As you may or may not know, last year I cut off my middle finger while ripping the legs out of the glued up blanks. I didn’t have a splitter, riving knife, pawls, or blade guard on the table saw and was then surprised when my finger was gone.
This year, I put a Uniguard blade guard w/ riving knife/splitter on my table saw and have been using a MagSwitch religiously. With the courage engendered by my recent successes, I got back on the horse that kicked my ass. This evening, I was able to complete ripping all eight legs for the two night stands I was a third of the way through back in September.
While I don’t have any pics of this rather mundane step (step #1 in the plans), I do think it was an important step for me as a woodworker and a man. I also realized that I have now roughed out all of the parts needed to assemble the four sides of the night stands. After a series of dadoes and tenons, I’ll be able to glue them up. These night stands are important because they will complete what I started last year, finish the bedroom suite (so I can get rid of my particle board night stands), and it really illustrates how far I’ve come since the accident.
I will endeavor to update this blog as I make progress on these pieces. Thanks to all of the help that Eric & Joe have given me since the accident.
-- You can't control the wind, but you can trim your sails
6 comments so far
Eric
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35 posts in 299 days
posted 103 days ago
It wouldn’t really be safe to be taking pictures while ripping those, anyways.
Glad you’re back – full force – but I can’t even keep up with all your projects.
-- ED
John Stegall
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216 posts in 416 days
posted 103 days ago
I am sure you were “sweating bullets”, at least I would have been. Congratulations for being able to persevere.
-- jstegall
Hacksaw
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82 posts in 276 days
posted 103 days ago
Thats what you have to do.You really only have two choices…Quit woodworking or just start again. I am short 1 digit on 2 fingers of my left hand,5 weeks later I was ripping laminate strips 1/2” wide on the saw that bit me.Congrats on getting off the sawhorse and back on the saw and congrats on starting the project again,My project of doom was finished and installed without me(was display cases for a jewlry store) and about 2 years ago those cases were thrown into a dumpster by the new tenant of the building(original store moved back into the mall it left to be in the building that contained my project of doom) If I had been there I would have asked for the drawer front that bit me(yes I knew which one it was) and put it under the clock made from the blade that got me(it hangs on the wall directly in front of my saw as a constant reminder that it is ALWAYS time to think about safety)
-- teh most beautiful about a tree is what you can make out of it...even if that is only a fire!I hate raking
Jimi_C
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199 posts in 134 days
posted 103 days ago
One of the first signs I’d like to make for my shop would be one that says “Respect Your Tools”. Congrats on making it back from what I’m sure is every woodworker’s nightmare.
CaptainSkully
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496 posts in 458 days
posted 102 days ago
Thanks for all the support. It was tough going back out there, but as you might have noticed, I’ve been a busy little beaver. I loved the “sawhorse” comment. Funny. Hacksaw, that’s a shame. Sorry bud. My new motto is: Safety, craftsmanship & safety, sprinkled with a liberal dose of safety…
-- You can't control the wind, but you can trim your sails
Beginningwoodworker
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4233 posts in 572 days
posted 72 days ago
Going to be a great projects!
-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker