Poll - When installing dado blades I ....

[clowman]

A poll for the the new year.

 

[lwhughes149]

I don't doubt the results but my past mentor said he never did because he was the only one in the shop and who else would cut it on? I didn't take that knowledge back to the shop. I always unplug my tablesaw. And I almost always replace the guard when I put the regular blade back on. I put the guard close by so I will see it and remember. I threw a piece of plywood at my dog sometime back. My guard is a must in my list of safety must.

 

[sapwood]

Had to respond 75-100%, but since Monty's adventure I've made it one of my New Year's resolutions to unplug tablesaw, bandsaw, planer, and drillpress before changing blades. I've always unplugged everything before leaving shop . . . except shop vac. Hoping for a reason to get one that is less noisey :lol:

Roger

 

[dancam]

I ALWAYS unplug the beast whenever I do any adjustments to the balde etc. And I've made it a recent habit to unplug all the equipment before shutting down the shop.

Better to be safe than sorry.

Dan C.

 

[Travis Porter]

Ditto for me as to what Roger said. Monty's debaucle scared me.

 

[botebum]

Don't have a dado set(yet) so I went with your intention of 'whenever you change blades on your saw' and for me it's 100% whether it's the table saw, circular saw, sabre saw, etc. I've still got some scars from when I was young and invincible.

Doug

 

[Monty]

I'll admit I was probably in the "sometimes" category. But when I walked in my shop and found my table saw running by itself... 8-O well let's just say I saw the light! 100% for me! :icon_thum

BTW - I'm glad to see that my thread about the table saw switch problem seems to have had an effect on some of the members here. I know it changed my attitude, and there may be a tiny chance that it may save a finger or two...

 

[woodnick]

I put a Air Conditioner disconnect on the side of my saw. So it's just a matter of fliping a switch

 

[clowman]

Oh.. for the record... I am in the 100% category... I have 2 little boys running around. Last thing I need is for one of them to see what the pretty green button does. Although I am training them to never touch any green buttons in my shop.

 

[Canuck]

I too don't have the dado set .....................yet!!!!:crybaby2:

I do make it a habit to unplug everything (router, bandsaw, drill press, jointer, planer) whenever I am changing bits, blades or just cleaning them up to put away after a days worth of work (an hour or so!:slap: ).

I had a router run away from me once when I plugged it in! (Motor was in the "on" position when I switched from a D-handle to fixed base:BangHead: )

Lesson learnt!!!

Wayne

 

[jeff...]

well I would like to be in 100 percentile - but in all honesty I know of one time I forgot to unplug the saw - so I have to say in the 75% - 99% :cry:

 

[lwhughes149]

It maybe obvious to others but tell me why I should unplug everything before leaving the shop?

 

[clowman]

Here is one reason....

Another reason for me is I have a 4 year old, and a 1 1/2 year old. As a rule, I do not let any of the neighborhood kids in my shop (garage). I don't even let them put a toe in the garage, unless their parents are with them. I even had one parent ask me what's the big deal. I politely explained that I simply didn't want them to hurt themselves. I think they at first thought I was afraid something would get stolen. After a minute of explaination, they blessed my rule, and thanked me for "thinking" for them.

 

[MikeH]

I was just about the refer to the same forum. These crazy machines sometimes have a mind of their own.

 

[cpowell]

I always pull the plug. I will admit I occasionally will press the Start button and realize I forgot to plug it back in...DUHHHHHH. :lol: :lol:

Chuck

 

[NCPete]

It maybe obvious to others but tell me why I should unplug everything before leaving the shop?

ghosts in the machines :lol: sometimes turning themselves on, or being available to be turned on by people who have no need to touching the power equipment....

 

[NCPete]

I also re-set the 'stop' button, as it has become habit for one of my breakers to pop every other odd time when I start the TS, don't want it to fire up when power is re-applied :-x

 

[lwhughes149]

I guess I live by different standards because I don't have children or other adults closeby. This has given me something to think about. I will usually lock my shop at the end of the day.

 

[toolferone]

Well I was the firt one to vote "never". I am teaching begining woodworking classes at Wc and I am very good about unpluging the tool I am adjusting or just talking about. The funny thing is how often I go to turn on the tool and it won't start. I guess I should let some of teh class rub off at the home shop too.

 

[ChrisC]

The woodshop I worked at as a teenager, wasn't big on safety. We never did, UNTIL a retired Square-D engineer we were working for came in one day.

He saw one of the guys putting on a dado set without unplugging the saw. He had a hissy fit. Our saws had Square-D switches. He told us that saw dust gets in that old type switch and could turn the saw on by itself for no reason.

After that day, we never put our hands,etc. near the sawblade without unplugging the saw.

About a year later, I dropped a small piece of wood on the top of one of the saws, and the saw came on. Luckly, the board wasn't near the blade. Took the cover off the switch, and blew the dust out.