Most dangerous tool in shop

What in your opinion is the most dangerous tool in your wood shop, based on the number and severity of injuries you have received, not on what you have heard from other people.

My vote is first the stationary belt sander, Forever letting small wood pieces get away and scraping fingers, and second the drill press same reason.

Reply to
Sweet Sawdust
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I tend to agree. It really still depends on the operator and how safe they work. A sander will give you some nasty "road rash" a table saw will take off body parts. Personally I think the hand held circular saw causes a lot more terrible accidents but that is because people tend to get a lot more reckless with them. My wife is the the construction business and these accidents are pretty common. They also have a lot of people "nailing" themselves with framing nailers. One guy managed to put a 16 penny nail in the roof of his mouth and didn't really know what happened until they got him to the ER.

Reply to
Gfretwell

Sweet Sawdust asked >

The human brain, because when it stops working whether due to haste, exhaustion, or any other cause everything else can and often will to hell. For instance a few days ago while cutting rabbets in picture frames with a straight trim router bit my dust chute became clogged. I turned off the router, waited for the bit to stop spinning and not wanting to have to redo my fence setup I just slid my finger into the slot to clean it out unfortunately I grazed the bit and have a nice 5/16" cut(as measured with calipers to prove to SWMBO that it was not that bad). Blood in white oak is not a pretty sight, bright side is the table top was freshly waxed so no blood stains there.

Bill

Reply to
Bill

You're question doesn't quite have an answer the way it's phrased. I haven't hurt myself any of my tools within recent memory, but it doesn't mean they're all at the same danger level.

I've always put the drill press, belt grinder, and scroll saw in the "safest tool" catagory. The table saw, shaper, and jointer are the ones to watch out for. Flying and impaled body parts can ruin a good day.

GTO(John)

Reply to
GTO69RA4

Sounds like it came from a person who only owns one tool - a belt sander.

Reply to
Upscale

For me, it has to be the humble screwdriver. Three times over the last 25 years, I've put screwdrivers straight through one of my fingers, usually when (mis)using one to remove a circlip. I did eventually learn from this repeated painful experience and bought a pair of circlip pliers.

Now, if you had asked which tool has the most potential for danger, that would have to be the table saw but luckily, I've not found a way of removing circlips with the TS yet

Reply to
AJS

On Tue, 26 Aug 2003 23:06:06 -0500, "Sweet Sawdust" Crawled out of the shop and said. . .:

i would have to agree with Bill who posted on this one,,, the most dangerous thing in my shop is the operator of the tool... IE: me

if i don't keep my mind on what i am doing all the time, i am dangerous.

of course, my wife says if i had half a brain i would be dangerous..but that's another matter all together.

Traves

Reply to
Traves W. Coppock

Worst single injury: a back saw. holding on to a board, to 'stabilize' it in a light-duty vice, while hand-sawing, and "didn't notice" that my hand was in the path of the blade. Untill it was about 1/16" into the -bone- of the 1st joint of my finger, that is. No pain, very little blood -- only about a 1.5" long scar to show for it. oh, yeah. 35+ years ago.

most injuries: the paper I have plans, cut-lists, "whatever" listed on (paper cuts) Second place: hammer. hit the nail right on the thumb, or equivalent.

I've -never- had an injury with a power tool.

Reply to
Robert Bonomi

wonder where he 'buys' all the small wood pieces he sands?

Reply to
SwampBug

Who cares ? I've not yet sawn an arm off, I know some of my machines could easily do it. The _potential_ for injury is more important than its past history.

For past injuries, it's my chain blocks. Dropped some girder on my foot once and squashed a foot flat.

Reply to
Andy Dingley

On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 12:07:14 +0100, Andy Dingley Crawled out of the shop and said. . .:

snip

That's gonna leave a mark

Traves

Reply to
Traves W. Coppock

In thirty years of futzing around in the shop, I've had one minor accident with the table saw. However, if the total number of painful experiences is to be believed, the trusty old hammer should have a skull and crossbones etched on it.

James...

Reply to
J&KCopeland

You would consider a sander more dangerous than potential amputation via power saw? Not to mention kick back.

Do you actually participate in the activity of woodworking?

Barry

Reply to
B a r r y B u r k e J r .

I think the tool with the most potential is my tablesaw, but since you phrased the question that way, the tools that have caused me the most pain in my shop are clearly my golf clubs.

Frank

Reply to
Frank Ketchum

Although I've had the typical scraped knuckles, finger tips, etc. from a belt sander, I believe the table saw has the most potential. There seems to be a lot of "variables" in it's use (set up, blade height, etc.) It's the only tool I've been fortunate enough to only have a close call with - cut the side of my finger off at the tip 4 years ago (and it still causes me problems although it was very minor.)

However, if someone isn't being careful, they can all become the "most dangerous." You did hear about the guy who cut himself with a bandsaw . . . didn't you?

Jim

Reply to
Jim Mc Namara

On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 12:54:14 GMT, "Frank Ketchum" Crawled out of the shop and said. . .:

you golf in your shop? wow i wish i had your floor space

Reply to
Traves W. Coppock

Razor knife

Reply to
Lawrence Wasserman

I do own a table saw, radial arm saw, band saw, routers, drill presses, osculating sander, stationary belt sander, planner, jointer, lathe, chain saw, a whole bench of various power hand tools, a large wall of hand tools. and other power and hand tools. I spend at least 12 hours a day in the shop

Reply to
Sweet Sawdust

Reply to
Sweet Sawdust

My table saw...and the idiot that turned it on. :-)

Reply to
BigJoe

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