147 – Be a Safety Hero!

Video - May 3, 2011

Last week I asked you folks for your favorite quick safety tips and you were kind enough to respond with some fun and insightful tricks of the trade. So I took a few of my favorites and bundled them up in this 50’s style educational video. I hope you enjoy!

Special thanks to Jeremy Kriewwaldt, Tom Obrien, Bearwood, Ted Ames, Mark Loughran, Benjamin Roesler, and Don Hall.

Looking for the finger wrap shown in the video?

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Flexx-Rap(R) Finger Protection Wrap

Discussion

John May 3, 2011 8:36 am

too funny….LOLOLOL great video

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Jay May 3, 2011 8:40 am

The video was well done and tips great…one thing though…the 50’s illusion was sort of muffed by the flat screen monitor in the back! LOL. Thanks for another good mini Marc.

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Scott May 3, 2011 10:16 am

HAHAHAHA Good tips. Thanks for the laughs. Could use a blooper segment as a topper.

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Jeff May 3, 2011 10:23 am

Excellent. I like the comb thing. My hammering stinks; just about everything gets hit but the nail. Maybe with the comb it would be safe to practice. :-)

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Joe Styles May 3, 2011 10:35 am

This was a great Video! Reminded me of a video called Shake hands with danger from the early 60s.

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John Verreault (aka Johnny_Vee) May 3, 2011 11:29 am

Buster Keaton eat your heart out! LMAO twice.
(amazing what will drive some men to shave…hmmm)

Marc you’ve done it again.

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Steve Ramsey May 3, 2011 12:23 pm

Outstanding! Too funny! Love the socks and shoes.

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Toby May 3, 2011 12:25 pm

That was a great video!

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Bill Akins May 3, 2011 1:03 pm

Another classic video Marc (and Nicole). In that outfit you can come home from driving a milk truck or making malts at the soda fountain and go straight to the shop. I like to use blue tape on my index finger. When I make pens I seal the wood with CA glue applied with a folded paper towel. The glue seeps through the towel and the spinning friction causes it stick to my finger. I few rounds of blue tape saves this and doesn’t waste a glove.

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Tyler Reichelt May 3, 2011 2:48 pm

Great video!

Hah, maybe it should be “No power, not as big of a problem”.

I was just working on my planer today(DW735). It’s not cutting very well at all, so I was just going to flip the blades. Well, I’ve never done this before, so I was being an idiot by trying to figure it out by myself. I got the top off and was trying to inspect the blades by turning the cutting mechanism. Well, it would seem that the blades are hard to turn, but once you exert enough force, the blade “notches around” to the next stop. Well, after I exerted enough force to move the blade to the next notch, my pointer and middle fingers were in the path of the blade on its way to the next notch.
It’s crazy to see how far blood flies when pulling your hand quickly out of something!
Luckily I’ve got a couple of stocked first aid kits(key word there is stocked) readily available for such occurrences.

Three lessons learned/reinforced today:
1. Just the power is off doesn’t mean you can be an idiot like me and let your guard down.
2. RTFM instead of trying to figure it out.
3. Blood droplets clean off of freshly dried linseed oil quite well!

When it’s your skin vs sharp metal, metal always wins!

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VitalBodies May 3, 2011 4:21 pm

Another favorite “character” has made a d

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Bob May 3, 2011 6:59 pm

All I can say is ? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Way too funny!!
Well done.

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Mattias in Durham NC May 3, 2011 8:03 pm

Awesome. Best video in a long time. More of this, please…

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dan May 3, 2011 8:39 pm

good work at making it funny and worth it.. one of your better comedy skits.

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Todd May 3, 2011 8:43 pm

Marc another great video. Nice production value!

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Dan Drabek May 3, 2011 9:45 pm

Gee whiz!! Thanks for the tips. Now I can be a safety hero too!

