Not reading this may be hazerdous to your health. (A safety guide.)Sep 20 '02 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Safety is of paramount importantance when using Shop Tools of any kind.
You are now reading the "Shop Tools" section of Epinions. You have hundereds, maybe thousands of dollars burning in your pocket, and you are about to buy all the coolest tools. However, before you cut a single board, did you visit the safety section of the store? No? Didn't think so. All cutting tools, both powered, and unpowered, can hurt, maim, and possibly kill you. I'm not kidding. Look at all the cutting tools in a well-equipped woodshop. Which one of those can't hurt you badly? None. That's right, none. Take the friendly looking block plane. After all, a properly tuned hand plane cuts so little material, you can read through the shavings. How can that hurt you? Easy. A properly tuned plane is a sharp plane. As sharp as a straight razor. To sharpen it, you have to remove the blade from the plane. What will that blade do to your hand if you pick it up wrong? What will it do to your leg if you drop it on your lap? Okay, you say, what about a sanding block? Heck, a toddler can't possibly hurt themselves with one, even if they drop it on their foot! Well, your toddler can't cause injury with it, but you can, simply by using it. Did you know that many types of sawdust are known carcinogens? Do you have any idea what sanding dust of any kind can do to your lungs? Did you know that pressure-treated lumber contains arsenic? No? Didn't think so. I'm not crazy, no, you don't need a dust mask to smooth down a tiny patch of spackle before painting. But wholesale sanding does require proper equipment. Fundementals of tool safety: 1) Take care of your tools. Show your tools the respect they deserve. Keep them sharp, smooth, clean and lubricated as necessary. 2) Did I mention sharpness? Contrary to what intuition might tell you, a sharp tool is far less dangerous than a dull one. A dull one will bind in the work, which can throw it at you, or slip off off of it, and go who knows where. 3) Your eyes. A good, scratch-free, pair of safety glasses is not optional. Period. If you are using just about any tool, you really need eye protection. It would be impossible for me to exaggerate this. A usable pair costs $6. You have no excuse for not having and using them. 4) Don't buy cheap tools. "You buy cheap, you buy twice." Most people are not likely to take care of a tool that wears down quickly. Think, how likely are you to sharpen or replace a "High Speed Steel" saw blade, when it wears out after a single day's work? Are you going to lubricate your table saw motor to help it run smoothly, when it shook like a unbalanced washing machine the day you brought it home from the store? Cheap tools make lousy cuts, waste material, and can be dangerous. This doesn't mean that you have to buy the most expensive tool in the store for every project. Most homeowners don't need $200 worm drive framing saw. However, a $30 cheapo special is not worth even that much. $80 will get you a good circular saw, and $100 will get you one you can pass down to your grandchildren. 5) Your lungs. These are often neglected in a workshop. For quick jobs, a well-fitted N95 rated disposable mask will get the job done for sawdust and sanding dust. These are less than a $1 a piece. For fumes indoors for anything other than latex paint, you really are going to need a respirator. These are available starting at $30, and are much better than chemical burns to your lungs. Personally, I have a DustFoe 88 mask for sawdust, available at Woodcraft stores, and a dual-cartridge 3M respirator for fumes. For serious woodworking, you really need a dust collector with 5-micron or smaller bags. Do a web search to find out more. Don't even think about using a power sander or planer without one. They really are much cheaper than you think. 6) Your ears. This should be a no brainer. High-powered electric motors are LOUD. You can get ear plugs for about 30 cents a pair, or earmuffs for $17. What are you waiting for? 7) Your hands. There are VERY few excuses for running a tool without the guard. If you find yourself removing it or bypassing it on a regular basis, you either aren't using it properly, or you need a better tool/guard. Pushsticks. Anyone who uses a tool where the work moves, not the tool (like a table saw, or a router table) needs to be using a push stick. Wood + high-power motor = unpredictable. When the wood does something you didn't expect, what would you prefer fly into the blade? A pushstick, or your thumb? Your hands should NEVER be near a moving power tool blade. If you think they should be, you are using the tool wrong. Period. No exception of any kind. If you need to hold something down, use a clamp or design a jig. Remove all jewelery. Including your wedding ring. A passing workpiece can snag a ring, pulling it into the tool. Need I say more? Same thing for a watch. 8) Your body. A shop apron looks cool, has pockets, and is a good idea to stop splinters. Note to power saw users: Kickback = bad. Kickback is where the non-cutting teeth of the blade (the ones at the back and/or top/bottom of the blade, as it is rotating) grab onto the workpiece and throw it (or in the case of a circular saw, the tool) at you. This will launch tools/boards straight back, or even worse, flying through the air, with all the force your motor can muster. It takes some thought to prevent this. For a circular saw, simply make sure that the "waste" piece falls way from the saw. Never cut a board between two saw-horses. This will cause the pieces to pinch the blade, yanking the saw out of control. That's bad. For a table saw, you need to work at it, but you have several options. To prevent kickback, use a feather board to press the pre-cut end of the workpiece against the fence. Left-tilt saws are also nice. When kickback does happen, and it will, keep it from killing you. Try not to stand directly behind a workpiece. Use the saw guard, which is equipped with anti-kickback teeth. If you can afford them, use Board Buddies. 9) Lose the gloves. What!?!? He is telling me to wear so much equipment, I am going to look like Darth Vader, but he wants me to work with my bare hands! That's right. Gloves mean you have less feeling as to what your workpiece, and your tool, is doing. How much protection do you think a layer of leather is going to be against 15 Amps worth of spinning blade? None whatsoever. They are going to prevent some splinters, and that is about it. 10) Use your head. Most of what I have told you really not that hard to figure out on your own. Just stop and think before picking up and using something with the capacity to kill you.  |
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