The dangers in the woodworking activity , for sure needs a complete safety approach , in order to be safe and avoid bad “surpises”

What is the purpose to have a hobby , a passion , something to motivate you , whatever in life , if you cannot be 100% ( or the closest possible) safe doing it ?

We seek happiness , not problems .

We have so many problems in our daily routine and we don’t “need” more , troubling our brains .

We have a passion , a hobby , to make us feel peaceful , to relax our soul , to be our personal “psychotherapist” , to “suck” from it the biggest happiness possible .

If you want to enjoy and gain happiness from the wood , you should have in the “back of your hard-disc” some very serious dangers and safety “laws” you must never forget .

Sometimes my enthusiasm to cut a tree branch or something has driven me to overtake safety “rules” and i didn’t get hurt , from pure luck .

Yes , the woodworking activity “hides” several types of dangers and from the woodworker , requires some personality abilities , in order to be safe while acting it . Many of these dangers are big ones , so your focus and seriousness should be always present .

The Danger areas that need Attention are the following :

1) Your personal physical and mental condition + technical equipment .

2) The dangers , while you are using the woodworking hand tools .

3) The dangers , while you are using your woodworking power tools .

4) The dangers , while you’re acting some wood techniques with your tools , shaping wood .

5) The dangers , when you using chemicals for several reasons (polishing wood , protecting it , et.c) .

6) The dangers for your respiratory system , while you rubbing and using chemicals for your wood plans .

7) The dangers , concerning the places you put your woodworking projects .

Everything in life has Rules .

The above areas have some rules and these rules have been made through the time periods and of course they have been “extracted” by the human mistakes .

Yes the mistakes , makes you better in all areas , but in the woodworking activity , some mistakes can cause great pain and great physical problems .

Let’s see the above areas more closely .

1) You Personal Best Physical and Mental Condition + Technical Equipment .

In this area , i suppose we are entering to the athletic area , but the wood hobby includes the sport side of the woodworkers . As you already may know , i like to find wood in the forests firstly and then go to the markets and supply some .

Of course to go outdoors in nature and get your wood , is a matter which needs big sensitivity to our magnificent planet .

You should always get information from the forestry authorities about what you can cut and what not . After all the appropriate aprovals , you will go to the forest to find a wood piece to cut . Most of the times in this “process” you’ll be alone , without any human being near you for big distances .

Make a physical Check up , you are a wood “Athlete” .

Before your wood “walks” to the forest , you should go to your personal doctor , take a check up and be certain that you don’t have any issue . Your body is a “machine” and this “machine” must be in the best condition .

Your outdoor wood “walks” will contain , hill climbs , river passings , much – much sweat and “tons” of breath pant , power and muscularity to jump – climb and control your body weight .

You should be in the best possible condition and your body must be able to walk for many hours in different fields .

All these remember that your body must do , in all the weather conditions . In winter with cold , moisture , wind , et.c and in hot summers with the sun “torture” you .

All these varieties of outdoor conditions , is a “puzzle” for your body and you should train it during the whole year , so you can do these “missions” . If you are in a good body physical level , it’ll be more easy to come to the best shape the time periods you”ll need to “push” it more .

Mind and body should be in Best condition .

Your doctor’s opinion and advices are inviolable laws . So after all the physical taking care of your body , your mental condition should be the best , too . The mind affects the body and vice versa and both , must be in top “shape” .

If you “aren’t good” for “million” reasons and it’s something that will affect your judgement , your focus and perception , maybe you should reconsider to go out in the forest , alone .

Ok , if it’s something minor and the forest walk will “heal” you , no worries . But if it’s something more serious , maybe you should let your walk for another time .

Imagine that you want to step on a rock to pass a river , to go down a hard slope , or to do something that it needs focus and attention and you won’t be able to do that .

The danger to hurt yourself will be big and to nothing is more important from your personal health . You are the most significant matter and you must always protect yourself .

So if you aren’t in the appropriate mental condition , you take some drugs for several reasons which they affect your brain – judgement , leave the forest walk for another time .

No worries , the forest and wood will be there .

Your Clothing & Equipment should be chosen wisely .

Last but not least in this category of possible dangers , is the technical equipment you should have to enjoy your search for wood in the forest . According the time and the weather conditions , your clothing must adapt wisely .

You cannot go for many hours during the summer in the forests , wearing thermal underwear and “heavy” jackets , you wear during the winter . You’ll “drown” from sweat . You cannot go to the forest wood searching walks wearing summer slippers you wear in the sea .

Choose your clothing “wise” and make the necessary adaptations , guided by the weather conditions .

Your shoes and socks should be , the best for your outdoor walks .

You need a very good shoe , with the best materials ( anti-allergic , et.c ) and the best shoe sole . You’ll walk in all the varieties of grounds , inside a forest and your sole must be the best possible .

Tough enough to climb “rocky” hills , not slippery , as light as possible so your knees won’t get damaged , flexible so you can sense the ground , waterproof and if possible stitched to the rest of the shoe .