DD

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Vic Hubbard May 3, 2011 9:52 pm

That was way beyond the respected Chortle! I love it!!! ROFLMAO!! Thanks for great entertainment Marc and the “special appearance” of Miss Nicole!

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Adam May 3, 2011 9:58 pm

Old educational videos are always the best.

My old shop teacher always said you should put sharp tools on a counter instead of passing them to a partner. I’m pretty sure I never followed his rule.

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Mark Loughran May 4, 2011 6:32 am

Hi Marc

Fantastic video!!! Love the newsreel style :-) Really funny!!!!

Totally honoured that my suggestion made it in!!! I feel a Wayne’s World moment coming on… ‘I’m not worthy!!’ LOL :-)

I just saw that tennis ball idea featured on Half Inch Shy, just wanted to say, I didn’t steal it!! Honest!!!

A really good benefit of all this safety info, and for me to take away, is to take safety seriously, ALL the time, even for those little tasks. There is only so much dumb luck I can get away with!!

Thanks again!!!!!

Mark

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Cy May 4, 2011 6:34 am

With all do respect,, “Dork”. HA

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Tom Buhl May 4, 2011 7:47 am

awesome way to incorporate viewer suggestions.
I bet some folk will be showing this clip to a very wide audience.
Excellent, dude

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Chuck Di Perri May 4, 2011 8:41 am

Marc,

You missed your calling, “Watch out Hollywood here comes Marc!” You do have a great style to deliver on something that is dear to all who dabble into this rewarding and enjoyable hobby.

Thank you for bringing out all the great important points.
Great Job!!

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Tom O’Brien May 4, 2011 10:00 am

Whispertone News from Around The World!

Great work Marc and Nicole!

It occurred to me while reading the comments that it helps to understand a tool a bit better if you touch it (knobs, levers, etc.) while reading the manual. In fact, it might help to read the manual out loud, too. All of these learning methods can reinforce each other to get the point (no pun intended) across.

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Wally May 4, 2011 11:36 am

Hi Marc !
I’m French and really a Wood Whisperer addict.
Great video as usual, but you’ve forgotten as least one thing : What about Norm’s safety glasses ?

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Jason May 4, 2011 12:27 pm

Cuts and callouses are manly. Your date will love them.

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Greg May 4, 2011 1:52 pm

To be exact ” I think you nailed it.” So happy to see some comedy again. Great tips… never thought of the finger tape.

Greg

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Travis May 4, 2011 2:16 pm

Hey Marc,

You use Final Cut Studio for your editing right? Is this a built in effect? Just curious.

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Mike Taillon May 4, 2011 2:42 pm

Smiling from ear to ear… What a great video… What great messages wrapped in humor and music… Sharing with some friends who don’t know TWW but may heed the message…
Thanks, Mike

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rog May 4, 2011 2:55 pm

still laughing
love it … reminds of some ad’s seen back in the day..

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rog May 4, 2011 3:12 pm

(private) Hi when do I see your new workshop looking forward to it
love your videos last 1 made me laugh (LOL) …but your looking to clean…
grow the fuzz back…..TeeHee Rog

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Brian May 4, 2011 3:24 pm

why that is fantastic! even my wife laughed out loud a few times!

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mark williams May 4, 2011 6:46 pm

That was just pure awesome.

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Don May 4, 2011 10:48 pm

Wow my name in lights (or at least the credits) Holly “wood” Here I come!

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Josh May 4, 2011 11:06 pm

Awesome video! Good job…both entertaining and informative. I was hoping there’d be someone getting hit with a dodgeball…or a wrench :-) #dodgeballmoviereference

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Tom Pritchard May 5, 2011 11:33 am

Fantastic video…Reminds me of films in health class back in the 60’s

GREAT JOB..
Tom

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Karl_S May 5, 2011 11:38 am

I may just have to shave now. Of course, I’ll be sure to have a nice sharp blade as a safety precaution. Maybe that should be a tip. Or is Renaissance Woodworker going to cover that for hand tools?

