Advice re: using a table saw

[Orrex]

Is it normal to be spraying red stuff out of your finger-stubs after ripping a two-by-four?

[Richardo]

1. Only if you have high blood pressure

Which you probably won't for long.

[Orrex]

4. Whew. I knew that everything would work out for the best.

Thanks!

[Redstone]

2. It's just Nature's way of telling you to buy a 2x2 instead of ripping a 2x4.

Redstone

[Orrex]

6. Mysterious!

Way to read the omens, Redstone!

[Blue Diadem]

3. Only if you're using it to trim your nails.

:wow:

[Orrex]

5. I tried using one of those Dremel manicurizer things, but it was too slow

I need my nails buffed now, dammit!

[Blue Diadem]

7. Should be much easier now since they're not attached.

:scared:

[democracyindanger]

8. No, but that's your fault for cutting a 2x4 and not a table.

[Orrex]

9. Doh! I should have bought the 2x4 Saw

Silly me. And I've got all these tables just lying around doing nothing!

[trof]

10. Also works with radio controlled model helicopters.

Friend of mine lost 4 fingers in the rotor last month.
Bummer.

[Orrex]

11. Are you sure that he wasn't flying a lawn mower?

Common mistake.

[Blue Diadem]

12. Former boss of mine stuck his fingers under the mower to clear it out..

while it was running. Three fingertips gone. He sure was sensitive about it too..we didn't dare ask how he was doing or how his hand was.

[Orrex]

15. Ask him if he wants to fingerpaint or learn how to read Braille

I feel bad about the 70 year old R/C enthusiast, but anyone who reaches under a running lawnmower is just asking to be Richard Crenna in Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell.

[Blue Diadem]

23. This was our store manager, known as "the axe man".

He was proud of that nickname. His job was to come in, downsize and then move to his next store to repeat. Had the personality of Darth Vader, if you know who I mean.

Jumped all over me when I asked how he was doing, told me it was none of my business and to get back to work.

I didn't inquire the day I saw him accidently hit his hand on a display.

[jobycom]

17. Happened to my best friend when we were teenagers.

We were mowing someone's law, when he did just what your boss did. Surreal moment--his first reaction was to stick his fingers in his mouth, so when he came running up to me for help, he had blood streaming from his mouth. I didn't know until I got him to the emergency room that it was fingers.

[Blue Diadem]

27. Oh gosh, that had to be even more frightening with blood coming from his mouth.

It's so easy to do something just on the spur of the moment without realizing the consequences.

[trof]

13. I still don't see how he managed to do it.

Took 4 fingers off his left hand at the second joints and clipped a tendon in his right forearm.
Dude is seriously messed up and he's almost 70.
Not a lot of time left to learn to cope.
whew

[Orrex]

14. Holy moley! You were serious?!?

That's dreadful! I thought that you were just making a joke--that poor guy! Any chance of reattaching them?

[trof]

16. Acording to him they were hamburger on the floor and walls.

Not a fairly clean cut like a saw, but more like a blender.
And this guy is not some dufus.
Retired airline pilot.
Very precise and methodical and all that.
Go figure.
Still send shivers up my spine.

[Orrex]

18. Oh that must have hurt like hell.

I heard of a guy who died when he lost control of his r/c jet, and it slammed directly into his chest at high velocity. I don't know how fast they fly, but a heavy, solid, pointy projectile going at speed can't be good for one's sternum.

[trof]

21. Yeah, I bet it smarted a right much.

Another friend ran into him at a 50th anniv. high school reunion lately.
Said his wife had to hold his drink for him and feed him, but he seemed to be in pretty good spirits.

The right arm was still in a sling, following surgery to reconnect the tendon, and he should recover almost full use of it.

His right hand has a thumb and 4 stumps.
dang

[Courtesy Flush]

19. NOT normal. Should by more of a squirting action than a spray.

If your table saw is properly tuned, you should get a pulsating squirt (not spray) that could last as long as a few hours, before stopping on its own.

If you're getting a spray, it could be that the table isn't level. Or it could be a loose drive belt. Make sure one of those fingers didn't get jammed in the belt and let me know what happens.

[madinmaryland]

20. Apparently you didn't get your daily briefing regarding the operation

of a table saw!

[XemaSab]

22. I saw an episode of Trauma: Life in the ER

Where a guy had just cut off a finger in a table saw. They were unable to get it back on.

But the kicker is that he'd already cut off a finger, AND almost cut off another finger, in separate table-saw incidents previously.

You'd think after almost losing that first finger the guy would learn something about safety. :crazy:

[Redstone]

24. That's why (stone truth here) I have a bright-red sign hanging over my table saw,

with yellow arrows pointing down, and in bright yellow letters above the arrows: The Whirling Blade of Death!!

Never hurts to have a reminder.

Redstone

[trof]

25. I had to take the guard off once.

Making some extremely intricate cuts.
I was scared shitless the whole time.
:scared:

[jobycom]

32. My FIL's favorite comment about his table saw (and chain saw)

"If I ever fire it up and don't feel terrified, I'm turning it off and selling it."

[Redstone]

35. I like that a LOT. I'm going to remember it.

Redstone

[Fire Walk With Me]

26. "Wear pants."

[Orrex]

28. You have your rules, I have mine.

[jmowreader]

29. Never rip 2x4s.

I know this was supposed to be a joke, but I NEVER buy 2x2s. They're always warped. I rip mine out of 2x10s. They're straighter and stay that way.

[Orrex]

31. That's actually a really good piece of advice

At this point, I'm just ripping quarter-inch slices for use as basic framing for my wife's paintings, in preparation for a gallery show, and to this end they work just fine.

But if I have any bigger projects, I'll keep your advice in mind. Thanks!

[jmowreader]

33. You'd still be better off ripping 2x10s

Two reasons:

2x10s are safer to rip--your hands stay farther from the blade

and

2x10s are made of better wood, either Southern Yellow Pine or Douglas Fir. 2x4s are usually cut from spruce.

Oh yeah, quick edit: if you are ripping dimensional stock to 2x2, the most precise way to set the fence is to run the blade up, set a piece of 2xwhatever vertically against the side of the blade, then run the fence up to it.

[Danger Mouse]

30. That red stuff is DELICIOUS CANDY! You won the grand prize!

[Guava Jelly]

34. I use a table saw several times a week

Hasn't happened yet..Knock on wood
I must be doing something wrong :shrug:

[TrogL]

36. two by fours are not two inches by four inches

Measure twice - cut once.

[Orrex]

37. Whoa--you just blew my mind.

:crazy: