52 – Shop Safety: My Mistakes

Video - May 8, 2008

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.

Discussion

John Cooper May 8, 2008 12:10 pm

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

Reply
- Chris November 27, 2015 9:03 pm
  
  Hey Marc..
  
  Thanks for sharing your experiences with us, and taking a “lead by example” attitude. When we share our knowledge and experiences, have a good attitude towards safety, and keep our mind on task, we all win!
  
  Reply
CrackPotWoody May 8, 2008 1:25 pm

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.

Reply
John D May 8, 2008 3:54 pm

Thanks for sharing your mishaps. I had a few chuckles at some of the things you did because Iâ

Reply
Jim May 8, 2008 5:08 pm

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.

Reply
Samurai Dave May 8, 2008 6:00 pm

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. ;-)

Reply
Vic May 8, 2008 6:12 pm

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!

Reply
Vic May 8, 2008 7:57 pm

You can go ahead and keep my last sentence sounding really stupid…I not nearly…doh!

Reply
thewoodwhisperer May 8, 2008 10:02 pm

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. ;)

Reply
herb fellows May 8, 2008 10:10 pm

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.

Reply
Vic May 9, 2008 6:14 am

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.

Reply
Jim Jones May 9, 2008 7:22 am

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.

Reply
Richard in Ark May 9, 2008 8:48 am

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.

Reply
thewoodwhisperer May 9, 2008 9:09 am

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.

Reply
thewoodwhisperer May 9, 2008 9:10 am

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.

Reply
Richard in Ark May 9, 2008 9:44 am

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

Reply
- Kelly Craig August 4, 2014 3:51 pm
  
  The same reason they use a sled for cutting logs is the reason you need one cutting from the end – there is no support for the log/tube and it wants to roll [and create chaos].
  
  A simple sled and this works fine. Alternately, you can use a chop or miter saw, but, again, may have to secure it.
  
  Reply
Bob Forbes May 9, 2008 10:04 am

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

Reply
wilbur May 9, 2008 12:04 pm

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. :@)

Reply
Mike Linley May 10, 2008 10:19 pm

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.

Reply
Matt May 11, 2008 7:22 pm

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. :)

Reply
ronald graziano May 12, 2008 9:35 pm

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

Reply
Michael May 17, 2008 7:10 pm

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?

Reply
thewoodwhisperer May 17, 2008 9:00 pm

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.

Reply
Frank June 10, 2008 7:48 am

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 didnâ

Reply
Eric Wolf April 22, 2009 5:36 pm

I’m glad I am not the only one who made a “router table ballista” over the years on accident :-)

Reply
Asher Day May 11, 2009 12:00 pm

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 peopleâ

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer May 12, 2009 8:15 am
  
  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!
  
  Reply
Dave July 25, 2009 6:40 pm

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!

Reply
Rob Cottle September 21, 2009 7:05 pm

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.

Reply
Matthew M November 11, 2009 12:18 pm

Thanks for all the videos. Safety is something a lot of people overlook as the venture into a new hobby like this. I just recently picked it up and am trying to gain as much knowledge as I can as I get into it so I can learn from others mistakes so to speak. So thanks for sharing your near misses.

Reply
Nuno December 12, 2009 2:57 pm

Hey Marc,
This was a dangerous and dumb mistake. I have a small router made in China and use a 1/4 inch bit with it. But it has a 6 mm base. The manual is not well written and actually I didn’t play attention to that. As I started my work (the first time with that router) the bit slipped and flew away – I spent 15 minutes looking for the bit. Thanks god none was injured.
Since that accident, I bought a Black and Decker router, and never used the Chinese router again.
Thanks for your advices.

Reply
Stephen January 8, 2010 9:35 pm

Hi Mark, well youdid it again, when you showed the router table incident, before you even showed what you did, I was LMAO.lol Oh my word, even I would not have done that, and I am a beginner compared to you…….thx

Reply
Jeff Peterson March 1, 2010 7:06 pm

Marc,
Thanks for being man enough to admit your past mistakes. Hopefully this keeps my fingers a little safer.

Reply
Brad September 22, 2010 12:52 pm

Marc,
Thanks for the vid. Other than a table saw kickback incident, in which I wasn’t hurt, I have been pretty lucky. But, I’ve decided that it is best to have what I call a “healthy fear” of the machines and their power.
Thanks again

Reply
Stacey December 13, 2010 1:07 pm

I was already a major fan before this vid but after watching this vid I appreciate you sooo much more. It takes a whole lot to show your mistakes. And you were able to show not only your mistakes but to show us how to learn from them. Thank you soooo much for all you do for us fellow woodworkers :-D

Reply
Eric DeFratis March 23, 2011 2:18 pm

Yeah, early into my woodworking days, I was working as a “master carpenter” at a theater in Virginia. Basically putting sets and props together, stuff that look good thirty feet away. Well, I too had the blade way to high when i was cutting some 1/4″ ply and i managed to take the tip of my finger (taking out the first knuckle) of my right index finger off. I now have a stubby reminder why I should be safe in the shop.

