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Had an Accident *Graphic* (WTB: Old Craftsman Table Saw guard)

M.B. Naegle

Diamond
Joined
Feb 7, 2011
Location
Conroe, TX USA
Hope no one minds the pictures, but I wanted to post in hopes someone might learn from my stupidity.

So the saw is an old Craftsman 113.2999 (early 60's?) with a 1 HP motor. My dad bought it decades ago and it's been our main tool for ripping plywood and boards. It's never had a blade guard on it since we had it. Our woodworking needs and skills have always been a little fast and loose as our primary task is crating machinery, building shop amenities, and the occasional weekend warrior endeavor. Having a guard on the blade always seemed like a luxury that would get in the way more than help (that mindset has already changed, but Rome's OSHA compliance wasn't had in a day:dunce:).

I've had a couple kick-backs, but they always hit my beltline and were easy to shake off. Then a couple weeks ago I threw in some extra stupidity and paid the price... I was cutting a couple hardwood blocks (approx. 4" square) on the chop saw, then found that they were too wide a couple ways. There were many safer ways to fix it, including using a plainer, belt sander, or starting over running the board through the jointer or saw first and then parting them up, but I chose to pass the 4" blocks through the table saw.

It's odd how your brain reacts when there's an accident. I heard the blade catch the board and the strangely comical *bloop* of it bouncing off my face, and My brain was still thinking *trimming a board* while I turned around and realized what happened. My head hanged down for a second and I felt my jaw dislocated, and saw my safety glasses and drops of blood hit the ground and thought "... how bad did I mess myself up?"
wound.jpg
Ran to our first aid area calling out that I needed help, and before I knew it I was on my way to the ER. I was fortunate that the damage was all superficial with no bone, jaw, blood vessel or nerve damage. Also fortunate that the doctor working there that day specialized in facial stitches and he got my patched up with 14 stitches and some glue. He also dug out some shrapnel, the largest was a 1/4." When I got back to the shop I found the hardwood block had a dent in the side, apparently from when it hit the floor, AFTER hitting me. One week later, I had the stitches taken out and it's healing nicely.
shrapnel.jpg
stitches 2.jpg
My dad always says that "the Good Lord takes care of fools and babies, and it's been a long time since I've been a baby." Think about what you're cutting and don't take guards off. I was intentionally standing off to the side of the fence, but the block still caught me.

As an aside: If anyone has a blade guard they'd like to sell, I'm interested! I have a newer model Craftsman guard ordered, but given the age of the saw, I'd love to find one of the old aluminum ones with the acrylic window on top. It seems that there aren't many around though(?) Probably most were thrown away pre-eBay.
 
Best wishes brother!

When it happens, it happens FAST!

Thank your blessings, your not blind, dead, unable to control your bladder!

Still just as ugly as you was before the accident too! :D

Good luck healing up and hopefully you take a little “me time” off
 
When I told my wife about it, she asked that we stop giving the hospitals business for a little while.:) She had just gotten through a hard recovery from a difficult pregnancy (Had a boy in November), followed by me trying to cut the end of my right thumb off in December.

That one happened on a service call six hours away from home. I was servicing a leather splitting machine (think horizontal band-saw with ultra sharp blade that material is leveled with) and had to have the guards opened up to make adjustments with the machine running. While letting it run so adjustments would take effect, I noticed a piece vibrating and pushed it with my thumb, without thinking that the blade was going past right under it. I honestly didn't think it was THAT bad and turned down a trip to the local clinic/ER, the guy I was with helped me wrap it up, I finished the job and drove home. That night my wife convinced me to have it looked at, and the ER confirmed that I should have had stitches, but the time that had passed meant that to get stitches now I would need to cut it back open, so with my approval they taped it up, re-upped my tetnis shot, and gave me a prescription for antibiotics. It healed nicely with a neat scar, but I'm still waiting for feeling to come back 100% at the tip.

