On Tuesday, August 26, 2003 at 10:59:40 PM UTC-5, Sweet Sawdust wrote:
What in your opinion is the most dangerous tool in your wood shop, based on
the number and severity of injuries you have received, not on what you have
heard from other people.

My vote is first the stationary belt sander, Forever letting small wood
pieces get away and scraping fingers, and second the drill press same
reason.

When i think of dangerous I don't think of the sander. Granted I have had a couple of close manicures with my oscillating drum sander. I think many will agree, as some have already, it is the table saw. I was nicked by a spinning blade probably 5-10 seconds after I turned mine off several years ago. Stupid mistake that got me an evening in the emergency room, a chipped bone under a nasty abrasion and some antibiotic shots.

But I also discovered, also several years ago, that a wood lathe can be a sleeping dog. I mounted a glued up rather heavy piece of stock made from 2x4 to make a simple over sized dowel for a project. I started the machine at about 300rpm to round it up and after about ten seconds I was hit smack in the middle of the full face shield. Thank goodness I was wearing it. I never saw the stock leave the lathe. I remember impact and a stinging sensation. I looked down and the work-piece was draped across my arms that were still extended in the working position; and I realized there was blood on the shield. The piece had split out allowing it to fly out of the lathe and as best I could figure it bounced off of the bed and then up to the shield. The flexible face shield had deflected into my face striking my glasses. The stinging sensation and blood were from the left nose-piece and the rims of my glasses scraping my nose and eyebrow. Minor abrasions but thank god I was wearing the shield. two of the four snaps that attach the shield to the hood were busted loose. Scared the #$@% out of me and I never mounted another work piece without a good inspection.

Bill hit it on the head. The brain. The table saw accident was a moment of carelessness after I turned the machine off. The lathe incident might not have been avoidable. But as I said, I always check my stock carefully before mounting it on the lathe.

RonB