My "Dear" brother sent me an email this morning with the subject "You
were Lucky" and a picture of a badly mutilated left hand. With the
middle and little finger badly damaged, and the finger between gone.

I called to find out what happen and he said it was a friend near his
lake cottage. His friend had the accident on a table saw. Seeing the
picture he must have been cutting on the right side of the blade, and
got his hand in it as he made a cross grain cut.


"You were lucky" refereed to my accident about 9 years ago. I had set up
the table saw to rip a piece of trim. I usually set an out feed feather
board with slight tension to keep the board against the fence in the
final ` couple inches of the cut.

I don't know what I was thinking as I set the out feed board to the
width of the piece I was cutting, not to the width of the board I was
ripping. In readjusting the out feed I got my fingers in the blade.
Fortunately it is my practice to expose the blade a little more that an
1/8" above the board being cut, so I only cut the skin on end of one
finger, and brushed another.

I made a STUPID mistake, but I was lucky.

PLEASE THINK THROUGH YOUR TABLE SAW SET UPS. Once the set up is
complete, go through the motions of the cut with the saw turned off.
Consider all of the things that can possibly go wrong. Keep people and
yourself from directly in front or in back of the blade. Make sure there
are no obstructions for the board to hit as it passes through the saw.
Is there room for at the end of the saw to accommodate the piece being
ripped? Is there obstructions that are going to be hit on the sides as
the cut is being made?

DON'T GET COMPLACENT WITH YOUR SAW

Make sure any possible distraction are controlled like people and
animals coming in your shop.

It is difficult to do some things with out fingers, a hand. or worse

SO BE CAREFUL

On 12/19/2020 10:09 AM, knuttle wrote:
My "Dear" brother sent me an email this morning with the subject "You
were Lucky" and a picture of a badly mutilated left hand. With the
middle and little finger badly damaged, and the finger between gone.

I called to find out what happen and he said it was a friend near his
lake cottage.Â* His friend had the accident on a table saw.Â* Seeing the
picture he must have been cutting on the right side of the blade, and
got his hand in it as he made a cross grain cut.


"You were lucky" refereed to my accident about 9 years ago. I had set up
the table saw to rip a piece of trim.Â* I usually set an out feed feather
board with slight tension to keep the board against the fence in the
finalÂ*Â*Â* ` couple inches of the cut.

The feather board should never ever be placed any further back than the
front of the blade. Beside or behind the blade is asking for a kick
back if not using riving knife



I don't know what I was thinking as I set the out feed board to the
width of the piece I was cutting, not to the width of the board I was
ripping.Â* In readjusting the out feed I got my fingers in the blade.
Fortunately it is my practice to expose the blade a little more that an
1/8" above the board being cut, so I only cut the skin on end of one
finger, and brushed another.

I made a STUPID mistake, but I was lucky.

PLEASE THINK THROUGH YOUR TABLE SAW SET UPS. Once the set up is
complete, go through the motions of the cut with the saw turned off.
Consider all of the things that can possibly go wrong.Â* Keep people and
yourself from directly in front or in back of the blade. Make sure there
are no obstructions for the board to hit as it passes through the saw.
Is there room for at the end of the saw to accommodate the piece being
ripped?Â* Is there obstructions that are going to be hit on the sides as
the cut is being made?

DON'T GET COMPLACENT WITH YOUR SAW

Make sure any possible distraction are controlled like people and
animals coming in your shop.

It is difficult to do some things with out fingers, a hand. or worse

SO BE CAREFUL



A good reminder. Unfortunately you can't think of every scenario and
the reason I bought a SawStop 8 years ago.

I cut half my thumb off after cutting dado's and had turned the saw off.

All precautions that you mentioned above would not have prevented my
accident 31 years ago.

And yes, it is difficult to button my right sleeve on my short.

On Sat, 19 Dec 2020 11:09:18 -0500, knuttle
wrote:

My "Dear" brother sent me an email this morning with the subject "You
were Lucky" and a picture of a badly mutilated left hand. With the
middle and little finger badly damaged, and the finger between gone.

