The unfiltered TRUTH about workshop safety you NEED to hear!
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- Опубліковано 21 сер 2024
- We all need some tough love once in a while. This video says it like it is.
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IMPORTANT: TAKE SOME TIME TO READ THROUGH THE COMMENTS BELOW! They contain many personal experiences about real-life situations you may encounter. Many are from people with decades of experience that thought it would never happen to them. Hearing their stories may just save you from making the same mistakes!
Stumpy Nubs I’m very pleased to see that you are recovering from you accident. The mental trauma in many instances can be more intense than the physical injuries. It takes time. Sharing helps in many ways. Continuing to share. Thank you.
I want to hit the thumbs up a thousand times for this. You're right, you're helping, and thank you.
Not enough can be said about mental lapses (brain farts). Complacency is the #1 cause of all accidents
@@brettm1118 even with the most care taken shops can't always fail-safe - and complacency makes it so much worse.
I think part of the problem for many "tough guys" lies in the idea that since they can hold the tool in their hands (or at least hold the power over it) that means it's under their control. The best safety advice I ever got was to remember that the only time a tool is ever completely under control is when it's not being used. If you're touching it, it can hurt you.
Excellent video. There has definitely been a rise in bro culture among UA-cam makers and woodworkers over the past few years. It's good to hear to honest real talk about power tool safety.
You and I will keep fighting the good fight :)
Isn't "bro" usually prefaced with "hold my beer"?
@@rapa2464 usually I say "bro, hold my beer"
so no
Preach on!!!
Dad always said...."A smart man learns from his mistakes"......."A wise man learns from the mistakes of others"
Dad's rule, 👍👍👍 a smart and wise man passes the safety word on to others. 👍👍👍
I'm totally going to be passing this one on to my own boys as they grow! Thank you!
@@scottblasco he also said...dont sweat the petty things...pet the sweaty things...lol
Respect
And a truly wise man learns from the mistakes of others and puts it to practical use... Passive learning vs Actual doing is what truly makes a Master.
I'm 71yrs old and still remember my father explaining to me that machinery is very very patient. It's sitting there chilling out waiting for you to make a mistake and then it will grab you. He advocated risk assessment way before it was adopted in industry. Never forgotten his words and still have all my fingers and toes. The biggest asset one has is common sense, use it! It's probably the most important piece of safety equipment you possess.
Before you cut always ask yourself "where are my fingers?" so you don't scream it after.
Just like the saying "measure twice, cut once" also use the phrase "Where are my fingers now?"
That, among all the replies here, has got to be the shortest and smartest reply of all.. It should be an obligated Logo to print and paste on every power tool in the whole industry, specially right next to power blades of any kind or a funny T-Shirt with such writing as "Using Power Tools Today? Got All Your Fingers? Safety First!" Smart, Wise & Brilliant!! 🕟Wait... I think the motto saying 'Safety First' it's overlooked and doesn't "Ring" into people's head anymore and causes Mental Numbness of those who are easily distracted... Let's change that to: "Using power tools today? Got all your body parts complete? SHIT HAPPENS! ⛑
When I took a Hazard and Risk Assessment course in the early 90's as part of my engineering degree, the instructor started the course with this statement:
"There is no such thing as an accident, only varying degrees of negligence."
Essentially, accidents happen when you or someone near you has done something that surpasses the safety threshold. Sometimes this is because the risk is very low and so it is an 'accepted' part of doing the work. Most often, this is because people have chosen - mistakenly - to bypass or ignore known safety issues because they under evaluated the risk associated with the action.
Humans are very poor estimators of personal risk. They tend to both UNDER and OVER estimate risk in different conditions. Doing something risky, without immediate consequence, reinforces people's bad judgement and increases the likelihood that they will continue risky behavior.
Safety advice, videos and examples of accidents that happen in real life are reality checks. Don't stop doing them just because some people have fallen into the too human trap of ignoring or minimizing risk.
PS> I've done more than my share of stupid things in the past. Close call and the fact that I wasn't gravely injured only reinforce that even smart humans can do stupid things from time to time. Take safety seriously, and beware doing things in a rush. Doing things in a rush is the number one reason people cut safety precautions.
I have done a few courses and heard the same. There are numerous videos of people speaking about their accident, they nearly all start.... I was just... or the classic, was about to go to lunch when I thought I would just do this quickly...
There's another saying of "Luck is what happens when preparedness meets opportunity" if you think about it the same can be said for bad luck.
...my wife joking (?) Refers to me as "the dumbest smart guy she knows" when I do the sort of thing...
There are real accidents. They are just really rare. I saw a rock fall on a car on a mountain road. The only available way to avoid that would have been not to be on that road, or simply in a slightly different place, like I was. That said, in the shop, I don't know of any real accident. They are as your professor said, due to some degree of long term or momentary negligence.
@@theeddorian The statement shouldn't be taken as an absolute, but to your example, except that what many people call an accident are readily predictable outcomes.
An argument could be made that the 'accident' you cite above could have been prevented by 1. Not driving on a mountain road in the first place. 2. Building a retaining wall/physical barrier to prevent falling rocks from making it to the road. 3. Building tunnels through the mountain instead. In essense, the rock falling on the car isn't an accident, it is a foreseeable result of driving a cars on a mountainside roads.
Obviously, some risks we accept as remote and managable. Others, not so much. If we treat most "accidents" as preventable, we improve outcomes. Also, calling something an accident, when it is the result of negligence, absolves people of ownership and responsibility for something that should have been avoided in the first place.
As I tell my 11 year old son all the time. If I've told you that what you're doing is going to cause an accident, and you keep doing it anyways. When the accident happens, it isn't an accident anymore, it's negligence - and you'll be punished accordingly.
I wish I could "like" this more than once. I think one of the most important safety tips is never use power tools (or really, any tools) when you are tired. That's when the brain farts start happening.
Or when in a hurry!
This happened to me exactly! Fortunately it's but a flesh wound.
@@lancemcque1459 Love the Monty Python reference!!!
"You have no arms left"
"It's but a flesh wound"
"What are you going to do, bleed on me??"
I call it the nine o'clock rule - tongue in cheek - because I rarely get that "tired buzz" that early in the evening. But I've learned to recognize it and >usually< call it quits for the day before I do something stupid.
I will only sand, and apply finish to some things when I don't feel 100%. And even then there are still things in that category that are not wise... like sanding plywood (No one look at the side of the shelf I have against the wall).
"Your tools do not respect you" is a brilliant thing to be aware of
The tools don't give a crap about you, they just want to be Famous!! ha! ha! ha!
