February 4, 2012

Posts Comments

You are here: Home / Archives for Video

Recent developments on table saw safety

May 8, 2011 By

Background on previous table saw safety articles

This is an update to two previous posts I have made on David Butler, the inventor of new table saw safety technology. In case you missed them, the links to the articles are:

— Update from the inventor of new table saw safety technology, and
— Emerging technology for table saw safety

As I was not aware of any recent buzz about this important topic, I contacted David and asked him if he had anything new he could share with me, and that I could highlight on this blog. He replied:

Yes, we expect to have a very exciting product update with video coming to www.whirlwindtool.com in the next 3-4 weeks as soon as we get our new patents filed. Meanwhile, we were invited to open a two day public meeting on Table Saw Safety with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission in Washington on 03-01-2011. The SawStop folks and the Power Tool Institute representatives were also invited and attached here are the CPSC logs of the three sessions. I gave a PowerPoint presentation on Whirlwind and there was a good deal of discussion and Whirlwind Q&A following… If there is interest, I can send you a copy of my presentation.

Needless to say, I was looking forward to his Powerpoint presentation, which he provided and I have converted into a movie, to share with everyone here. It is a Sandal Woods Exclusive! I include the presentation below.

Exclusive: Whirlwind Powerpoint presentation to CPSC

Presentation by David Butler
before CPSC, march 11, 2011
Health and Safety Systems for Table Saws

 

 

PDF Attachments from the CPSC meetings

I attach the PDF documents/logs of the meetings in March 2011 — click on the links, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission will open in a window. The following are important documents to anyone who has, or is likely to have a table saw:

  1. March 1 2011 – CPSC meeting with David Butler, Whirlwind Tool Company — click the link to open PDF file
  2. March 1 2011 – meeting – CPSC meeting with Stephen Gass, SawStop — click the link to open PDF file
  3. March 2 2011 – meeting – CPSC meeting with representatives of the Power Tool Institue (PTI) — click the link to open PDF file

The following is the Meeting Summary with Butler/Whirlwind:

Mr. Butler presented a slide show about Whirlwind Tool Company’s prototypes for the Whirlwind Health and Safety System for table saws. He explained that it is a multi-tiered system that ideally could be used on both newly produced saws and retrofitted to existing table saws. Mr. Butler noted that the system makes use of a flesh sensing technology to stop the saw blade from injuring the user. The system is also designed to collect and remove saw dust as it is created. Mr. Butler stated that he had patents pending on the technology. Commissioner Adler asked Mr. Butler about the cost of the system to end users, if it should be put into production. Mr. Butler stated that he could not be certain -but he hoped that when produced in large quantities the system’s cost would be below $100. Commissioner Adler also asked questions about the development of the technology and whether Mr. Butler had been in negotiations with table saw manufacturers regarding his technology. Mr. Butler said that he had been contacted by some manufacturers but that he preferred to wait until his patents had been approved. Commissioner Adler also asked if Mr. Butler thought his product would infringe upon any existing patents. Mr. Butler said he was certain it would not. CPSC staffers inquired about the technological differences between his product and other safety devices on the market. Others in the audience asked about whether Mr. Butler thought the technology was going to be easily replicable on a large scale. He said he believed it would. Commissioner Adler thanked Mr. Butler for his time and his presentation.

  1. What are your thoughts about this issue?
  2. Unlike other flesh-sensing technologies, the Whirlwind technology could be used on new table saws, and it could also be retrofitted to existing table saws. Do you like this approach? Personally, I like that it can be retrofitted!
  3. The Whirlwind technology does not appear to infringe on existing technologies, a huge plus for the upcoming Whirlwind patents. Any thoughts?

— Al Navas

Filed Under: Blog, Safety, Table saw, Video

Celebrating nature in wood sculpture

February 28, 2011 By

I found Jason Tennant’s wood sculptures while doing a bit of research for a new art web site I was creating for a client. Amazing work like “Nike of the Forest” immediately caught my attention:

Nike of the Forest.

I wanted to learn more about this sculpture, so I searched some more. I found Jason’s web site (too much out of date, according to Jason), and wrote him a note, requesting his permission to highlight some of his work on this blog. For the most up-to-date work, look at Jason’s Facebook page, Jason Tennant Sculpture & Painting, and also his Etsy Shop at JASON TENNANT wildlife art , nature art, wood sculpture. A word of caution: be prepared to fall in love with his work, his technique, and the allegory in much of his work.

A few days after I wrote him, Jason replied, and even followed up with a call. I found him easy-going, and totally focused. We talked for a while about his work, his background and training, his travels to South America, and about his Etsy Shop. I asked Jason if he had something in writing that I could use for this article, as I did not want to wrongly put words in his mouth when referring to his work. He sent me the following about Nike of the Forest and The Call Series of sculptures (you can read the entire Press Release by clicking here):

…There are two predominant themes of these works. “The Nike of the Forest” is an appropriation of the Greek sculpture “Winged Victory of Samothrace” and applied as an expression of the resiliency of nature to human impact.

The second theme, entitled “The Call” is an expression of an ephemeral experiences that one is exposed to when immersed in nature…

…There are two main physical elements to each sculpture in this series, the centerpiece and the wings… The centerpieces are old roots and trunks of American Chestnut trees. I have foraged these rot resistant remnants from the hills of the Finger Lakes in New York State. These diseased trees had been cut down in the 1930’s in an effort to save the species from extinction...

