Where’s My Moaning Chair?

[gray duck]

Re: Where’s My Moaning Chair?

Sandlapper - I'm a big fan of yours and am so so sorry to hear about your injury. I'm a woodworker and also work in the realm of hand surgery. So hearing of your injury is doubly painful. And I STILL haven't purchased a Sawstop. I need to do it just tough getting rid of my Dad's old craftsman - I'm a sentimental hoarder. Thank you for coming forward with your story - THAT is something to be proud of. You have certainly helped others by doing so - and I hope I have the sense to be one of them.

[willin woodworks]

Re: Where’s My Moaning Chair?

Ripping wonky grained wood on a table saw can be problematic we know. There are things you can do to mitigate the danger and the difficulty. Most of it is common sense but maybe bears repeating? Keep the fat piece between the blade and the fence. Use rip blades. Make repeated shallow passes. Keep a couple of small softwood wedges handy. When the blade is high enough to come out the top, stop and tap a wedge into the end of the cut after blade with the work still on the table. Of course its best with a helper who can pop the wedge in the cut as it passes the blade but it can be done solo if you re careful.
Be sure the surface in contact with the table is flat and true so it doesnt shift and wobble as you feed it into the blade. If your saw has a riving knife, use it. Keep it shiny and waxed so its nice and slippery.

[coelcanth]

Re: Where’s My Moaning Chair?

if you are at all interested in upgrading the safety of an old Craftsman 10" table saw,
there are a couple inexpensive upgrades available today

good quality zero clearance inserts are easy to find and the Micro Jig company makes a simple kit to install little press fit safety wedges behind the blade that keep the cut from closing up. if one gets pinched, it pulls out of the insert and lets you know to stop and reevaluate the cut.

https://thewoodwhisperer.com/videos/microjig-mj-splitter/

[Dave Hadfield]

Re: Where’s My Moaning Chair?

Very good info here.

Yes, I did not feel comfortable with that big piece on the table saw. I'd only cut about a foot in the wrong place ( ! ) when I stopped. And then noticed my mistake.

As I said before, I was very impressed by the dewalt cordless circular saw. I made a pass from each side and the job was done, no sweat. The batteries get used up fast, but that's no problem.

Then into the thickness planer to get rid of the wobbles.

And it is definitely wonky-grained wood. Very intertwined grain, like elm.

[Sandlapper]

Re: Where’s My Moaning Chair?

Sandlapper - I'm a big fan of yours and am so so sorry to hear about your injury. I'm a woodworker and also work in the realm of hand surgery. So hearing of your injury is doubly painful. And I STILL haven't purchased a Sawstop. I need to do it just tough getting rid of my Dad's old craftsman - I'm a sentimental hoarder. Thank you for coming forward with your story - THAT is something to be proud of. You have certainly helped others by doing so - and I hope I have the sense to be one of them.

Gray duck,

I can relate with your story 100%. I had/have a very good 10 inch Delta which was kept in very good working order and was also reluctant to give it up for identical reason to yours. I do wish someone had given me the cash numbers of a Sawstop relative to medical cost of a bad injury. I don't know if that would have made me bite the bullet but maybe I am that smart.

Dave has not responded and maybe I pissed him off but I thought some strong words would get through. He is too smart to ignore the facts and I don't really care if I'm a bit overbearing if its effective. I would gladly be thought obstinate and a nuisance if you guys do something to better insure your health. In terms of my love of woodworking or boatbuilding, my health is ruined and will not get better. Perhaps there is something on the horizon as good as a Sawstop but none of the challengers appear as good.

The only fortunate thing is that being almost 92 years old, its not as bad as if I were looking forward to many years of favorite activities.

On another front, I found that the bolts and nuts on the decent Sears 10 inch tablesaw are common steel and can work a bit loose over time. We replace a friends bolts and nuts on his Sears saw with high quality steel and the saw held an accurate setting afterward, which has been a problem with accurate work. I know that Dave does not fly aircraft without having aircraft quality steel mechanical fastenings holding it together since common stuff will not pass required inspections.

[jpatrick]

Re: Where’s My Moaning Chair?

Many different sorts of individuals read these threads, so replies don't have to be exclusive to the OP. With that idea in mind, I reckon that any and all safety advice is always fair game. Beginning woodworkers especially need to be offered sound and accurate opinion.