James
I’ve never hade a major accident in my shop... However after watching your videos the last few weeks on safety I have taken my zero clearance insert out of my table saw (it has no splitter) and put the factory insert back in so I can use the riving knife until such time I can make a new insert with a splitter or with a slot that allows the use of the riving knife.
Thank you for pushing this issue, you may have saved me from losing some vital body part or at least some pain. Keep pushing us to be not only better woodworkers but also SAFER ones.
I must admit, after seeing this video, I made a new zero clearance insert with a splitter in it. It was not hard...I just never had the time to do it before. Yes, it takes time. Make the time and do it.
Well said!!
Can someone point me in the direction of this video? thanks.
Looks at his videos from about 8-9 months ago. It won’t be hard to find.
Stumpy also did one. Search zero clearance in UA-cam.
A few years ago my thumb got pulled into the router cause I was holding a small piece with my fingers. A $20 small parts holder would have prevented my accident (I spent the $20 afterwards). The ER doctor said to my wife, " Can you go home and bring back the tip of my thumb". She answered, " you don't know what a router is". My thumb tip was spread over the walls of my shop. The most painful part was the 6 shots in my thumb to numb it which then the doc only put in 1 stitch. Should have skipped the 6 shots. 10 years later, I still get weird nerve sensations from that thumb. I was lucky cause it mostly grew back but the nerves will never be the same. Spend the $20 next time for the proper safety gear. I totally support what you are doing. Keep it up.
Thank you. I don't know if I would have thought of that scenario before your post.
Thank you for sharing your experience as others could learn from it and not make the same mistakes.
Safety never gets old. Safety talk never gets old. One life is all we have.
Hell yeah. And for accident prone people like me it’s even MORE relevant than ever to watch safety videos. That’s why I always either use safety glasses or close the door when using my CNC. One time I looked away for a second and the stock came loose from the table, it flung it across the table and bounced it off the edge of the door. And that was just a hobby light use CNC, not a big metalworking one.
safety talks do get ever so old, but they are ever so important reminders. It takes incredible discipline to pay them due diligence and not dismiss them with reckless misguided bravado. You cant be a man and provide for your family if you cripple yourself. know the risk that you are taking and make sure it is worth it and not merely expedient.
@@Tensquaremetreworkshop ever met an escalating saw?.. doesnt cut flesh ... cuts wood lol
People ignoring safety never get old, too 😉
@@Sadowsky46 So true, it would fly over one's head were it not to smack them in the face. And maybe that's the point. Pay attention.
50 years of using a table saw, zero power tool accidents my entire life, and I went to make a "quick cut" without thinking, there was stuff in the way and the 12x12 piece of plywood I just cut wouldn't clear the blade. Switched to "brain fart" mode, pulled the wrong hand off the work to kill the saw, and a 12x12 piece of plywood hit me in the stomach at 120 MPH. Lucky for me it hit edge, not corner, first. The bruise lasted for months. The piece of plywood is hanging on the wall behind the table saw. Keep the safety videos coming.
You forgot to take a photo of the injury to frame it on the 12" x 12" like a "live" reminder of your 50 year prowess record as a woodworker. A safety memento...
@@Phoenix-One0922 I have photos, but don't really want to look at all those bruises every time I'm in the shop. The piece of wood is sufficient reminder.
I'm a relative newbie woodworker, only at it a couple of years this time around (tried it 20 years ago and let it go). I'm also a physician and we have taken care of patients having finger re-implants and other tool-related injuries (including just closing up amputations...), and chronic pain from the aftermath. First tool I bought was a SawStop and I've tried to have those little talks with myself about safety before making any cut that just doesn't feel right. In my specialty (anesthesiology) we are obsessed with safety and error prevention, and what others have written is certainly true: human nature and the tools we use are simply going to be dangerous, so all we can do is try to design systems that prevent accidental injury. #1 is thinking about it, all the time, what we call "obsession with failure." You don't WANT to fail, but if you don't think about how you could, you will.
@Blind Freddy yep my partner doesnt like it, considers it negativity (i call it healthy paranoia) but im just thinking about what COULD happen to mitigate it before it has the chance to happen.
I lost 3 fingers. This is needed truth.
Damn. This makes me feel lucky...
Wow, sorry to hear that. I am going to assume since you actually were hurt, this info is very important.
Lost part of my thumb on a table saw about 10 years ago.
It still hurts today.
@_ David _ ?
I watched your power carving video. That very day I was speaking to a friend of mine about it. He had just purchased that exact type of blade for his grinder. I advised him to think again. He dosen't have the experience you have with power tools. He took the wise move and returned the tool. Thank you for the heads up. He still has all of his.fingers:)
After watching that same video I decided that tool I can do without.
I removed one from my amazon wish list, I can wait to save up for something like the arbor tech stuff. also around that same time I'd injured myself with a metal cut off wheel on my angle grinder so I was very attentive.
@@dscrive I use the arbourtech blades for 30 years without an accident. I've worn them out. But as Stumpy says its only time until I will get hurt.
Note, I do use them differently to Stumpy as I mentioned to him in his finger cutting video.
I have one of those blades and have used it many, many times on job sites hogging out wood where needed. I always used two hands, the side handle AND the blade guard and thought I was reasonably safe. I would NEVER let anyone else touch it, cause it made ME nervous using it.
After seeing James' video on his mishap, it scared the crap out of me, as I was basically using it the same way he was. I was totally shocked at the quickness of the grinder twisting around and going for blood. I've since decided I don't need that much wood removal that fast. Parked that evil machine immediately after.
The patent must have ran out on those type blades. I assume King Arthur was the first to bring them to market years ago and were really the main manufacturer of them. I now see those blades being pushed everywhere with generic names. Dangerous, indeed.
Preach, brother! You're doing a public service. Thank you.
THE BEST safety program I ever saw. I was in a USMC "hobby shop" woodworking, 40+ years ago. I was there with a friend who was a Marine. On the wall above each machine was a full color framed photo of a "fresh" accident on that machine or one like it. Those Marines standing there with their blood dripping from nubs...that image sticks with you.
If only one person takes heed to your safety talks.... that's a very good thing! Preach on brother!
@@LordPadriac Aaaand you just proved his point BEAUTIFULLY!! Enjoy your future medical issues due to ignoring good advice.
