Norm on PBS

His shows used to start with a disclaimer crawler about the guards being removed for visual clarity.

Don’t remember when they dropped that practice.

As for guards on the tablesaw, I’ve always thought that they were a tradeoff between keeping me out of the machinery and actually being able to see what happens at the business end of the saw. I opt for none. But I work (and work real hard) to keep my hands as far away from the spinning blade as possible.

Odd that you mention squaring a piece right up against the fence. Watching Norm years ago, I picked up the technique of using a 3/4” board on the fence, well away from the blade, to keep the piece from “cocking” against the fence and binding against the saw blade. I even have specific plywood scraps that are exactly 3/4” that I keep by the tablesaw because it makes calculating the offset easy.

I agree with you about Norm’s techniques for freeing his dutchman patches; he’s used that technique a number of times on his show and I always cringe when I see it.

Look at it this way: the most important safety tool in the shop is right between your ears. Your observations show that you have trained yourself to look for potential problems and eliminate them before you start cutting. That makes it all the more unlikely that you will be contributing any injury photos to LJ’s.

-- "Find out what you cannot do and then go do it!"

Last I saw, Norm has all his digits. Either he’s wicked lucky or plenty experienced. I suppose its a little of each. He get’s paid plenty … I’m sure he’ll install a cyborg hand if he cuts off his own.

-- Just 'cause a cat has kittens in the oven, it don't make 'em biscuits.

enjoy his shows but yeah he makes me cringe at times, engineers right “engage brain before touching the on switch” as for norms cyborg hand ,sometimes I think he is a cyborg, does the guy ever take a break!

-- if the hand is not working it is not a pure hand

You would need to see the “behind the scenes” activity on the set when Norm’s shows are being filmed to really understand how some of what we see on TV really happens. I have seen “miscues” that magically disappear after a commercial break.

-- Those that say it can't be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

I agree with all. I have seen him take some chances. I always hold my breath when he does dados and holds the board down right over the blade. I dont like to have my fingers anywhere close to the blade. I always hold the board down from a few inches away instead and if the board doesnt fit flat on the table like some thin plywoods do, I use a stick in one hand to hold it down. I personally dont like to use the blade guard because I think it obstructs my vision. I did find out a few months ago however, that a riving knife is a must after getting hit in the chest and stomach with a flying board during a kickback. I still have the red line on my stomach and chest from that.

-- Wayne - Plymouth MN

Norm likes to tell you to be careful, but sometimes he doesn’t engage in very safe techniques, I’ve never seen him or many people on TV roll up their sleeve when wearing a long sleeve shirt as I was told years ago by my Grandfather and Uncle taught me to do. But I do see sometimes that “Pro’s” will tell people on the fix up shows to not wear long sleeves when cutting. Semi-hypocritical at times, practice what you preach should be the way they tape these shows. Yes his work looks great in the end, but how many things went wrong during the taping of a show?

One that is really crazy (on PBS Create Channel) is American Woodshop (I think is the name), he’s not that great and not very professional quality at times but obviously the budget is much less than anything that the This Old House Crews’ produce.

-- Respect your shop tools and they will respect you - Ric

I was thinking the same about Norm recently when I watched an old 1990 episode on making a medicine cabinet. He made tenons on the TS without a jig by just holding the stock with his hand to the fence very close to the blade; yikes!

It would be interesting to see a video of the parts of his show that did not make it into the final take. He could call it ‘Norm’s Flub’s’. I am sure he has some.

-- Ron in Osseo, Minnesota

I just posted a blog with pics of a woodworker in China.
It might change your perspective of saftey.

-- HenryH - PA