Wow, Popular Magazined advises dangerous procedures

[B A R R Y]

That's exactly what I'm talking about for bare handed or gloved face jointing. My "short limit" is ~24". That allows my hand to be 12" from the infeed side, and 6" from the outfeed. Shorter than that, and I use pads.

Remember, the whole reason for skipping the pads is because certain wood is more difficult to move with the pads. Shorter and thinner boards are easier to begin with.

I have "danger zones" taped, painted, or marked, on all of my flesh eaters and the sleds and jigs I use with them. For example, my jointer has red tape on the top of the fence. If my hands will go into the red area, I rethink the cut.

When edge jointing, I never, ever, use blocks or sticks. After ~ 8" of stock has been cut, my right hand "pulls" the stock along the fence, and my left is on the table, acting like a featherboard. The entire cut is referenced to the outfeed table and fence for great accuracy, and my hands apply no pressure that would send them towards danger in case of unwanted adventure.

[B A R R Y]

Right on! Make lots! It's also great practice in pattern routing, shaping, and curved sawing to a line.

However, I like hooks and blocks much better than sticks:

Some sticks can be dangerous and provide a false sense of security in respect to the hand's direction of travel and application of force.

For example: The standard "push stick" has the user providing force at about a 45 degree angle to the stock travel, with the hand moving towards the cutter and a small contact patch all the way out at the tip. If the stock sticks, jams, starts to kick back, etc... the stick goes away, and the hand moves directly at the cutter!

I always like to think of leaning on a door. If someone opens the door, I'll fall in. So... I don't lean on doors.

[B A R R Y]

At this point, I'm going to step away from this thread, pour a drink, and observe.

[Swingman]

"Jeff" wrote

... strictly for the benefit of those unsure of the difference between the machines/operations. :)

Two machines/operations with very different purposes: one used to flatten an edge or face (jointer); the other to mill opposite surfaces parallel (planer).

A jointer won't necessarily mill opposite faces/edges parallel; and a planer won't necessarily mill stock flat.

Both machines, used in conjunction, in a methodical manner, and in the proper order (along with other tools like table saws/hand planes) will allow a woodworker to mill straight, flat, and dimensioned, project stock from rough lumber.

[Leon]

Agreed, however and hoping that the term push stick is a generic term, the examples shown by your link are what you should be using.

Those pointey sticks with a notch on the forward end probably cause as many accidents as they prevent. You really should use a push device that lets you hold down the work also. Typically a pointy push stick does nothing to prevent and often because of its lack of support will encourage kick back on a TS. Typically Kick back starts off as a minor deflection that can be prevented if you simply hold the work down and let the blade make its mark. Pointy sticks do nothing to prevent the beginning of a kick back to become a total kick back.

[Charlie Self]

No. Your hands may be in front of the blade, but you're still pushing.

[Leon]

Right again Charlie. It would be safer but would be an incorrect method. You would indeed need to push from either location.

[Twayne]

Wrong again Leon. You either misunderstand or are simply a contrary "me too" type of dummy.

[Twayne]

Good link, Barry; thank you.

Good to see some decent reasoning too; good post.

B A R R Y wrote:

[Twayne]

I've been lucky and never had a kick back while using a push block but your hand is still moving toward the blade if things get spun out from under your hand, so caution and allowing the tool to do the work are always required. One has to watch out for over-confidence.

[Twayne]

B A R R Y wrote: ... and my hands apply no pressure that would send them towards

Bingo; them's the magic words. After one gets used to it, it's as natual as writing with a pencil or riding a bike.

[Jeff]

For flat parallel sides, I go from rough cut to planer, to jointer (edge) to table saw (opposite edge). Feel free to expound the virtues of face jointing. I've never had a need. Unless we're dealing with conceptual differences. I have jointed right angles on stock cut for legs, then finished it to size on the jointer. A piece like that would have finished at 1-1/2 x 1-1/2. I suppose technically I face jointed although it felt like I jointed two edges.

Jeff

[Swingman]

Never mind ... just go buy us both lottery tickets while your luck's still holding.

[Chris Friesen]

If the board starts out twisted or bowed, the planer will make a smooth board of even thickness--but it will still be twisted or bowed.

Chris

[Leon]

Count me in too, ROTFLMAO

[Greg G]

We have a winner!

Greg G.

[Leon]

You said,

I would assume that with a piece that's

4' long, you'd push from a safe distance until you have enough wood on the outfeed to be able to shift your grip and pull from there.

I did not clearly read what you had written. You indicated that you would push the stock until enough wood was on the out feed surface and then shift your grip and pull from there.

I replied Yes indicating that this would be a safe procedure visualizing you switching to the out feed side of the jointer when the stock had begun to pass to that side. Charlie pointed out that you would still push from both sides regardless of which end of the jointer you were working over. I neglected to pick up on the key words you mentioned that were incorrect. You indicated that when switching hand locations to the out feed side that you would then pull, that is incorrect. You would continue to push the stock on the out feed side.

I indicated Right again to Charlie because Charlie is most often right and he corrected my misunderstanding of what you had said.

[Jeff]

Heh. Is it luck or the fact that I buy wood on a per project basis?

[Brian Henderson]

I was using 'pushstick' as a generic term for anything that replaces your hand when pushing wood past a whirring, spinny, sharp thing. Use whatever type you think is effective.

Blog Me!

[Leon]

Picking and choosing your wood on a per project basis certainly affords you the ability to get straighter and flatter stock. If you buy "a lot" of wood you may not have that privilege. Some times you have to take what they have, to be able to fill the order and what they have may not all be able to go straight to the planer.

With that said, I use a planer jig/sled to assist in flattening one side if the long wide board that will not go through my jointer.