All these shoe properties “treat” the shoe with “heavy” materials( leathers , cordura , et.c ) and the result is a heavy in general shoe . This is the “price” you should “pay” , but it worths it 100% .

The summer all these weight is making your feet sweat much , but try to make “countermeasures” with the socks . Choose lighter ones and more breathable .

The First Aid Kit , Water and a Smartphone with two fully charged batteries are a Must .

After the correct choices of your clothes and shoes , you should have with you a shoulder bag or something like that , to carry some necessary stuff . A First Aid Kit is something you won’t begin your walk if you haven’t it .

Your smartphone , fully charged and if you have a second battery , is good . Some energy bars and ammonia for the bugs are important too .

Remember what i’ve told you before . If you have an allergy or something like that , follow your doctor’s advices , no matter what .

Maybe you need to have with you some medicine more . Plenty of water and maybe an energy drink will be nice . The water supplies are very crucial . You don’t want to get dehydrate , for any reason .

Summary :

Be in best physical and mental condition and don’t forget to make your health checkups . Your doctor’s advices and approval are necessary before you start to make long wood searching walks in nature . Try to have the best suitable equipment and gear it needed to “conquer” the outdoor .

2) The dangers , while you are using the woodworking tools .

After the long but satisfying forest walk you’ll make to discover the wood piece you want for your projects , you’ll need woodworking tools to cut and shape it . In here too , dangers exist and some of them are big dangers .

Your Woodworking tools must be covered while you’re walking .

When you’ll be out to the trees and nature , to discover the wood piece you want , you’ll carry on you , some tools .

You’ll need to cut your tree branches , log or whatever and the handsaw is necessary to have on your equipment . You must carry your handsaws inside their cases and not having their sharp parts , uncovered . This is very important .

You should never forget this , driven by the routine and relaxing mood . All the woodworking tools you may have with you , must be inside their cases .

If you don’t have any cases or something to store them , you should have them inside your bag and not on your body .

You must not carry them in your trousers pocket( mostly the back one ) , or wherever else , on your body . Imagine your self trying to climb a small hill , pass a river , to go down a hill full with slippery rocks and you fall down .

The injury from the sharp tool you’ll have inside your pockets , or in your hands – arms , et.c is more than certain . This injury may be a minor one , but it can be a very serious one , jeopardizing your own life .

If you get cut by a hand saw deeply or the hand saw cuts an artery , you can imagine the continuity . I don’t want even to imagine the concequences of a serious cutting .

So have this as an unbreakable law : NEVER CARRY SHARP TOOLS OUTSIDE OF THEIR CASES .

Don’t let the routine to reduce your Safety Seriousness .

Many times the routine and the high confidence you have on yourself are causing the worse problems . The problem “takes advantage” of your relaxation and “hits” you hard the time you’ll never expect . When you’ll realize the problem it’ll be too late . You may get injured or something more serious .

Remember this : no matter how certain you are for yourself , you must never jeopardise your safety . Make a “safety routine” , by putting all the sharp tools and whatever else inside your bag , before you start your forest adventure .

Always have in your bag a First Aid Kit(yes i’ll say it twice , it’s so important ) and the most important maybe : Your First Aid Kit must be always fully “loaded” .

Make continuous checks that your first Aid kit has all the appropriate equipment inside . It’s very common to all of us , just to have with us a First Aid Kit , but we don’t know what it has inside and in what quantities .

Hemostatic bandages , “common” bandages , glue tapes , iodine , a small scisor , maybe some pain killers , a couple of antiallergic pills or an injection if you have allergic issues and in general a full equipped First Aid Kit .

The Use of your woodworking tools to cut wood , “hides” dangers .

After that , you know and can imagine that the use of the hand saws , the axes , the knives and the orther tools you’ll use to cut your tree into smaller pieces , “hides” dangers .

These tools are sharp ones , heavy ones and if you hit or cut a leg , an arm or whatever , you’ll need immediate help/action . If your cut is a small scratch and in this injury level , ok you can “fix” it by yourself , using your First Aid Kit .

Wood axes , hand saws , et.c need colossal focus and physical control by you .

If you are unlucky and your cut is a big one , you must give the fist aid to yourself and then return back to your house and seek medical help . I’ve seen very serious cuts by hand saws and broken feet fingers by axes and hammers and believe me that was bad .

So try to be very careful while you’re using your tools and be very focused to the “job” . It’s very easy while you’re trying to hit with an axe a half cut branch or log , to hit a leg by accident and driven by the force you’re putting to cut it .

I’m not going to continue concerning the damage you can make to a leg or an arm , if you hit it with such a heavy and sharp tool . Let your imagination free and try not to cry(!) from the visualisation of the pain you’ll feel this moment . Terror .

3) The dangers , while you are using your woodworking Power tools .

“Mission accomplished” and now you’re ready to carry this wood piece to your warehouse and start your wood creation . In your warehouse you may have some electrical wood machines , to cut and shape the wood .

A cutting ribbon , a electric plane , some machine drills , some rubbing machines , are very common to many woodworkers places and they help to make out plans very easy and less sweaty . But in here you should be aware and 100% serious to this :

While you are using your woodworking machines , you must not do anyting else and you must be 1000% focused . You must do nothing else .

