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Larkim's thread about the Saw-Stop got me thinking about shop safety, seeing as how I lost some fingerprints on the sander last month. Aside from the usual let the blade come to a stop and eye, ear and lung protection, what do you all do to protect yourselves, your tools and instruments? I'll start.

Tables on the TS, BS, and DP have only fences in use and the workpiece on them. Cutoffs, queued workpieces, etc. go elsewhere. I try to "hide" my hands behind TS fences, use push sticks, riving knife and guard whenever possible, minimum blade height just to get the job done. On unorthodox cuts, I rehearse, thinking about where my hands might end up should the work kick back, the push stick slip, etc.

Around the floor tools, the floor is kept clear of sawdust and debris. I'm very prone to distractions, so no floor tools are used if either of my kids is in the shop, also no TV, hardly any music even, though I did just put in an old stereo as part of a signal generator setup, so the music thing might change. Good lighting and comfy temps if possible.

Around the bench, concrete is covered to protect wandering edge tools. Planes and chisels are stored so that they're not above a guitar laying on the bench. I don't want to reach over an instrument to fetch a plane off the shelf. Open CA containers are kept in a wide can that's a challenge to tip over, though I'll probably rise to that occasion someday.

No shop work if I'm tired, irritated, distracted, or "enhanced" with a cold brew or two under the belt.

What do you all do? or not do?



     

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Ok, I'll preach, er, chime in here.
#1 eye protection ALWAYS! Not just when using power tools. I once got the end of a pipette snagged when applying. When it let go it flung thin CA all over my face. Had I not had my glasses on I'd still be picking CA out of my corneas.
#2 Ears: If I can't hear the music my guitars make, why am I making them? I cover them for anything louder than a plane shaving wood off a board.
#3. Push sticks/blocks. My shop is littered with them and I actually use them.
#4 anti kickback rollers. I think they're called Board Buddies. And they work very well.
#5 Wall to wall rubber floor. Horse stall mats are very easy on the knees and edge tools.
If there is someone in my shop, I'm not working. I'm happy to chat but I won't chat and work at the same time. It's too easy for me to take off a finger, or worse yet, screw up a guitar.

Ditto what Paul said. In particularly about working around guests. I have a client that is a bit up set with me because I will not work when he comes to visit. My reasons are two fold. First there is the liability issue. Yes I have liability insurance but why even run the risk. The other reason is I do not like the distraction of visitors while I work, especially while I use power tools. Some process may not be a big issue but many require my full attention, so I tell client They are welcome to drop by to check on process but that I will visit but not work while they or there.

Good thread!

Each time I start up or pick up a tool, I ask first "Am I in a good place mentally?" and "Does this make sense to me?"

Each time I have made a mistake, I could sense that I was in a hurry or KNEW that what I was doing seemed wrong.

So, just pause and feel the moment, if it seems wrong, don't go forward.

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

I agree with what everyone has said. I not only use board buddy, but also use feather boards quite a bit, made from ash. Set up is as important as the work you're trying to do. Just had a friend that had a terrible shop accident and yes he was doing something stupid and it only takes a second for something real nasty to happen.

 

I totally agree with Steve; tiredness is the biggest health and safety risk in the shop. If I am exhausted, I do not work with sharp tools. I allow myself time to catch up with some reading and research, and play with ideas.

All I have in the shop is a dust mask, ear protection and goggles.

I also make sure the kids don't have access to my sharp tools.

I can testify that you don't have to do something stupid. Your Dog can do it for you That is how I lost 1/4 of the meat on my right index finger to a table saw. My Dog did it.

[QUOTE=SteveCourtright] Good thread!

"Am I in a good place mentally?" [/QUOTE]
Ah, geesh, I'd never get anything done if I answered that one honestly.
MP: good point about pets. When I had my shop in AZ it was in the back yard. I had a large barn type door on it. My dog (greyhound) shared the yard with me when I was working but he wasn't allowed in the shop. Well, one day I was doing some edge sanding, evidently the door blew open enough for hime to sneak in. You could imagine my suprise when his cold wet nose went right into my crotch as my back was turned. Yeah, that peice of wood went sailing through the far wall. Glad I wasn't on a table say.

My workshop is in a highschool so the guards always stay on etc, and I'll generally only sand if there are kids about, more from the point of having to watch THEM rather than do damage to me or the build.

I've started to use a push stick with the bandsaw after slicing both thumbs within about a week

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My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

I try and do what I can of the above - I have to enhance my "safety situation" though,... definitely!
There are alot of home made safety devices in shopnotes like featherboards and such - so I will save on what I can, but what I cant make or get cheaply I will lay out for - because like you guys say,
"its an instant youll always wish you had of been prepared for - if your not!"
those bad instants....
Trust me I know all about them
Cheers
Charliewood

One of the first things I did in the new shop was to install a fire extinguisher beside the door. I wear glasses, so I always have them on. I also have plenty of dust masks, face shields, goggles, etc.