Jeff

[Dave Hadfield]

Re: Where’s My Moaning Chair?

I did respond -- I said "very good info here". Not PO'd in the slightest.

I agree with these responses. And I think sound practical safety advice should be welcome on any thread. It is here.

[sp_clark]

Re: Where’s My Moaning Chair?

...I was very impressed by the dewalt cordless circular saw. I made a pass from each side and the job was done, no sweat. The batteries get used up fast, but that's no problem.

I bought one of those DeWalt saws a few years back, grown quite fond of it.

Typically I reach for one of my Japanese pull-saws for pretty much any kind of wood cutting (save yard clean-up or heavy ripping) but since that DeWalt joined its yellow, battery-powered siblings I don't think I've used for more than an hour a 'left-handed' Porter Cable "Saw Boss" I bought (replaced a venerable Craftsman I'd been using to rip the old roof off – rafter by rafter; 1" board sheathing, roofing felt, two layers of asphalt shingles – on a house I was "remodeling" when it decided it wouldn't play nice anymore) back about 1982.

In that I have several other DeWalt battery tools, having a number of batteries charged up & at hand isn't a problem... until one of them refuses to take a charge once more. Obviously the battery tool industry favors the ink jet printer business model: "If we sell the tool below cost, we'll make a bundle on the consumables!"

Been saving a full 2" thick plank of white ash (~ 18" wide, ~ 9' long) for something suitable maybe longer than I've had that Porter Cable. I may just start ripping it down for stringers & wales to build one of Dave Gentry's Shenandoah Whitehalls for my winter project come fall. Too heavy as a single piece to work safely on my band or table saw, the DeWalt I think will again prove its utility for ripping that ash plank down to manageable dimension.

[Sandlapper]

Re: Where’s My Moaning Chair?

I did respond -- I said "very good info here". Not PO'd in the slightest.

I agree with these responses. And I think sound practical safety advice should be welcome on any thread. It is here.

Thanks Dave. I suspected that was the case but I know I can rub people the wrong was at times. I am dead serious about safety though and well remember that we all knew about the dangers of shop tools, with the most dangerous being the tablesaw. We did almost nothing about it though and I want to re-emphasize it now. Belligerence can be effective and I really will be happy if my nagging can spare a few shop workers the loss of their most valuable assets, their hands and fingers.

There are many other dangers in a common shop but this is the one I know so well and can speak about with authority. I was not aware of how great a problem it is until speaking with the only hand surgeon in eastern North Carolina which I feel lucky to have about 70 miles away. I guess most people who had severely whacked fingers might have been ashamed and kept it quiet or had finances that allowed going elsewhere to have medical help. In this small town I know a significant number of people with missing fingers and all but one resulted from inattention at a tablesaw. The other one was on a jointer.

This typing as well as all other is done with the tip of my thumb on the injured hand. Arthritis causes so many errors when I try to use my left hand that I would rather go slower and make fewer corrections.

[John Meachen]

Re: Where’s My Moaning Chair?

It shocked me profoundly a few days ago to read that there is a circular saw accident every 9 minutes in the USA.Not sure if the data is up to date but what a terrible state of affairs.Think of all the things that can go wrong before pressing the switch and make every effort to avoid the pitfalls.

[Edward Pearson]

Re: Where’s My Moaning Chair?

[QUOTE
This typing as well as all other is done with the tip of my thumb on the injured hand. Arthritis causes so many errors when I try to use my left hand that I would rather go slower and make fewer corrections.[/QUOTE]

When the keyboard comes up on your device next to the space bar there’s an old school microphone looking icon, if you press that you can dictate your responses if you want to. ‘Siri’ on my iphone is pretty efficient, i think they all do it. If you further enable it, it will learn your voice over time more.

[Sandlapper]

Re: Where’s My Moaning Chair?

[QUOTE


When the keyboard comes up on your device next to the space bar there’s an old school microphone looking icon, if you press that you can dictate your responses if you want to. ‘Siri’ on my iphone is pretty efficient, i think they all do it. If you further enable it, it will learn your voice over time more.

Thanks Edward, I know about that ability but am so illiterate about the rapidly changes from Microsoft that I've not tacked that yet.