what’s wrong with this picture? ill give you one guesses
5 Likes
Is it that the blade is up? (Ok. I totally cheated by looking at the title.)
I also noticed the other day that the blade was down… and that seemed weird to me… and probably shouldn’t have.
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Blade should never be up unless you’re using the saw. Its a pet peeve of mine. Its also a safety issue which is another pet peeve of mine. Although i never renewed my Osha certification, the stuff i learned still sticks with me. if someone were to trip that blade would hurt.
(pulling out soapbox moment) : this isnt being Excellent imo.
i left it as i found it. Im not the woodshop nanny. Just an occasional salty old guy, fluent in sarcasm.
(puts soapbox away so I don’t trip over it and fall into the blade).
its almost like leaving the gas on with a blowtorch.
(a heartfelt please) when doing an orientation for woodshop safety, make it a point to tell folks, this is really ultra uncool.
as in introvert, dont ask me to do an orientation class. I also work 2nd shift so I really cant. Id do a walkin during and say something though if i could.
3 Likes
I never really thought about until I saw it down the other day. It did seem smart when I noticed it. No one has to teach a class if they don’t want to.
(If anyone does want to teach any sort of class at MakeICT, contact me!)
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On Tue, Jul 11, 2023 at 12:28 PM shelly via MakeICT Forum <noreply@talk.makeict.org> wrote:
| sheldonp1968 MakeICT Member
July 11 |
- | - |
Blade should never be up unless you’re using the saw. Its a pet peeve of mine. Its also a safety issue which is another pet peeve of mine. Although i never renewed my Osha certification, the stuff i learned still sticks with me. if someone were to trip that blade would hurt.
(pulling out soapbox moment) : this isnt being Excellent imo.
i left it as i found it. Im not the woodshop nanny. Just an occasional salty old guy, fluent in sarcasm.
(puts soapbox away so I don’t trip over it and fall into the blade).its almost like leaving the gas on with a blowtorch.
(a heartfelt please) when doing an orientation for woodshop safety, make it a point to tell folks, this is really ultra uncool.
as in introvert, dont ask me to do an orientation class. I also work 2nd shift so I really cant. Id do a walkin during and say something though if i could.
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3 Likes
I have a tendency to cuss when im nervous or uncomfortable. I would offend orientation attendees. Im a known f-bomb dropper.
5 Likes
I’ll make a note of this to mention it at Maker Monday if the lead isn’t around. I actually wasn’t aware the blade should be lowered after use, and I’ve been an offender too. So thank you for speaking up, because I learned something.
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I also find it left turned on over half the times I come in. I find that to be a bigger issue than the blade left up, but it doesn’t excuse it.
6 Likes
I recall Doug being perhaps over-abundantly clear that the table saw blade should not be up when not in use during woodshop authorization. But no matter how strident you are about something, some people will still miss it entirely, while others absorb it and then forget it a year later-- especially if they’re not using that particular piece of equipment on a regular basis.
Generally speaking, if you recognize something as a safety hazard, can I suggest treating it as a safety hazard (i.e. by removing the danger, in this case by lowering the blade) in the moment? You can always take a picture of the dangerous thing, render it un-dangerous, then post the photo later as a warning about how dangerous it is.
10 Likes
ok. so i admit i was Wrong in my approach to this ongoing issue. I “could” take the James Brewer (JB) approach to this next time. correct and lock out the saw. Thats what he did back in the old days at WSU.
he actually locked out the entire woodshop at WSU Sculpture dept over sawdust.
He probably would’ve taken the tablesaw apart and locked up the working parts if he walked in and saw this, imo.
@deanday has met JB, i believe he might be able to vouch for me, unless JB has mellowed since the mid 1990’s.
1 Like
You don’t need to lock out the saw to put the blade down, right? So why not just do that?
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Oh yes, I’ve watched students cry as he explains their short comings. JB is one of the best teachers at WSU it is normal for him be in Henrion Hall at 3:00 AM giving freely a life time of knowledge.
Yes I respect JB.
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So he locks stuff up so nobody can use it, and makes students cry? I’m sure JB is a fine person (probably), but I’m glad he’s not in charge of the wood shop at MakeICT. 
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I was in picking up some stuff so I lowered the blade and turned the machine off.
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While this might come off as a “well that escalated” thought (
currently my go to comment for most things here and in my life as a whole 
), is it time to revisit the badge reader on big tools in the woodshop? Like Mario and Luigi?
And by “is it time?”, I’m requesting that we look into this.
Tools that could benefit from this:
Saw stop
Both band saws
Shop bot
Belt/disc sander
Lathes(?)(I’m not super familiar with lathes, so maybe this is a poor choice for this idea. I don’t know).
I’m just thinking the ones you could trip and be severely injured/die. Which really describes most of woodshop, but I’m attempting practicality.
Seems like a simpler, quicker fix than approving, getting, and installing cameras, and is something that most of us are already used to using cuz Mario and Luigi.
If this needs to be spun off as a new topic, feel free @moderators
8 Likes
Honestly, i thought the blade was on backwards (the picture wasn’t clear).
There’s a lot of issues like this. It’s frustrating. My advice, though, has always been to set a good example and leave the space better. Good stewardship is contagious if given the chance.
And thanks for reminding everyone of the safety issue. It helps to hear important messages from those not in leadership, too.
14 Likes
JB is 100% old school, if you work hard he will love you. he ran the casting dept at wsu and if you showed up on time to class on a pour day, you were late. The guy Knows his stuff and has turned out some good artists.
@doug.wilson yeah, im a bit salty about the blade up issue. But i feel its good to point things like this out, id rather someone take issue with my tactics than someone get hurt and then we will have a problem, its just frustrating.
2 Likes
The same old issues remain that woodworking is inherently “all over the place”. What I mean by that is that when you cut on the laser, you are just doing that. In the woodshop, one might joint a board, rip it down, chop off part, rip down done more of it. Run it through the planer, back to the table saw to cut a dado, and so on. So having to badge into each machine every time you get to the next step would be a serious drag with no real perceivable benefit. I could badge into the saw and still leave it turned in with the blade up when I’m done.
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It would be a drag. but safety sometimes is.
I think the other half of my point was then leadership could simply figure out who needs retraining in woodshop safety.
For the record: speed of a project will never be a concern of mine when we’re discussing safety. If badging to turn on a machine makes someone take a breath, slow down, make safely, and close down safely, I wholeheartedly support that.
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But we would know exactly who did it and who needs to be retrained.
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