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

[sally nye]

Vic, Robbin, Rip and others,

Thanks for the reminder you explained so well.  I'm so glad all of you 
are O.K.

I was told many years ago that "for every action, there is a 
re-action".  It's the reaction that'll get you.  This lesson was told 
in a class on hydraulics that I was taking but it can be used in all 
phases of life.

Stay safe
Sally
http://www.fancarversworld.com

On Jan 2, 2005, at 10:05 PM, Victor Hamburger wrote:
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