Indy Cindy Posted October 25, 2013 Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 Oh man, really really sorry this happened. It took me several days before I would even venture to look at the pictures afraid of what I would see. A former instructor told me that jointer injuries are among the worse as they chew up flesh unlike saws that generally make clean cuts that can be stitched up or digits sometimes reattached. For this to happen when you know about the dangers, are fanatical about safety, did not slack off and do something you knew was dangerous, and were doing exactly what you should have done as far as safety makes it even more scary. I hope you heal well.Cindy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozwald Posted October 25, 2013 Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 Best wishes. I lost my fingertip as well & can feel your pain. Mine wasn't a woodworking accident, but it really doesn't matter what takes it off. I sincerely wish you a much faster recovery time than I had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFatBaron Posted October 25, 2013 Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 Jointer safety question. I always use push block when face jointing a board but find it very difficult to do when edge jointing. So, do you guys use push blocks when edge jointing? It always makes me nervous especially when the board is not very wide. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk - now Free I admit, I don't. I tried it a couple times, but felt like it made things more unstable. I was told to move the fence over as much as I can, though, and always keep my hands on top of the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted October 25, 2013 Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 Push block on an edge joint has always been determined by whether or not the board is wider than the fence is tall. With a four inch fence and a two inch board, I do not always feel I have adequate enough control to keep my hands clear of the danger zones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pghmyn Posted October 25, 2013 Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 Jointer safety question. I always use push block when face jointing a board but find it very difficult to do when edge jointing. So, do you guys use push blocks when edge jointing? It always makes me nervous especially when the board is not very wide. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk - now Free I almost ever do. That's a personal preference, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Melton Posted October 25, 2013 Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 I posted about a very similar incident a few weeks ago when face jointing a short board. I was gunshy for a few weeks. I just got a scare and a chewed up push paddle... So sorry to hear about your accident man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted October 25, 2013 Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 ==> Is anyone else familiar with that style of guard on a jointer? It's the standard Euro guard... I've never understood that design -- I've retrofitted a porkchop on every jointer that I've had... I know may others who also retrofit a porkchop to their Euro kit... Unfortunately it can be an expensive mod -- you usually have to go to a machine shop for a custom build... I've seen folks also make them from wood -- but I've never been a big fan of that approach... ==> in short what happened was the roller with the blades was slightly lower then the bed on the other side so it went over the blade and then was only the slightest of slight lower then the bed so didn't go any further, and was then pretty much trapped waiting for the kick back to happen I'm still struggling with what actually happened... If I understand: the outfeed table was higher then the cutting arc on the knives? So the stock passed from the infeed table over the cutterhead and got stopped by the higher leading-edge of the outfeed table? If that's what happened, I could see a kickback... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G S Haydon Posted October 25, 2013 Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 This is an interesting one, I have never had a problem with the euro bridge guard although I have never tried a "pork chop" (still love that term for a guard). I guess perhaps that a bridge guard is needed on wider industrial stuff. A "pork chop" would have to swing a lot on my 520mm wide jointer should I be planing wide stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pghmyn Posted October 25, 2013 Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 This is an interesting one, I have never had a problem with the euro bridge guard although I have never tried a "pork chop" (still love that term for a guard). I guess perhaps that a bridge guard is needed on wider industrial stuff. A "pork chop" would have to swing a lot on my 520mm wide jointer should I be planning wide stock. Yeah, and by the time it swings back, it will have quite a bit of speed and SMACK into the fence. Lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 ==> A "pork chop" would have to swing a lot on my 520mm wide jointer should I be planning wide stock. Mine is about 400mm or so, and it works quite well.. but yes, its got some arc... I've never worked on a 20" jointer -- would hate to get something caught in that bad boy. ==> Yeah, and by the time it swings back, it will have quite a bit of speed and SMACK into the fence. Lol. The 16" porkchop guards use a different mechanism then used in the 6 & 8" jointers... They swing back smoothly at a constant rate... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChetlovesMer Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 Push block on an edge joint has always been determined by whether or not the board is wider than the fence is tall. With a four inch fence and a two inch board, I do not always feel I have adequate enough control to keep my hands clear of the danger zones. +1 for what C Shaffer said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 I know this is on a different forum but Saw Mill Creek also had an interesting thread on the pork chop versus euro bridge guard a few years back http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?24685-Euro-jointer-guards The more I read the more I see the limitations and advantages of both guard systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkirby Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 I had a similar jointer and i never put the wood under the guard. I just butted the guard up to the wood kinda like a feather board so only the unused blade was covered, that seemed more logical. Surprised i never had an accident if thats the wrong way to do it. Got rid of all my power tools for this very reason i just know something would happen. Now i just stab myself with planes and saw the tips of my fingers alarmingly regularly. Hope you heal up ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmcgarry Posted October 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 ==>I'm still struggling with what actually happened... If I understand: the outfeed table was higher then the cutting arc on the knives? So the stock passed from the infeed table over the cutterhead and got stopped by the higher leading-edge of the outfeed table? If that's what happened, I could see a kickback... That sounds about right yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC1501 Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 The only complaint I have with my 6" Grizzly jointer is that the Pork Chop guard is not adjustable in height and it sits so high that anything even near 3/4"wants to pass under it and jam rather than push it out of the way. If you get any lumber that is already surfaced, then it is a real safety issue. I don't see how companies can get away with making a product like