Ultimate Table Saw

[Fenton Murray]

Hey Mike,
Thanks for sharing, you'll make me more careful. Let's just make a rule,
don't clear anything off the table till the table saw/band saw/router stops.
Now if we can just follow the rules.
Fenton
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Nossaman" <rnossaman at cox.net>
To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 3:55 PM
Subject: Re: Ultimate Table Saw


>
> > Oh, how true.  I am recovering nicely from a deep cut on the face of my
left thumb from my table saw.  After finishing cutting 150 small pieces of
maple for a shank cutting jig I'll be giving away in KC, the last one did
it.  The piece after cutting stayed between the blade and the fence.  I shut
the saw off, and before the blade stopped I reached in to get the wood, and
BINGO!  12 stitches later I analyzed what happened:  Tiredness, inattention,
in a hurry, late in the day, and just not thinking.  I'm still learning that
power tools do not forgive.....
> > Mike Kurta
>
> Hi Mike,
> This isn't directed at you, but your post was a handy segue
> into some of what has been discussed in this thread. I hope
> you don't mind me borrowing it.
>
> I've always said that, eventually, a power tool will hurt you.
> You just hope and try to insure that your number comes up on
> the wheel fifty years, or even fifteen minutes, after you've
> died from something else. Whatever you think is necessary and
> reasonable to achieve that is what you do. It works until it
> doesn't. If that includes a $3000 dollar saw that won't let
> you cut yourself however hard you try, then do that, but
> without the "how much are your fingers worth?" stuff to
> someone who doesn't. How many of you who made similar comments
> own this saw yourself? Anyone at all? Do auto accident
> statistics mean you should invest in a tank so you're
> untouchable in an accident? Who drives a tank? Hands?
> Thousands of injuries occur annually from people slipping in
> the bathtub. How many wear overhead rigged safety harnesses in
> the bath? Hands? The list of potential hazards is near
> infinite, unlike the time and resources we have to deal with
> eliminating them. We have to decide on our own personal
> realities and play our own hands out as we are able.
>
> My table saw is run without guards. I don't want them in my
> way, and I sure don't want them giving me a sense of security
> and safety around the thing. I use push sticks and such, but
> that's it. I try to stay impressed with the danger and
> destructive power of these electric pit bulls, and stay alert
> as a consequence. Stupidity does strike on it's own schedule
> though, and I've had a reminder or two. So far, the only
> damage other than adrenalin shock and a tendency to babble
> under some circumstances, has been a tremendous hand hammering
> from a kickback, and being speared in the fingers a couple of
> times when diagonal splits were cut off (other side of the
> blade from the fence) and launched into me by the blade.
> Luckily, the bone stopped them, but a guard wouldn't have
> prevented this.
>
> There are a half dozen ways to do something right and safely,
> and thousands of ways to that same thing wrong and
> dangerously, whatever the tool. I would have a very hard time
> getting along without my table saw, but the same goes for my
> band saws, for different reasons. They are all over 30 years
> old, and not the top of the line, and I'll eventually upgrade
> when I need capabilities they can't produce - possibly with
> $3000 saws, but likely not.
>
> Ron N
>
>