I called to find out what happen and he said it was a friend near his
lake cottage. His friend had the accident on a table saw. Seeing the
picture he must have been cutting on the right side of the blade, and
got his hand in it as he made a cross grain cut.


"You were lucky" refereed to my accident about 9 years ago. I had set up
the table saw to rip a piece of trim. I usually set an out feed feather
board with slight tension to keep the board against the fence in the
final ` couple inches of the cut.

I don't know what I was thinking as I set the out feed board to the
width of the piece I was cutting, not to the width of the board I was
ripping. In readjusting the out feed I got my fingers in the blade.
Fortunately it is my practice to expose the blade a little more that an
1/8" above the board being cut, so I only cut the skin on end of one
finger, and brushed another.

I made a STUPID mistake, but I was lucky.

PLEASE THINK THROUGH YOUR TABLE SAW SET UPS. Once the set up is
complete, go through the motions of the cut with the saw turned off.
Consider all of the things that can possibly go wrong. Keep people and
yourself from directly in front or in back of the blade. Make sure there
are no obstructions for the board to hit as it passes through the saw.
Is there room for at the end of the saw to accommodate the piece being
ripped? Is there obstructions that are going to be hit on the sides as
the cut is being made?

DON'T GET COMPLACENT WITH YOUR SAW

Make sure any possible distraction are controlled like people and
animals coming in your shop.

It is difficult to do some things with out fingers, a hand. or worse

SO BE CAREFUL

I make it a rule to never reach my hand beyond the front of the blade
with the power on. Ever. And, as you suggest, never behind the work
piece. The only problem I've had with the table saw has been with
power off. I did a number on myself pulling my arm back across a
stopped blade. OTOH, I had a few scary moments (the moment after it
happened) on my RAS, to the point that I haven't used it in 25 years.
They aren't worth anything so I'll likely scrap it in the next few
months.

I never have anyone in the shop while I'm working. Well, no one would
want to. ;-) The cats aren't allowed downstairs and SWMBO wouldn't
think of it.

On Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 12:08:39 PM UTC-6, wrote:

I never have anyone in the shop while I'm working. Well, no one would
want to. ;-) The cats aren't allowed downstairs and SWMBO wouldn't
think of it.

I set up a door bell in my shop with a wireless remote button sitting on the kitchen counter top. My wife rings the door bell if she wants my attention. We understand that bursting into the shop unannounced is dangerous. Its not perfect, but it works most of the time.

Bob

On Sat, 19 Dec 2020 14:48:09 -0800 (PST), Bob D
wrote:

On Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 12:08:39 PM UTC-6, wrote:

I never have anyone in the shop while I'm working. Well, no one would
want to. ;-) The cats aren't allowed downstairs and SWMBO wouldn't
think of it.

I set up a door bell in my shop with a wireless remote button sitting on the kitchen counter top. My wife rings the door bell if she wants my attention. We understand that bursting into the shop unannounced is dangerous. Its not perfect, but it works most of the time.

I'd think the bell could be startling too. SWMBO just yells down the
stairs (which I never hear ;-).

wrote:
On Sat, 19 Dec 2020 14:48:09 -0800 (PST), Bob D
wrote:

On Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 12:08:39 PM UTC-6, wrote:

I never have anyone in the shop while I'm working. Well, no one would
want to. ;-) The cats aren't allowed downstairs and SWMBO wouldn't
think of it.

I set up a door bell in my shop with a wireless remote button sitting on the kitchen counter top. My wife rings the door bell if she wants my attention. We understand that bursting into the shop unannounced is dangerous. Its not perfect, but it works most of the time.

I'd think the bell could be startling too. SWMBO just yells down the
stairs (which I never hear ;-).

I have a strobe light linked to a sensor outside the door. The sensor
came from an outdoor light which comes on if you walk by. No matter
what noisy things I am doing I know when someone is approaching the
shop entrance. Has worked well for years.

