On Fri, 9 Jun 2006 07:40:23 -0400, "Mike Marlow"
wrote:


"Leuf" wrote in message
.. .


I was resawing a short piece of 1x6 walnut. My first mistake was
using a push stick (of the notch cut in a stick variety) that was too
short. I had made some short ones for a specific purpose a long time
ago and have had the bad habit of using them for other things they are
not safe for. Going in the trash tomorrow.

Why? As you stated, they were the right thing for the original job which
makes them very useful. That you used the wrong tool for the job does not
make the tool junk. Keep them - you may find you need them for the right
application again in the future.

I'll replace em with longer ones. If I'm in a situation where
gripping closer is safe and desirable I can grip them further down.


Your fence has nothing to do with it. A fence is a fence and the stock
can't really tell the difference between a chunk of aluminum or a slab of
wood. You're on the right track though. Look at it some more. I bet you
can come up with a clever - or even a not so clever way of keeping the kerf
open. I'll bet that idea has little to do with your fence.

The fence isn't high enough to resaw something that wide. That's why
I was pushing low, if I'd been up higher where I wanted to be the
stock would have toed out from the fence. It was pushing low that
caused the back to lift up, and the lift up that caused the incident.
It's usually not one thing that causes a problem but when multiple
things happen that get you in trouble.

Irony for the day: The other day I caught Dad not using a push stick
on the table saw and then end up doing the dumbest move I've ever seen
on a saw (reach around to the front of the blade from the *back* of
the saw - what, the blade isn't going to cut you because it can't see
you hiding behind it? what the hell?). I ordered him a magnetic one
for father's day so he'd have no more excuses earlier in the day.


There are lots of reasons not to use a push stick. It depends on the cut
and the stock. Remember one thing... a push stick lessens the amount of
control that you can exert compared to what you could do if you can safely
use just your hands. The key to that statement should be obvious. Push
sticks are not the ultimate answer, they are part of a tool kit. I do agree
with you that a reach past the blade is a bad practice.

Well I don't think most of us would attempt to rip a 30" long piece of
2x4 in half without some sort of safety aid. I totally agree that
using a push stick where one isn't needed actually increases the
danger. What bothers me is that I saw him look for the push stick,
give up after about 3 seconds and then go ahead with the cut anyway,
get 3/4s through and then try to make something up. Btw, the push
sticks were in the drawer next to the saw where they were supposed to
be. Now it's going to have a new home out in plain sight on the saw.
It is not a cure for his problem, but I can't get him to listen to me.
A trip to the emergency room didn't get through to him either.


-Leuf