Safety first? Knot on DIY Network

[Bill Otten]

I can't believe I'm watching David Thiel on DIY Tools and Techniques using a miter saw while wearing a long sleeved shirt....cuffs folded up to just between the elbow and wrist. Not exactly the best example of proper tool safety. In fact, I recall it probably breaks one of the FIRST safety rules around power tools. David, shame on you....in this episode you're cutting miters on mouldings using the miter saw...and showing how you use templated mouldings to set your saw. How about rethinking the safety when you're trying to teach?

bill

[James "Cubby" Culbertson]

I watched that guy once and that was enough. He was talking about fences on tablesaws and then walked over to cut a board. No guard, splitter, or ear protection. He did have safety glasses. He proceeded to run the board through by hand with no push sticks or feather boards. Now, for those that have used these tools for a while, doing these things may be ok for you. But considering his show is appealing to the newbie, I found it to be irresponsible. You have to wonder how many people pick up bad habits from clowns like this. Cheers, cc

[Dave Jackson]

While he's at it, he should also rethink what he's trying to teach. The man has obviously not used some of the tools he features other than to make a quick half-assed demonstration, and gives much mis-information on how to operate it. For example, one of the few times i watched it, he was demonstrating how to run a shaper. He takes a board, runs the long grain through first, never mentions the fact that the endgrain should always be run throught first on account of tearout. He's never spent much time with a shaper. It also ticked me off on one of the other shows i watched. They featured a guy who was teaching how to hand-cut dovetrails, which is my prefered method. DT interupted the guy so much, it hindered anyone from learning anything. By the way, is he the same Dave Thiel that is the editor(?) for Popular Woodworking? The guy that reviews the tools, but probably asked someone else what they thought about the tool cuz he never actually operated it. Another waste of airtime by DIY --dave

[Rob V]

Ever see it last year w/ that other guy. He was teaching how to make a bowl on the table saw. Taking a block of wook and spinning it by hand over the blade while raising the blade each spin.

Even my wife commented "how does this guy still have all his fingers!"

That was about all I needed to see of that show.

[Charlie Self]

Jeez. I just did that the other day. Left the end grain as is. Why? Because the molding was going to be scarfed to another piece.

I know David Thiel, and seem to recall he was a cabinetmaker before he ended up with Steve & Gang at PW.

I'd have to go along with the safety argument someone else posed: we all do the stuff he was doing, no guards, etc., but they were right about it not being good teaching technique to show that sort of thing to tyros. Otherwise, you're doing a critique of his teaching style, which is valid for you, but not necessarily to others.

Of course, I haven't seen the shows, so beyond the above, I won't comment. No cable here, so no DIY or Norm or anything like it.

Charlie Self "He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." Sir Winston Churchill

[Daddyman]

I stopped watching that show after that episode.

[Leon]

I am shocked that DIY even shows this stuff anymore. A while back on "The Ultimate Workshop" the host of the show showed how to cut a dado with a dado blade. He cut a dado across the face of a 1x4 and left the guard on the table saw. The look on his face when the board was stopped by the guard was priceless. Even dumber was him pulling the 1x4 back through the spinning dado set to get it out. Still stupidest of all was airing that particular segment. He must have been a hair dresser at his previous job.

[Richard Clements]

I never cared for the DIY woodworking shows, they never really explain what there doing, or the reason there doing it. you could say it's personal style, but some of there chooses for joints tend to be a little exotic, or over complicated, also they tend to use tools the common woodworker wouldn't have so how do I reproduce this with what I have, I'm not saying Norm is the greatest but he's good about explaining what he's doing, and why. also to my knowage I have never seen Norm not follow the safety rules for his tools. Roy Underhill is in the same boat very talented, and very safe, yes, he dose nick him self from time to time, but lets see anybody handle razerblades all day long and never get a nick, a number of years ago I saw him do a show on sharping tools, WOW he's good, but I think I stay with my power tools.

