52 – My Mistake
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In the years since I started woodworking, I have only had a few close calls. Fortunately, most of my injuries have been minor. Most of those injuries took place early in my career before I knew anything about anything. This video will show you some of the stupid mistakes I’ve made, what happened to me, and how I avoid repeating those mistakes.
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Hey Marc,
Just last week I had a little kickback incident that unfortunately hit me in the abdomen. Left a nasty bruise. The reason was the same as yours– a thin board that started to lift up during the cut. And me being dumb and standing in the line of fire.
Those board buddies are cool, but I’ve been reluctant to drop the $50 for one. So I just made a couple small featherboards.
I lower the table saw blade, put the board on the saw, up against the fence, and clamp the featherboards to the fence, down nice and tight. Then pull out the board, raise the blade and make the cut. Feels so much safer with these in place.
And here’s my most important lesson– be patient!! Especially things like pulling the cutoff from the table saw before the blade stops spinning.
Thanks again for all the great info.
-John
Hey Marc, You’ve mentioned the use of feather boards in a few of the safety video’s. How about a doing a demo of how to correctly set them up for the table saw and router.
I know someone that setup one up wrong, where it was actually pushing the material into the saw blade. Making the cut much more dangerous instead of helping.
Thanks for sharing your mishaps. I had a few chuckles at some of the things you did because I’ve done a few of the same. The only real injury (thank God) that I’ve ever gotten was from a climb cut on a router table that I had just finished. The old upside down bit rotation thing got me. The wood pulled three of my fingers over a cove bit before I could blink. Chewed them up pretty well. My biggest goofball moments also came within my first year. I look back sometimes and wonder how I didn’t get hurt more often.
I like the theory behind board buddies but have been reluctant to buy them. I like to use a push shoe style push stick. These board buddies would be in the way as I push the stock thru the blade. My push shoe has a nice flat bottom that exerts downward force on the stock and also a spring loaded hook on the back that hooks the end of the stock and pushes it forward. I am curious to know how others like and use the board buddies.
Hey Marc
Thanks for sharing your near-miss experiences. I will approach my power tools with even more respect in the future.
I do have a plywood kickback experience to share. While cutting a full sheet, it rode up on the blade. Fortunately for me the motor had such weak HP (Craftsman contractor saw) that it just froze, but still had torque trying to throw the board back at me. Unfortunately I didn’t have a paddle kill switch like yours. I was able to basically hold the board in position while I moved out of harm’s way and released it. Of course it was then sent sailing into my driveway. (Glad I parked on the street that day!) I will surely fashion a paddle kill switch like yours as my next project. ;-)
Thanks for sharing your stupidity, so we don’t feel so bad about ours.
I’ve got all sorts of dings on my hands from being “stupid”, but I’m so much more anal about safety now. So, hopefully, I not nearly as stupid as I used to be!
You can go ahead and keep my last sentence sounding really stupid…I not nearly…doh!
Hey Jim. Most times, I use the board buddies when cutting large pieces of ply. They are great for keeping the ply securely against the fence. Its not quite another set of hands, but it still helps.
And I will indeed leave that there Vic. It shows that you are not super human like most people think. ;)
Marc, thanks so much for this! This might well be the best video I have ever seen on shop safety. You have a gift for making what you are talking about extremely clear, something not usually attained by safety videos in particular. I’m absolutely positive that you have prevented injuries with this, and for that you should be proud.
Gee Thanks Marc! and CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! I see in iTunes
you’ve acquired a very prominent position. Anyone that has iTunes
should check out the new Podcasts section. TWW is the first of six cycled podcasts in the banner section! Our little “secret” is getting out!
Again, congratulations Marc and Nicole. All your hard work putting together a great podcast is paying off.
I think this Safety Week was a superb idea and has certainly raised my awareness and taught me a few new things to pay attention to in the shop.
Having a board lift up on the table saw has been a frequent problem for me. I keep trying to figure out a way to use my featherboards to act as a vertical limit.
I haven’t had any injuries from boards lifting up but I have boogered up a few.
Keep up the good work.
Hi Marc
Enjoy all your podcasts.
Two questions:
can you not cut the pipe on the band saw by rolling it downward against the blade? That way you have control.
Also I am inntrigued by your dust collection system. Have you or will you do a video tour of how you put it together.