During a recent visit to my hand specialist for arthritis problems, we talked a little about woodworking injuries. He said that the vast majority of woodworkers who come to him with a power tool injury tell him that the injury occurred while they were tired near the end of the day, or they were distracted by something else on their mind, or they were startled by something. Several years ago I was crosscutting a chunk of 4x4 post on an old Sears table saw when I was seriously startled by something outside the garage. I flinched, turned my head left in the direction of the distraction and twisted the 4x4. The saw blade caught the wood and flung it back. It just grazed my right ear as it flew by. If I hadn't turned my head I would have had a serious injury that I don't like to think about. I was damn lucky.
I believe that you were on 50% lucky... the 'thing' that startled you caused you to get distracted which caused the incident and which also caused you to turn your head, avoiding a full blown impact to your head... That what I call an Eerie event or a "cool 1/2 chance injury"! Wow.. That is crazy!! Cool story.
When I started skydiving the instructor said. “Skydiving is not safe, and it cannot be made safe. Only safer “ I guess the same goes for tools. Not just power tools but all tools.
As someone who's just getting started, post all the safety videos you want. Thanks for doing what you do!
I couldn't agree more! I'm only in my early 20's, so I figure I have 50+ more years to injure myself than Bill Blowhard.
As someone who has been doing this for over a decade I sincerely appreciate every word of these safety videos. The horrifying series of the lancelot has been really helpful in reminding me of the seriousness of what this seemingly relaxing pastime can do to anyone who slips
This video should be regular, periodic, required, viewing for everybody. It is excellent, hard-earned, compelling, honest, and necessary. Thank you, Mr. Hamilton, for this public service!
At the furniture factory I worked at we had a different safety topic or three every month.
Health and Safety gave it to the supervisors.
Supervisors gave it to the people on the floor.
Thank you for this video, A friend of mine someone who was trying to learn more about woodworking was using a miter saw to cut some plastic edging for a flower bed. It was late and he had his hand too close to the blade. In a split second the blade caught the plastic and pulled his hand end. They were able to reattach his thumb but he still after a year has trouble moving it. My daughter is learning and enjoys wood working. Before we use any tool including a drill or a hand tool we go over safety and what not to do and what you need to be thinking about. Also where the medical kit is in the garage just in case. Thank you for sharing your story and I do hope the people take this serious as we all have had dumb moments that we look back on and think how lucky we really are. I hope things are progressing along and I want to say I started watching your videos and they have helped me become better and help others along the way. Keep up the good work.
Almost 40 years ago I jammed a piece of oak between the fence and the bit in the direction of rotation (it was a smoother cut!). The router grabbed the board and threw it and the tip of my left index finger across my parents’ garage. It changed my life. Guitar playing, rock climbing, self confidence . . . . I had to face up to my cavalier attitude about safety.
20 years later I became a middle school woodworking teacher. I used my injury as a prop for safety lessons. I am sure it was effective as I had only 2 close to serious injuries (bandsaw) in my 17 years of teaching woods.
Please keep preaching safety through your own experiences.
My home-made safety reminder is: CHAT: never unsheath (or power-up) a tool if I am:
Cold
Hungry
Angry or
Tired.
And check up regularly with myself. I teach all my students to have a regular little ‘chat’ with themselves.
V isions
That’s a good one.
I'll add, having to pee or poop really bad and are putting it off until just one more cut.
I like this one. Ima gonna use it. Maybe make a sign for my shop with it.
@@davidgagnon2849 You're definately going to pee and poop if it does go wrong! Not neccessarily when you wanted to!
As you get older you should stop and take a pee when you need one!
Safety talk never gets old.
Just outstanding, James. Having recently had the “edifying” experience of nearly losing an eye because I wasn’t paying attention to where things were when I switched on my table saw, my whole attitude to safety has been kicked up quite a few notches. And that old saw (because not even potentially life-changing experiences can kill bad puns) about respecting your tools and they’ll respect you? There’s an aphorism that’s lost it’s meaning, if ever there was one. Respect isn’t simply keeping blades shape, cleaning off rust, or keeping your fingers away from the pointy bits. Respect is also being FULLY aware of just what can go wrong with both how you use the tool, and the circumstances in which you use it. Because you’re absolutely correct - tools have no respect for their users - inanimate objects of steel, iron, wood and plastic are utterly incapable of respect, and the fools that parrot the mutual respect line are simply casualties waiting to happen. The thing that will try to maim or kill you isn’t a table saw, a router, a power drill, a chainsaw or even a chisel. It’s you.
This is now my favorite quote: "The thing that will try to maim or kill you isn’t a table saw, a router, a power drill, a chainsaw or even a chisel. It’s you." TY for that.
This is a great video. About 15 years ago I bought a Delta UniSaw originally built in 1958 (verified w/ Delta via serial number) that I completely disassembled and rebuilt. There was no safety equipment what-so-ever and being young and invincible I didn't add any during the rebuild. Well, it didn't take long to experience my first serious kickback. Since I wear glasses I was wearing a full safety shield which is the only reason I have eyesight today. The piece kicked back so hard that it broke the shield, gashed my shoulder and hit the backboard of my bench so hard that it left a semicircular divot about 1/4" deep. I left that mark to this day as a reminder of how quickly things can go wrong. I immediately sought out aftermarket safety equipment and fit a complete Shark Guard system to my saw. It added a splitters, anti kickback pawls and a blade shield with a top 4" connection for my dust collection system. Since adding it I have not had a single unsafe incident. Using tools without safety gear is begging for trouble. It's not a question of "if" something could go wrong, it's a question of "when" something will go wrong.
I feel a well deserved sense of shame after you mentioned a dangerous practice that I had just finished doing not 10 minutes earlier...because "just one cut..."
...I got away with it, but the whole point of safety is not to "get away with it" for as long as you can, but rather to implement safer procedures that you use every time.
Great reminder, James!
A few years back, doing some welding on a vehicle for the UK MOT test (an annual road safety inspection which is mandatory for certain classes of vehicle) I just needed to tidy a straggling bit of MIG wire, and touched it with the angle grinder, and because it was just a quick touch literally done with the motor winding down, I did not bother with the eye protection.
Yep it got me, spent the evening in A&E, and had to go back the next day to see an eye specialist who got to work with a needle and Dremel to 'grind out' the rust ring, luckily no major damage just a very sore eye for a couple of days, thanks to our NHS our safety faux paus are 'free'.
The following year more welding and darn it, I did the exact same bloody thing.
I now always use eye protection, as I am NEVER having another Dremel and burr in my eye.
@@censusgary Hi Bud,
Never skip any protection. Period. End of discussion.
@@censusgary Yes they grind out the rust ring, and they did it with no anesthetic and literally you have to sit there still as, whilst they do it.
It sounds much worse than it actually is, I now take no chances as the consequences do not bear thinking about.
