I wouldn't wear them. 
Proper push stick and blocks can apply all the necessary downward and forward forces to eliminate having you hands near the blade. I have purposely run the push stick right into the blade on narrow stock....they are expendable. Make several and you won't get attached to them. Paint them bright orange so you find them and use them. I keep one laying on the right side of the fence at all time.

 bill


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