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

[GlendaKAllen at aol.com]

Happy New Year to you too Vic!
 Glenda
Glenda Allen
Artist
Your Welcome to visit some of my art at:
http://www.picturetrail.com/glendakallen

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






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