Delta 36-322L Operations Instructions download pdf (Page 10)

Protect

Yourself

very time you walk into a woodworking shop, you’re ex-

posed to certain potential risks. Dust, fumes, noise, and

flying wood chips often await. But your shop doesn’t have

to be a dangerous place. According to the Home Safety Council

(HSC), taking some basic precautions helps to prevent accidents.

Eye Protection

Be sure your eyes are protected every time you turn on a machine.

If you’re in the shop with someone else running equipment, you

still should wear eye protection. Remember, everyday prescription

glasses probably don’t qualify. Chances are,

they lack the required impact resistance. They

also have no side shields.

Safety glasses have come a long way from

those old “frog-eyed” goggles you wore in

chemistry class. With a little shopping, you can

find a pair that’s attractive and comfortable.

Be sure to look for plastic glasses that are

certified by the American National Standards

Institute (ANSI); this tells you that they’ve

been impact tested. If you wear prescription

glasses and can’t find safety glasses that fit over them, get a full-

face shield. Here’s a good final tip: To prevent your safety glasses

from getting covered with sawdust, wipe them with a dryer sheet

before making cuts. This will reduce static and help your lenses

stay clear while you work.

Safety Gear

To help prevent injuries, the HSC recommends stocking your

home shop with the following items.

• Safety glasses or goggles

• Hearing protection, such as earplugs or earmuffs

• Face shield or mask to keep sawdust and other small particles

away from your mouth and nose

• First-aid kit

• Safety gloves appropriate for multiple tasks

The HSC is the only national nonprofit organization dedicated

solely to preventing home-related injuries, which result in nearly

20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits on average each

year. Through national programs, partnerships, and volunteer

support, the HSC educates people of all ages to be safe in and

around their homes. The council is a 501(c)(3) charitable organi-

zation located in Washington, D.C.

Lowe’s is the founding sponsor of the HSC. For more tips to

keep you and your family safe at home, please visit the HSC

Web site, www.homesafetycouncil.org.

Follow these helpful workshop safety tips

from the Home Safety Council.

the right tools

18 Summer 2006

PHOTOGRAPH: © ROYALTY-FREE/CORBIS

THE WOOD POST 19

made up his small

shop: a table saw, a

router, and a miter

saw. Since then, he

has expanded into

a 16- x 20-foot shop

that’s outfitted with

machines mounted on portable

bases so that he can move them

around as needed.

Allen first enjoyed woodworking

because it was a way to relieve

stress. Now he says it’s the most

satisfying thing he does.

“The greatest reward in wood-

working is looking at a finished

piece and saying, ‘I built that,’ ”

he explains.

you don’t know of a local sharpener, consult

a woodworking club or saw-blade manufac-

turer. Make sure to use a sharpening service

recommended by a woodworker.

Sharpening High-Speed

Steel Blades

As with any other high-speed steel (HSS)

blade in your workshop, such as a plane or

handsaw blade, a HSS saw blade can be

sharpened. We advise you to have this done

professionally, because if you don’t sharpen

every tooth identically and set, or bend, each

alternate tooth perfectly, the blade will not

run true.

Proper Storage

Finally, you can increase the life of any saw

blade by storing it properly. This includes

replacing a blade in its original packaging or

setting it in a simple storage rack. Both of

these methods keep the teeth from coming in

contact with metal. When teeth touch, HSS

versions will dull, and carbide-tipped blades

will fracture or chip.

To clean a blade, put on rubber gloves, and

place the blade in a pan. Spray on one coat of

pitch and gum remover, and wait the recom-

mended time. After it sets, scrub the teeth of

the blade with a toothbrush to remove stub-

born deposits. Use a cloth to wipe off excess

residue; then flip the blade and clean the other

side. When you’re finished, wipe both sides

clean one more time.

Sharpening Carbide-Tipped Blades

It’s best to have this done by a professional

who has experience working with carbide. If

llen Lillard believes that the

biggest life obstacle most

people face is fear of failure. That

fearfulness, he says, often keeps

them from chasing their dreams.

Folks looking to enter wood-

working should shake off their

anxiety, he explains, especially if

they are considering the craft as

a career choice.

“I would certainly encourage

a young person who likes it—is

good at it—to pursue it as a ca-

reer,” says the Greensboro, North

Carolina, resident. “I encourage

people to get in there and do it.”

In fact, Allen wishes that he had

switched fields to woodworking.

“If I had gotten into it in my early

forties, it would have been a great

career,” he says. “I have no doubt

that I could have provided (finan-

cially) for my family.”

The retired real estate devel-

oper has built more than 50 pieces

of furniture for family and friends,

including baby cribs, side tables,

dressers, and cabinets. Last year

he built three secretaries. “Each

time I built one, I think I improved,”

he says. “You keep learning to do

things a little better.”

Allen’s woodworking endeavors

began in the 1970s as he started

making frames for a friend who

was an artist. Three power tools

workshop

member profile

ith use, all saw blades get dull and

dirty and will require sharpening

and cleaning. Some, such as scroll

and band saw blades, can be cleaned, but

because they have so many teeth, replacing

them is more cost effective than sharpening

them. Table and miter saw blades, on the

other hand, easily can be cleaned and sharp-

ened, although carbide-tipped blades require

less frequent sharpening than high-speed

steel blades. Both types will cut truer and

last longer if kept clean and stored properly.

Cleaning Blades

Saw blades pick up pitch and gum from the

wood they cut. If you cut a lot of softwood,

the blades can pick up resin as well. Any

buildup on your blades will decrease cutting

efficiency and sometimes cause burning and

ragged cuts. Consider making a blade-cleaning

kit that includes a shallow pan large enough

for the blade, a toothbrush, rubber gloves, a

can of pitch and gum remover, and a cloth.

Keep some contractor’s paper on hand, as

well, to protect surrounding work surfaces.

Pursuing A Dream

These vital accessories will keep their edge when you follow a few simple tips.

Maintaining Saw Blades

PHOTOGRAPH: JOHN O’HAGAN

His current proj-

ect is a mahogany

mantel that will fea-

ture fluted columns

and a granite bor-

der. By the time he

has completed it,

Allen estimates he’ll have spent

roughly 35 hours building the

mantel. The next project on his list

is a classic family heirloom—a

grandfather clock. It is an interest-

ing choice for Allen, considering

what happens to him when he’s

in his shop.

“I get lost—time doesn’t mat-

ter because I get so involved,”

he says.

Allen

Lillard

PHOTOGRAPH: STEVEN MCBRIDE

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Delta 36-322L Operations Instructions Page 10

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