The Steel Guitar Forum

Always have an incandescent light in the area of your power tools.

If you have only flourescents , you can get a strobe effect that make the blade/tool look as if it's standing still.

Dean

Randal G. Beavers, that photo made me weak in the knees. It brought back memories of my youth, working in the stereotype department of newspapers where we had to cut each small piece out of lead on a table saw.

I have had fingers in table saws as well as presses. Most of it wasn't from neglegance. It was just a by-product of the industry. No safety guards on any piece of equipment back then. OSHA hadn't been invented yet.

You have been in my wood shop several times and seen the equipment that I have and use and enjoy almost on a daily basis.

You just cannot take a chance when using any piece of power equipment. I have even removed the TV I had in the shop. Any distraction or loss of consentration can cause the loss of fingers, hands or life itself.

FOR HEAVENS SAKE, BE CAREFUL, THE HAND YOU SAVE MAY BE YOUR OWN...Isn't that right Bobbe?

I was helping a friend build his cellar into a playroom..We were trimming a piece of 1/4 inch 4x8 panneling about a 1/2 inch sliver about 8 feet long..His wife was bringing us a cup of coffee when the saw caught it and sent it flying like a spear..It caught her in the left side near a very delicate area (no need to describe) and speared her..We brokeoff all but about 15 inches of the spear like wood and rushed her to the Hospital..They had to cut more to clean out all the slivers cause they said paneling is treated with formalderhyde (spellin I know off)She recovered after a very sore week or two with about a 4 inch scar..My friend hired a carpenter to finish the room...I'm glad no one brought up about Chain saws..

I have my table saw tuned to B Major careful

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

I tend to believe that most Power Equipment accidents are caused by our using said piece of equipment for something other than what it was intended!

My last near miss was trying to cut a slender strip of aluminum from a one inch strip about 20 inches long. Nearly cost me a forefinger and thumb.

I found that all I had to do was take double coated tape and stick it to a piece of plywood and it would have saved me a lot of pain. The blade kicked it back and hit me in the hand. I think my situation was similar to Bobbe's only I was lucky. Just badly bruised, not cut.

I was going to build the body of a console steel this weekend, but after reading all the above I think I'll stick to recording some music.

(I never heard of anyone being hurt by a tape recorder. I guess you could have one dropped on your head.)

I've been a carpenter for 37 yrs and I can tell you, accidents can and do happen. You don't need to be an amateur or a professional to have one happen. About 22 yrs ago, I cut my thumb on a table saw and I thought my career in playing steel was over. It was a really dumb mistake, quite common with woodworkers. I had the guard and the splitter off and a piece of molding twisted and threw my thumb in the line of the saw blade. It laid it open like a tulip. I could see the bone and all the innards. It took 42 stitches and 6 months to recuperate. I've lost 1/4" in length and quite a bit in girth, but, it still works, thank God. I attribute the accident to my complacence with my tools. It will never happen again with that saw. I'm extra cautious with all my tools now, power and hand. My limbs are too precious to lose. Please take heed from my mistale.

as i kid i almost lost my middle finger hitchin' a ride on an ice cream truck
later on at 14 i got my left hand caught in a conveyer belt - i was lucky & got stitched on top of the hand
in my adult life, i've used many power tools from chain saws, drills, jack hammers, drills, presses & saws & many many hand tools
aside from bruises,& almost cuttin' off my left thumb i've been darn lucky
i learnt never to precipitate things, to be in a hurry or stressed out
since i started out playin' guitbox, i always tried to watch out for my hands & protect them by wearing gloves
same goes for my eyes - i wear goggles or glasses
ended up doin' the same w: my ears from high volumes
ounces of prevention are worth pounds of grief