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).
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?"
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.
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.
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).
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?"
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.
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.