Chop Saw and Fingers...

I was set back months. The ease of the chop saw fooled me into thinking it didn't require careful handling. I braced an especially curvy branch only with my hand and not against the back fence - my fingers didn't reach. The branch wiggled, caught the blade, and jerked the 2" sapling up against the fence with my finger in between. It was such force that it was four months later that I finally regained the complete use of the finger. The nail turned black, fell off. I recently found that table legs can dangerous out of the shop. I stubbed my toe last week and broke it. My toe that is. As I set up my new shop in my new house, I am keeping safety in mind - - kid proofing, wood next to heaters, exhaust fan, counter at my height so I don't get into awkward positions and end up poking myself - thinking it through and trying to out wit, and outlive any disaster.

My biggest accidents occur when I am out climbing trees... Last fall I fell out of a big willow tree and landed on my back, seemed to be ok but had some pretty painful ribs for a few months. I'm still climbing trees after almost 50 years. What a great life! No complaints! In the shop most of the danger occurs when I try to use tools for dimensional wood on round wood. That requires some unusual jigs! No real disasters though.

An old wood worker, and shop teacher, told us young cubs that power tools are wild animals and that they can't wait to ruff you up and take a bite out of you. An image of a black bear looms in my mind every time I approach a mindless power tool.