I'm normally not this accident prone, but after 2020, they say the sequel is always worse...
 
If you are unable to find an original guard (many were simply thrown in the trash) you might look into a spring-loaded roller type hold-down, the kind with sprag rollers that only turn one way. They are very effective against kickback and are slightly skewed so they also keep stock tight to the fence.

I was taught (in my teens by a pro cabinetmaker) to NEVER stand inline with the blade. This was driven home one day when a short block of maple jammed and went flying over my shoulder, putting a dent in steel shelving on the other side of the shop. Damned scary business!
 
I was ALWAYS told in shop class, NEVER stand behind the blade, he had a prime example of a piece of wood in the back of a chair that was 20 ft away from a 20HP table saw.
and weeks later a kid did just that, even with a guard, shit flys out. he got sacked and was down for a while. we nick named him rubberdick just going on his last name. you learn, let it fly and dont stand in the way. its only wood, flesh is always softer.
 
If you can't find one of the old style guards Could you add a window to one of the new style?

Well the newer style are solid acrylic. The one's I've seen always have cracks or pieces missing. The old aluminum ones fit in with the old curvy design of the rest of the saw. Ours is the generation with engine-turning on the front and gold/brown paint.
 
Glad to hear you're in decent shape post-"event". I have been using tablesaws since the mid-70's, and so far I have been unscathed, still have all my fingers, but have certainly seen a few incidents having my direct involvement. I think my key to survival is always ALWAYS pay full attention to what your hands are doing at all times, and pay especially good attention when cutting wood. It's much more treacherous than plastics or aluminum, with the possible exception of polycarbonate.;-)
 
A table saw is one tool I’ll never own.

I know myself too well and accept who I am, I’m not attentive enough to avoid absolutely loosing my shit in a table saw accident.

My mill and lathe already push my personal limit on responsibility lmao.
 
A table saw is one tool I’ll never own.

I know myself too well and accept who I am, I’m not attentive enough to avoid absolutely loosing my shit in a table saw accident.

My mill and lathe already push my personal limit on responsibility lmao.
You should be fine with a SawStop, it's what many high schools and colleges use now.
 
You should be fine with a SawStop, it's what many high schools and colleges use now.

$$$$ and that only solves the problem of getting fleshy bits in the blade, kickbacks and somehow finding a way to fall on top the blade is another story.

If it’s one thing I learned as a kid doing “weird things to test the limits that no normal human would do” is that I’ll find away :rolleyes5:
 
Mr Naegle,
I am going to assume that you were never properly trained for the use of a tablesaw?
I would also like to mention that you were very very lucky.

There are some basic rules for using a tablesaw regardless of wether it has a guard on it or not. Most guards get in the way and the best thing would be to have a riving knife on every tablesaw. These are never in the way and do not need to be removed to do rabbet or slotting cuts. Unfortunately there are no manufacturers that make a riving knife until you get into the larger sliding saws. Every tablesaw should have one in my opinion. My 10' slider has a knife that rides up and down with the blade and I never take it off, why would I?


#1- Never free hand cut with the tablesaw. Needs no explaining, don't break this rule, ever.


#2- Never cut a piece of wood that is wider than it is long by using the fence. This is so simple to understand.

Ok, I heard the "but I need to", then use a mitre gauge or sled and trim your piece with that accessory. It is what they were made to do. Totally safe to cut a long narrow piece to length with a mitre gauge, or a 4" hardwood square block.
A plywood sled takes an hour to make and not only is it safe to use but it makes great cuts as well. I used to have several different sizes before I bought a sliding saw.

