But in a recent article in Fine Woodworking’s, Tools and Shops Annual magazine, there was an article that had a sub title that proclaimed just that concept.  The article was on cutting edge First Aid. The sub title contained the following line ” ER Doctor: Throw away your old kit and forget what you’ve been told”.   So I figured , here we go again, another sales pitch. But I couldn’t have been any more wrong.  The article by Dr. Patrick Sullivan, a retired Internal Medicine Specialist and ER room doctor, is the type of article that every woodworker should read and heed.

Why? Well because beyond his experience as a medical doctor, Patrick Sullivan is also a woodworker.  So he knows what types of injuries we all face every day in the shop. And being a woodworker, he also understands the mentality of a woodworker. He understands that “sometimes” it’s just not practical to stop working on a project just because you cut your hand or finger.   He also understands that to keep working we can’t apply a heavy bulky bandage to the injury. So his information and techniques are geared to keeping you working on that project.  Dr. Sullivan also explains in his article when we have to put down the tools and visit the local ER room.

Over the years I have attended several first aid classes.  Starting way back during my Boy Scout years and the years I spent in the military.  All of the training was good, but this was the first time the information was presented in a manner that applied to my everyday life.  While it is vitally important to know how to correctly apply CPR or treat a compound fracture, the likely hood of me needing this training is not very high.   And I hope I never have to do either one of those.  But training on how to treat the wounds that you and I are subject to every time we walk into our shop, is something that we all need.  

So armed with the great information and recommended items that should be in our first aid kits, I went to examine my first aid kit. Other than a sharp pair of tweezers, and some band aids, both recommended items, my first kit was woefully lacking.  While I was looking at the first kit, I did notice one thing that was not in the article, some of the items in my kit were out of date. As I have expressed many times before, I am not a chemist nor do I have a medical degree so I cannot tell the technical reason why the use of out dated medical products is a bad idea, but common sense tells us not to use something beyond its expiration date. 

With this vital information I have began a search for the items mentioned by Dr. Sullivan.  A quick check of my local retailers, revealed that some of the items are readily available, while others are a  little harder to locate.  I promise I will get back to you with the results of my search.

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1. Woodworking Workshops – Dust Collection Systems

While Norm’s love of the plaid shirts would drive some fashion experts to question his mental state, his safety comments are right on the mark. The problem isn’t the message that Norm is delivering, it’s the fact that week after week Norm dutifully delivers the exact same message. And, since we as woodworkers are all human, we stopped listening to the message a long time ago.

I don’t think that anyone of us ever go into our shops, and plan to have an accident. We don’t finish that last cup of coffee, and then tell our spouse, ” I think I will go out into the shop and do something really dangerous, and if I’m lucky you wont have to drive me to the ER this afternoon.” I do think that as we become more comfortable with the tools and techniques that we employee we become too comfortable, or maybe a better word would be that we become complacent.

I know that’s what happened to me. Several years ago I was working in my shop late one Sunday afternoon. I was trying to cut something really close to the blade, and of course I wasn’t using a push stick. I knew better but it was late and I knew what I was doing, Yeah, sure I did. While I was doing this really stupid thing, I was distracted by something else in the shop, and the next thing I knew I had a bloody mess on my hand, literally. I spent that afternoon in the ER and the next three days in the hospital. Today I still have all ten fingers, well maybe 9 3/4 would be a better statement, and I have scars that will always be there. But I was lucky.

The cause of the accident was clear to me, My fingers were too close to the blade, but that is the secondary cause. The primary cause that I had become to comfortable with the tools and forgot just how quickly an accident can happen.

Before you think that I ran off and starting working for OSHA, relax. I just wanted to take a few minutes to remind all of my fellow woodworkers that the day we go into our shops and have no respect for the potential for injury that lies within, is the day we become dangerous to ourselves and anyone working with us. I would really love to never hear of another woodworking accident, so guys Please………….be careful and be safe.

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1. What Tools Should Be Included in a Complete Woodworking Shop?

