Jointer safety

[Ray Schafer]

I am surprised to hear that so many woodworkers shorten their fingers with a jointer. I guess I never realized that is was so dangerous of a tool. Since I am the new, proud owner of a jointer, I would like to ask for advice on the most important safety tips when using a jointer.

I will start us off:
1. Use push blocks any time you flatten the face of a board.
2. ...?

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Push blocks are smart but you will need a couple custom made push blocks. The most care must be exercised when jointing short boards. Check the instructions that came with your jointer to see the minimum length that is safe. Then make a push block out of 4/4 stock that is 3" or 4" wide and 12" to 18" long by. Shape a handle that is higher in the front than the back so you can push down as well as forward. Be imaginative and make it comfortable and shaped to promote a good grip. I make my handles big enough for both hands. Secure the handle to the push block Cut away the bottom surface leaving a section at the back that will hook over the board you are pushing. A lip that sticks down 3/8" and is at least 1" long will do nicely. You can glue a small block on the base at the back but I like making them all out of one piece of dense wood (cherry or maple).
As you find the need make push blocks that suit your needs, narrow ones for narrow boards and very long ones for long stock. Always make them with the " lip" in the back.
Remember, your jointer knives spin forward and down. That will cause loose things like clothing, drawstrings and fingers to be pulled in.
Be safe and enjoy.
Faust

[Vince Shriver]

Push blocks are smart but you will need a couple custom made push blocks. The most care must be exercised when jointing short boards. Check the instructions that came with your jointer to see the minimum length that is safe. Then make a push block out of 4/4 stock that is 3" or 4" wide and 12" to 18" long by. Shape a handle that is higher in the front than the back so you can push down as well as forward. Be imaginative and make it comfortable and shaped to promote a good grip. I make my handles big enough for both hands. Secure the handle to the push block Cut away the bottom surface leaving a section at the back that will hook over the board you are pushing. A lip that sticks down 3/8" and is at least 1" long will do nicely. You can glue a small block on the base at the back but I like making them all out of one piece of dense wood (cherry or maple).
As you find the need make push blocks that suit your needs, narrow ones for narrow boards and very long ones for long stock. Always make them with the " lip" in the back.
Remember, your jointer knives spin forward and down. That will cause loose things like clothing, drawstrings and fingers to be pulled in.
Be safe and enjoy.
Faust

Faust, how about a picture; I think that would be valuable to a lot of folks here. Thanks, Vince

[William OConnell]

DO NOT JOINT VERY SHORT BOARDS WITH A JOINTER. My painful experience with jointer kickback

[Fred Voorhees]

Ray, I will add only this.. ..... ALWAYS be aware of where your fingers are! The jointer is the only shop machine that has bitten me in the fifteen years or so that I have had my shop. Nipped a thumb if I remember right. Didn't hurt as much as it kind of feel like a jolt of electricity through my hand. Bled like a stuck pig and really only nipped it. Wrapped it up and that was that, but darn, scared the dickens out of me and it was a lessen well learned and still remembered to this day.

[Mark Singer]

Try to consider the head area as a zone to stay out of. It is not always possible. Push forward of the zone and past the zone on the out feed side. The fence is a good rail to slide your hand over and maintain a place to stop downward motion if the board is similar height

[Cary Swoveland]

Push blocks are smart but you will need a couple custom made push blocks....
Faust

Very good advice, Faust. I would like to mention one situation that I think is particularly tricky.

Let's say you've just jointed the face of a board that is 2" wide and 1/2" thick. Now you want to put the flat face against the fence and joint an edge. To do that you have to push the piece both down and against the fence. If you use a flat-bottomed push stick, it's ackward. The push stick can slip and also may push open the guard more than is required. The temptation is to forego the push stick.

A specialized push stick is useful in this situation. Here you need one that is narrow--less than 1/2" wide for my example--with an edge on the left that extends down, to hold the stock against the fence. You still need the lip at the back for pushing the stock. Even better, make one that is, say, 2" wide, that has an adjustable piece under the base for holding the stock against the fence.