--
G Ross

On 12/19/2020 5:48 PM, Bob D wrote:
On Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 12:08:39 PM UTC-6, wrote:

I never have anyone in the shop while I'm working. Well, no one would
want to. ;-) The cats aren't allowed downstairs and SWMBO wouldn't
think of it.

I set up a door bell in my shop with a wireless remote button sitting on the kitchen counter top. My wife rings the door bell if she wants my attention. We understand that bursting into the shop unannounced is dangerous. Its not perfect, but it works most of the time.

Bob
We have portable phones with intercom. When I am working, in the
garage, I take one out with me.

On Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 11:28:23 PM UTC-6, G Ross wrote:
wrote:
On Sat, 19 Dec 2020 14:48:09 -0800 (PST), Bob D
wrote:

On Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 12:08:39 PM UTC-6, wrote:

I never have anyone in the shop while I'm working. Well, no one would
want to. ;-) The cats aren't allowed downstairs and SWMBO wouldn't
think of it.

I set up a door bell in my shop with a wireless remote button sitting on the kitchen counter top. My wife rings the door bell if she wants my attention. We understand that bursting into the shop unannounced is dangerous. Its not perfect, but it works most of the time.

I'd think the bell could be startling too. SWMBO just yells down the
stairs (which I never hear ;-).

I have a strobe light linked to a sensor outside the door. The sensor
came from an outdoor light which comes on if you walk by. No matter
what noisy things I am doing I know when someone is approaching the
shop entrance. Has worked well for years.

--
G Ross

Genius idea!

On Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 11:28:23 PM UTC-6, G Ross wrote:
wrote:
On Sat, 19 Dec 2020 14:48:09 -0800 (PST), Bob D
wrote:

On Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 12:08:39 PM UTC-6, wrote:

I never have anyone in the shop while I'm working. Well, no one would
want to. ;-) The cats aren't allowed downstairs and SWMBO wouldn't
think of it.

I set up a door bell in my shop with a wireless remote button sitting on the kitchen counter top. My wife rings the door bell if she wants my attention. We understand that bursting into the shop unannounced is dangerous. Its not perfect, but it works most of the time.

I'd think the bell could be startling too. SWMBO just yells down the
stairs (which I never hear ;-).

I have a strobe light linked to a sensor outside the door. The sensor
came from an outdoor light which comes on if you walk by. No matter
what noisy things I am doing I know when someone is approaching the
shop entrance. Has worked well for years.

--
G Ross

My new worktunes hearing protectors with gel cushions are so effective that I cannot hear anything, including my door bell when I wear them. A light with remote is going in the shop this week.

Bob

On Sun, 20 Dec 2020 00:28:14 -0500, G Ross wrote:

wrote:
On Sat, 19 Dec 2020 14:48:09 -0800 (PST), Bob D
wrote:

On Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 12:08:39 PM UTC-6, wrote:

I never have anyone in the shop while I'm working. Well, no one would
want to. ;-) The cats aren't allowed downstairs and SWMBO wouldn't
think of it.

I set up a door bell in my shop with a wireless remote button sitting on the kitchen counter top. My wife rings the door bell if she wants my attention. We understand that bursting into the shop unannounced is dangerous. Its not perfect, but it works most of the time.

I'd think the bell could be startling too. SWMBO just yells down the
stairs (which I never hear ;-).

I have a strobe light linked to a sensor outside the door. The sensor
came from an outdoor light which comes on if you walk by. No matter
what noisy things I am doing I know when someone is approaching the
shop entrance. Has worked well for years.

Great idea! SWMBO only goes in the basement before and after holidays
to get out all the holiday junk. She doesn't go in that side of the
basement. Never. ;-)

I asked her to check on our homeowner's policy covering tools. Her
eyes raised when I estimated the replacement cost. I've been adding
to the stash for 30 years and it's been acceleration lately.