While you’re cutting wood your 100% brain focus must be in this . Nowhere else . No talks with friends , No phone call distractions even for a nano second (!) .

No thoughts for the grossery shop you must go the afternoon . No wife/ husband requests to warm your food in the oven . No thoughts to the taxes you need to pay . No thoughts for the penalty your football team didn’t take(!) . No music . No radio .

Why all this ?

My best friend’s father was a carpender . A very experienced and very good carpender . Can you guess how many fingers he had in one of his hand ? Yes you guess right . He had one less and one half .

He had chopped them during a wood cutting , while he was talking to a friend , chatting and having fun , and he didn’t even understand it . He realized that he had chopped a finger when he saw the “rivers” of blood .

Yes you may find it hard to believe it , but because you’re distracted , you don’t understand the finger cutting , at all .

You realize it later and if you are lucky , the doctors may put it together . If you’re not you’ll have a finger less for your entire life .

4) The dangers , while you using some wood techniques .

You can protect your wood , make it waterproof without any toxic “external” help with the famous Shou Sugi Ban ancient Japanese technique . This natural method to make your wood extremely resistant to water and the weather conditions , is a very efficient one .

You “burn” your wood’s surface and you make it “bulletproof” for many – many decades . In Japan , temple roofs exist with a couple of milleniums(!) in their “shoulders” .

But of course the wood burning with a small or bigger fire device , hides the danger to do something wrong , or not being very careful and burn yourself . The wood’s burning , needs your 100% of your seriousness , not harming yourself and other people and of course for another colossal factor .

The Shou Sugi Ban method needs colossal attention from you .

You must be very careful with the Shou Sugi Ban method and not risk a fire in the forest or in the nearest trees of the place you’ll apply the method . This method , is a method which needs an open space to do it and you cannot do it inside your warehouse of course .

Be extremely careful and control the fire torch completely . Have near you a bucket/buckets with water , or a water faucet and a hose to secure that if something wrong will happen , you’ll act immediately .

Except the Shou Sugi Ban technique , other wood methods you’re doing to shape your wood projects , need attention to avoid any surprises .

From the “simple” pegging a nail , screwing a screw , to rubbing with your sandpapers , dangers to hurt your hands or something else is always present .

Yes , give yourself happiness by doing your beloving hobby which is the woodworking activity , but dangers exist for your safety and the others and usually these dangers seem to be “innocent” most of the times .

5) The dangers , when you using Chemicals for several reasons .

Wood can be protected with natural methods and approach , but there are other ways to protect your wood and these ways they called chemicals , impregantion methods , et.c .

Only the word chemicals , i suppose tells everything i want to say to you , about the dangers from them . Protect your eyes , your skin , your face in general and your whole existance from the chemicals .

We never are Superficial with the wood chemicals .

We never bring too close to our face the several chemicals we use for the wood . We never swallow – taste or whatever chemicals . We never “play games for fun” with chemicals with our friends , relatives , other woodworkers .

We never mix and experiment combining chemicals , to make the chemical stronger ( false thought ) and be “smarter”(?) than anyone else . No egoisms are “allowed” when we talk for wood chemicals for protection .

If the bad “thing” happens , you must go with no delays to the hospital and the doctors to seek professional help .

6) The high dangers for your Respiratory system , while you rubbing and using chemicals .

Your respiratory system needs colossal – mammoth – extreme , attention and care .

While you’re rubbing wood you create wood dust molecules , which are very – very – very tiny and you mustn’t breath them . This wood dust harms extremely big your lungs and your respiratory system .

Almost the majority of the “old times” woodworkers who they didn’t give much care and attention to this , they have very serious respiratory problems . Go and buy the best face mask and the best possible dust collector , you can find in the stores .

Don’t care for the money ( they aren’t too expensive ) , your lungs and respiratory system will “thank you” for this . Follow the face mask’s instructions and don’t forget to change its filters . Use only the official and approved face mask’s filters and the official dust collector instructions .

The same applies for the chemicals of course and try when you use chemicals to paint , protect and maintenance your wood , to be outdoors as much as possible .

While you’re doing your wood chemical – rubbing “job” , take your time and make many breaks to take off the mask . Go away from the chemical – wood dust area and breath some fresh air and then return to continue .

7) The dangers , concerning the Places you put your woodworking projects .

Last but not least , you should give attention to the places inside or outside your house , you’ll put your wood projects . Imagine putting a heavy wooden library / box / case / desk , 6 feet above the ground , on an unstable groung floor .

Imagine a heavy wood project of yours being in a place , in which 2 windows are creating big wind gusts , shaking everything in this area , so risky .

You should put it in a area , very well supported to eliminate the danger of falling and harming someone . If necessary use some screws and pins to secure it in your wall or wherever . Make some “flight tests” , by shaking it and see if it’s stable enough .

As long as you work with wood , you learn more and more in all areas .

Be always safe , load yourself with wood happiness and see the world with “another eyesight” .