Woodworking expert Todd Waite offers several safety tips that everyone should follow when using woodworking tools: - Always wear eye protection -- it's of major importance!
- Be sure to secure long hair and any loose garments such as long sleeves, jewelry, scarves, or neckties. They can get caught in machinery or tools, which invariably have some moving parts.
- Woodworking tools stir up a lot of dust -- wear a respirator to prevent inhaling it.
- Most power tools are extremely loud, so wear ear protection to save your hearing.
- When you're using a table saw, never stand directly behind the blade. Sometimes it will catch the wood -- and send it back at a speed of 95 miles an hour!
- Use a guide such as a piece of board to feed wood into the saw if the wood is less than 6" to 8".
- Never reach over the blade while it's spinning -- always wait for it to stop.
Web extra: More on Jamaican woodcraft with Carl Lumbly What glue do you prefer when working with wood?
I prefer to use wood glue: a carpenters glue, some kind of yellow glue. But really, you can use anything, from gorilla glue to superglue. Whatever will hold the wood firmly. How did growing up in Jamaica affect your woodworking?
Well, I use everything. As an islander, you basically just have what you have around you. The whole idea of something being disposable is not really thought of. You can use almost everything. You can go into certain homes where they definitely do not have any discretionary income, and they do what they can with Styrofoam, milk jugs, or whatever they have. What kinds of tools did you use with your father?
He was very creative. My father used to make a hoist by attaching big empty tubs to a rope that went through a pulley. The rope was then attached to whatever it is he was moving. Then, he would fill the tubs with water, and they would get heavier and heavier and lift the object. If you build the whole thing on an arm that can pivot, you'll have a swinging crane. What is your favorite kind of project?
I live in an official fixer-upper, so much of my time is spent fixing things around the house. We live In earthquake country, so things sometimes shift. We have drainage issues. These things can be seen as the bane of owning an older home, or the joy of owning an older home. I tend to think of it as a joy. Have you taught your son to love wood as your father taught you?
Well, my son grew up in the computer age. We used to work together on the computer, but his knowledge surpassed mine fairly quickly. He'll become interested in woodworking when he buys his first house! How is woodworking like acting?
They are both an evolution. I don't know exactly how a character will turn out when I first read a script, and I don't know exactly how a project will turn out when I first get it in my head. I love the process of both acting and woodworking even more than the results I achieve. Do you have any particular styles that you prefer?
I like the grain in wood. Even in things that I paint, I'll leave a place clear where I'll just put sealer on it. I want to be reminded that it was once something else before I started it. I love gaudy constructions, but I want to know that they have something elemental at base.
RESOURCES :
The Complete Guide to Personal and Home Safety: What You Need to Know
Model: 0738207861
Author: Captain Robert L. Snow
Fisher Books, LLC / Perseus Book Group
Website: www.fisherbooks.com
Household Safety Sourcebook
Model: 0780803388
Author: Dawn D. Matthews
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