Showing posts with label shop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shop. Show all posts
Monday, February 17, 2014
Safety In The Shop What You Ought To Know About It
When you are working around sharp saws, machinery that can sever a limb, and heavy boards, it’s important to be safe and avoid any mistakes that could endanger your health and even your life!
Safety glasses or goggles should be worn whenever power tools are in use and when chiseling, sanding, scraping or hammering overhead. This is very important for anyone wearing contact lenses. Wear ear protectors when using noisy power tools. Some tools operate at noise levels that damage hearing.
Be careful of loose hair and clothing so that it does not get caught in tools; roll your sleeves up and remove jewelry. Keep tools out of the reach of small children. The proper respirator or face mask should be worn when sanding, sawing or using substances with toxic fumes. Oily rags are spontaneously combustible, so take care when you store and discard them.
Keep blades sharp. A dull blade requires excessive force and can slip which causes accidents. Always use the right tool for the job. Repair or discard tools with cracks in the wooden handles or chips in the metal parts.
Dont drill, shape or saw anything that isnt firmly secured. Dont abuse your tools.
Do not work with tools when you are tired. Thats when most accidents occur. Do not work with tools when you have been using alcohol. Alcohol can skew your judgment.
Wait to celebrate after you’ve finished your project! Do not smoke around flammable product like stains and solvents. Read the owners manual for all tools and under- stand their proper usage. Unplug all power tools when changing settings or parts.
Take special care regarding the use of the table saw fence settings and the suggestions on how to make cuts using safety guards, push sticks, push blocks, fence straddlers, and feather boards.
The most powerful tool in your shop is your brain, use it. Thinking your cuts and movements through before acting can help save both fingers and scrap wood. Pay attention to your actions. Looking up to watch the shop TV or visitor can result in your hand contacting the blade. Always wait until you have completed your cut before you take your eyes off the blade.
Keep in mind that this is just a hobby and take a break when you feel rushed or frustrated with a project. Mistakes happen when we rush to complete a job.
If your saw is resisting the cut, stop and see what’s wrong. A misaligned rip fence or improperly seated throat plate can sometimes cause a board to get stuck in mid cut. Forcing the board in these situations may cause kickback or contact with the blade. Take a moment to evaluate the situation and
determine the problem.
determine the problem.
Let the tool stop running. Giving the power tool time to wind down after a cut is an often-overlooked safety mistake. Even without power, the spinning blade can still do a lot of damage.
Accidents are caused by inattention, taking chances,bad judgment, fatigue, and horseplay. Other causes are poor instruction (not reading manuals), missing guards,unsuitable clothing, defective equipment, insufficient working space and poor lighting.
A huge step in preventing personal injury is to familiarize yourself with any new tool before using it, read the manual, do a dry run with the machine unplugged. Only use a tool or machine for its intended purpose. If it is a two person job dont try to do it alone, wait until assistance is available.
Keep a clean shop. A cluttered shop is an accident waiting to happen. Keeping your shop clean will help protect you, and your tools, from tripping hazards. Designate where hand tools are stored, sort nails, screws, and other hardware
in containers. Sweep up at the end of the day. Solvent fumes and airborne dust can present health and explosion hazards. Care should be taken to ensure a supply of fresh air and use only explosion proof vent fans.
Just as there are safety procedures you should follow, it helps if you are aware of the most common mistakes newbies make when beginning their wood projects.
Monday, February 10, 2014
More on Shop Made Tools
From the Unplugged Woodshop
In my last post I featured the new Large Spokeshave from Veritas tools here in Canada. The fact that I had an idea for a tool very similar in design to this makes me pleased that a company like Veritas is now manufacturing it. Its on my short list of tools to buy. Thinking on this shop made tool line I decided to look back through my shop notebooks over the past two years and found about a dozen different design ideas Ive come up with. Nothing in there thatll solve Global Warming; who am I kidding, it wouldnt even draw a parade of rats behind me! Oh well...what is in there are some pretty cool ideas for some work shop aids and bench top appliances. A couple of neat new tool ideas and a few more new designs. I tend to write allot while Im still waking up at 4:30 a.m. when I usually start my day, so I can sometimes forget what the hell I wrote from one day to the next! Things get forgotten about and later found and fresh again. That said, itll be interesting to follow through on some of these ideas and build myself some prototypes. Ill keep you posted when I get around to it...put it on the long-list so to speak.
