Reply by lumberjoe

Exactly my point Hal, and I follow the same methods. I do whatever I can to keep the risk as low as possible. I do not approach the situation with the mindeset that “it won’t happen to me”. I generally apply the the logic that states when it does happen, what steps can I take now to make sure it’s not that bad. The blade height is a good example. I also use all safety guards whenever I can. I probably spend more time putting the guards back on after using the cross cut sled than I do making the simple rip I needed, but that’s ok with me. I’m sure there are people out there with missing fingers that used all the necessary guards, so I am definitely not lulled into a false sense of security.
I actually listen to the voice in my head that says “uhhh, I don’t think that is the best idea”. I have had to alter some projects because I didn’t feel I could make the cuts I needed safely with the tools I had at the time.

This also sounds like a bad idea, but I don’t like to wear hearing protection – except when sanding or running the planer. I have made several adjustments while making cuts with saws and routers based on what the tool feels like and sounds like. My wife always jokes that because my eyesight is so poor (I wear glasses) that all my other senses compensate.

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