# Never do this



## durdyolman (Mar 22, 2013)

Last year, working on compound mitre picture frame(s), I was using the TS to make slots on the ends of each piece for "biscuits" to strengthen the corners. The last of 32 cuts somehow went wrong and the TS got mad and threw the workpiece back at me. (About an inch or so). The edge of the piece caught me on the tips of 2 fingers. Anything that can go wrong, will.


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## Smith Brother (Dec 9, 2012)

Sorry about that, how did they heal? 

I am super careful, but even then, it isn't always enough. 

This past weekend my son was helping his 6 year old in my shop build his first pine box car. He was talking safety, but a 6 year old doesn't listen well, huh.....

No issues, but he didn't turn any machines over to him either, that is down the road. Out of 70 plus cars, he finished 6th. He did finish 2nd. in the heat finals, that made him happy, but 6th., not so HAPPY. Part of the learning process....

Dale in Indy


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## WillemJM (Aug 18, 2011)

Ouch!!!

Thx for posting, a good reminder to me to be a bit more careful, I have been rushing a job lately and should pay attention to my old rules, strictly taught when being apprenticed.


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## Salmon_Ears (Mar 20, 2013)

OHHHHH, you gotta put a gore warning in your title, man!!


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## Tman1 (Jan 14, 2013)

Looks painful. What was the setup? It's easier to not do something if I know exactly what " it" is.


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## srestrepo (Sep 28, 2012)

wow this is messed up. +1 on the gore warning...

i just had a scare myself but it was much less significant and involving a miter saw.

i tried to cut a very small piece of oak and it slipped out of my finger right as i was ending teh cut. my hand basically slapped the side of teh spinning blade but none of the teeth


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## newbirdhunter (Feb 25, 2013)

sorry for your mishap. good lesson for all especially us very green folk to always pay attention to safety.


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## 4DThinker (Mar 13, 2013)

yes.... Never do that. If you are prone to doing it accidently, I'll recommend you switch to a SawStop TS. The one we installed in our college shop saves a few fingers each semester.


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## durdyolman (Mar 22, 2013)

4DThinker said:


> yes.... Never do that. If you are prone to doing it accidently, I'll recommend you switch to a SawStop TS. The one we installed in our college shop saves a few fingers each semester.


 .
. I've looked at that and found the cost of the system is more than a new table saw. But still less than a couple of fingers.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*SawStop prevents kickbacks?*



4DThinker said:


> yes.... Never do that. If you are prone to doing it accidently, I'll recommend you switch to a SawStop TS. The one we installed in our college shop saves a few fingers each semester.



The original post was:
*Never do this*
Last year, working on compound mitre picture frame(s), I was using the TS to make slots on the ends of each piece for "biscuits" to strengthen the corners. The last of 32 cuts somehow went wrong and the* TS got mad and threw the workpiece back at me.* (About an inch or so). The edge of the piece caught me on the tips of 2 fingers. Anything that can go wrong, will.


I don't think in this case a SawStop would have prevented this mishap.


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## durdyolman (Mar 22, 2013)

*My understanding of the "Saw Stop"*

When the power is on the saw, and a conductive object (finger, metal, etc) gets too close/touches the blade, the sensors cause the "brake" to slam on the blade and drop it down below the table in a nano second. Then you need to go to the store for replacement parts for the "stop". Probably worth the price if my finger had touched the blade, but it was kickback that got me. Like woodnthings stated, saw stop wouldn't have helped in this case.
BTW all is long healed with a fingernail grown back a bit funky.
Jimmy


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## henrylarry6 (Nov 3, 2012)

Ohh.. frick man… I am so sorry for your mishap.


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## Timothy (Jan 13, 2010)

Never the less, don't leave off the saw stop. Not having it cost me a "groove in my thumb" that's still aggravating after 6 years.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

4DThinker said:


> yes.... Never do that. If you are prone to doing it accidently, I'll recommend you switch to a SawStop TS. The one we installed in our college shop saves a few fingers each semester.


That sounds like an exaggeration. The table saw in my old high school's shop class wasn't a SawStop. Yet kids sure weren't losing digits at the rate of several per semester. In fact, there was only one incident in my 4 years of being at the school (9-12) where a kid got a table saw cut finger. A bunch of stitches later and all was well.

I doubt any college shop is/was having a finger loss epidemic of the magnitude you're implying.


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## jharris2 (Jul 9, 2012)

Steve,

A safety record like that is reflects very well on your diligence 

Keeping kids from self destruction in a shop has got to be akin to herding cats!







Well done sir!


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

jharris2 said:


> Steve,
> 
> A safety record like that is reflects very well on your diligence
> 
> ...


Heh, I was one of the cats (not the herder). The shop teacher, Mr. Black, did hound us about safety though. Apparently he understood the mindless nature of high school students with girls on their minds.


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## jharris2 (Jul 9, 2012)

Laughing!

I'll never forget my shop teacher Mr. Thornton.

As know it all teenagers with no sense of mortality we all thought he was a real.....

He miraculously managed to get us through the course with all our parts intact.


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## 4DThinker (Mar 13, 2013)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> That sounds like an exaggeration. ...
> I doubt any college shop is/was having a finger loss epidemic of the magnitude you're implying.


I teach furniture design to college Architecture and Design students who rarely show up to class with a full night's sleep. There are six classes (three sections of two), and I teach one section of each class. 10 students typical per section. The table saw is the most dangerous tool we have, and kickbacks are the most frequent accident when a student is using one. Before we bought the Saw Stop we didn't let students use the table saw unless they could prove they understood it's physics and had some experience using one. Only a small percent show up with any shop experience now, and I still do their table saw cuts for them unless they tell me they want to learn the saw. In that case I'll give them extra demonstration and watch them through several cuts, and when happy will OK them to use the Saw Stop. Between the six sections each semester we've had the Saw Stop stop the blade an average of 3 times a semester. These wouldn't have been lost fingers in any case, but a significant rip on a thumb or finger had the Saw Stop not stopped the blade. I'll point out again that these are students in an Architectural Design College who often are in studio all night. When it is obvious a student is sleep deprived I'll suggest they use class time for a nap. They don't always take my advice, as shop access is limited and they do have projects to complete. The Saw Stop can also be set off by static from cutting plastic, and I've witnessed it going off when a student ran the aluminum miter gauge into it. So perhaps we don't have 6 finger touches a year. I've seen the tiny nicks on fingers that did touch the blade though, and am not exaggerating. Personally I've never touched a spinning blade in 35 years of experience. I still think the Saw Stop was the best possible investment for the College Shop though. 

4D


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