Little secrets
After last Fridays blog about putting a table saw blade on backward, I heard from a few other folks that Im not alone. Not that theyd admit it publicly, of…
After last Fridays blog about putting a table saw blade on backward, I heard from a few other folks that Im not alone. Not that theyd admit it publicly, of course.
Youll notice that no one posted a public comment on that blog to the effect, Yepper, A.J., Ive done that before myself. Boy did I feel like a maroon! Yuk-Yuk! On the other hand, I received a few private e-mails that pretty much said exactly that, although there were some variations in the usage of the word Yepper. The incident of the backward blade was truly something that could happen to anyone as long as, publicly speaking, that anyone was someone else.
It got me to thinking that we woodworkers do a lot of things in the shop wed just as soon be kept secret and not made public. For example, I could but wont name a few well-known woodworkers who never use the guard on their table saw. Ever. At least one even admitted that he simply threw his out.
I may as well admit now (since Ive already discussed this topic several times in these blogs) that on occasion I gasp! dont use the guard on my table saw. Sometimes, because Im a writer and do all my own photography, its necessary for photographic reasons. Other times, depending on the cut Im making Ive found that the guard so adversely affects my vision as to make its use for the cut more, rather than less, dangerous. You can bet, though, that anytime that guard is off the machine that I am very, very aware of the fact, and increase my level of vigilance and care in using the saw by a factor of about a hundred or so.
OK, so theres my dirty little secret and Im publicly sharing it with you. But as you can see, I have a very good reason why I do. And since you guys are serious woodworkers, I can share it with you and know that you understand (if not agree with) my reasoning.
But would I mention this to anyone else? Nope, Id just keep it secret.
Im betting you have a few secrets just like this.
Till next time,
A.J.

A.J. Hamler is the former editor of Woodshop News and Woodcraft Magazine. He's currently a freelance woodworking writer/editor, which is another way of stating self-employed. When he's not writing or in the shop, he enjoys science fiction, gourmet cooking and Civil War reenacting, but not at the same time.