Cary

[Greg Crawford]

I got one of these and LOVE it! Got it for the jointer but use it everywhere.

http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=124-205

[John Towns]

I am one of those with a 'shortened finger' while using my jointer ( ring finger, left hand). And I am left-handed!

By all means, use push blocks as have been mentioned many times. As a result of my 'accident', every time I use any of my power tools, I pause to review what I will be doing and what risks I am facing, and how I might be injured by what I am about to do.

In my case, I think I was a bit nonchalant with the jointer and I paid the price. I replay those moments in my mind frequently, as it helps me appreciate the potential danger of these machines.

John

[Pete Bradley]

I really like these pushblocks for the jointer. Woodcraft sells them, probably others too.

Pete

http://www.woodcraft.com/images/products/111170.jpg

[Dave MacArthur]

one of the mags, maybe pop. woodworking, ran an article on jointer safety this month, still at news stands--go buy it, worth it!

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Hi Folks,

I would be happy to post a picture. I am a bit challenged with getting images from my computer to the "Creek". Please let me know where to find the "how to" on the site.
Thanks.
Faust Ruggiero

[Eddie Darby]

http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/editorsblog/content/binary/Adams%20Jointer%20rules.pdf

This should help.

[Cary Swoveland]

Hi Folks,

I would be happy to post a picture. I am a bit challenged with getting images from my computer to the "Creek". Please let me know where to find the "how to" on the site.
Thanks.
Faust Ruggiero

Faust, I sent you a PM with instructions for including pics in your messages. Cary

[Greg Funk]

Keep the tables waxed and the blades sharp. Dull blades and/or an unwaxed table will require you to use excess pressure when jointing the face of a board.

Greg

[Yun-Fong Loh]

http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/editorsblog/content/binary/Adams%20Jointer%20rules.pdf

This should help.

I also wholeheartedly recommend this article.

[Rod Sheridan]

I would suggest spray painting the top of your fence bright yellow or red for a 4 or 5 inch section centered on the cutter head.

This is the "no hands" zone on your jointer fence when edging material.

Get into the habit of not feeding stock face down by pushing across the cutter with your hands.

Imagine instead that you have a bridge guard on your jointer, instead of the "pork chop" style. That will prevent you from having your hands over the cutter when flattening a face on your wood. (You have to stop one hand before the guard, then the other hand takes over after the guard).

Jointers are very dangerous, as many woodworkers with the "stubby" nickname will attest to.

The above methods of work may seem awkward at first, however they become second nature with practice.

Just remember that your hands should never be above the cutter.

Regards, Rod.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Keep yer pinkies outtta da spinning shiny things and you are golden ~!!

[Ellen Benkin]

As a general rule with power tools, fingers do not go over or on the cutting blades without something other than the piece of wood between them and the blades. Yes, you use a push block/stick when you face joint. You also use a push device when you are edge jointing a board that is lower than your fence.

[Don Orr]

...never hook your fingers over the back edge of a board as it goes through the jointer.

Good article in PW as mentioned.

[david hines]

i too am very new to the jointer . thanks to all of you for the replies

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Hi Folks,
Thanks to instructions from Cary and a little help reducing file sizes by my daughter, here are two pics of my favorite push block. It is one of several, each designed to keep my work piece flat against the jointer bed and my fingers a safe distance from the cutter head while providing enough mechanical advantage to allow me to push the workpiece through the machine. No matter what shape I make a push block, they always have a handle of some shape and hook over the back edge of the work piece to help move the board forward. A wide board can provide a lot of resistance even with a slick bed.
By the way, the shortest board I will joint will be the one that is shorter than the pictured push block.
Ray, I hope this helps. It's not original, just a thought passed onto me by another friend and now from me to you.
Faust Ruggiero
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