Lots of years ago, in the high school shop class we had safety posters, one was a guys thumb or finger that had been pulled off, laying on a towel with the tendons still attached. Another said, "There are 12 companies that make glass eyes, ever wonder why?"
They say 4000 idiots a year saw their fingers off on table saws. That's
10 per day! What is it about 'keep your fingers aways from the spinning blade' that they do not understand? The federal gubberment is going to work on a bill to require that new 'meat sensor' safety device on all table saws. It will add $300 to $500 to the cost. Gee, mine cost $150. Been using one for 50+ years and still have all my fingers. There must be some real dummies out there. By the way, the safety device destroys the blade and motor shaft if activated.---------------------
I'm taking a cabinet making course at a college. My course is a learn as go type coarse but during the day it's for full time students. About 80 students a day I'm told.
They have 7 table saws altogether and every single one of them has a saw stop. At every table saw they mount all the saw accessories, jigs, sleds tools, etc on 4 x 8 wall boards. What they also have mounted are the used pieces of a saw stop that was activated. They mount the broken blade, the saw stop unit and electrical components that saved the student from serious damage.
The 8 foot panel saw has 4 such used saw stop units mounted. The remaining
6 saws only have 2 used saw stops on display, combined.
sensor' safety device on all
BY THE WAY .... the SAWSTOP does NO SUCH THING .... there is absolutely ZERO damage to the motor shaft, and only minimal (repairable) damage to the blade.
Yes, it is further proof of what a well-funded lobby and a liberal congress can accomplish.
"Bob F" wrote
What about the people who have 5? DAMHIKT.
Steve
-snip-
I knew dat. I dd read it twice, though.
Jim
Good thing they aren't training electricians.
I guess that's all you need to keep your fingers.
Who is "THEY". I doubt seriously if 4000 fingers have been chopped off in the history of table saws total.
I had a realtive who cut off 4 fingers years ago, and talked to someone last week whos boss lost 5 just days before.
all tools can be dangerous
Fingers are the most "expendable" body parts.. My stepmother lost 2 fingers just by wrapping the slippery anchor line of a small boat around her hand. Anchor was snagged and a wave lifted the boat. Gotta watch them fingers. I'm REAL careful with power saws. Stupidest thing I've done so far is squeeze off a staple into my middle finger. New stapler and I was just stupid and not thinking. Both legs went all the way in so the thing was flush to the skin, but missed the bone. Think it was a 1/2". Hardly hurt, but damn, it's a shock seeing your finger perfectly stapled. I spotted a pair of needle nose pliers on the bench, got a grip on the middle of the staple, yelled loud, and jerked it straight out. It's best to yell loud when you do that I think. The whole thing was no more than about 10 seconds, and it hardly bled. Gives me the chills thinking of a power saw getting me. Gotta watch them fingers.
--Vic
Just like the dubious estimates of how many citizens are murdered by illegal aliens (something I've still not been able to find reasonable source data for) the estimates of amputations are made on pretty small samples that are scaled up to match the actual population figures:
Overstated or not, a lot of people visit the ER daily for power tool injuries of all kinds. Saws tend to do the most damage and they do it much more quickly than drills and other types of equipment. Back when long hair was popular, a buddy of mine knocked himself out with a router when his hair curled around the bit and drew the router towards his head like a lightning bolt. I would guess enough fingers are lost every year to make a Cheyenne warrior very proud:
For those who aren't squeamish:
-- Bobby G.
Yell before pulling out, or during the pulling??
Think I started yelling as soon as I saw the staple in there. Just yelled louder when jerking it out. In case the finger made some noises I didn't want to hear.
Yep. They're out there, ain't they.
My brother was careless with a pnuematic nail gun and put a 16 box thru 3 fingers, missing all bones. I cut off the tip of my left index finger with a chefs knife while drinking and dicing. Gotta be smarter than the tool. ;)
nb
"Steve Barker" wrote
Check out the chart on page 6 here
As you might imagine, roughly 93 percent of those injuries were to the users? finger, thumb or another part of their hand. 66 percent of those injured had lacerations while 10 percent had amputations. Other types of injuries include soft-tissue injuries to the head, face and neck, presumably from flying lumber or debris caused by kickback.
Missed a link
Agreed, not everyone should own a table saw. Very few people actually need them. I wonder if anyone has researched how many of the victims just bought the damn thing, or only used it once a year or so? And of course, how many were ever instructed properly on how to use them?
I also wonder how many injuries were with 'real' table saws, and how many were with those tiny toys with the 18" square tables, that aren't useful for much more than building bird houses. (Try ripping a sheet of plywood on one of those tiny things, even with a helper.)
Yes, and all that is ASSUMING you BELIEVE all those reports. I don't.
No problem. I wasn't looking at them anyway.
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