Method of work

[mike stenson]

Free content is worth what it costs. Really something that needs to be considered IMO. People love to complain about content. I'd really hate to be a content (video, book, magazine, etc) creator these days. People expect it to be free, but they also expect it to be perfectly aligned with their existing beliefs. That's got to be miserable.

[Alan Rutherford]

I have a photo of the last inch of a neighbor's thumb which he severed cross-cutting a piece of wood against the fence.

[Edwin Santos]

Thanks for all the replies.
I really only posted this because it was from a WWJ article, not some nut on YT.

I realize that sometimes things slip through the cracks but more to my surprise was that anyone who is working for a woodworking publication was cross cutting like this. Sure, the cut can be made this way, but why would you want to risk injury and/or damage when there are numerous other ways to accomplish the same thing.
I'll let you know if/when they reply to my email.

Here is what I sent;

Dear WWJ,

In your latest Ezine, there is a Wine Cabinet project.

In the write up, there is a photo of a WWJ staff member cross cutting some stock to length. The method he is using is, cutting the piece between the fence and the blade. This is fine for ripping but when cross cutting, it is too easy for the piece of stock to pinch between the blade and fence. This has the potential to be very dangerous, as a result, this menthod is not reccommended due to safety concerns.

I find it quite strange that your publication would post this method of cross cutting wood. This is not something you should want others to emulate.

Edward Weber

Thank you for notifying them. Based on your note, I hope they publish a correction or take the content down. If they do, then you may have saved someone from a mishap if they tried to emulate the dangerous procedure.

[Edward Weber]

Thank you for notifying them. Based on your note, I hope they publish a correction or take the content down. If they do, then you may have saved someone from a mishap if they tried to emulate the dangerous procedure.

That's pretty much the whole point of it.
I know better than to do that but some novice woodworker might not.

[Edward Weber]

Free content is worth what it costs. Really something that needs to be considered IMO. People love to complain about content. I'd really hate to be a content (video, book, magazine, etc) creator these days. People expect it to be free, but they also expect it to be perfectly aligned with their existing beliefs. That's got to be miserable.

Couldn't agree more
There are no such things as objective facts any longer.

[Jack Frederick]

All I can say is that if you do this and it goes sideways, and you have all your fingers, you won’t do it again. You also won’t have a window right behind your saw.

[Doug Garson]

All I can say is that if you do this and it goes sideways, and you have all your fingers, you won’t do it again. You also won’t have a window right behind your saw.

But if you lose a couple fingers you'll do it again??

[Patty Hann]

Couldn't agree more
There are no such things as objective facts any longer.

Questioner: Tell me....does 2 + 2 = 4?
University person: Depends on the context.

[Michael Burnside]

Questioner: Tell me....does 2 + 2 = 4?
University person: Depends on the context.

University and math minor person here. In the standard axiomatic definition of natural numbers, 2 is two successors of 0 and 4 is four successors and categorically 2+2=4 fact!

Maybe the author of the article in question would say 2+2=5 for very large numbers of 2

[Patty Hann]

University and math minor person here. In the standard axiomatic definition of natural numbers, 2 is two successors of 0 and 4 is four successors and categorically 2+2=4 fact!

Maybe the author of the article in question would say 2+2=5 for very large numbers of 2

Or maybe they meant 2i + 2i ....

[Warren Lake]

enough of us could make that cut all day long with no issues. I get there should be a block there and reasons why. If you want to complain dont forget to complain he has no extension table so like so many you tubes he will be reaching over the saw blade to grab the piece so it doesnt fall on the floor.

Just another dolt showing stuff he doesnt know. Past in europe and maybe still you dont have shop and sell if you dont have your papers. Here its that way for electricians and plumbers and other trades but not cabinetmaking. Cant leave much up to gov. They should smarten up here, if nothing else it would cut down on the number of 40k live edge tables.

[Mark Hennebury]

Every operation is dangerous. They all have a degree of danger, some higher some lower, but all dangerous at some level. The concept of "safe" is in itself dangerous. If you are working in the shop, there is always the potential of getting injured. The knowledge, skill and focus of the operator offsets the level of danger, resulting in a relative probability of success or failure. A person with less skill, knowledge and focus has a higher probability of failure then a person of higher level of skill, knowledge and focus. But there is always danger. I feel a lot safer working with someone with experience and knowledge that took bigger risks any day over someone that doesn't know what they are doing using all of the "safety gear" , they scare me.