Reply
Jon McGrath May 31, 2011 6:03 pm

Just finally caught this one, good deal Marc – thanks for being real and human – it makes it a superior product in the Wood Working community today… Happy to be a Guild Member
Great Content- most importantly Real Content… Thanks again

Reply
Ed November 23, 2011 10:19 am

The worse one I had was using the miter saw. I was cutting hard maple turning blanks to length and got in a hurry. I left one of the cut pieces on the bed, just moving it out of the way. When I brought the blade down, it caught that piece and brought it with great force to the fence, where my thumb just happened to be holding the piece I was intending to cut. The force of the impact actually tuened the last bone of my thumb to dust (more or less).

It’s called a puffball fracture and it looks like a dandillion on the xray. Most amazing to me was that it healed completely into a normal solid bone. I am very careful now to ensure that nothing is near a spinning blade except the piece I intend to cut.

Oh, and I did the router table propelled missle too.

Reply
brian manis March 6, 2012 9:19 pm

wow, thanks so much for the video. it really opened my eyes to possible dangers being a novice woodworker i don’t have much experience with some of those machines and of course the manual can’t give you the kind of insight and forewarning that you have provided. So thanks again, I appreciate it and I’m sure my wife does too by helping me keep me safe.

Reply
Tommy December 18, 2012 8:50 pm

Great video. It was good to see the danger in a variety of power tools. I have had some close calls but I have not been seriously hurt. My dad cut off the end of two of his fingers wearing gloves with a table saw.

Reply
Alex December 28, 2012 10:18 pm

My Dad, who is not a good source for safety techniques, thinks having the table saw blade higher is better. It is hard to argue the rationale – if the blade is higher, it means the blade is “pushing” down at the front of the piece of wood.

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer December 29, 2012 6:30 am
  
  But it also means the same amount of blade is pushing up at the back. It also means more total blade is exposed to the world and presents a greater overall hazard.
  
  Reply
learning urting from hurting March 8, 2013 7:43 pm

My first experience with propelled stuff was when my industrial arts teacher shot a 1×3 through a door 30′ from the table saw. Next I had a 15″ bowl explode on the lathe during final finishing, caught an f on that project. Metal lathes are safer they go slower. Years later helping a friend that owned a cabinet shop run boards through a facer, the board suddenly shot out and missing us landed 50′ away in the parking lot, yes a 1x18x12′ board . Years ago while helping a friend in construction business we were unloading plywood subflooring, I had one of those edge splinters enter the palm of my hand and exit the back of my hand. Five inches long in total. Just pulled it out, a little super glue and back to work!I could tell you about the time the power feeder on the 7plus hp shaper and the wood decided to explode. No one injured. but while doing a carving for a custom bar I managed to plant a small sweep well into my palm. Never trust the grain!

‘ bow n+

Reply
learning urting from hurting March 8, 2013 8:02 pm

The only tine I really had blood fly was when a 12″ sanding disc decided to unmount and stop in my thunb. Ouch a few stitches and back to getting the blood stains out of the cherry clock parts!

Reply
Evan Schwab April 1, 2013 10:11 pm

Great segment. I’ve created my own router missile though it wasn’t in between the bit and the fence. Just going the wrong way trying to do a stopped cut from the opposite side.

Reply
DavidC February 25, 2014 8:46 am

Any advise on cutting bowed ply on the table saw? I have a sheet (about 48″ x 48″) that I’d like to use for French Cleats.

Reply
Patrick Foss May 29, 2014 2:23 pm

I had shop in high school and all the shop teachers had horror stories.
One guy had to go through 12 hrs of surgery to re-attach his scalp after his hair got caught in the drill press.
Another narrowly missed being impaled by a board he was ripping on the table saw (we had heavy -duty Rockwell machines that you could not stall out.)

One wood worker I talked to almost lost a buddy to a lathe accident where the chisel kicked back and sliced his neck open. (He said he could see the guy’s jugular, another mm and it would have been cut.)

A lot of people need to be told the basics that you’d think is “common sense”. No loose clothes, long hair, jewelry are rules I see broken often.

Reply
Brian Dingle February 17, 2017 5:35 am

I started reading and listening to podcasts about woodworking 6 months ago as I retire from 43 years of practicing medicine, and want to do something creative. Yours is the second series of podcasts or videos I have started to go through in a committed way (Fine Woodworking caught me first). It worried me a bit that you are so young (but everybody looks young to me now), but it quickly becomes apparent that you know your field and you are very intelligent. I wanted to particularly commend you on the videos you have created on safety, obviously very important to me for several reasons. Your descriptions of your own mistakes are VERY instructive, and your humility in exposing the world to them in order to improve safety for others is truly noble. I’ve actually suggested to the Fine Woodworking group to highlight a different safety issue (like their all-time favorites etc). Your safety videos, if people find them and review them, will undoubtedly prevent a good deal of injury. If nobody else has thanked you for doing this, I wanted to be sure that I did. This stuff is really good, and really important. One suggestion, and maybe it is already on your website, might be to highlight safety videos in a section which links to these for quick and easy access, even with a ‘read me first’ kind of label. A hyperlink to that section would certainly be something I would share with others, and I suspect different schools would find it too, eventually, and point to yours rather than ‘re-invent the wheel.’ Congrats. I am now a committed fan.

Reply

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

52 – Shop Safety: My Mistakes

Advertisers