Making tools is a ton of fun and it really helps you understand the angles, bevels and reasons why some planes can chatter and others can run on so smoothly. Why one saw cuts and the other tears. What makes a mallet feel good in your hand? One of the first tools I made in recent years was the Lee Valley spokeshave kit; a Christmas gift from my wife it really covered allot of good workshop techniques. From dimensioning wood to super accurate lay-out. Understanding angles and final shaping and finishing. From there I made a couple of hand planes and some sanding planes,
(readers of Fine Woodworking magazine may remember my Tip of the Month a few issues ago-the sanding planes pictured above.) a mallet and hammer and a little bow-saw my father in law cracked in half last year while limbing an old apple tree! My point is this: Try out new things in your shop whenever you can and time permits. Making your own tools and workshop aids is a great learning exercise for any woodworker at any level.
Try the link on the side bar for www.toolmakingart.com
youll find lots of tool making inspiration there.
Another wealth of tool making information is: www.norsewoodsmith.com
Speaking of tool making and workshop appliances, due to all of the feedback, traffic and e-mails I get about wooden tool boxes, Im going to offer a few for sale. Ill probably only have time to build six or so..itll be first come first serve. In my next blog Ill feature some of the design elements and show some of the tool chests unique features.
A Cabinetmakers Toolchest.
Read More..
In my last post I featured the new Large Spokeshave from Veritas tools here in Canada. The fact that I had an idea for a tool very similar in design to this makes me pleased that a company like Veritas is now manufacturing it. Its on my short list of tools to buy. Thinking on this shop made tool line I decided to look back through my shop notebooks over the past two years and found about a dozen different design ideas Ive come up with. Nothing in there thatll solve Global Warming; who am I kidding, it wouldnt even draw a parade of rats behind me! Oh well...what is in there are some pretty cool ideas for some work shop aids and bench top appliances. A couple of neat new tool ideas and a few more new designs. I tend to write allot while Im still waking up at 4:30 a.m. when I usually start my day, so I can sometimes forget what the hell I wrote from one day to the next! Things get forgotten about and later found and fresh again. That said, itll be interesting to follow through on some of these ideas and build myself some prototypes. Ill keep you posted when I get around to it...put it on the long-list so to speak.Making tools is a ton of fun and it really helps you understand the angles, bevels and reasons why some planes can chatter and others can run on so smoothly. Why one saw cuts and the other tears. What makes a mallet feel good in your hand? One of the first tools I made in recent years was the Lee Valley spokeshave kit; a Christmas gift from my wife it really covered allot of good workshop techniques. From dimensioning wood to super accurate lay-out. Understanding angles and final shaping and finishing. From there I made a couple of hand planes and some sanding planes,
(readers of Fine Woodworking magazine may remember my Tip of the Month a few issues ago-the sanding planes pictured above.) a mallet and hammer and a little bow-saw my father in law cracked in half last year while limbing an old apple tree! My point is this: Try out new things in your shop whenever you can and time permits. Making your own tools and workshop aids is a great learning exercise for any woodworker at any level.
Try the link on the side bar for www.toolmakingart.com
youll find lots of tool making inspiration there.
Another wealth of tool making information is: www.norsewoodsmith.com
Speaking of tool making and workshop appliances, due to all of the feedback, traffic and e-mails I get about wooden tool boxes, Im going to offer a few for sale. Ill probably only have time to build six or so..itll be first come first serve. In my next blog Ill feature some of the design elements and show some of the tool chests unique features. A Cabinetmakers Toolchest.
Shop Apprentice
Well, I havent been out in the shop much lately, but I did sign on an apprentice to help with the back-log of work.
Here he is organizing some scrap wood:
Hes quite the quick study - giving orders already:
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