# 3 - Always use a push stick if the board is less than 6" wide and never line up your fingers with the blade.

I see many people using a saw and hooking their thumb on the end of the board, when this is done and the thumb lines up with the blade you are asking for a missing digit. You will remember to move your hand many times until the fateful time when you are tired and rushing. If you never line it up in the first place, guess what, you will still have your thumb when you are old.
On the subject of push sticks the best ones are made from plywood and are tall enough to hold onto above the fence. Most of mine are 10 to 12" long and I use 1/2" baltic birch plywood, it is strong and won't break even if you cut most of it off while using it. A stick with a notch in the end is pretty much useless. You need full control of the piece you are cutting, front and back and downwards to counter the forces of the blade against the stock. Make ten and hang them next to the saw, when one gets too used up just chuck it and grab a brand new one. If the wood you are cutting is shorter than your push stick you probably should not be cutting it this way.

#4- Never reach around the saw to grab the stock, step aside and around and then pick up the piece.

A former partner of mine didn't follow this advice while using a 5hp Rockwell beast that had no guard, he dropped the 3' long by 4" wide board just above the blade when it was halfway back. I heard the sound from across the shop and by the time I turned around he was on the floor 6' from the front of the saw. I ran over and looked for fingers, saw no blood and asked him if he was ok. He was NOT. The board did not break the skin but hit him in the gut and he had to have surgery to repair the internal damage. Some time later he violated rule #2 and lost the tip of his thumb. They called it a partial amputation at the hospital.

#5- Always keep the blade at the lowest height possible to do the work at hand. The rule of thumb( or no thumb) is to just have the full gullet above the work.

#6- Set up the saw so the off button can be actuated if your hands are busy. I can shut off my smaller saw with my knee quite easily with the stock start/stop button. Easy to fabricate something to help or customize any saw. Special large stop buttons can also be purchased just for this exact purpose.
On my shaper I made a plywood hinged plate so I can kick off the machine with my foot. Works well.

#7- Always use a sharp blade.

#8- Make sure your fence and blade are exactly parallel. Cheap fences are notoriously bad and contribute to kickback.

#9- Make some antikickback finger boards and use them when required. These work very very well and eliminate kickbacks and increase safety by limiting access to the blade. They also hold the stock in position while cutting which increases the accuracy of the cuts while making the process very safe. I have a bunch with different thickness fingers for different applications. Eastern maple makes great finger boards.
They work very well on small parts that need bevels or rabbet cuts and also help straighten slightly curved pieces so they contact the fence firmly as they pass through the cutting area.

#10- Make a properly sized outfeed table for the size of work you normally do.

If you cut 4 x 8 sheets often then you need a large outfeed table, more than 4' past the blade so the sheet can sit there after ripping to width. Use your sled to crosscut the pieces, see rule #2.

#11- Use the proper blade for the task, ripping blade for ripping solid wood, plywood blade for cutting plywood etc.

My own go to blade is an 80 tooth ATB that is a melamine/plywood cross cut blade with a negative rake. It is made by FS tool and is the XL 4000 series. It is only .118 thick and that is very handy as it is less than 1/8" kerf. It takes a bit more pressure due to the negative rake but makes superb cuts in plywoods and all solid woods. It is definitely not for heavy ripping but I use it all the time for solid wood cutting and very fine joinery on my 10" saw.

#12- Never cross cut any piece with a sled or mitre gauge by using the fence to establish length of part.

I will explain this one, though it should be obvious. The part gets trapped between the blade and fence once it has gone through the blade. This is BAD. Clamp a small block to the fence at least one inch thick and use that to set the length of your crosscut parts. One inch is nice as it makes setting easy if your fence has a scale. Most cross cut sleds can have length stops clamped to the front fence as the part is pushed all the way through when cutting. Just be careful of the exposed blade after the cut and remove the parts before pulling the sled or gauge back. This is when the knee off button can be handy.


I am sure others will chime in with the do's and don't of table saw use but these rules should keep you pretty safe. Break the rules at your peril. I break the rules all the time but I KNOW I am breaking the rules which keeps me safe as my attention if fully engaged when I am doing something that I know could have a bad outcome, this ensures that the process is as safe as
possible.