Hey Richard. That’s what I thought right before I created a PVC grenade, lol. The only way you have control over that PVC pipe is if its completely immobilized in a cradle of some sort. So if you have a V-shaped cradle that the pipe sits in, and either clamp or double stick tape it to the cradle, you should be able to make the cut safely. But after that one experience, I am a hand tool convert when it comes to pvc.
Oh I missed your second question. We will definitely do something with dust collection in the future. I actually hope to re-do the piping at some point soon so that will definitely be on tape for you guys.
Hey Marc
It is interesting you got the problem doing what I suggested cause I heard somewhere that was how to cut the pipe.
Also I look forward to anything you do on the dust collection system as I am building a shop and want to use the pvpc system for mine , so very interested in your opinion etc
Good Series Marc.
I learned table saw respect at a very early age when at 6 years old (55 years ago), i was watching my father rip a small board and reached up to grab the cutoff. The blade caught my finger and resulted in a bad cut with a slight scar I still have but it taught me a lot that day.
I have a couple of comments for you to consider.
1. Many small hobby shops have machines without magnetic shut offs. Often the breaker trips or power might flash off and if the machine hasn’t been turned off but the power is restored this could be very dangerous.
2. You didn’t mention the danger of doing crosscuts using both the mitre gauge and rip fence at the same time. A stop block should be used clamped to the fence in front of the blade so that the workpiece can’t bind.
I look forward to your future podcasts.
Bob, Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada
Hi Marc,
Thanks for sharing your stories. Going through a list of techniques on how to use machinery is always good, but there’s nothing like a good story to really bring things home.
About your jointer vs. end grain story: it was interesting to hear your thought process when you were looking for a way to remove that 1/32″ off the end of the board. You went through the choices of miter saw, table saw, and jointer in figuring out how to do this.
Four words: low angle block plane. It’s easy to forget that you don’t need a machine to do every task, and especially where a little tweak is all you need, hand tools are a great way to get there. And you don’t have to worry about accidents with your machine doing a delicate cut like that, since you can’t get hurt if you’re not using it. :@)
Your video was certainly very informative. I too have had a bad first year in the shop and stupidity got the better of me. It happened whilst trying to cut a thin board too and the saw kicked back and threw a piece of wood into my face which embedded itself just below my lower lip. That one required a trip to the hospital and it had to be surgically removed and stitched up. Thing is, four days later using an exacto knife I sliced my hand down almost to the bone and had to go to the hospital for stitches; funny thing is, it was the same surgeon who removed the wood from my face four days previously. He sent me home with a sick note as a just which said ” Not to use sharp objects until more knowledge is gained in thier correct use”. My wife and daughter had a real laugh about it and for a month after even took scissors away from me. Be warned, these tools bite if you don’t use them correctly.
Marc,
These are great videos. I actually enjoy reading and watching safety tips just to keep my mind fresh on what I should or should not be doing. I was cracking up pretty good on the router table incident once I realized no one was hurt. That definitely sounds like something I would do. :)
Make sure any tool that you are about to plug in is turned off. I was bent down and plugged in the belt sander, well the last guy to use it left it in the locked on position, (not to say that I haven’t done that in the past) it came running down the table and as I heard the sound and looked up it hit me smack in the forehead removing some skin in the process. quick sun tan
Ron from Chicago
Hi Marc, Love your podcasts.
I was reading through Kelly Mehler’s The Table Saw book and he indicates that frequently kickback causes the workpiece to be flung violently back and to the *left* (when the fence is on the right), due to the piece pivoting about the forward corner against the fence where your fingers are pushing, as the rear rides up over the blade.
He actually has a couple of photos demonstrating this (where he is standing well to the right!). This calls into question whether standing to the left of the blade is that safe. Any thoughts?
Hey Michael. I guess its a “pick your poison” situation. In my opinion, by standing to the right of the blade, you have much less control over the workpiece and you are working against the “natural” flow of your body. I suppose if you are left handed, you might be a little more comfortable. But as a righty, I just couldn’t imagine being able safely control the workpiece through the cut. I imagine you would also have a tough time keeping your eye on the workpiece and where it meets the fence, which is often where you will catch one of the early signs of trouble. And while some kickbacks may curve left a little, with any luck they will just graze you if it touches you at all. And honestly, by standing to the left of the blade, I have a much better chance of preventing kickback in the first place. Also think about the position of your head. When you cut from the left side, you have the opportunity to lean your head back and to the left slightly (out of the way). On the right side of the blade however, I envision someone leaning left for greater visibility and leverage, and essentially putting your head right in the path of the blade.
