Stupidity Persists

[dusty]

I have made sawdust for many, many years. One would think, too many years to get caught doing something really stupid and potentially very dangerous. But guess what. It's never to late to learn or relearn a good lesson. Today I did just that.

The lesson: - Don't trap stock between the fence and a router bit. This is lesson one or two in any router safety class. Today, I failed the lesson.

I had been routing rabbets and dadoes in the pieces for a nick-nack rack. I noticed that a couple edges needed to be cleaned up (jointed, really). But like a fool, I raised the bit, set the fence for 7 3/4" (shelf depth) and proceeded to send projectiles across the shop. I had gone brain dead! Fortunately, no damage or injuries except to the projectile and my ego.

The lesson: - Don't trap stock between the fence and a router bit.

[alancooke]

Dusty,

Thanks for your humble honesty and the reminder.
I'm very glad you weren't hurt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[john]

Dusty:

The only good thing about reading this type of post is to be reminded of how easy it is to lose focus and the dangers that occur from even a momentary lapse.

Also VERY glad to hear that you were not injured.

John

[kd6vpe]

Wow,
So happy you are OK. That same thing happened to me not long ago. Mine was making some bead board for a project using a v bit in the router. I tried to bite off too much wood at once. Don't feel alone or stupid.:)

[greitz]

Glad to heard there's no damages, Dusty! Thanks for the tip! I've never had any router instruction at all, so I had to stop and figure out why that's a bad idea. Maybe it's time to reread the router table manual.

Maybe we could encourage Nick to do a special sawdust session on Stupid Power Tool Tricks, sort of like Letterman's Stupid Pet Tricks.

Gary

[dusty]

gary et al

Please do read and study the safety materials for all of your equipment. Get to know it well. We have chosen to play in an area that can really hurt you.

What I did today was really stupid because I know better. I have been making sawdust for many years and I have been to many classes and group discussions where this sort of thing was discussed. If I had seen you do what I did, I would have had a fit.

For just that one split second, I fed that board into the trap between the blade and the fence and it was immediately gone (across the room). Fortunately, it hit something that was able to survive the impact. It didn't have to be that way. Someone could have been seriously hurt or something seriously damaged.

I was unbelieveably lucky.:o

I had planned to do a glue up today but I still had stock left to edge sand. I decided that today was probably not the day to do that. The edge sanding set up (with a conical disc) is very similar to the situation from which I just escaped. You feed the stock into the sanding disc while it is held in position against the fence. If you attempt to take off too much - this setup is also capable of creating projectiles. The lesson here: Don't resize material with the conical disc, surface sand. Use it to remove only about a 1/32" (very little more than that).

Used correctly, this tool, just like the router does some fantastic work for you. Used incorrectly, it will hurt you.

[charlese]

Dusty- Glad your mis-happening was only an alert - not a personal injury!:D

Your post reads like you were feeding your work piece from right to left as you would routing a shape on the edge (with the bit partly under the fence).

Of course, had you been feeding from the left to right (between the fence and the bit) things would have been different and smooth (if you didn't try too big a bite)

This reminded me of a story in Jim Tolpin's, "Wood Working Wit and Wisdom" I'll try to paraphrase it. Jim ran across an old, but otherwise excellent cabinet maker. He knew this guy for the last ten years of his enterprise. The old fella had used his pre-OSHA, high powered equipment for at least 30 years before Jim knew him. Every time Jim visited the old fella's shop, the old guy was short another appendage. The old fella said "another sacrifice to the woodworking gods". His machines were not any more unsafe than they were when he started working with them 30 years prior. It was only in the last 10 yrs. when he had problems.

Jim's point of telling this story was that your head (brain) has to be in your work. Without your midset on the "unsafety" of your machine, your body can never be safe.

Kinda like the old aircraft saying - "There are old pilots and bold pilots, but there are NO old,bold pilots.

Best Wishes, and thanks for posting your story! I could tell of my mind slips, but at another time.:o

[john]

Fortunatly my latest bout of stupidity did not result in a safety hazzard, but it sure upset me. More in my next Weekly Blog.

JOhn