I really hope this helps some one avoid an accident. I still have all my fingers and I thank my high school teacher all the time for all his safety training tests that we had to pass before we could use any machine.

Michael
 
Thanks Michael, a very good summary. Rules written in blood, I have all my fingers too.

A Sawstop saw won't protect from a kickback, which is a significant risk when using a circular saw.
A riving knife gives you a good chance of avoiding a kickback, even if your technique is poor. A riving knife with attached guard is even better. Yes I use both, why not?

Safety culture? not enforced by much more than seeing the results of a kickback on a 10 hp saw. Through a 3/4" ply wall and through the corrugated metal on the outside.

I respectfully submit that it is mandatory for saws in Europe to have a riving knife- my little Elu flip saw has such, marked to comply with the relevant DIN standard.
 
Mr Naegle,
I am going to assume that you were never properly trained for the use of a tablesaw?
I would also like to mention that you were very very lucky.

There are some basic rules for using a tablesaw regardless of wether it has a guard on it or not. Most guards get in the way and the best thing would be to have a riving knife on every tablesaw. These are never in the way and do not need to be removed to do rabbet or slotting cuts. Unfortunately there are no manufacturers that make a riving knife until you get into the larger sliding saws. Every tablesaw should have one in my opinion. My 10' slider has a knife that rides up and down with the blade and I never take it off, why would I?


#1- Never free hand cut with the tablesaw. Needs no explaining, don't break this rule, ever.


#2- Never cut a piece of wood that is wider than it is long by using the fence. This is so simple to understand.

Ok, I heard the "but I need to", then use a mitre gauge or sled and trim your piece with that accessory. It is what they were made to do. Totally safe to cut a long narrow piece to length with a mitre gauge, or a 4" hardwood square block.
A plywood sled takes an hour to make and not only is it safe to use but it makes great cuts as well. I used to have several different sizes before I bought a sliding saw.

# 3 - Always use a push stick if the board is less than 6" wide and never line up your fingers with the blade.

I see many people using a saw and hooking their thumb on the end of the board, when this is done and the thumb lines up with the blade you are asking for a missing digit. You will remember to move your hand many times until the fateful time when you are tired and rushing. If you never line it up in the first place, guess what, you will still have your thumb when you are old.
On the subject of push sticks the best ones are made from plywood and are tall enough to hold onto above the fence. Most of mine are 10 to 12" long and I use 1/2" baltic birch plywood, it is strong and won't break even if you cut most of it off while using it. A stick with a notch in the end is pretty much useless. You need full control of the piece you are cutting, front and back and downwards to counter the forces of the blade against the stock. Make ten and hang them next to the saw, when one gets too used up just chuck it and grab a brand new one. If the wood you are cutting is shorter than your push stick you probably should not be cutting it this way.

#4- Never reach around the saw to grab the stock, step aside and around and then pick up the piece.

A former partner of mine didn't follow this advice while using a 5hp Rockwell beast that had no guard, he dropped the 3' long by 4" wide board just above the blade when it was halfway back. I heard the sound from across the shop and by the time I turned around he was on the floor 6' from the front of the saw. I ran over and looked for fingers, saw no blood and asked him if he was ok. He was NOT. The board did not break the skin but hit him in the gut and he had to have surgery to repair the internal damage. Some time later he violated rule #2 and lost the tip of his thumb. They called it a partial amputation at the hospital.

#5- Always keep the blade at the lowest height possible to do the work at hand. The rule of thumb( or no thumb) is to just have the full gullet above the work.

#6- Set up the saw so the off button can be actuated if your hands are busy. I can shut off my smaller saw with my knee quite easily with the stock start/stop button. Easy to fabricate something to help or customize any saw. Special large stop buttons can also be purchased just for this exact purpose.
On my shaper I made a plywood hinged plate so I can kick off the machine with my foot. Works well.

#7- Always use a sharp blade.