I know Kelly and he is a great guy, and a very knowledgeable woodworker. I respect his opinion and experience and I encourage you to think critically about the scenario. Maybe even try a few practice cuts to the left and to the right of the blade. Then you will need to make a gut decision based on your observations.
Hey Marc,
I also appreciate your willingness to share your near-miss experiences. Knock on wood, I have been fortunate enough to have only been bit once. I was in a hurry using a compound miter saw and didn’t properly support the piece that I was cutting. Right after the cut was made, gravity took over and the piece started falling towards the ground. I should have let it drop, but instead I tried to catch it. Well, in truth I did catch it, but shaved off a little of my thumb in the process. It wasn’t too bad, but it could have been much worse especially because I was home alone without a phone in easy reach. I would encourage everyone to install a phone in your shop, particularly if you are home alone from time to time.
While I’m on subject, I teach a router class and one of the most important things that I stress in the class is that after you unplug a tool to exchange a bit or whatever, immediately attempt to turn it back on. What happens so many times is that you are absolutely sure that you unplugged the right tool, but unplugged another one instead. Think about it, what color is the cord on your router? How about that sander? Jigsaw? Compound miter saw? I’m guessing the answer is “black”. Am I right?
Cheers,
Frank
I’m glad I am not the only one who made a “router table ballista” over the years on accident :-)
Hey, I wanted to say thanks for the safety videos. This one in particular was very informative and, not going to lie, a little intimidating. Just hearing that most people’s accidents happen within the first year, was kinda scary. This is my first year of wood working, actually first couple months of woodworking, and I’ve already gotten a 2×4 thrown back at my face. Still not exactly sure what I did wrong, but my nose knows I did something not quite right. : ]
After spending a few weeks on youtube, this site, and a site for Charles Neil, I think the best way for me to learn this art is through having a mentor, or an instructor of a woodworking class… How do I find someone or someplace local that would take in a newbie and teach me the ropes one safety, technique, and such? I contacted the local colleges to see if they offered a “continuing education” course on woodworking to no avail. Anyways, any leads on where and how to get started from scratch?
Thanks so much,
Asher Day
Hey Asher. This can be one of the most difficult things to do as a hobbyist woodworker. Even if you find classes or someone willing to help, you will always need to do your own research and fact checking to make sure the advice you are receiving is of high quality. So I would start by doing exactly what you are doing now: research. Catch up on all the podcasts and pay special attention to the Safety Week series from this year and last year. That will help get you started on the right foot. Now if you have a local Woodcraft or Rockler, you can always take a few basic classes. This will put you in a posistion to watch others work and see what the instructor deems safe. Hopefully they will give you good advice, but always compare that with what you have learned on the web. Also, see if you have a local woodworking Guild. Depending on the members, you could have a wealth of information at your fingertips and not even know it.
And finally, you might want to put a post up in a big forum to see if there are other folks in your area who might want to mentor you. Sometimes, you can learn a lot in an evening just talking shop over a slice of pizza.
Good luck!
Hey Marc, just found your site and I LOVE IT! This video on safety is particularly interesting. A couple of instances to note….
I started woodworking 13 years ago and after I learned my tablesaw could throw a board backwards and leave a half-inch dent in the drywall I decided to quit because I had a 2 year-old wandering around the house and thought that toddlers and woodworking don’t mix. I have since resumed my hobby since the 2 year old is about to get his driver’s license.
Believe it or not there is an incident that had more of an impact on me. I was changing a bit in my handheld drill and neglected to unplug the device. As I was turning the chuck key, the power button was pressed and it almost took my finger off. It ended up as a severe sprain for several weeks. I NEVER work on/set-up a tool without unplugging it first. NEVER. Pain will do that to you.
Keep up the good work!
I am enjoying all the safety videos. Probably a good idea considering I am new to wood working. I am buying tools new and used and not all have instructions. I know I don’t remember anything from woodshop over 20 years ago.