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- thewoodwhisperer May 5, 2011 11:48 am
  
  Yeah we’ll leave that up to Shannon. :)
  
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  - Karl_S May 6, 2011 6:09 am
    
    Seems he posted it today, one day later. “always keep your chisel very very sharp.”
    
    Reply
Giuliano May 5, 2011 11:39 am

Great video Marc, serious and entertaining as only you can do!

Little things make a big difference sometimes, like using the comb to drive the nail – I never thought of that! Thanks for that tip.

Another thing that came to mind when I saw the bit about the ladder is that our stance when working with power tools is also very important.

We need to be well balanced and prepared for the shift in weight when the work pieces come out of some power tools, such as a table saw or a planer, especially if they are big or of an odd shape.

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- Thomas Tieffenbacher/Doc Savage 45 May 7, 2011 8:03 am
  
  Stance and where we stand when cutting a piece is as important as Not turning off the saw. Hard to always do the saftey stuff, but wood projectiles go through walls. Especially cutting big long pieces on the table saw. Know a local guy who got speared in his shoulder. He is a bit slow though. LOL Maybewe should all “GO SLOW”. :)
  
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TimV May 5, 2011 11:57 am

I wish I had seen the tip about the spinning blade after powering down. It wasn’t something I ever counsiously thought about until after I got bit by the TS blade. I turned my saw off after a cut, and the offcut was bumping up against the blade. I didn’t like that so I grabbed the offcut with my left hand and proceeded to pull it up and straight back to me. Well, not thinking about the blade, because I turned off the saw, my left thumb went right over the top of the free spinning blade….down to the bone. Fortuanately, the only thing I lost besides pride was a little feeling and my flight to Europe later that day.

Think about the blade at all times. Just because the power is turned off, doesn’t mean you can’t be seriously injured. Many tools take time to stop movement after powering off.

Tim V

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Sean R May 5, 2011 1:44 pm

The tennis balls on the end of the clamps are a great idea. Now I know what to do with all my flat tennis balls. Thanks for the tips.

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Marilyn May 5, 2011 3:58 pm

Oh my, I just about teared up over the chisel hand off .. until Nicole did the psycho imitation. LOL!

Next time, can we have a superhero, tights and all, pls. After all, you need to go somewhere with all the comic book knowledge. (wink, wink) :~D

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MikeM May 5, 2011 6:23 pm

Great video with a lot of great tips. The no power no problem tip is great. There has been more than one occassion that I have changed a bit or a blade and go to plug the power tool back in only to discover it is still plugged in. It seems so simple, but it is just as simple to forget to do it.

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Matt B May 5, 2011 7:11 pm

Another great woodworking video that is entertaining and educational! I especially like the “vintage” feel to it. I’m glad you discussed removing blades with the tool UNplugged, that is definitely something everyone should be aware of and practice, even when it’s not convenient, our hands power our craft and without them, well…thanks for the vid!

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SamM May 5, 2011 7:41 pm

Entertaining as always! This is probably more relevant to us married folks since we tend to wear wedding bands, but that ring could be a safety hazard. In the environment we work in there are plenty of places where that ring could get caught (imagine it getting caught on a board as it’s going through the planer) or something falling on it causing it to get crushed.

I’ve been guilty of this one for a while now and I just started taking it off before heading to the basement.

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Kevin May 5, 2011 8:30 pm

I cringed when you were about to crank that wrench towards the sharp TS blade. I always put on leather work gloves when adding or removing a blade like that. Then I don’t worry about what my shredded knuckles will look like.

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Dean May 5, 2011 9:17 pm

Excellent safety tips. The one that grabbed my attention though, was changing the table saw blade without unplugging the table saw power cord first. I feel a sense of panic just thinking about it.

