Nice upgrade#2: A tablesaw pushstick

Nice pushstick!

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker

Looks good

Tihis one is really almost too nice. Your jointer push stick I’m envious of and I can see myself using it. This one I would be really unhappy to nick up on a tablesaw, which I think is more likely than with the jointer. Great job anyway, and thanks for posting it!

-- Chris

Nice tool… there is something to be said about having nicely made hand made tools… doesn’t it suggest that the craftsman puts in as much detail and skill into his furniture projects? And what better place to practice the skills? Can I guess one could pick up as many tips and tricks in making something like this push stick as one would obtain in building a cabinet? .... rhetorical questions… I just paused to admire the work and think about it.

-- Al H. - small shop, small projects...

Beautiful job on both the push sticks. However the idea of a push stick is primarily safety, and an enclosed handle such as that is not quite what I’d call safe. Imagine you actually have a kickback. Your closed handle design might save your fingers from getting too close to the blade, but almost certainly you would wind up with broken fingers as the workpiece and push stick are shot backwards at 100mph. The jointer push block also has a similar problem with the tote being so vertical, although that would probably break your thumb or wrist. I’ve seen a LOT of push sticks and very few make the cut (so to speak) when it comes to safe operation when an actual kickback occurs. The only design I’ve seen is sort of a “U” shape turned on its side with the open end facing the front. That way nothing makes contact with your fingers as it flies back and the curve of the shape LIFTS your hand away from the blade. Just my 2 cents worth.

-- Ooo, er.

brilliant!

Thanks for the safety class…... I have never had a bad enough kickback to make me think I would ever break my fingers. I am only using a 1/12 hp motor, not a 5 hp beast. Besides, this is a variation of a pushstick that I have been using for over 10 years, and I can safely say that I still have all of my fingers thanks to this design.

-- Julian, Park Forest, IL

ok, now stop it. I have my on projects to work on. How can I get them done if I if you keep this up. Pretty and clean joinery.

-- Bill - If I knew GRANDKIDS were so much fun I would have had them first.

Hey Julian very Nice push sticks
Re skarps remarks I feel that if you have kick back at 100 mph your probably not using a push stick or at least not using one in an effective manner in twenty five years I may have had one or two kick backs and and a close call or two and it is always due to focus . I usually will use two push sticks one to push and one to guide if it’s a close cutting operation. I use a pretty plain push stick shaped like an “L” with a boot shape on each end. I always tell my students to err on the side of safety and of course there are other ways to control kick back like feather boards,saw guards with anti kick back devices or when in doubt about how flat or straight a board is use the band saw.
Jim

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Wow… Now THAT’s a pushstickl!!
Gorgeous! I want one…

Too pretty to use! Nice job.

-- spanky46 -- Never enough clamps...Never enough tools...Never enough time.

Personally I don’t ever rip on the tablesaw anyhow, just passing on some shop advice from my old shop teacher. :) In fact I’ll probably wind up getting rid of the one I have after I build a few more jigs. Pretty much sits there gathering rather than creating dust. Once again, very nice work. I know what you mean about shop aids being the only things that stick around.

-- Ooo, er.

Hi Julian.

that’s nice pushstick, i have one but not as neat as yours,
and yes its keep my fingers complite still as well.

-- http://picasaweb.google.com/deniirawan66

About the best looking push stick I have ever seen, great job.

Very beautiful push stick. Do not keep it, use it, I’m sure you can make many more like that, just in case.

-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.

Thanks for the comments. I plan on using it and yes it will get beat up. I can always make more feet for it when this one gets tore up. The handle will last a lifetime, and that was the real time consuming part of the project.

-- Julian, Park Forest, IL

I would like to stay and chat, but I have to get started on my new pushstick…..LOL
Looks great

-- Jerry - Rochester, MN *Whether you think you can or you can't, you are probably right*

Yes, everyone will agree that it is beautiful , but I applaud skarp for his view on the safety aspects and for caring enough to voice his honest opinion. The main point is that as careful as we all try to be , eventually someone does get hurt. Nobody goes into their shop and plans to have a kickback .That’s why they are called accidents instead of “on purposes” .Those of us that haven’t been hurt yet can count our blessings.
Again , it is a beautiful project , Julian .

-- You know you're getting old when you know the difference between you're (you are) and your (belonging to you) AND how to use them in a sentence .

I just finished 2 push sticks for my shop. If they looked anything like the one you made, they wouldn’t go anywhere near my table saw as my saw blade has a tendency of making nice things much less nice.

Mark

nice this one and the other one looks very safe great idea

-- Ike, Big Daddies Woodshop,www.icombadaniels@yahoo.com