Safety and life , are above all and what is the meaning to act a hobby , or whatever else if you jeopardize your life , consciously and the worse thing , unconsiously .
The most dangerous woodworking tool is the one which , can hurt , jeopardize or even terminate your life and it can be a hand tool , a power tool or a simple and “innocent” auxiliary tool , having all the same dangerous posibilities , even if this sound a little overwhelming , but it’s not .
All the woodworking tools can be dangerous , equally in the “wrong” time , the “wrong” place . Any woodworking tool , no matter how “innocent” seems to be , can make the heaviest damage to you . People suffered pain and have lost their lives , from reasons we cannot imagine .
Even the smallest tool , can damage your life big .
If a “simple” , common , light , small screwdriver slips out of your hand( when you push hard to screw in a tough surface) , penetrates your skin and cut an artery , won’t you die from bleeding , in a couple of minutes ?
Axes , chainsaws , hand saws , sharp carving knifes , electric ribbons , power drills , are at the top of the danger “pyramid” , but there aren’t the only ones .
The axes , chainsaws , the hand saws and in general the large and sharp woodworking tools , are very impressive in your eyes and they can take someone’s life , but there aren’t the only ones .
One per cent(1%) danger posibility , caused by a carpentry tool , is more than “enough” , in my opinion and i don’t want to put my life and the life of others in any kind of danger .
I know that you entered to the woodworking activity because you always had an attraction for wood , you didn’t understand why or a friend suggest you to be a woodworker .
If we want to be 100% precise , we should admit that maybe there is no activity in life , which is safe 1000% and that all the human’s activities include some kind of dangers .
Even if you are seating in a chair for your whole life , there is danger to “die from boring”(!) , or something else .
I don’t won’t for nothing in the world to cause you fear in any way , about our hobby , but i want to tell you that DANGERS exist and some of them are BIG dangers .
The woodworking tools , “hide” Dangers and need your fully Attention .
The woodworking tools are a different situation and while you are about to create your first “newbie” and very common woodworking project , you’ll face many of them .
The woodworking tools have big dangers for the experienced woodworker than an amateur one, in the same grade and in my opinion , maybe in a higher grade .
I believe that the experienced woodworker , is in greater dangers than the complete amateur or the person with a little experience .
Don’t let your Confidence , lower your Focus & Discipline .
There is a “golden – unbreakable” law in life , which says : As your experience rises in any area , your safety “shields” are lowering , driven by your confidence and you become more careless . As long as you are an amateur , you are more careful and discipline .
The time you’ll say to yourself : ” I’m good , i’m the best ,et.c” , that time , the problems are starting .
Dangers exist in the hand Tools , as in the power Tools Equally .
Dangers exist in the tiniest wood tool to the most expensive one . You can find dangers in the most common woodworking tools a beginner starts this hobby – activity , to the most elite ones .
Dangers exist , while you are out in the forest , searching for your ideal wood branch – log and you carry a woodworking tool attached your body( outside its sheath) , mostly a hand saw .
Imagine carrying with you , a hand saw , a small axe , a small wood knife to rub something and this sharp woodworking tool , hurt you while you are walking for any reason . Usualy this reason is just a bad luck , a “bad moment” .
This sharp wood tool will hurt you very easily and remember this : You are all alone in the forest with no help near you .
That’s why you sohuld always carry your sharp hand tools , inside to their sheaths .
You can imagine what serious dangers exist by the woodworking tools you carry , attached to your body , if for some reason , you slip , you fall , et.c .
This safety mentality is an unbreakable “Law” , every woodworker and not only , respects hugely .
Have your woodworking tools you carry on you , always inside their sheaths , even if they are folding tools . You’ll never know , maybe for some reason a folding wood knife , a folding hand saw , can open and hurt you .
Dangers exist while you have found your tree – log , to cut ( and always with the appropriate forestry licence of course ) and you are about to cut it , with your ax .
Do you want me to tell you what will happen to a body part of yours , if you hit it with your ax accidentally ?
