The Adventures of Woodworking
When I construct a handle for a knife, it's either wood or aluminum. When I decide to go with wood, the harder the wood, the better. So I have a few scraps of oak and birch kicking around and when I rip it to width or cut it to length, my table saw isn't really happy with me.
Let me explain. My shop is wired for 20 amps. And every outlet and light is wired through those 20 amps. So when I have the lights on and I run the table saw, and if I cut wood that's a little tougher, inevitably the circuit breaker kicks out, plunging me into darkness.
Then I have to fumble my way toward the panel and switch the power back on.
When I am cutting some hardwood like birch, the circuit breaker will go off two or three times before I get the piece cut.
That's not the worst of it though. Yesterday I was cutting the scales for the sea knife I am finishing off today, and out of the blue, my push stick broke in half! In the middle of the cut even! I was shocked and had to hold down the piece of wood that was half way through the blade with the other push stick until I turned off the saw.
Whew...what happens when a push stick breaks? When you are pushing against a piece of wood to keep it from wandering as it passes between the fence and blade and suddenly that push stick isn't there anymore, guess what wants to take its place? YOUR HAND!
Well, that's what happened to me and thank God, my hand didn't go any further than it did, or I would have had a nasty accident.
So I had to make new ones and hopefully, these will be sturdier than the originals.
For those of you who do not understand what a push stick is or what mine looked like, here's a link to an article for making your own.
Woodgears
Here's a picture of the kind I use:
Lots of fun and a little scary.
Let me explain. My shop is wired for 20 amps. And every outlet and light is wired through those 20 amps. So when I have the lights on and I run the table saw, and if I cut wood that's a little tougher, inevitably the circuit breaker kicks out, plunging me into darkness.
Then I have to fumble my way toward the panel and switch the power back on.
When I am cutting some hardwood like birch, the circuit breaker will go off two or three times before I get the piece cut.
That's not the worst of it though. Yesterday I was cutting the scales for the sea knife I am finishing off today, and out of the blue, my push stick broke in half! In the middle of the cut even! I was shocked and had to hold down the piece of wood that was half way through the blade with the other push stick until I turned off the saw.
Whew...what happens when a push stick breaks? When you are pushing against a piece of wood to keep it from wandering as it passes between the fence and blade and suddenly that push stick isn't there anymore, guess what wants to take its place? YOUR HAND!
Well, that's what happened to me and thank God, my hand didn't go any further than it did, or I would have had a nasty accident.So I had to make new ones and hopefully, these will be sturdier than the originals.
For those of you who do not understand what a push stick is or what mine looked like, here's a link to an article for making your own.
Woodgears
Here's a picture of the kind I use:
Lots of fun and a little scary.
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