Wednesday, May 6, 2009

In Honor of Safety Week...

Growing up, it seemed to me that all the old time woodworkers were missing at least a finger tip or something. It was almost inevitable that the longer you did woodworking, the more likely you'll lose an appendage along the way. It was just accepted as a part of using power tools, and the really seasoned woodworkers could flip you the bird without having to bend a single finger.

Fast forward to more recent days. I can remember it like it was just, um.... a year ago. Marc got an email from a guy named Brent who's fingers met the moving blades of his jointer - big ouch. I think it really opened our eyes, but none more than Marc's. Among all the things to learn in the woodworking community, one of the least covered was safety. Inspired by Brent's accident, Marc came up with "Safety Week". Sure, we had plenty wise cracks and silly safety technique ideas for him, but it was a great idea and a big success. And now - only a year later - it's even bigger, even more influential, and has inspired so many more to recognize how important it is to apply safe practices in wood working. Bravo Marc. You are hand crafting your most important legacy.

I won't go on about my favorite safety technique or anything like that. I think they're being covered very well among all the blogs and wodworking sites. I will, however, leave you with a little reminder - Marc's first post announcing the first anual safety week...for your nostalgic viewing pleasure: http://thewoodwhisperer.com/woodworkers-safety-week-may-5th-may-9th/

Happy safety week everyone.

Mike

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