Bill Otten wrote:

[patrick conroy]

That's the same DT that's in the Popular Woodworking clan. If you haven't seen an episode with an earlier host -- it is much more topical / relevant now.

That said I don't watch it with regularity. It always has a hurried feel to it -- "here's a shaper in 90 seconds."

Email him. DT's no dummy and I suspect is trying to balance several aspects of the show. I'd rather have him there that the others that preceeded him.

[Dave Jackson]

Hey Charlie, I guess i should have been more specific. Thiel was demonstrating raised panels and cope/stick, which should certainly be run endgrain first. If he were a cabinet maker in a past life he of all people should know this. If you were just running some moulding, long grain is fine. --dave

[Tim Douglass]

Most of the houses I worked on when I was doing remodeling rendered a level about as useless as airbags on a motorcycle. I *never* worked in a house where things were sufficiently square and level to be able to "do it right". We always ended up backing off and adjusting things by eye. A door *will* swing if it isn't perfectly plumb, and the customer will be much less bothered by the fact that it is self-closing than if it were plumb and obviously out of parallel with the house.

I speak half in jest, but it is a real issue in most remodeling projects.

Tim Douglass

[Roy Smith]

I've got a closet door that always swings open. Really annoying. We like to keep it unlatched because one of our cats likes to sleep in there (if you don't have cats, you won't understand).

The house is a 100-year old wood frame house that we gutted and renovated a few years back; that's when the door was installed. At first it was fine, but as the house settled, it started to swing open.

Any hints on what I can do to make the door not swing open any more?

[Charlie Self]

Dave Jackson responds:

You're right. A major oops. I'll probably run into David in '05, so I hope I remember this. He's fun to tease.

Charlie Self "He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." Sir Winston Churchill

[Charlie Self]

Roy Smith asks:

Spring loaded hinge?

Charlie Self "He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." Sir Winston Churchill

[Dave Jackson]

I agree, the door needs to be set parallel with the wall, as do windows. A self opening/closing door usually stems from the wall it is set in being out of plumb, which is not uncommon, especially in older homes. It could also stem from the hinges binding up. But along the other axis, doors need to be plumb (squared across the diagnals) or else it will rub against the frame and stick open or closed. The reveals should match in distance to prevent sticking door in the future, and this is where a good level is needed. I suppose one could "eyeball" it, but if the threshold is out of level, it'll cause problems. --dave

[Charles Spitzer]

bend one of the hinge pins slightly to increase the friction. however, our cats open doors that are ajar anyway. we solved that by putting a swinging door kitty door in the bottom of our kitchen door leading to the laundry room.

[Tim Douglass]

Ever hang a new door in an old frame in an old house? First time I did it I carefully transferred the hinge locations to the new door, hand mortised the hinges, mounted them and hung the door. It wouldn't even go halfway shut before binding at the top. I dismounted and ended up planing the door into a parallelogram to make it fit and look reasonable. Ended up with about a 1" gap at the bottom to try to make it less obvious that the floor sloped. Client was thrilled but I thought it looked like hell.

Tim Douglass

[patrick conroy]

Izt kind'a fun. You pop out one of the hinge pins, lay it on the garage / concrete floow, take a biga$$ hammer and whack at it until it bends *a little*. Then pop it back in.

Also added benefit if you had a bad day at the office.

[Charlie Self]

Gerald Ross responds:

No satellite, either. We've got an old and battered rooftop antenna that is barely better than '50s rabbit ears.

I just don't have time to fool with TV much, and I'm too cheap to lay out 100 bucks a month for something I'm unlikely to watch 20 hours a month, even during pro foosball season.

When they get me cable here so I can add in highspeed internet, then we can talk it over.

Charlie Self "It is when power is wedded to chronic fear that it becomes formidable." Eric Hoffer

[Mark & Juanita]

Not to refute your lack of desire for satellite TV, but DirecTV with HGTV and the other similar channels plus Nickelodian for the son, as well as local stations (I can see the Tucson local antennas from my house, but the reception is terrible) via satellite is only $43 per month.

High speed satellite internet however, is another story.