that. I have to reach up and move the guard out of the way by hand, until the board gets to the knives, or take the guard off completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spencer_J Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 Wow. I am hoping you have a nice recovery. Thank you for sharing your story. Its so hard for me to find a line between safety guards and no guards. What is better? If there is no guard, every precaution is taken but if there is a guard, you should be able to trust it and use the tool as it was intended. I just hope we keep putting our brains to good use for further awareness and more practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinF Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 Wow. I am hoping you have a nice recovery. Thank you for sharing your story. Its so hard for me to find a line between safety guards and no guards. What is better? If there is no guard, every precaution is taken but if there is a guard, you should be able to trust it and use the tool as it was intended. I just hope we keep putting our brains to good use for further awareness and more practice. I wouldn't put much trust in a plastic guard, they are only there to prevent the unintentional from happening, they are very easily defeated, trusting a guard to make up for improper or careless use is like trusting those new cars with accident avoidance to stop for you. A healthy amount of respect for the tool and its capabilities and its proper use will go a long ways to keeping you safe, and then, just like in this instance, something happens we have no control over. Work smart and safe, but remember, things happen for no reason sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 The only complaint I have with my 6" Grizzly jointer is that the Pork Chop guard is not adjustable in height and it sits so high that anything even near 3/4"wants to pass under it and jam rather than push it out of the way. That has to be an assembly or manufacturing mistake. Have you reported it to Grizzly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CessnaPilotBarry Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 That has to be an assembly or manufacturing mistake. Have you reported it to Grizzly? Ditto! Those guards normally only sit 1/8" to 1/4" above the table. Something is not right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Bienlein Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 I sure hope you heal quickly! I do need to ask a few questions as there seems to be some info missing and it could help prevent this type of accident in the future. 1) How long was the board you were jointing the face of? 2) Was the board flat or did it have a bow to it? 3) Is there a particular reason you just didn't slide the board back using the push blocks and were they the type of push blocks that have the grippy rubber pads to enable you to do this? 4) I have to ask why you crossed yourself up to turn off the power to the jointer by using your right hand instead of the left hand? Now some of you might say isn't question #2 kind of stupid as isn't that what a jointer is designed to do, take a bowed board and make it flat. The reason I ask is if the board was bowed and only the leading edge was touching the in feed table then as you push the board further into the cutter it is actually following the bow of the board as it is coming off the in feed and cutting an arc that will hit the leading edge of the out feed table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 ==> Now some of you might say isn't question #2 kind of stupid Now isn't question #2 kid of stupid Actually, it's a good question -- Severely bowed, twisted and crooked stock could get hung-up on the out-feed table if the gap between the cutterhead and outfeed table is sizable.. ==> the outfeed table was higher then the cutting arc on the knives? Except for initial setup or changing knives, the outfeed table height is usually not adjusted... How did it raise-up relative to the cutterhead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronnie Posted October 28, 2013 Report Share Posted October 28, 2013 Hope you have a quick recovery. I hope this wont keep you from going back into the shop. Some times its hard to get back on the horse after something this serious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmcgarry Posted October 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 I sure hope you heal quickly! I do need to ask a few questions as there seems to be some info missing and it could help prevent this type of accident in the future. 1) How long was the board you were jointing the face of? 2) Was the board flat or did it have a bow to it? 3) Is there a particular reason you just didn't slide the board back using the push blocks and were they the type of push blocks that have the grippy rubber pads to enable you to do this? 4) I have to ask why you crossed yourself up to turn off the power to the jointer by using your right hand instead of the left hand? Now some of you might say isn't question #2 kind of stupid as isn't that what a jointer is designed to do, take a bowed board and make it flat. The reason I ask is if the board was bowed and only the leading edge was touching the in feed table then as you push the board further into the cutter it is actually following the bow of the board as it is coming off the in feed and cutting an arc that will hit the leading edge of the out feed table. Hey Alan, i dont see any stupid questions there the board was about 22-24 inches... board was fairly flat no noticeable bow or rocking while on a flat surface. The only reason i didn't try pull it back was probably down to split second decisions really, i didnt know why or how it was caught so i didn't know what pulling it back might do (could it of caught the board again and sent it flying and sent my elbow into the planer??) and the first thing that came to mind and i know this might not apply here was to try stop the machine but like i said all this happened in seconds or less. the push paddles were the handles with rubber pads yes, they were the ones that came with it. The power button was on my right as i was standing infront of the machine, my left hand was the leading hand, if i used my left hand i would of passed it under my right hand to press it. my right hand was probably directly above the power button or there abouts. hope this answers all of the questions Damien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmcgarry Posted October 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 ==> Now some of you might say isn't question #2 kind of stupid Now isn't question #2 kid of stupid Actually, it's a good question -- Severely bowed, twisted and crooked stock could get hung-up on the out-feed table if the gap between the cutterhead and outfeed table is sizable.. ==> the outfeed table was higher then the cutting arc on the knives? Except for initial setup or changing knives, the outfeed table height is usually not adjusted... How did it raise-up relative to the cutterhead? I dont think it rose up, i think the cutter head dropped because the outfeed seems to be part of the structure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmcgarry Posted October 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 Hope you have a quick recovery. I hope this wont keep you from going back into the shop. Some times its hard to get back on the horse after something this serious. I have thrown out the planer alright but will be back in the shop as soon as possible. In relation to the injury its now been exactly 2 weeks nearly to the hour since it happened and i got the stitches out today, all is healing well and i'd like to thank everyone for the well wishes, they're greatly appreciated and it's great to see a community like this. Damien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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