#8- Make sure your fence and blade are exactly parallel. Cheap fences are notoriously bad and contribute to kickback.

#9- Make some antikickback finger boards and use them when required. These work very very well and eliminate kickbacks and increase safety by limiting access to the blade. They also hold the stock in position while cutting which increases the accuracy of the cuts while making the process very safe. I have a bunch with different thickness fingers for different applications. Eastern maple makes great finger boards.
They work very well on small parts that need bevels or rabbet cuts and also help straighten slightly curved pieces so they contact the fence firmly as they pass through the cutting area.

#10- Make a properly sized outfeed table for the size of work you normally do.

If you cut 4 x 8 sheets often then you need a large outfeed table, more than 4' past the blade so the sheet can sit there after ripping to width. Use your sled to crosscut the pieces, see rule #2.

#11- Use the proper blade for the task, ripping blade for ripping solid wood, plywood blade for cutting plywood etc.

My own go to blade is an 80 tooth ATB that is a melamine/plywood cross cut blade with a negative rake. It is made by FS tool and is the XL 4000 series. It is only .118 thick and that is very handy as it is less than 1/8" kerf. It takes a bit more pressure due to the negative rake but makes superb cuts in plywoods and all solid woods. It is definitely not for heavy ripping but I use it all the time for solid wood cutting and very fine joinery on my 10" saw.

#12- Never cross cut any piece with a sled or mitre gauge by using the fence to establish length of part.

I will explain this one, though it should be obvious. The part gets trapped between the blade and fence once it has gone through the blade. This is BAD. Clamp a small block to the fence at least one inch thick and use that to set the length of your crosscut parts. One inch is nice as it makes setting easy if your fence has a scale. Most cross cut sleds can have length stops clamped to the front fence as the part is pushed all the way through when cutting. Just be careful of the exposed blade after the cut and remove the parts before pulling the sled or gauge back. This is when the knee off button can be handy.


I am sure others will chime in with the do's and don't of table saw use but these rules should keep you pretty safe. Break the rules at your peril. I break the rules all the time but I KNOW I am breaking the rules which keeps me safe as my attention if fully engaged when I am doing something that I know could have a bad outcome, this ensures that the process is as safe as
possible.

I really hope this helps some one avoid an accident. I still have all my fingers and I thank my high school teacher all the time for all his safety training tests that we had to pass before we could use any machine.

Michael

Did I miss the part of common sense? Everything you posted was basically duh. Not trying to be a jerk
 
...Break the rules at your peril. I break the rules all the time but I KNOW I am breaking the rules which keeps me safe as my attention if fully engaged when I am doing something that I know could have a bad outcome, this ensures that the process is as safe as possible....
Michael

This is also my philosophy of tablesaw use. It is essentially a recurring exercise that involves a risk vs. common-sense approach. The higher the risk, the more common sense is applied.
 
Mike1974,
Some people have a bit more common sense than others……
Perhaps the info was not useful for you but hopefully it will be for others.

People get hit in crosswalks or crossing the road every day, seems like common sense to watch out for traffic?

If Mr Naegle had a cross cut sled and used it then this thread would not exist. Now he knows to use one for small parts on the tablesaw as do others who may not have known about cross cut sleds.
 
Mr Naegle,
I am going to assume that you were never properly trained for the use of a tablesaw?
I would also like to mention that you were very very lucky.

There are some basic rules for using a tablesaw regardless of wether it has a guard on it or not. Most guards get in the way and the best thing would be to have a riving knife on every tablesaw. These are never in the way and do not need to be removed to do rabbet or slotting cuts. Unfortunately there are no manufacturers that make a riving knife until you get into the larger sliding saws. Every tablesaw should have one in my opinion. My 10' slider has a knife that rides up and down with the blade and I never take it off, why would I?


#1- Never free hand cut with the tablesaw. Needs no explaining, don't break this rule, ever.


#2- Never cut a piece of wood that is wider than it is long by using the fence. This is so simple to understand.

Ok, I heard the "but I need to", then use a mitre gauge or sled and trim your piece with that accessory. It is what they were made to do. Totally safe to cut a long narrow piece to length with a mitre gauge, or a 4" hardwood square block.
A plywood sled takes an hour to make and not only is it safe to use but it makes great cuts as well. I used to have several different sizes before I bought a sliding saw.

# 3 - Always use a push stick if the board is less than 6" wide and never line up your fingers with the blade.

I see many people using a saw and hooking their thumb on the end of the board, when this is done and the thumb lines up with the blade you are asking for a missing digit. You will remember to move your hand many times until the fateful time when you are tired and rushing. If you never line it up in the first place, guess what, you will still have your thumb when you are old.
On the subject of push sticks the best ones are made from plywood and are tall enough to hold onto above the fence. Most of mine are 10 to 12" long and I use 1/2" baltic birch plywood, it is strong and won't break even if you cut most of it off while using it. A stick with a notch in the end is pretty much useless. You need full control of the piece you are cutting, front and back and downwards to counter the forces of the blade against the stock. Make ten and hang them next to the saw, when one gets too used up just chuck it and grab a brand new one. If the wood you are cutting is shorter than your push stick you probably should not be cutting it this way.

#4- Never reach around the saw to grab the stock, step aside and around and then pick up the piece.

A former partner of mine didn't follow this advice while using a 5hp Rockwell beast that had no guard, he dropped the 3' long by 4" wide board just above the blade when it was halfway back. I heard the sound from across the shop and by the time I turned around he was on the floor 6' from the front of the saw. I ran over and looked for fingers, saw no blood and asked him if he was ok. He was NOT. The board did not break the skin but hit him in the gut and he had to have surgery to repair the internal damage. Some time later he violated rule #2 and lost the tip of his thumb. They called it a partial amputation at the hospital.

#5- Always keep the blade at the lowest height possible to do the work at hand. The rule of thumb( or no thumb) is to just have the full gullet above the work.

#6- Set up the saw so the off button can be actuated if your hands are busy. I can shut off my smaller saw with my knee quite easily with the stock start/stop button. Easy to fabricate something to help or customize any saw. Special large stop buttons can also be purchased just for this exact purpose.
On my shaper I made a plywood hinged plate so I can kick off the machine with my foot. Works well.

#7- Always use a sharp blade.

#8- Make sure your fence and blade are exactly parallel. Cheap fences are notoriously bad and contribute to kickback.

#9- Make some antikickback finger boards and use them when required. These work very very well and eliminate kickbacks and increase safety by limiting access to the blade. They also hold the stock in position while cutting which increases the accuracy of the cuts while making the process very safe. I have a bunch with different thickness fingers for different applications. Eastern maple makes great finger boards.
They work very well on small parts that need bevels or rabbet cuts and also help straighten slightly curved pieces so they contact the fence firmly as they pass through the cutting area.

#10- Make a properly sized outfeed table for the size of work you normally do.

If you cut 4 x 8 sheets often then you need a large outfeed table, more than 4' past the blade so the sheet can sit there after ripping to width. Use your sled to crosscut the pieces, see rule #2.

#11- Use the proper blade for the task, ripping blade for ripping solid wood, plywood blade for cutting plywood etc.

My own go to blade is an 80 tooth ATB that is a melamine/plywood cross cut blade with a negative rake. It is made by FS tool and is the XL 4000 series. It is only .118 thick and that is very handy as it is less than 1/8" kerf. It takes a bit more pressure due to the negative rake but makes superb cuts in plywoods and all solid woods. It is definitely not for heavy ripping but I use it all the time for solid wood cutting and very fine joinery on my 10" saw.

#12- Never cross cut any piece with a sled or mitre gauge by using the fence to establish length of part.