Those that don't know what they are doing they are better to own a Sawstop as they will be sticking their fingers in it on a regular basis. So I think that the photo is quite appropriate.

[mike stenson]

Or maybe they meant 2i + 2i ....

a ≡ b (mod x)

[Doug Garson]

Every operation is dangerous. They all have a degree of danger, some higher some lower, but all dangerous at some level. The concept of "safe" is in itself dangerous. If you are working in the shop, there is always the potential of getting injured. The knowledge, skill and focus of the operator offsets the level of danger, resulting in a relative probability of success or failure. A person with less skill, knowledge and focus has a higher probability of failure then a person of higher level of skill, knowledge and focus. But there is always danger. I feel a lot safer working with someone with experience and knowledge that took bigger risks any day over someone that doesn't know what they are doing using all of the "safety gear" , they scare me.

Those that don't know what they are doing they are better to own a Sawstop as they will be sticking their fingers in it on a regular basis. So I think that the photo is quite appropriate.

What you say in the first paragraph is true, but of all the cuts you can make in a woodworking shop, I think crosscutting a piece the size shown in the photo, is probably the easiest to do safely if the basic rules are followed. The Sawstop won't protect him from a kickback and his body position is another basic rule he is breaking. Those that don't know what they are doing would be better off learning the correct safety procedures rather than relying on a saw that only reduces part of the danger (contact with spinning blade). For a woodworking magazine to publish the photo posted as part of a how to article is mind boggling, not at all appropriate.

[Mark Hennebury]

I have done a lot of operations with various degrees of danger, Some woodworkers would find the way I work quite okay, others would want me put in jail. It depends on their point of view. I never had a blade guard on a table saw or a jointer, 18" saw blade 5-1/2" of blade above the table, 7.5hp motor, 24" jointer, jointed tens of thousands of bf lumber mostly using my hands, even jointed /Micro honed the blades with the machine running. I understand the risks, and my skills and make decisions on how to do an operation based on how many I have to do vs setup time, the probability of success, and where my fingers would be in case of failure. They are my rules. I don't have set rules like never get your fingers within 4", 6" 12" to a blade etc... or always use pushsticks etc. I don't have many blanket rules, I work on a case by case evaluation.
There are certain things that I do by instinct, safety glasses, dust masks, earplugs, roll up sleeves, , analyze the procedure plan the operation, mental run-through of the operation, commit to task and have the focus, control and discipline to see it through.

I personally would not do what that guy did in the photo. The fence has no advantage but increases the danger level considerably. My conclusion is the guy doesn't know what he is doing and will get hurt.

But it is no point me telling you how to do woodwork, because most woodworkers will say that I am dangerous and have a reckless disregard for safety, in their opinion.... couldn't be further from the truth in my opinion.

Most of what I see done in magazines and Youtube I disagree with, most of the Youtube Gurus, including the ones mentioned have had accidents on tables saws and jointers, even though they have all of safety guards, grippers and pushsticks.
Lots of people make excuses and say anyone can have an accident, which of course is true, but most accidents are caused by the person, are predictable and preventable. Most accidents that I have seen were not due to the operation being "too dangerous" just that the operator did not possess the level of ability to do it.

Personal Safety is personal, I work within my comfort zone. If i feel that I have better control feeding the wood by hand, then that is what I do. If i feel that i need a pushstick, then that is what I use. You have to evaluate each job.

What you say in the first paragraph is true, but of all the cuts you can make in a woodworking shop, I think crosscutting a piece the size shown in the photo, is probably the easiest to do safely if the basic rules are followed. The Sawstop won't protect him from a kickback and his body position is another basic rule he is breaking. Those that don't know what they are doing would be better off learning the correct safety procedures rather than relying on a saw that only reduces part of the danger (contact with spinning blade). For a woodworking magazine to publish the photo posted as part of a how to article is mind boggling, not at all appropriate.