I however am a serial offender because back in the 90s I was doing some MIG welding, could not be arsed to go and get a face shield, and thought (wrongly) THAT mig WAS NOT AS BAD AS arc, fine for the two hours I was doing the job.
But hells bells for the next two weeks my eyes were like a cement mixer, never doing that again, and just to add insult to this, it was when I was at college, and the instructors actually watched me do this, and the next day was the presentation of the job, to an external examiner, who thought god knows what.
With me presenting my work, with bloodshot eyes, streaming, snuffling and blowing in total agony, got a pass, but I should have got an ass kicking for that.
Seriously now 30 years on, I, you or anyone is invincible, safety equipment is not an optional extra or a pick and mix, I have just started woodworking again after a long break, and watching these tutorials are great, as it reminds me to stop, look and learn.
@@johndawkes7339 I'm surprised you still have your vision.
Yeah this „just one (more) cut“ should ring our alarms and yell „stop it“
Safety videos: you make 'em, I'll watch 'em
and me
Do not be intimidated by anyone who ignores safety tips. They have saved me from making what could have been serious injuries. Like you so elegantly pointed out a brain fart can have devastating consequences that can have life alternating effects. A simple cut finger from a saw blade kept me from playing guitar (my other passion) for several weeks even though the injury was treated with my first aids shop kit. Bravo my friend. Keep posting safety videos.
You, sir, deserve to be praised for bringing our attention back to the often overlooked basics that EVERY woodworker should start with each and every time they pick up a power tool. After all, we don’t send new car drivers out on the road without teaching them how to drive safely. So I don’t understand why anyone would even want to use an extremely dangerous piece of machinery, ie. most powered woodworking tools, without at least being aware of its basic safety precautions, before using that particular piece of equipment.
The smart ones will not only hear you, but understand you and follow through with an eye on their own safety as they work with these tools.
I, for one, thank you for the reminder.
Thanks for the safety videos. “The truck’s here with the new planer. Let’s move the shaper over here to make room. It’s only three feet. We won’t even have to rewire it.”
When he was younger my brother worked in a cabinet shop he and a friend jointly owned. One day they for needed to shift their shaper about 3 feet or so. The shaper was hard wired to the power source through a cutoff and had a regular toggle type switch for turning it on/off. (That freakin’ paddle type safety switch was a pain in the ass!) No rollers to make moving it easy. It was only three feet, so they could “walk” it that far. No need to pull the cutoff lever for that. When one of them accidentally bumped the switch on that big 3 phase 5 hp unit while two of the feet were off the floor the torque spun that machine out of both their hands and it tipped right into my brother’s body. Fortunately he was able to push himself away with one hand which went into the cutter head. It didn’t open his stomach and blend his guts or chew up his privates. I don’t remember how many surgeries it took to fix his hand, but he’ll tell you that still today it makes working in cold weather an exercise in pain management. He tried to gut it up and minimize the pain killers, but still had to go through withdrawal when it was over. It’s only three feet.
Thank you!!! I as a beginner wood hobbyist at 66 years old asked for this video. I don't worry about my ego, I worry about my fingers, body etc. To all you more advanced wood workers thank you for your patience as I catch up.
My Grandfather said to me when I was a little tacker, "Always be wary if not a little scared of power tools".. Glad he taught me that as every time I use one I make sure I am aware of my surroundings, the tool I am using and how I am using it. Still managed to give myself a few injuries but thankfully no serious ones. Workshop safety is the most important thing IMHO... as is keeping the workshop clean and free of trip hazards. When I was an Apprentice Boilermaker there was a tradie who treated his work area like a garbage dump. He stepped back one day and tripped over a pile of rubbish and cracked his head open on a steel plate topped workbench. First, and I hope the last time, I actually saw a persons brain.... (Lucky he survived but he never worked again).. Keep the safety videos coming!
This is so true. I put a chainsaw into my hand almost a year ago and I'm still recovering. The pain of the incident was surprisingly trivial, it was the therapy and surgery afterward that sucked. I will tell you that the experience is sobering and made me SO much more safety focused. I've almost become afraid of power tools at times. I didn't pick up another chainsaw for 6 months and it was stressful even then.
A left-over from the days when I was a highly trained AF pilot/instructor:
There are two kinds of pilot - those who have landed gear up and those who will!
You're never too experienced, too trained, or too anything to ensure zero failure!
Well said! “There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots. There are no old, bold pilots.”
Same thing with motorcycle riders, two types, those who have dropped a bike and those that will.
Looking at the comments, so far, I would say most of us here have walked away with a few wounds that left our underwear a bit damp; myself no exception. I was lucky it missed the bone, but I still don't feel things quite right in my right thumb. The cut went fine and I was drawing my hands back when I heard something and instinctually turned to look... didn't quite clear the blade first. Every time I touch something with that hand I thank God and I remember to stay focused.
I have a rule in my shop that if anyone hears a power tool running, do NOT come in. Wait until the power tool powers down then enter and observe what I'm engaged in before getting my attention. This little rule has helped keep me from being distracted at several critical times.
It's a weird feeling. I hurt my fingers 18 years ago, they still don't feel quite like normal fingers, but I'm kinda used to it so it doesn't bother me at all anymore.
@@metalzonemt-2 like the fingers there but it's someone else's, that weird numb feeling.... it's very odd.
Thank you. I’m recovering from a moped accident that resulted in a distal radius fracture. The bone was in at least ten pieces and required two surgeries. Recovery is painfully slow. I can relate.
Keep the safety videos coming. We will watch them.
The last person that called me overly safety conscious got laid out by a kickback about 5 minutes after he said I took safety too seriously. Why did he get kickback? He took the riving knife out the saw because it "interfered with his cuts". He avoids my eyes to this day, but he does always check that the riving knife is in place.
I am 46, I've been woodworking since I was a Teen. I used to work in a furniture shop and was a department supervisor. I always told the people they hired to never let yourself get too rushed, because that's when you make mistakes and accidents will happen. I was given a rush order and didn't take my own advice and tore my index finger open on a router table. 5 years later and a surgery to reattach the nerve, I Still only have 85% feeling in the tip of that finger. It can happen to anyone.
I’ve had one of those “brain farts”. Mine was while working tired. I took off half of my right thumb. There was at least 3 months of follow up visits after the ER. The wound site is numb to the touch but when whacked in the right spot can send stabbing pain through my whole hand and arm. Slow down, think, and stay clear and rested.
