Respect & Fear

I have said before that I treat my tools as if they were cobras.
I am not afraid of cobras but I have a great respect for them as a formidable adversary.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

I respect the tools but I don’t fear them. I think that fear is something you overcome and not something
you live with.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

Some good safety reminders Mark!

-- Ron in Osseo, Minnesota

I too respect my tools but the jointer concerns me the most. An acquaintence of mine, anI will use it but I do have a lot of respect for it. One of the safety devices I bought for it was a magnetic featherboard to hold the stock on the outfeed table.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Mark – I think you are on the right track, but I hope that with experience and understanding of the correct use of your tools you will arrive at a healthy respect without fear. I think fear causes us to be timid and uncertain, which result in problems of their own. If I’m ripping a piece of wood on my table saw and the wood starts to close on the blade, I want to be holding the workpiece firmly – a tentative grip will result in the wood being kicked at me more easily.

-- Coffee is best with a fine layer of sawdust on top. -- http://www.north40custom.com

Ditto with the others.

Respect: Always!

Knowlege and Learned Skills: Always!

Fear: Never.

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

I am very new to woodworking as a hobby. I have to admit, I am fearful of the tablesaw and the jointer. I thought that my fear equaled respect. I had thought that the fear will subside into comfort. Then my concern is that comfort may become a LACK of respect.

Reading everyone’s thoughts helps.

-- Hutch - North Dallas, Tx - Safety First

Mark…

In this past year of learning I can definitely say I have both respected and feared my tools…and that those two emotions keep me taking my time and thinking things through…I have hear that more accidents happen to people who use the tools everyday year after year because they become too comfortable…

I think Peter O is right though…over time I hope to keep the respect and lessen the fear…I know in the beginning I actually avoided certain cuts when I was affraid of my table saw…now…after taking a class, listening to the LJ community and watching videos the fear is lessening…but not gone completely…

Maybe the trick is the healthy balance…

-- Matt, Napa, CA...119 days to sanity...

Whether or not you differentiate between fear and respect, I think the main thing is to never be so comfortable that you use a tool while thinking about something other than what you are doing.

99.9% of the time when an experienced woodworker has an accident, he will tell you he was distracted and thinking about something else. Every time I make a cut on my tablesaw, I try to envision what could go wrong, and be prepared for it. Then I make a conscious effort to focus on what I’m doing right up to the moment the blade stops spinning.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Great point Charlie.

Mark, thanks for starting this important topic.

-- Hutch - North Dallas, Tx - Safety First

I fear what can happen if I do not respect the tool. I do not fear the tool itself.
The first three rules of power tools are:

1. Always think safety.
2. See rule number one.
3. See rule number one.

-- Maplewood, MN

In a prison setting, safety had to be the number one concern. Inmates were required to take tests (written & oral) over the saftey rules on every machine they used. Before an inmate could use a machine a staff member had to check to be sure that the set up was correct and safe. He had to check to be sure that the machine was running properly and all guards were in place. Inmates had safety meetings on the machines every week. A staff member had to observe an inmate doing the operation to be sure it was being done safe and right. With all this in place, in a shop of 100 men we would average a major accident at least once a month. Main cause of the accident was distraction or not paying attention to what they were doing. When a tour came thru with women in it, my number one safety rule was that all machines would be turned off till the tour had left. I was scared they might cut something off. We will not go into what that something was!

God Bless
tom

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

Learn the correct way to use your tools and don’t deviate from it. Like Charlie said, Don’t get distracted. Never look away from what your doing, while your doing it. The biggest danger is complacency.

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

Jointer injuries are especially tragic. There is no chance of re-attachment.

I have an auxillary laminate fence that can attach to my cast iron jointer fence. It can accomodate two featherboards to help hold the stock down. My guard also has a feather board attached. I can set the guard so that it provides pressure on the stock, pressing it against the fence. It cannot open any further.

That being said, I only use the jointer for edge jointing, in preparation for gluing. If I have a rough sawn board with cup or twist, I get out my #5 hand plane. I can quickly prepare the board for a trip through the planer. It has always been my opinion that the wider the jointer, the higher the risk is for injury.

-- "Heaven is North of the Bridge"

Wonderful advice. Isn’t it funny that as we are growing up, dad teaches you something that sticks with you for the rest of your life? I know my dad instilled the same mind-set in me. Growing up I thought he was just rambling on, but he still has all ten. Now whenever I use a power tool I hear him say those same two words: respect & fear.

-- Brian, Lebanon PA, If you aren’t having fun doing it, find something else to do.