The main thing is to go inside when I feel tired. Not only does this keep me from making mistakes on the guitar, it also keeps me from making safety mistakes.

One of the most important safety tips I learned early is to unplug anything I am not actively working with. Especially if I am changing a blade or making a blade adjustment.

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Reguards,

Ken H

Geez, no wonder you blokes don't have a beer fridge in the workshop/shed.

I don't use power tools/sharp tools if I'm tired, or have made too many trips to the beer fridge. Got a ton of push sticks all over the place too, and I use em, getting blood all over your workpiece is a pita to clean up.

I've trained the missus not to come up and tap me on the shoulder (to ask what I want for dinner etc) when I'm using any power or sharp tools. Now she moves to a place where I can see her, so I know to stop work and see what she's after.

You can drown out noise from power tools by playing Led Zeppelin really really loud. I don't think that'll protect your hearing, but it sounds so much better.

As I have possibly the noisiest shop here (5HP compressor, CNC, and sometimes a 5HP dust collector on top) I've recently upgraded to the best ear protection I could get.

They're etymotic 6i in-ear headphones and they're rated to remove 6-8DB more than my industrial earmuffs did...and they really do! As a perk, I can also play music through them while I'm busy not being able to hear the cacophony around me. Got 'em cheaper than my full-size headphones on eBay and the sound's better, even. If you're a music-in-the-shop guy then they're a great safety option.

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

Great thread.
Can I chime in?
I had my hand caught in a machine 2 years ago.
10 lacerations to the hand, and 2 fingers amputated.

I was having one of those days where everything was going wrong and my frustration levels were growing, I was tired, and i wasn't concentrating like i should have been.
I had also changed something on the fly, and i just didn't think things through properly.
Silly.

My Tips:
1) Work in harmony.
2) Slow down.
3) Be patient.

Cheers,
Claire

so sorry to hear that Claire, your advice is now engrained in my skull.

 

i worked in a precision engineers, then sheet metal fabrication shop for several years and i learnt there to take extra care - after several trips to hospital to get things sewn back up.

the best advice i ever had was from my dad:

imagine the spanner slips off he nut, where will your hand end up? cut against anything sharp?

i try to apply that to everything (predict what can go wrong - am i ready for it?), except when i'm fatigued...then there's claret. control over what your doing - if you dont have that it'll go wrong.

also, safety is your own responsibility, dont wait for someone else to tell you to put on safety gear.

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www.theguitarrepairworkshop.com

Being a retired health and safety guy there a few things I would like to add. Understand the limits of and how to properly use your safety equipment. Many people using safety equipment do not use it properly greatly reducing the protection it might give. One poster mentioned wearing glasses so he had them on all of the time. If the glass are not polycarbonate they do not provide impact resistance. People with beards may not get the full benefits of respiratory protection if the facial hair interferes with the seal. The benefits of hearing protection can also be reduced if glasses, long sideburns or other objects interfere with the seal. I know this sounds like preachy legalistic stuff but, trust me, it's all true.
Bob

Do you have an exit plan in case of a fire? Do you have more than one exit? If so do you have an ABC fire extinguisher by each exit? If you have only one exit can you access that exit from multiple locations in the shop with out having to go through a fire danger area.

Good stuff, everybody. I think discussions about safety by their nature usually sound preachy. I think it just goes with the territory.

Good point, Michael, about exits. I have two, one is the small door into the garage, the other is the big garage door, with the opener switch only accessible from the small door.

Claire, sorry to hear about your accident. Every time I've gone into the shop after one of those days, I've regretted it. Every time.

Thanks for the posts! Maybe doing this once in awhile will help us stay safe.

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Hey, a thread I can contribute to! Almost exactly a year ago, I left my position as shop supervisor at the University of Arizona's College of Architecture. My primary responsibility was to train and supervise the students in their use of our wood and metal shops. Great job, but very stressful.

While we had an excellent record regarding accidents, they did still occur, and only two were really serious, at least in the five years of my watch. While I took pride in this, it's something of a miracle. The chaos level in the shops within two days of a project due date was tremendous.

The three factors that were invariably present at the scene of almost all accidents were, to varying degrees, operator fatigue, external distractions, and above all, inexperience -- someone not taking the time to learn the right way to do something. A fourth factor was pushing the tools beyond their designed capabilities. Regarding tablesaw safety, for every finger-in-blade incident, we had at least thirty kickbacks. A 1.5" x 3.5" hole through two layers of sheetrock behind the saw attested to the potential for injury from kickbacks.

Stay focused -- in the moment, and understand the dynamics of each machine you're using. There's generally one "right way" of making any particular cut. Lots of task lighting helps to shed light specifically where it needs to be, and I find that a mix of incandescent and fluorescent light is much less fatiguing than pure fluorescents.

That's all for now -- way past beddy by time.

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Mountain Song Guitars www.mountainsongguitars.com