The wings are carved from hemlock that I carefully choose and carve so that the exposed grain is book-matched for symmetry and mimics plumage patterns of wild birds. The finishing work is an additive and subtractive process I have been developing for 18 years, and have applied it to other expressions in my art…

Jason Tennant
Extracted from Press Release
January 2011

Tennant’s work has a quality that immediately appeals to the sense of touch. I found myself wanting to touch the sculptures in the Nike series; the plumage looks so real that I imagined the smoothness of each feather; but I also felt the power of the sinuous curves and crevasses of the body. Each sculpture in the series conveys a slightly different haunting and emotional message, possibly the result of the lighting casting shadows on the wall. Soon I found myself not even thinking chestnut or hemlock; instead I was thinking clouds, a rush of air, and a faceless creature that I will probably meet in my dreams.

For several years Jason taught at the BOCES school in Fairport, NY; this was a terrific way to contribute to the development of young children, and also his personal development to refine his technique. He quit teaching seven years ago, to pursue his passion full time.

Jason stays busy, as attested by his commitment to hold a one-man show in September 2011. He posted on Facebook in December 2010:

Invited for a solo exhibition at the new Arts Center in Old Forge. The space next to me will be the prestigious “Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors”

September will be a busy month w/ the Rustics Expo at the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake.

Also in December 2010, he held an open studio exhibit, all the while continuing carving and sculpture work on several wonderful series. And only one week ago he posted on Facebook that he has a new commission, this time to do a sculpture for the Etsy office in Brooklyn. In September 2011 Tennant’s work will be highlighted in Cowboys & Indians Magazine.

Jason’s work can be viewed at www.jasontennant.etsy.com or www.jasontennant.com. Also on Facebook at Jason Tennant Sculpture & Painting.

Contact Information:
Jason Tennant
38 Cloverland Drive
Rochester, NY 14610
e-mail: jason@jasontennant.com

Jason sent me the following photos to share on the blog — from the Nike of the Forest theme; please click on the first image to enlarge (you will be able to navigate through the entire series):

In the following YouTube video you meet Jason Tennant; I hope you also get a feel for his soul, and the dedication to his art:

I would love to read your reaction to Jason’s work, and to the series I have highlighted here. Please leave a Comment in the section below. Thanks!

— Al Navas

Filed Under: Blog, Video

Resawing on the band saw safely

February 17, 2011 By

I received several comments and a bunch of e-mail following my post on “First look at the tall resaw fence…” One reader commented “…I have to say it made me wince a bit. Have you considered using a push stick to make that operation safer?”

In my reply I mentioned I used a push stick, and highlighted the times on the video at which I pick up the push stick to ensure a safe cut. Currently, the online woodworking community and also federal agencies are quite interested in power tool safety issues, as competing flesh-sensing technologies are developed, patented, and implemented on table saws, changing them forever. Maybe something will come along soon for band saws, too, as regulatory bodies and users seem to be at odds about what direction to go. Should the technology be mandated, or should it be left to the individual in his/her shop?

Meanwhile, for safety’s sake, and in the interest of following up on the reader’s comment, I show in the video below how I use a push stick and a push block to ensure I retain all my fingers without much of a chance of incurring even a scratch. Note that the push block has a piece on the back end that catches the work piece, ensuring I can push it forward; sometimes I also use a push stick to assist pushing the work piece, while the push block helps me keep the work piece flush against the fence and moving forward.

I suggest the following guidelines to everyone working with tools in the shop:

  1. Always, always, always know how a particular machine works. If not sure, don’t use it until you get proper instruction and advice. I believe it is my responsibility, and that it is also your responsibility, to learn to use the machine properly, to avoid injury.
  2. Never, never, never, ever work in the shop while tired, or under the influence of medicine, alcohol, or drugs.
  3. Always think about your next action; rehearse the cut, and make sure you have considered what could possibly go wrong.
  4. Listen to the little voice that tells you “something” is not right. I remember getting ready to rip a board on the table saw; everything seemed right, except the board I milled the day before did not feel “right”. It had twisted, and the jointed edge was no longer straight — the perfect combination that could result in the waste being pushed into the blade, resulting in kickback.
  5. Make sure your fingers are at least 3 inches away from a moving blade at all times.
  6. Use push blocks and push sticks; but do so properly, always using suitable blocks and sticks (not all are suitable). If not sure how to use them, ask for advice on proper design, and learn how how to use them.
  7. Always make sure you touch the work piece or the waste only after the blade has stopped moving completely. Do not touch anything in the vicinity of a moving blade.
  8. Maintain your tools. From time time, make sure all bolts, machine screws, belts and pulleys are tightly in place.
  9. Use machine guards. If you don’t think they are adequate, find suitable replacements. But always use them.
  10. Hand tools: Always aim hand tools, including chisels and screw drivers, away from body parts. And make sure the tip of the tool cannot hit any body part while working.

I hope the following video will help woodworkers work safely at the band saw. The push stick I use is a 6- to 7-inch long stick I normally use to stack boards on the lumber rack; and the push block is one I built to work on the table saw. The push block has 60-grit sandpaper on the bottom, to minimize the risk of slippage while pushing the work piece.

Using push sticks and push blocks
with the DriftMaster fence — Duration: 6:15 minutes

I welcome your comments, either in the Comments section below, or via e-mail.

— Al Navas

Filed Under: Band saw, Blog, Education, Resaw, Safety, Tools, Video Tagged With: , , , ,

Page optimized by WP Minify WordPress Plugin