If you are one of the fortunate few who live in an area where you can work with the doors and windows of the shop open year round, air filtration may not be a large issue. Unfortunately, most of us live in areas where this is not possible, we have to be concerned about the possible air contamination in our shops.

Several manufacturers offer solutions for the woodworker. One system is the Jet dust collection system, and the other is the Jet air filtration system. Dust collection systems work somewhat like the standard shop vacuum, but with much better air filtration. The dust collector can be connected to machines like the tablesaw, jointer, router table, shaper or thickness planer with a 4″ flexible hose. Basic dust collection systems consist of very few actual parts, the motor and vacuum assembly, and two removable bags. These bags are normally mounted vertically, one on top of the other with the open ends of each meeting in the center. The lower bag will collect the saw dust particles, while the upper bag filters the air before it returns to the shop. Larger, more expensive units may have a series of collection and filtration bags, these units also will have larger motor and vacuum assemblies.

Some woodworkers move the hose from the collection system between machines as they are used, while others favor a more permanent arrangement. These installations may have a combination of rigid tubing and flexible hoses connecting various machines and the dust collection unit. The tubing can be either plastic pipe, or metal 4″ pipes. Most of the smaller system, do not have a large enough motor to apply vacuum to several devices at the same time, so shut off valves are installed at each machine. As each machine is used, the operator opens the valve, also known as a blast gate for that machine, and closes the one for the machines not being used at that time.

When tubing is used, it is advisable to use “wye” connections, and not “tee” connections. There is too much resistance to flow in to the “tee’s”. The “wye” must be installed with the flow toward the collection unit. It is also advisable to run a bare copper wire inside the tubing and connect it to all of the machines connected to the dust collection unit. The flow of the saw dust through the tubing and hoses can create a static build up, which can result in the operator receiving an electrical shock, or static sensitive tools can be damaged. The bare wire acts to put all of the tools at the same electrical potential, which reduces the potential for a shock.

There are maintenance items for the dust collection system. Some of the units have cloth bags, which do not allow the operator to see just how full the collection bags are. When the collection bag get too full, the collection system does little more then make a lot of noise. The other issue is that the bag that filters the return air, are also made of some cloth material and these bags need to be cleaned regularly to maintain the effectiveness of the unit.

While dust collection units are normally mounted on the floor of the shop and collect the majority of the saw dust chips, the air filtration systems are normally mounted on the ceiling of the shop and work to eliminate to smaller airborne contaminates from the air in the shop.

Air filtration systems re cycle the air in the shop, removing particles down to the micron level. The actual filtration levels vary between different manufacturers and models. Also the filter media may differ between manufacturers. Maintenance on the air filtration units consists of either cleaning or replacing the filter media on a regular basis.

Air filtration systems normally are ran for the entire time that the shop is occupied, rather then being cycled on and off as the dust collections tend to be. One of the nicer features of the air filtration systems is that the unit can be set to run for a specific amount of time and the shut off. This is really nice when you want to keep the airborne contaminates count low, such as when your finish coat is drying. Before you leave the shop, you set the timer to run for say 4 hours, at which time the air filtration system shuts off. And your finish has been protected from any airborne dust particles.

To get the most effect air quality in your shop, both the dust collection systems and the air filtration systems should be installed and used religiously. Both are important tools to help keep you healthy while in the woodworking shop.

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1. Woodworking Workshops – Dust Collection Systems

The article got me to thinking of other totally useless tools that haunt my tool box, that I ether bought in a senior moment, or were given to me by well meaning friends and family. Like the Screw driver/Flash light that I got one year from my mother in law. While I really appreciated the gesture, I was never sure what the purpose was. I mean it wasn’t a good flash light nor was it a good screw driver. But it was the thought that mattered.

Another tool that really looked good in the store, but just wasn’t, was a tape measure that is 100% flexible. I think the idea was so you can measure around things. It works so well it has a special place in my tool box. I’m sure your tool box has special places like that too.

