The most dangerous spot

Where in your shop would you say you’re most likely to get cut?

Where in your shop would you say you’re most likely to get cut?

That’s a good question because woodshops are filled with things that cut. Cutting things is what 95 percent of woodworking is all about, so it stands to reason that you’d have a boatload of sharp things in there.

But when you think of getting cut, you probably think about it happening when a sharp thing is moving; probably spinning, to be precise. And that’s hard to argue. But if I’m being honest, I cut myself far more often on non-moving sharp things.

A.J. Hamler

Chisels – if you keep them as sharp as you should – are a prime culprit. The fresh-cut edges of laminate are another. Any blade that you’re tasked with changing still another. I’ve drawn blood with all of those.

The place I get cut the most is my router drawer. I have several dozen bits in there, every one of them honed to perfection. I take care around all sharp things, especially when they’re moving in tools, but every time I reach into this drawer I stop and take a beat before proceeding.

I’ve taken efforts to minimize cuts. I keep the bits in drilled wooden strips, with the holes just slightly loose so they don’t get stuck removing one. The holes are shallow, so I can grasp the shank of most of them. They’re entirely by themselves on one side, separated from all the other router odds and ends I might be reaching inside for.

I bring this up because I just cut myself on a router bit this week. I was about to pull out one of the spiral bits, changed my mind and went for the one next to it instead. Because of this little bit of fumbling I grazed the edge of one of them resulting in a small, but messy, cut on one finger.

I’ll live – it really was a minor cut – but sometimes the best reminder to avoid big cuts is to get a little one.

 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.