Never have a body part , near to the spot – area you’re cutting , for stabilization reasons . This is another unbreakable “law” .
I’ve seen my cousin’s foot sole , after he hitted it with a small ax , between the foot’s fingers . He was steping the wood piece to stabilize it , so he could chop it with the ax and his hand made a mistake hitting his sole .
I still remember the blood flow . Like a water fountain and if we aren’t a couple of cousins around to help him , who knows , what would have happened . So be very careful , to the choping with axes , hand saws , electric chainsaws .
Another danger with a woodworking tool , is while you are going to cut a log with your chainsaw .
If inside the log there is a nail ( of course nails don’t exist in the nature’s logs , but in pieces you find elsewhere ) , the chainsaw will “jump backwards” and the danger is great .
If the backwards “jumping” power is huge , the danger to hurt yourself of others , is colossal .
All the sharp woodworking hand tools , hide great dangers if you aren’t 100% focused , while you are using them , and of course they aren’t the only ones .
Dangers exist using your hammers and nails , in order to peg a nail to a surface and especially the hard wood surfaces are more hard to get pegged .
I’ve written a post for this and what can you do to avoid it , remember it in HERE .
The pain by a hammer’s awry hit to your finger , or a screwdriver’s piercing to your hand’s palm , while you are trying to screw in a hard wood surface , is something you don’t want for sure .
All the Hand woodworking tools “hide” dangers , if you aren’t Focused .
All the hand wood tools , hide dangers in several levels and grades . The wood planers can do big damage to your hands by their sharp cutting blades .
The hand drills have the abilities to drill your wood surfaces , but not only . They can drill flesh too , without hesitation (!) , if they “ordered” by their user , you .
The carving knifes , the chisels , are great spots of danger , too . If you aren’t in control with them , your body is in danger and you know these tools are usually very sharp .
Even the marking tools as the compass , the carpenter’s flat pencils , the marking gauges , can harm you . Your eyes , your skin will always be vulnerable to their pointed edges .
All the Power tools have bigger or smaller dangers , never underestimate them .
Of course i don’t wish you any pain in life and for sure the power tools hide great dangers too , professional woodworking tools , or not .
All the power tools , which cut wood pieces and drill holes can make great damage to your body and its parts .
For the power rubbing tools , i suppose the dangers are kind of fewer . Yes , you may rub a little your skin if the machine slips your hand , but i think that “things” are more controllable here .
All the power tools of the people who has the woodworking activity as a hobby , or the power tools of the professionals , can make damage to your body . Yes the level of the damage these tools can make to your body , isn’t the same for all the tools , but dangers exist .
Bigger or smaller , but exist .
While you’re cutting or drilling with your wood machinery , never have your focus , elsewhere .
No music , no talking , no dissagreements with your wife( you’ll lose !! ) , your kids , the neighbor , whatever else possible . Your focus must be , only in your cutting .
Nowhere else .
Countless examples exist , of cut woodworker’s fingers from low focus and having fun , the cutting ribbon times . Be very careful to this . Don’t allow a relax atmosphere , harm you .
Auxiliary woodworking tools aren’t “innocent” , also .
The pins , screws , vice , pliers , several kinds of hammers , and whatever else auxiliary tool helpers you have in your warehouse as a woodworker , can make you an “issue” , if you aren’t focused in the “job” you are doing .
Yes i suppose that you say that i exaggerate (!) , but have in mind that the accident can comes from the place you aren’t expecting and of course the “wrong” time .
Electricity of your power tools isn’t a wood tool , but it can “terminate” you , in a glimpse .
If electricity leak caused from wοrn power tool cables , “hits” you , won’t you die , immediatelly ?
The electricity isn’t a woodworking tool , but it can terminate you , in a glimpse . Be careful and aware to the cables of your power tools and replace them if they have even small damage .
Have the same safety approach to all your tools and this approach is to be 100% serious and precisionist , concerning the safety factor .
Keep woodworking and be focused to safety and happiness .