Watch the kids

[Jim Fleetwood]

I haven't posted much here but I couldn't pass up on an experience that Ed Breen's recent post on kick backs brought to mind. I grew up on a farm and was using power tools, welders and driving trucks long before most. Sometimes not as they were intended. My brother and I used to have great fun on the TS by putting the fence within a 1/2" to 3/4" of the blade and run boards through the table saw purposely to see who could shoot the farthest. We stopped when dad asked about the dings in the shop door.:eek: I'm amazed we are still alive let alone still have all the body parts still in place.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Ahh the kids! In shop class a couple of the screw offs (not implying you are, they certianly were!) would drop cut offs onto the spinning table saw blade. It would launch them at least 30 feet and leave dings in the metal roll up door. Some power there for sure!

[scott spencer]

So which saw can shoot the furthest....General or PM? :D

[Matt Meiser]

I seriously thought about installing a separate panel for all my outlet and machine feeds from my lighting with a lockable disconnect between. However, my shop is separate from the house and I figured locks would solve the problem when the time comes. We are also considering an alarm system and I would want the shop to be on a separate zone from the house so that it could stay armed even when someone is home. If that can be done, we could have a separate code for the shop which the kid wouldn't have to know as she would have no reason to go out there.

I have some time though as she just turned 3. (Please tell me I'm right guys. :eek: )

[Greg Mann]

snipped
I have some time though as she just turned 3. (Please tell me I'm right guys. :eek: )

You have a couple months.:D

[Keith Christopher]

One episode of the red-green show he was dropping boards into a tablesaw shooting them across the shop. Always fun till someone loses an eye.



Keith

[Bill Lewis]

Ahh the kids! In shop class a couple of the screw offs would drop cut offs onto the spinning table saw blade. It would launch them at least 30 feet and leave dings in the metal roll up door. Some power there for sure!

Happened in my shop class too. They even had a name for it, "chunking". Was I the only one at the time that thought it was stupid. I know I had a defective youth... but I really thought that was one of the dumbest things I ever saw. In addition, we would scrounge wood from the cut-off bin, and they would take anything.

[Chris Daigh]

Red Green is a great show, I know I must have some sort of problem but its a great show. I think these tablesaw reviews are wrong about which one is best, its all about which one can throw the furthest. Call it Table Saw Olympics, the events would be chunking(shot put) and kickback(javelin).

[Ed Breen]

Matt,

I've done just that. My shop is about 75 yards behind the house, I ditch witched a tel. line out to it and had the alarm company set an alarm in the building. I also keep covers on all the electron burners, (they are really cooker covers from the box store). I figure if the kids can't see them perhaps they will not touch! In truth though, my grandaughter and I also store our 4 wheelers in the shop so I'm usually there if she is. Still enough to give a guy concern!!
Ed

[Harry Goodwin]

Maybe those little red keys that many shop tools have are worth it. Sorry to spoil their fun. I never did get too excited about them before. Harry

[John Hart]

My girls have been instilled with a tremendous amount of respect for my shop. I've used phrases like, "Everything in this room can kill you" (and I don't smile). But at the same time, show them the usefulness and beauty. They are interested but know the limits for their ages (10 & 11)

I found that their biggest problem when they are "helping me" is that they don't pay enough attention and whack their heads against the corner of the TS from time to time. No blood, so I figure there's some good lessons in there.

I keep the door locked...But I do know that they don't want to go in the shop without me...even when mom says it's ok.

[Richard Wolf]

Now I remember why I stopped teaching H.S. shop.

Richard

[Ernie Hobbs]

That reminds me- when I was little (around 8 or 9), I used to hang around my Dad's shop. The power tools were off limits but, he would teach me how to use hand saws, etc. for my little projects. My brothers and I were always making something. Since Dad had an old Rockwell bandsaw; the kind with the open pulley on the back (no guard), I figured out that I could turn the pulley with one hand, and push the wood through the blade with the other hand. The big mistake with this was that if I pushed too hard at the end, the space between my thumb and index finger were exposed to the blade. I had to go get stitches several times from this before I learned my lesson. I think my Dad just figured that maybe it would be better to teach us how to use the tools safely, instead of completely off limits.
Fortunately, I survived growing up in the shop without too many scars. I stlll have all my fingers! Only three band saw scars are visible (none since age 16).

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Happened in my shop class too. They even had a name for it, "chunking". Was I the only one at the time that thought it was stupid. I know I had a defective youth... but I really thought that was one of the dumbest things I ever saw. In addition, we would scrounge wood from the cut-off bin, and they would take anything.
No I thought it was really stupid too! Aww well, someone always has to ruin it for everyone else.