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Bas May 6, 2011 11:36 am

Great video Mark. The patience factor is so important, not just when it comes to drying lumber, surface prep or finishing. It may seem like a waste of time waiting for the blade/ bit to spin down, but that’s usually the period when most accidents happen.

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Thomas Tieffenbacher/Doc Savage 45 May 7, 2011 8:15 am

Although I’ve “ALWAYS” been impatient and distracted I have learned to “go slower” and think about it first. Still make mistakes…LOL Just not as serious. Know we couldn’t see Marc’s handsome face, but ear protection, eye protection and dust protection, are saftey first issues. The difference between the “master” and the “apprentice” is The apprentice wonders “when will it be finished?” The master knows “it’s never finished.” Just stops and starts.

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Mark Loughran May 9, 2011 3:01 am

Hi Marc

One other suggestion for woodworkers, and also in general, is to ‘Look after your back’.

Especially if it gets sore after spending time in the shop.

If so it could be worth looking into the following:

Check if your bench is the right height for the task in hand. If not, could the workpiece be raised up, so you are not bending over for long periods.

If you are sitting in the shop, try to get a comfortable sitting position, a good chair might be better than a stool etc.

And of course lifting, if you put too much strain on your back, you may end up with an injury. Always lift with a straight back, and get help with a heavy object.

As someone who has had a serious back injury (non woodworking related :-) I would recommend listening to your back if its sore, and don’t leave it unchecked! See a physiotherapist, there are some great exercises available that can strengthen your back, and keep it strong, as it has to last us a long time.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for all your fantastic safety initiatives!!!

Mark

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- Everett May 13, 2011 10:44 am
  
  You point out one of my biggest problems, which is working on a table which has a height that is not comfortable at all to work at.
  
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Thomas Tieffenbacher/Doc Savage 45 May 13, 2011 11:07 am

Built a bench that is a little too high for some tasks. building a raised platform to walk on next to it. Can you put the table on a platform? Or raise the legs?

I have often failed to put on ear protection saying it’s “just one cut.” Or it’s not here and I gotta “get this done.” Now I have two sets of ear muffs. And even wearing eye glasses with saftey glass I have had a piece sneak around them. When working outside in sun I now always wear shades.

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Doug May 13, 2011 12:41 pm

Absolutely great. Second best performance from Nicole (first was the Lumber Store Clerk–classic)

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TennesseeYankee May 13, 2011 8:36 pm

Awesome video…..you are our safety hero.

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Sid May 14, 2011 12:35 pm

Great video but I would love to have closed captioning with your videos.

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Jon May 15, 2011 2:37 pm

This reminds me of the videos I watched in shop class in high school… 10 years ago. I commend your ability to make a video on something as mundane (yet important) as safety and make it entertaining.

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wil May 15, 2011 3:59 pm

Nice video… and thanks for making your videos funny and entertaining.

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Shawn Walsh May 18, 2011 4:07 am

Marc you are such a dork! I have no idea how Nicole put’s up with you. Oh wait, I think my wife has the same problem with me.
Keep up the good work, that was a classic for sure.

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Thomas May 18, 2011 5:23 am

Always be safe

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Thomas May 18, 2011 5:24 am

keep putting out your podcast.

Thanks

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sean mullin May 18, 2011 1:39 pm

really liked the ward cleaver woodworker

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VitalBodies May 20, 2011 12:54 am

Just seeing the image that represents the post for this video puts a smile on my face…

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Swed May 25, 2011 2:58 pm

Have you ever thought about to be come an acter?
I think you will be a star!

/Magnus
Swed

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AndytheAndroid May 28, 2011 9:44 pm

I just watched this video again, and I am intrigued by the ladder safety issue. I think a powered lift, with railings, is the safest way to go.

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James June 25, 2011 4:20 am

That was “historical”. It made me “loft”.

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Bryan V June 30, 2011 5:12 pm

That was awesome! I loved the “olde” style of the video, and sound, it was great!

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147 – Be a Safety Hero!

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