I will explain this one, though it should be obvious. The part gets trapped between the blade and fence once it has gone through the blade. This is BAD. Clamp a small block to the fence at least one inch thick and use that to set the length of your crosscut parts. One inch is nice as it makes setting easy if your fence has a scale. Most cross cut sleds can have length stops clamped to the front fence as the part is pushed all the way through when cutting. Just be careful of the exposed blade after the cut and remove the parts before pulling the sled or gauge back. This is when the knee off button can be handy.


I am sure others will chime in with the do's and don't of table saw use but these rules should keep you pretty safe. Break the rules at your peril. I break the rules all the time but I KNOW I am breaking the rules which keeps me safe as my attention if fully engaged when I am doing something that I know could have a bad outcome, this ensures that the process is as safe as
possible.

I really hope this helps some one avoid an accident. I still have all my fingers and I thank my high school teacher all the time for all his safety training tests that we had to pass before we could use any machine.

Michael

Thank you Michael, this is an excellent summary of basic safety rules for the table saw. Perhaps you could add some pix of the devices you mention, especially push sticks. Might seem like common sense to some, but a lot of this stuff comes from experience, like the OP's. Guards and such can be useful, but most small shop professional woodworkers (including me) don't use them. They can be in the way, make it hard to see what's going on, and be a pain in the ass to adjust properly for varied types of operations. I too often break the rules, but it's an educated and calculated risk.

Stephen, might be good to post this as a sticky, right at the top. This is not really a professional woodworkers forum, we get a lot of experienced machinists who also have some woodworking machines, and total newbies, might save someone from a catastrophe.

A few more tips:
When crosscutting with sled or miter gauge, lots of times the off-cut needs to be moved away from the blade. Never use your fingers! I use the eraser end of an UNSHARPENED pencil, held lightly, to flick it away.

I also like to have a nonslip floor where I will be standing. I glue strips of sandpapers down for traction. Especially useful around the jointer and shaper, anywhere you might have to really push. Used to have a 24" jointer, running a wide board across that was quite an effort. Tear them from broken or tired widebelts. If you don't have such, a big shop would likely be happy to save a few for you.


M.B, I'm sorry you had this accident, but as Michael says, it could have been much worse. And you're going to have some really cool scars. You could tell people you got them in a bar fight, or from a mountain lion you strangled with your bare hands...
 
Richard,
Good tips, I like the pencil eraser.
For very small offcuts that are actually the part you want I have used a shop vac to prevent them falling into the kerf and disappearing. An air blast also works.

I thought I should post a pic of the push stick I use as it is such a good design and was what we used in high school. I don’t have any sleds anymore since I purchased my Altendorf slider.

No offence was meant to the OP, it takes a bit of humility to post about such an event. I am sure this thread will help a few people be a bit safer around the saw.

My high school teacher told us all that the machines do not know they are cutting flesh and bone, they wont automatically stop either. The pictures hanging beside each machine showing the damage was a good reminder to the students. My favourite was the long hair caught in the drill press, it ripped off a serious chunk of the scalp.

I used to think, how could a machine know it was cutting flesh and stop, now we have a tablesaw that does just that. I was lucky to attend the Ligna wood show in Germany in 2001. The sawstop guys were there trying to get a manufacturer to buy their product and incorporate it into their line of saws. I watched the demo and it was impressive but not earth shattering. They moved the suasage so slowly into the blade I came away wondering what would happen if you ran a finger into the blade when pushing stock through at a normal speed. Any way it was quite a few years later that they had to manufacture their own line of saws and sell those directly to woodworkers.
 
I have seen a few demos of the sawstop where they ran the sausage/hotdog into the blade at full speed (typical cutting speed in wood)and although it did take a good chunk out of the hotdog (stitches), that hotdog survived in one piece.

Makes me wonder what would happen if you “fell” onto the blade, I imagine your still going to the ER
 








 
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