Kaleo’s Workshop

I mean only you can prevent woodworking accidents. Like everyone else in the woodworking world this week, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about safety. There has been and will be ton written on this subject over the next few days. With an all encompassing desire to write about something different, something that no one has thought of before, I continued to think. I thought all day long. While I framed in a bath tub. Even while I mindlessly cut filler blocks to put between joist where the kicthen cabinets are going. Then I got home and still nothing new or earth shattering had come to me.

As I sat down and stared at the computer screen, I felt my eye begin to tire. My body was telling me to go to bed, or at least go lye down and relax. And then it came to me, nothing mind blowing and nothing revolutionary. But ureka I had it.

The biggest and best tip that I could possibly give is this:

THINK

That’s right, think about it. When you go into the shop you need to stop and think about what you are about to do. Think about the processes you are going to go through. Think about what could happen, think about what you want to happen.

I have found in the last few years that taking the time to stop and think has made all the difference. No matter what machine or hand tool that I was going to use, I would stop and think about it. Think about the forces involved, think about the true purpose of the tool, know it’s limitations. Don’t push the tool farther than it is meant to go. Because a game between you vs. Machine, machine always will win. (except in the cause of MEGATRON)

I saw a guy in one of the forums the other day that said he was deathly afraid of all his power tools. I think that is a wrong attitude to have towards your tools. This is because when you approach something in fear, you are tense, you need to be relaxed and confident. If you know your tools and think about what you want them to do, then you will make the best decisions.

I hope this post makes sense, remember this all came to me while my mind was telling me to go to bed.

PS. This is MEGATRON as if you didn’t know