I can't help but like it


G S Haydon

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See, I don't know that it's all that unsafe. I understand he's cutting against the side of the blade, but if we use the TS to cut coves we are doing the same thing, and honestly, I think cutting coves would be a lot more dangerous than this is, there's only 1/4" of exposed blade.

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See, I don't know that it's all that unsafe. I understand he's cutting against the side of the blade, but if we use the TS to cut coves we are doing the same thing, and honestly, I think cutting coves would be a lot more dangerous than this is, there's only 1/4" of exposed blade.

 

Part of me wants to agree with you but, there is just so much that could go wrong.  If/when something goes wrong, they mayhem could be quite severe.

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True, but I also think if something goes wrong on a TS I'm pretty much going to consider it mayhem. Ok, let's put it this way, there is so much stuff between the blade and his body that if it does grab, he stands a fair chance to be ok. However I will disagree with his statement that his saw is small so if it grabs it will just stop. I've never seen a TS just stop, not even my little 30lb piece of junk, it would bog ripping a 2x4, but I never had it stop on me.

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The part no one seems to account for is tooth weld failure. Until the bowl is bottomed out on his second cut, there is tremendous room for a ricocheting carbide tooth. The force on the side of the teeth increases the chance of this kind of event. I am not sure the damage capable but I've felt teeth bounce off my glasses before cleaning half laps with a circ saw.

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==> I've never seen a TS just stop, not even my little 30lb piece of junk

 

I've stalled 3HP, 5HP and 7.5HP saws...  It happens.  The closest near disaster in my shop was a helper ripping a 5'x12" 8/4 Red Oak stick and having it bind the 7.5HP saw... The eventual kick-back launched the missile 30ft across the room and smashed part-way thorough the cinder-block wall...  Just missing the kid and me by less then two feet...  We called it a day...

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==> I've never seen a TS just stop, not even my little 30lb piece of junk

I've stalled 3HP, 5HP and 7.5HP saws... It happens. The closest near disaster in my shop was a helper ripping a 5'x12" 8/4 Red Oak stick and having it bind the 7.5HP saw... The eventual kick-back launched the missile 30ft across the room and smashed part-way thorough the cinder-block wall... Just missing the kid and me by less then two feet... We called it a day...

And promptly went and changed our pants :D the closest call I've had is when my buddy was playing out feed table for me on a job and decided to pull on the small piece of plywood to hurry things along... I felt the blade just brush my skin! Like it might have taken hair off my thumb! I not so politely told him to leave... BTW, what are you cutting to stall a cabinet saw like that???
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==> You have to use a RIP blade if you're gonna cut 12/4 granite.  :D

 

I'll call Jim Forrest, bet he's got a custom grind for that...

 

 

 

BTW, all kidding aside...  Jim runs a great company... since 1949...  I've got several Forrest 'custom grind' and 'signature series' blades.  If you've got a special need, Forrest can assist you're workflow...  You'll get what you need...  http://www.forrestblades.com/ -- OK, they are not the cheapest kid on the block...  But you won't be disappointed with their products...

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Izzy is insane, but he's ingenious. He does crazy stuff like this, but he's also got his very interesting "$50 shop" series going as well. Check out this one, where he makes a bowling ball with his saw:

 

 

He has some good stuff on making your own tools and clamps, etc., to encourage people with limited funds to still pursue woodworking.

 

Of course, they might pursue it straight to the hospital if they try some of the crazy stuff.

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I have to disagree that Izzy's jig is intrinsicly any less safe than a lathe. Both must be used in the proper manner to accomplish a task. Yes, this jig might produce flying saw teeth if the stock is fed in too far or too fast. So will a lathe produce a flying 2 foot stick of steel and wood if the tool is fed in too far or too fast. All the more so if the "tool rest" in either case is improperly adjusted.

Safety is primarily in the hands of the user. If you don't feel safe, don't do it.

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I'll also come down on Izzy's side when it comes to safety.  He clearly put a lot of thought and work into constructing this jig.  It gives him the ability to present the stock into the side of the blade extremely slowly--far slower than any cove cut I've seen.  If things blow apart on him, he's out of the line of the blade and there's a whole framework of stuff between him and the moving parts.  Perhaps he could add a Lexan shield around the jig if people are really worried.

 

Where he loses me is in the why component.  He's produced a crude approximation of a bowl.  Turning the outside is fine; but when he goes to turn the inside, he has to leave a hole for a mechanical fastener on the bottom.  As an exercise in outside the box (OK, make that waaaaaaaay outside the box) thinking that will pay dividends the next time he has to solve a problem, it's genius.  But taken on its own I can't see this adding anything new or ultimately useful to life.

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Point is, there's a much easier, safer and more accurate way to do it...it's called a lathe.  I'm all for woodworker ingenuity, but you have to draw a line somewhere.  My line is when I'm in the shop and I have the thought..."this might be stupid."

 

Funnily enough, Izzy goes on to make a lathe too.

 

 

And a treadle powered scroll saw:

 

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It takes some serious balls to make, edit and upload a video on top of experimenting and making a jig like that.

However, this video exemplifies a larger point in my mind.

Are these videos encouraging people to take more risks with their machines in ways that are more dangerous? I feel like the majority of posters on this forum have a general understanding of shop safety but ...elsewhere?

I look at his set up here and think "oh, i can do that"

His attitude half bugs me. He says don't try this at home, but give me your attention. I really appreciate the whole online woodworking movement but this is a bi-product...

Isn't the point of making woodworking videos to share help others learn?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Are these videos encouraging people to take more risks with their machines in ways that are more dangerous? I feel like the majority of posters on this forum have a general understanding of shop safety but ...elsewhere?

I look at his set up here and think "oh, i can do that

 

I had a conversation with Izzy about this on Facebook the other day. His philosophy is that it's the responsibility of every adult to decide for themselves their own personal safety level.

 

That's basically what I do with his stuff. I'd never build his bowl or bowling ball jigs, but his router based lathe/duplicator is pretty interesting.

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