I'm not tired of it! I found your channel because your tablesaw safety video, and have gone on a shop safety deep dive. One thing I appreciate about your channel is you talk about how to do things safely while still being effective and comfortable, and offer options for many situations. Like your video on using smaller cartridges to make a respirator less bulky, or making a splitter for a table saw insert.
Lots of woodworkers like myself have no formal training, and lots of tutorials either don't talk about safety measures, OR they make very aggressive safety recommendations without any consideration for how people might be able to functionally incorporate them into their workflow in a way that isn't extremely cumbersome, or impractical for those of us with very limited space and budget. "You should do this or else you're an idiot" is a lot less helpful than "Here's why this is a bad idea, and here are some ways to protect yourself while still getting good results!"
Also, for anyone else without formal training, I highly recommend taking the time to peruse some of the many great info videos when you're not currently working on something, rather than trying to cram in all the info while impatient to go get started. It really feels empowering to know I have vital info stored up before I step into the shop to work on my next piece. I've started to take a full inventory of all my tools and take the time to clean them, sharpen them, and review all of the safety info about them that I thought I already knew.
Yet another example of why you have the best woodworking channel on UA-cam. I really appreciate how candid you are. I watch your videos all the time. Even my wife enjoys watching “Stumpy” in the evening after our kids are in bed. I know what you’re thinking, I’m a real charmer. Keep up the good work, my friend. And the accolades, you’ve earned them.
I've been an ER Nurse for 11 years. I'm also a woodworker. I have collected a portfolio in my mind of all the power tool injuries I've seen. Jointers, table saws, chainsaws.. chop saws...
It's quite a long list.
I can tell you, as the guy in the corner, starting the IV line and giving the medication; not one of those guys saw it coming.
And they were all preventable.
No one deserves to get hurt.
There are only really 2 ways of learning
Education and Experience.
What do you call a Woodworker who's missing fingers? Experienced....
Sorry for your injury.
As a side note . The first ER that stitched you up and sent you home did the wrong thing.. you always check for tendon or ligament involvement before closing someone up... That was just sloppy.
When I nicked the tip of my index finger on the table saw, the ER doctor told me, while scraping away bone to get enough flesh to overlap and sew together to make a fingertip, that he had read that the saw most noted in emergency room visits was the band saw. Frankly, I'm terrified of those things, and I can see how that might be true. You can just forget that you have to stop pushing before your fingers get to the blade...
Please keep talking about safety. Your finger cut has me being very diligent. I appreciate all your content ❤️
Thanks for this video. People need to realize that safety is not to be joked about. 10 years back, I continued working when I actually was mentally exhausted or physically tired. I had a relatively mild injury, cutting with the miter saw into my finger, at the joint, but thank god not deep into the joint. It took 4 weeks until the wound fully closed despite the doctors cleaning out the wound and stitching it up. I will never forget the feeling of the needle poking into my finger deeper than I though possible right beside my bone to inject the anasthesia.
After weeks until the wound closed followed weeks of tending and caring for the wound without beeing able to move my finger. And pain medication each and every day of it. The injury itself didn't hurt at all on that day, the cleaning and stitching up did. But the worst part was the pumping deep pain when you try to fall asleep on the day of the injury. After the skin healed so I could move my finger again, it took months of training to get the tendons, skin and muscles stretched again. It is weird what only 2 months of not bending your finger can do to your tendons. Movement range of about an inch was what was left. Daily and constant training for months got me full mobility back after half a year. Still, part of that finger is numb, but everything is functional again.
And that is a story of a rather mild shop injury, still mounting up to weeks of pain and half a year of reduced functionality. And I consider myself lucky, as this could have ended much much worse.
I never work again in the shop when beeing tired or angry or distracted. Keep your concentration, and when it's gone, get a tea and let it be for the day. I'm doing this for a hobby, and nothing serious happens if something is not finished.
Your message in this video really strikes home for me. It is not about the injury itself. It is the weeks and months after, the pain of the treatments and the reduced functionality from which you suffer, if you are unlucky, permanently.
I am (almost) 71 years old and - touch wood (😂) have never had a SERIOUS accident. I have however had many less serious accidents and a host of near misses. Every one of them was preceeded by a feeling of complete confidence in myself. Each was followed by sometimes weeks of inconvenience & pain while I recovered from the 'minor' injury. Listen to the man - he speaks truth.
James, This is the best perspective on shop safety I've ever seen. I've hurt myslef a couple of times, not a badly as you did, but enough to require some stiches and a deep respect for the message you deliver here.
Macho dumbasses will always be macho dumbasses. You can't change that. But you can have an impact that just might save someone from an injury they might otherwise incurr without listening to your message. That makes it all worthwhile.
I am a big fan and will continue be. Keep up the great work!
Lonnie, I agree 100%: "This is the best perspective on shop safety I've ever seen."
Thank you, James, for your honest reminder. There is nothing quite so dangerous and arrogance, ignorance, and complacency.
As someone who stuffed a chisel through 2 inches of his left hand a few months ago, I thank you for continuing to talk safety, Noone is too good for an "accident" to happen. That's why they call it an accident.
As someone who has had some near misses in my time, I thank you for this necessary reminder to THINK before switching on a tool!!
You don't even have to switch 'em on. My worst shop brain-fart was accidentally dragging my arm over a new and very sharp trim blade on my table saw. Thank the Gods the machine wasn't on but, since I am old, have "crepe paper" skin and am on blood thinners, there's still a big blood stain on the cement floor and it took a lot of effort to get the blood off my saw surface. Stuff sets up like glue.
Keep 'em coming, James.
Keep doing it. Your right. My brother and I were both cabinetmakers and he lost his left thumb.(50 years in the trade)
On September 5th 2019, I did exactly what you're talking about
I was trying to clear a chip blockage on my 8" jointer, both dust collectors were running, and it was noisy. I put the back of my right hand down on the jointer to see if there was airflow going in. I couldnt see or hear that I had left the jointer running. The blades caught the back of my fingers, shredding the skin on 2 of them. I am still not able to make a tight fist, and maybe never will. Keep the safety videos coming. The intelligent woodworkers will appreciate them.
Thank you for putting up this video. I used to know a professional wood worker that lost part of his finger on a jointer machine. All that happened was he got distracted. After losing the finger, he also lost his job.
Thank you for not shrinking away from telling the hard facts about unsafe behaviors and the consequences resulting from brain farts. I'm a professional safety dude and everything you said is spot on! I truly appreciate your honesty re: your hand injury! There are no "accidents." Everything has a cause. If an airplane crashes into your home, it wasn't your fault but someone, somewhere screwed up and that caused that airplane to crash. Please keep making your safety videos. New woodworkers arrive on your channel on a regular basis, I'm sure and they need to hear the unvarnished truth about the cost, both bodily and financially, of getting hurt!
