Top three woodworking machines that scare you...

[tule peak timber]

before I was a wood worker I was a commercial fisherman and wood working is pretty tame in comparison . Severed digits a go-go, death by several ways, even some accidents that required counselors for responding authorities/help.Winches are particularly dangerous....... The best answer in this thread is the one about respect for ALL tools and using your BRAIN !Cheers  Rob

[Delawhere Jack]

I have no idea how radial arm saws have such a bad rap.

Worked at a lumber yard years ago. One of the managers told me that they used to use the big radial arm for ripping. They'd turn the head 90deg and lock it. One day someone new tried feeding the saw a 2x4 12' from the wrong end.....

Now keep in mind, this was a BIG saw, like a 14-16" Dewalt.

The yard is right next to the Amtrak tracks, and the saw was about 80' away, aimed right at the tracks. He told me that it launched the board and buried all but about a foot of it in the heavy stone ballast of the tracks. Others confirmed his story.

They no longer used the radial arm for ripping after that.

BTW, back in the early seventies an old timer that worked for my dad cut his thumb off on another BIG Dewalt RAS. He wrapped the stump in his hankerchief, clocked out and started to walk home (about 10 miles away).

One of the other guys told my dad what happened, and he had to go find Charlie and convince him to get in the car and to go to the hospital.

[LaneC]

  I read an ad in the classifieds on time that read " For sale. 1 brand new table saw only used once to cut 1 finger off" I want to put a smiley but I know it really was not funny when it happened to the guy.

[redprospector]

I guess it's kind of morbid, but what can I say.  ;D
As I was growing up in my Dad's shop there were several people who lost their fingers to radial arm saws, rip saws, and shapers. Usually at the finger nail, or the first knuckle. I was a little bone collector. I had a small jar half full of body parts.  :D
After I (kind of) grew up, I was put in charge of the shop, and that jar became a very valuable tool. I would show it to the new hires, and when they asked what it was, I would explain it to them and then tell them that if they didn't do what they were told, the way they were told, and never take their mind off of what they were doing that I would be proud to add their finger to the collection. 
A lot of them would walk away saying " I don't need a job this bad".  :D
I don't remember the exact numbers, but our accident rate dropped dramatically from the use of my collection.  :D  We had a really good crew in those days too.

[redprospector]

Redprospector, you are definitely right on that one. One cut-up mill I worked for had us making banding channel on a gang rip saw using basically a dado blade between the taller blades with spacers. What a disaster! You wore a leather apron plus stood to the side.

Allan

I can just imagine.
That dado between the rip blades would only allow a strip to gain speed faster.
But in reality, those strips can only go so fast, according to the blade speed.
I don't think you could get more than 250 mph. out of a strip no mater what you did to make it gain speed.  :D
Ever noticed how most rip saws are made with the table between cajone, and belt buckle high?

[hackberry jake]

Maybe thats why im not too scared of my radial arm saw. Its an older dewalt 9" saw with a 50 year old 3/4 hp motor. If something binds up, the blade just stops. I isn't capable of sending a board flying or doing anything forcefully. I have to really take my time making a cross cut or it will just stop.

[Peter Drouin]

Sometimes a tool will get you :D :D :D :D

[Larry]

I have a RAS and a fancy Bosch SCMS.  Both have been replaced in my shop by a sliding table saw.  It can do everything the RAS and SCMS can, only better and safer.

[hardtailjohn]

Like was said before... I'm not scared...just really respectful...of my shaper and tablesaw.  The only one I'm scared
of is my wife!  :D
I think the bandsaw is one of the safest tools in the shop. Sure you can work at it and get a finger in there, but it's not trying to kick something out and throw it at you.
John

[SwampDonkey]

Brush saw with a madman bush whacker behind it.  Look out! ;)

[celliott]

At the sawmill in college, they had a radial arm saw that they used to break down slabs for firewood (educational mill, not production)
The RAS was totally enclosed in a steel cage  with an extended handle out the side. It would bind up and sometimes stall, sometimes send pieces flying around the cage. Now that I think about it, I'm glad it was there.

[Texas Ranger]

Ya know, it does not have to be the equipment, it could be the operator.  This morning everything I touched seemed to draw blood.  Not the equipment, but the wood and assorted sharp or pointy things that stick out.  After three hours of this (slow learner) I shut it down and am now in the office, drying off so I can put bandaids on the leaks. >:(

[mesquite buckeye]

Good point. If you are even a little "off" that is a good time to park it and do something where you can't get yourself or someone else hurt. ;D 8) 8) 8)

[starbits]

I knew a high school shop teacher that cut off 2 of his fingers in a band saw.  He had them in formaldehyde in a jar in the shop display case.  Opened every semester with "If it can happen to me it can happen to you."

I was shaping a table leg on the wood lathe once.   The lathe had an on/off switch that was about 12 inches off the floor.  I locked down a 3 foot long 4x4 and turned the lathe on.   As soon as I touched the tool to the wood my brain said this doesn't look right, I bent over to turn things off and before I hit the switch the wood hit the tool bar and flew over my back and across the room.  Didn't touch me, but if I had hesitated even 1 second I would have caught a face full of spinning 4x4, and that scared the hell out of me. 

Starbits

[John S]

It is the brain or lack of using it that has caused my "accidents", most recently my thumb meeting a saw-toothed forstener bit in the drill press to the tune of 4 stitches!  I did not bother to clamp the piece to the table and fence.

[Busy Beaver Lumber]

Reading this thread is enough to make you want to close down your shop and sell all the tools with liability disclaimers at the time of sale :D

Guess the three i respect the most
1. Chainsaw
2. Tablesaw
3. Radial Arm Saw

[Peter Drouin]

I bleed every day. What's to be scared of. ;D

[Eppdso]

Had a radial arm saw at the lumber yard that was from the 50's this thing was so scary.We used to stack 4 2x12 to cut at a time. When you started it up you could hear it at the other end of the yard. Shutting it down and the blade to stop took over a minute!

Sorry still going through all the old posts bringing some back to life lol