[Woodcarver] A safety reminder to start the new year!

[Victor Hamburger]

All,

I was working in my shop this evening.  While ripping a thin piece of stock on 
my table saw, I got a not-so-gentle reminder to always expect the worst from a 
power tool.

I had completed pushing the piece of stock thru the blade, and had used two push 
sticks to both hold it down and push it thru the blade.  At the very last 
second, both pieces of stock fell back into the blade, rather than pushing off 
the back of the saw as I intended.  I have no clear idea how, but within a split 
second, both pieces of wood were 15 feet behind me, and my push stick had been 
violently wrenched from my hand, with a split down the cherry hardwood face that 
has rendered it useless for pushing ever again.

The GOOD NEWS is that I ALWAYS start the saw with my face/body out of the line 
of the saw blade path should it catch something and throw it back violently. 
Secondly, I ALWAYS work to one side of the sawblade path, and that is where I 
was tonight, out of harms way.  Either piece of wood would have, at a minimum, 
left a serious bruise on my body.  The push stick took the brunt of the damage 
that otherwise would have happened to my hand if I had not used the stick.

The only damage, other than the push stick, was the saw table insert, which was 
severely damaged when (probably) the push stick was shoved violently downward at 
it.  My hand tingled for a few minutes after from the shock, but that was the 
extend of my problems.  I am very thankful that I followed my own safety rules 
and kept my fingers away from the blade and myself out of the line of potential 
kickback.  I can replace the saw table insert and the push stick.  The old push 
stick will hang in my shop as a reminder of the danger of power tools.

I tell you this story only because I was fortunate. I won't call it lucky, I 
don't leave my safety to luck in the shop. I followed my rules and kept myself 
as safe as I could, I was fortunate that nothing worse happened.

For all of you who use power tools, and even hand tools in your carving, PLEASE, 
know how they work, how they can cause accidents, and set your own set of safety 
rules that prevents those accidents to the best of your ability.  Keep yourself 
safe and happy in your shop, today and every day!

Happy New Year to all!

	Vic H