I’m running straight to the comments to say that the tough guys being the real cowards is spot-on!
Thank you. Ever since your first video following your accident I've been reevaluating how I do things in my shop. I've not used my table saw since then, not out of fear but because it is not equipped correctly and I'm not willing to gamble anymore. I think I may have continued with my willful ignorance without this. Again, thank you. My son thanks you. My wife thanks you. Keep doing what you're doing and I hope you heal quickly.
Shawn, what are the features that are currently lacking on your table saw?
@@simonmarcoux5879 I currently do not have a riving knife or a splitter. I always use a push block or stick, but it was like a day before James' injury video came out that I got a kickback that shot a piece of lumber into my stomach that was hard enough take the wind out of me and ruined a decent sized chunk of wood. The next day I saw his video was and it just made me stop and go "holy moly, that could have been a lot worse." Till I fix that, I don't need to keep putting myself at risk like that again.
Worked with a master woodworker on a large project. He showed me three fingers that were exactly 1/8" shorter than they were before. Gave me a new respect for always thinking first, and thankfully I've never had a major accident. Thanks for these safety videos, never stop.
I was told of a very experienced woodworker, it was his career, he cut his thumb off on the table saw. Instinct took over. He reached to grab it and cut off the other four fingers. I’m still working on being comfortable and very cautious with the table saw!
Excellent video!! From a guy just getting started with wood working, it's much appreciated that you're sharing your experience. Thank you sir!
Good luck in your new woodworking venture. It's very, very rewarding to see something you make with your own hands.
Great and its very rewarding as a hobby! Just remember there is no rush if you are enjoying it. And don't be afraid to do it because of this video. :) Just be careful.
I'd like to share my experiences with close calls. My first was experiencing kick back on my table saw. It shot a piece of wood back at me so quickly that I didnt have time to react. Hit me in my gut and left a welt. Luckily for me, the binding on the saw popped the breaker at the same time so it wasn't launched out at it's full velocity. The second was at the miter saw. Being in a hurry, I went to move my freshly cut work before the blade break engaged and brushed my finger just past the guard and against the blade. Again, extremely lucky that it only took a few small chunks of flesh from my index finger. I would like to think of myself as a safety concious guy. However, it can happen to anyone. Unfortunately, it usually takes seeing someone or yourself getting seriously hurt, or having a close call like I did to heighten that safety awareness. That's why you hear those friendly reminders about safe shop practices all the time. I have since started to train myself to get out of those bad habits that put me in harm's way and even express to my family that when I am working with power tools, not to distract or startle me because of the dangers. In my home shop, safety IS first.
THANK YOU!! I'm 75 years old and have been woodworking for 15 years and still no serious accidents,
but I always try to work safe. But, you are right about brain farts. If you question what you're about
to do -- STOP, and give it more thought. Please continue your safety videos, we need them.
I started woodworking in a 6th-grade woodworking class, where we all started with hand tools. When we advanced to power tools, the VERY first thing Mr. O'Connell taught us, as he was explaining the use of the bandsaw, was to NEVER talk to someone operating a power tool, or, if we were operating it, to NEVER let anyone talk to US.
Almost exactly 30 years later, I cut my hand, because I let someone distract me, as I was operating... a bandsaw.
EVERYBODY is susceptible to momentary lapses of judgement, but the ones MOST prone to them, are the guys who say "I'm OLD school! I don't need that crap!"
Thanks James. I’m glad you decided to release this video. Remember that close calls are just injuries that should have happened, but didn’t.
The truth is, you're not going to know when you'll get hurt until about a half second after you get hurt.
Ask me how I know,
I think my realization was about 5 seconds after my accident. I definitely lost a bit of blood in that time too.
I know as well. I've also been at ground zero to take care of the wounded and clean up the mess.
8 years in a furniture manufacturing plant will do that.
Another 5 in heavy industrial jobs just shows a person how many more ways a person can get hurt.
Thank the gods I never got a job in a metal foundry. Apparently molten steel cuts through flesh like a laser. (A friend worked at one, he was also there at ground zero when a friend of his lost most of a foot)
Douglas Campbell Thank you for your service at ground zero!
So it is inevitable really . We can be as careful as possible (which will reduce the chance of many accidents) but one day we will get hurt.
@@spudpud-T67 I mentioned this somewhere else. Now that you've accepted that inevitability, what preparations will you make to deal with it when it happens? Emergency power cut-off switch near each tool? Fire extinguishers, first aid kits? I've been looking and haven't found one, but something like a panic button which dials 911, provides your location, and a message something like 'I've just been injured in a woodworking accident" would be great.
James, I am going to be 73 in about a month; I have worked with power tools, starting with drills and skill-saws as a preteen, all my life and still have all ten functioning fingers that I was born with. NOT because I am an expert or so smart; most likely it is because I was blessed with a very effective guardian Angel that has protected me from myself! Your safety message is excellent. I have downloaded a copy of it for my own personal use, it is so good. I would suggest that you run this tape at least once a year - as you mentioned in your presentation, there are many UA-cam "experts' that make me cringe when I watch them - those new to the craft NEED to see this to educate / remind them of the dangers associated with sharp and or, high speed equipment. Thank you for your time and service to the community!
I am a metal worker, specifically an aluminum fitter, so many of the tools I use are woodworking tools. Routers, table saws, and chop saws. I've worked in various medium to large shops and have probably watched several hundred safety videos. This is easily the best one I have ever seen. Thank you.
Unfortunately too many of us aren’t aware of how easy it is to make a simple mistake with long term consequences. Excellent video.
I used to live in the Rockies. When I first arrived an old-timer gave me sage advice. He said, "The minute that you disrespect these mountains that's when they kill you". The same applies to your power tools. I'm an old-timer now, so listen up.
I was just thinking, "The moment you disrespect..." applies to poisonous snakes, such as the copperheads around here. They don't want to hurt you. Properly respected, they hurry to get out of your way. But if you disrespect them -- make them defend themselves, or just confuse them -- they will bite.