One of the tools in the TOH article was a gutter cleaner. The product reported will travel the length of the gutter and via a flapper, throw out all of the gunk in the gutter. Sounds great, right? But think about it for a minute. How does the gizmo get into the gutter? You have to climb up the ladder and place it in the gutter, wait till it gets done and then remove it. You now have to go down in the yard and clean up the mess that the gizmo made. Seems to me that you would be better off just putting the ladder up and cleaning the gutter you’re self. Or if you are not comfortable on a ladder, hire someone.

So here is a challenge to all my fellow woodworkers, crafts people and tool junkies. Let me hear from you, tell me what tools you have that you would like to put on the “UnCool Tool List”. I would like to publish a list of those special tools, to maybe keep some other innocent woodworker from having a UnCool tool find its way into your tool box. I promise to protect your reputation by keeping your name secret, unless you are really proud of that special tool.

Let me know at jerseywoodworker@gmail.com

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Depending on the species of wood involved, the dust created may in fact be hazardous to your health. I have talked to several woodworkers who have developed severe allergic reactions to some of the exotic woods. I know from personal experience that after a of day cutting walnut, I end up with a very scratchy throat, and a mild rash on my face and hands. Thankfully, the problems correct themselves within a couple of hours.

On a more humorous side, I have also known woodworkers who have their shops located in the basement of their homes, and have raised the ire of their spouses when the sawdust from the shop gets picked up by the furnace and very liberally spread over the entire house. While this doesn’t create a medically hazardous condition, it can be hazardous none the less!

My shop is located in a separate building, so I don’t have to worry about tracking dust in via the furnace, but I still have to deal with the saw dust within my shop. Thankfully, I was given a dust collector system several years ago as a Christmas gift. And I am thankful for it every time I am in the shop.

Dust collection systems for your workshop.

Dust Collection Hose, Fittings and Accessories

Dust Collectors and Air Filtration

Nordfab Dust Collection System

Dust collection systems come in many variations, but the basic difference between them is the size of the vacuum system and the size of the collection bag. Most systems have a 4 “inlet that connects the system to your shop tools. Every woodworking store that I have visited has a very large collection of accessories for your dust collection system.

So how is mine configured? Well, currently I have a single hose connected to the dust collection unit

Clear Flexible Dust Collection Hose

that I move between the table saw, planer and shaper table. Is this the ideal setup? Not really, but I haven’t found the ideal setup yet. I have tried installing 4” duct work between the tools, and installed Blast gates to connect the tools individually.

Dust Collection Blast Gates

The Blast gates worked OK, but the truth is that I seemed to spend as much time opening and closing the individual gates, as I do now moving the hose between units. I also found that the metal Blast gates worked much better then the plastic ones. The plastic type clog easily and consequently, will not close completely. Another Issue I found out after installing the duct work and gates, the further the tool is away from the dust collection unit, the less the amount of suction power available. Or in other words, the tool that develops the most dust needs to be the closest to the Dust Collection unit. Makes sense, but not always practical.

If you decide to install duct work, I would make one very strong recommendation. Do not use 90 Degree Tee’s to connect your tools. Instead use 4” Wye Connectors. The Tee actually traps saw dust, and reduce the amount of vacuum available within the system.

Y-Connector Dust Collection Fitting

Some safety experts advocate that your dust collection system needs to be grounded to prevent a shock from static electricity. The static charge can be created by the velocity of the dust thru the flexible hoses. You can eliminate the potential problem by running a single braided copper wire, inside the hose. The wire needs to be connected on both ends to the metal frame of the tool. Use a simple crimp on connector on the wire.

If you are spending any amount of time in your shop, then a dust collection system is a must. Do you need to install a lot of ducts and blast gates, or simply move the hose around as you need it? That’s a personal choice. Whatever your choice, getting a dust collection system and using it is the most important thing. It might just make your shop a healthier and safer place to work. Or it might just keep you out of the dog house with your spouse.

For an additional large selection of Dust Collection System accessories, parts and upgrades, take a look at The Woodworking Tool Shop.

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