Popular Woodworking 2007-12 № 166, страница 31

the years I have probably heard as many woodworking horror stories as anyone, and I have always found the explanations of what happened to start off one of two ways. Either: "I was doing something stupid," or "It was late and I had just one more cut." But I have never, ever had someone tell me that their accident happened because of a properly working guard, or because of a properly functioning safety device or apparatus, or because of proper techniques. But sometimes accidents happen because the user simply chooses the wrong machine. For example, when trying to cut a 1" x 1" block of wood in half, the power miter box would be the wrong machine; a scrollsaw or a fine hand dovetail saw would be a much better and safer choice.

Remember the 12" and 3" rule from the first chapter of this series. If the work is shorter than 12", ask yourself if that piece is too small for the capacity of the machine you have chosen. And you should always follow the 3" rule, which causes you to set a boundary limit of hand clearance of 3" or more away from any guard, shield, pulley or pinch point.

Machines used in woodworking can be dangerous, particularly when being used improperly or without proper safeguards. Often, machines are asked to do a variety of tasks. Sometimes these tasks are within the limitations

of the machine and sometimes they are not. More than likely, when a machine is being asked to do something complicated, such as cutting cove moulding on a table saw, or cutting very small pieces on the band saw, the standard guard will not work and might even make the process more dangerous.

However, it is important that you provide additional safety devices such as guarding and push sticks to establish control and to protect yourself. Guards, whether the original to the machine or homemade, play an enormous role in safety and should always be considered before any cut is made. OSHA explains guards this way: "A guard should prevent employees from contacting the dangerous parts of the machines, and it should be secure. Workers should not be able to easily bypass, remove or otherwise tamper with the guard. In protecting the worker, however, the guard must not create additional hazards, nor prevent the worker from performing the job."

Although OSHA rules do not apply to hobbyists or the one-man shop, they do set practical and reasonable standards that everyone should follow.

Point of Operation

The point of operation is the place where work is performed on the material. This is where the stock is

Spring-type guard. The beauty of this shop-made device is that it performs two essential functions on a router table: It holds the work down and denies your fingers access to the spinning cutters.

Two more layers of protection. The clear Lexan shield on this cut-off sled is durable and does not restrict your line of sight. The block of wood at the end of the shield covers the blade at the end of the cut, making this jig quite safe.

cut, shaped, bored or formed. Most woodworking machines use a cutting or shearing action that is produced by rotation or reciprocation. These actions, when under power, are dangerous regardless of the speed, size or surface of the moving parts. It is at this point that considerations have to be taken to guard or protect the user from accidental contact.

There are two aspects to consider when it comes to safeguarding machines at the point of operation. The first is to use some type of guard to help cover the cutter and prevent physical contact with the dangerous part of the machine. The second safeguard is to set shop standards such as the 3" rule. It is important when setting boundaries of awareness such as the 3" rule to understand when to use safety devices such as push sticks, push blocks, featherboards, combs and special aids to assist in feeding stock through the process.

Types of Machine Guards

There are three types of guards that are used on woodworking machines: fixed, adjustable and self-adjusting.

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