Hit the nail on the head. 1/2 a second can change your whole outlook on life. I literally grew up around power tools, I’ve done carpentry and woodworking since I could hold a hammer and at 30 years old I thought I had a pretty good grasp on what was safe and what wasn’t. I’m 18 months removed from getting my hand in my table saw. I was lucky and had the best hand surgeons in the world put me back together and I can move and use my fingers now but still can’t feel them. I m still in the shops everyday running those same tools but Now if I feel like there’s any chance I could get into a blade I stop and find a safer way even if that means I lose a few minutes of work time. Before I make a cut or run a router, I think to myself “ how would I teach my kids to do this to keep them safe”
I remember when I got into woodworking. The first class or two our teacher walked us through the shop and with dowels sliced them through power tools as a reminder that the dowel could be your finger at any moment. It’s left a lasting memory in my head and yes I may have had close calls with tools since that day but those close calls send me back as a reminder to those days with our teacher. I say there’s definitely a need for more safety videos in this manner as it really hits home and makes you think about it by the end.
Thanks James for the lecture and reminders. I will NEVER forget standing near my Dad when he cut himself on his tablesaw. Dad was a precise, analytical, electrical engineer who made museum quality furniture. He was also a tough, old school guy. Even still, I remember his shout (just one), when it happened. That serves as a constant, back of my mind reminder. But hearing it from you certainly doesn't hurt.
I was "lucky " enough to have broken my left thumb on a drill press when I was in my 20's.
I ALWAYS think about what I'm about to do because my crooked thumb is always right there to remind me while I'm setting up.
@Joe Stephens I was drilling through a piece of flat bar(steel) and the bit jammed. I was in to much of a hurry to use a vice or at the least vice grips.
2 hrs wait in emergency room.
@Joe Stephens Probably part was not secured, drill caught in the piece, spun around and whacked him in the thumb.
@@sparky1044 can happen with wood too - and hurts just as much !!
@@sawdustwoodchips I don't doubt it, I clamp everything now unless I'm using the drill press as a drum sander,and even then,I've had pieces try to "walk away " from the drum.
Abie, thanks for your testimony! For others: a very effective compromise is to at least block the material you are drilling against the left side of the drill press column before drilling, or if too short and you have multiples a block clamped to the table. Doesn't prevent rise when the drill penetrates, though.
Your right on Stumpy Nubs. I'm two years into wrist surgery that I had to have because a drill bit stuck in what I was drilling and over-twisted my hand - happened in a split second. Between the nerve damage and the residual lack of range I've got myself a lifetime of memories of the accident ahead of me. Three sessions a week at the hand therapist for four months helped but like she said at the end - that's all we can do, good luck.
So as they used to say on Hills Street Blues, be careful out there!
Thanks for the "Car" analogy. Your accident has worried me as an older 'new' woodworker as I'm setting up a wood shop. My experience is at a novice level but I have had the opportunity to invest in a small space and add a few entry level power tools. The table saw has always been a tool I use with the utmost respect and a in some cases a little concern, and your accident had me questioning my desire to put myself in such danger. But then you hit the point in your video about driving and how this is far more dangerous in some conditions and it allowed me to put some perspective on my concerns.
Again I really enjoy your videos, I hope you keep making them for many years to come. Thank you.
Great advise. I spent 23 years in the Army with several deployments, luck, skill, and forethought returned me with all my parts attached. Whenever I get ready to use a power tool I step back and run what I am doing through my mind before I turn the tool on. When I use the table saw I often do this more than once before I start a cut.
I do this, too. Also, with any unfamiliar cut, I practice how I'm going to move the piece before I start cutting to make sure that there will be no hang-ups with the pushing motion.
you did a great service took twelve years to get the feeling back in my index finger
I raised my 3 now adult sons and go through life with this thought " 5 minutes of your life is nothing, but 2 seconds can be a lifetime". As much as medicine and medical technology have advanced, there really is no reset button in "REAL LIFE".
Preach it James! Accidents/misshaps can and always will happen. As a officer/firefighter I am extremely safety oriented when I use my tools. a few days after Christmas I was using all my safety equipment and a oak splinter still managed to take a freakish trajectory from my table saw, between the small gap between my cheek and safety glasses and impaled my eye. I am ok now thanks to not panicking and getting to the doctor fast. It could be worse though, i know of a person that looked for the leak in his propane tank using a lighter.... he did find it, and the burn unit.
I keep my chisels scary sharp. So sharp that when you breath on them the molecules in the air go " eek,eek, eek." as they are cut in half. I spend a lot of time sharpening them. One day I accidentally knocked one off my workbench and I reached out to catch it before it hit the floor. I caught it alright, a trip to the ER and 12 stitches latter. I try not to reach for my falling chisels anymore
Thanks for a good video
A falling chisel/knife/blade has no handle. Something SO hard to remember in that split second that your lizard brain decides it wants to try to catch it.
Learning to let stuff fall to the floor is a really difficult skill to master. No matter what it is, most of the time, if something is falling, you should *back away* from it.
Big loud cheer! Thank you all at Stumpy Nubs! My attached fingers, savings account, and future enjoyment of crafts salute you. Keep ‘em coming.
Ok I am going to set you straight....THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO AND DON'T EVER STOP TALKING SAFETY!!! Your car analogy was very good. I had a brain fart, ran a red light and hit another car. Nobody was hurt, thank heavens, but the look of pure terror in the eyes of the passenger is forever burned into my brain.
I really appreciate the intention of this video. The safer I am as a woodworker the more years I can be one.
Thanks
I've been in the construction business since 1973. I have fallen, smashed fingers, drilled into my hand, ripped open my head when I should have been wearing a hard hat and on and on. I have seen guys taken away in ambulances, 3 and 4 story falls, all manner of injuries. I think one of the best OSHA ideas is the morning safety meeting. You are absolutely right. It doesn't matter how long you've been doing it, how smart or careful you are, you will have that brain fart and you will get hurt. Every time you hear about safety on the job be glad you got another reminder. Keep up the good advise Stumpy.
As one who put his hand into a table saw, this is a very important message. It seems to me most ship injuries (mine included) happen because of complacency. Now that I know what it feels like to have my hand connect with a running saw blade, I am a heck of a lot more carful.
This is one of the best safety videos I’ve seen to date. And I’ve watched a lot. I’ve only been woodworking a measly 3 years, and despite watching tons of safety videos and trying to put it into real practice in the shop, I always (and rightly so) assume that I don’t know everything yet. I too have stabbed a chisel into my hand, and mangled my palms on my belt sander. It’s scary and painful, so I can’t imagine anything that would actually require medical attention. I remember Jimmy DiResta talking about cutting his finger off, and I thought “if it can happen to that guy, it can definitely happen to me”. I can be honest with myself and say that I’m not 100% sure that I do everything totally safely and properly, but I try to. Your message is so important and everyone needs to hear it. Sometimes, even with every safety procedure in place, weird freak accidents can happen.
I watched your pre accident safety videos and am convinced they may have saved me from serious injury as I setup my first woodworking shop. There are too many channels out there that look like tutorials in how NOT to use power tools. I will continue watching your safety videos - no matter how many you make. Safety first!
I upgraded my little hobby table saw to a 3HP cabinet saw this year. I have been living in awe and terror of thing this since I got it. It makes being creative and effective in the workshop so much easier.
Still...every time I turn it on I start reciting in my head..."push block, riving knife, clear exit for material"...so that before I start the cut I'm already focused on the things that need to be present as the material enters the cut zone.
I also let past experience guide me...as my father nearly amputated his hand from a very brief lapse of awareness of his surroundings while his table saw was running.
Thanks James!
Kevin Morwood Fear and respect for the tool is healthy - lost a small piece at the tip of a thumb on the table saw - I really take my time to setting up cuts now and don’t reach for anything until the blade stops spinning
Great video. I've had flesh and bone mangled and removed from BOTH hands. You're 💯 % correct in saying knowledge and experience have no bearing once you've goofed and are in the ER.
Keep up the good work.
I took the blade guard off my saw about 15 years ago, and I got away with not using it until last month. I was cutting plywood to length against my tablesaw fence (compounding my stupidity), and the blade launched the panel into a spot just below my bellybutton. It was a decent-sized gash, but not serious enough to go to the hospital. I was really lucky, in hindsight. I’ve spent the last month watching safety videos like this one, and I put the blade guard back on my saw. I adapted my crosscut sled so that it works without me having to remove the blade guard - it looks goofy, but it still works great. Thanks for all you do!
Videos telling us how things can go wrong are always appreciated. Our mental checklist of 'what can go wrong' gets a bit fuzzy with age. Reminders are a godsend.
Preach brother.
Periodic reminders are necessary to keep us doing what we know we should be doing. I think the automobile collision analogy is useful.
Glade you posted this. It needs to be constantly reinforced because as you say, brain farts happen, and complacency injures, maims, and even kills.
James, first let me express how glad I am that your injury wasn't more severe and that your getting more mobility back in your fingers. Secondly, I'm a truck driver by trade and has seen his share of calamity on the roads both first hand and the aftermath. I'm an aspiring woodworker at 59 yrs of age, planning my retirement activities I guess, but I have a saying I preach to my family, friends and anyone in general i guess, it goes like this. "Best laid plans of mice and men. Your fault, their fault, nobody's fault, poop happens!" All we can do is plan and attempt to do the task at hand and be as prepared as possible for inevitable. Due diligence is a practice not an accident. Have a great day and thank you!
Two stories. Last summer I was working on a project that required 84 4” squares. I’m in the zone using my miter saw, thinking about something else, probably. Chop, slide the wood, chop, slide the wood. On what turned out to be my last chop of the evening I felt a buzz on the end of my thumb. I don’t at all understand what I did or how it happened but my thumb went where it shouldn’t have. My blade has a safety cover of course, but I made contact with the blade. Unbelievably, my only damage was a row of scratches across my thumbnail. That’s it! I was so incredibly fortunate for no consequence for whatever I had stupidly done. It scared the crap out of me. I stopped what I was doing, shut things down and went in the house. I think about that every time I use my saws and try to stay out of the zone.
Also, several years ago my husband shattered a bone in his finger. Right where a wedding band would sit. He ended up with 6 pins and ultimately three surgeries. His tendons scarred up and his finger was stuck sticking straight out, all the joints. Another surgery freed the tendons but even with lots of physical therapy he ended up with the finger frozen in an odd position. The middle of the three finger joints froze in an almost 90 degree position. He can slightly bend the furthest joint, but that’s it. I understand from watching him what you are going through and I’m sorry you are going though it. Excruciating doesn’t even do it justice. Anyone who thinks you should suck it up and downplay it is as sharp as a hammer. Much luck to you and your recovery.
Thanks .. Just put my Knife back on Table Saw ... Also missing a finger tip, still hurts after 2 years... Thanks again
I think I might be convinced to shell out for that sawstop now!
One of the best purchases I've made. Gave me (and my wife) some peace of mind. That said... despite its safety features, I still consider it one of the most dangerous items I personally own. I still call it the Spinning Blade of Doom.
J DeWitt Last week I upgraded to a new table saw. Really regret not getting a SawStop. I have no excuse because I can afford it.
Absolutely no regrets here and my wife and mother are happy too.
I thought I would wait a few days before I commented, and it is now a few days since this video was published. My formal training in woodworking safety was held during my 9th grade wood shop class with Mr. Wield. He was an army type who ran his shop like an infantry platoon. I loved every minute of it. We had to study about and pass a test on each piece of machinery before we were allowed to use it. I remember having my eyes wide-open whenever I hit that power switch. I don't remember anyone getting hurt in that class, either. For me, it instilled in me a love of woodworking that I carry with me today. After school was over for the day, I would head to the wood shop and work with on my projects while he was doing administrative work. He had to throw me out of the shop after a couple hours so he could go home to his family. I would have stayed there all night long if I could have. That was in 1973.
A few years later while in college I thought I would become a contractor. This required a woodworking class. I thought I knew it all, so I didn't to pay real close attention to things. Our professor didn't have the same safety requirements as Mr. Wield had, and he just turned us loose on the machines. I had used a table saw thousands of times, when one day I went to cut a small piece of walnut for a jewelry box I was building. I remember pushing that piece of wood into that blade when suddenly, and that severely understates the speed at which this happened, that little piece of walnut turned into a missile that hit me. Luckily no real physical damage done, but it shook me to the point where I didn't go back to class for the rest of the semester, got my first ever F - EVER! - failed to finish the jewelry box, and didn't go near a table saw for many years. Contracting was out of the question, too. That walnut projectile changed the course of my life. That was 1978.
I regained my composure later on and have since enjoyed working with wood. I now have a shop full of big, powerful, dangerous machinery that I enjoy using. But I never lose sight of the fact that the safety lessons I learned 47 years ago still serve me well today. Your video reinforces the wisdom of my junior high shop teacher and the lifelong lessons, and appreciation for creating things from wood, instilled in me as a boy.
Well done. This kind of information, shared with the passion of a survivor, needs to stay front and center for all of us.
Every time I think about shop injuries, I think of the woman in her garage working at the table saw. Her cat came in, brushed against her leg, startled her and just lost 4 fingers instantly. I think about the dude on UA-cam demonstrating how kickback happens and coming within a few millimeters of losing his fingers - the THOUGHT he was in control.