What push sticks do you use to keep the fingers on????

[Anonymous]

Hi all

Well, I had a hospital appointment yetserday and the damage is worst than first thought. As well as being pretty fed up to hear that it will take much longer to heal, my thoughts turned to future avoidance!!!

So, what push stick (or other useful tools) designs have peopel come up with and what do they use?

Homemade?
Purchased?
Design?

I did order some of these Axminster these and mrs T keeps muttering about horses, bolting and locks :?

I would be very interested to see or hear about what others use.

 

[Chris Knight]

Tony,
I am very sorry to hear your news. Surprise them by healing faster!

Re pads. I use similar ones but also have a pair which in addition to the friction pad have a small spring loaded "step" that retracts if placed directly on the workpiece (leaving the rubber to grip the work) or, if placed at and end of a board say, will push directly on the board (similar to the traditional push shoe). I rate this kind highly. If I can find a web reference I will post it.

 

[Anonymous]

Chris

If you can find a reference or link, that would be great.

I have one pad that came with a Nutool planer half a dozen years ago and I glued a piece of wood on the rubber to work as you say, however, this meant that I could not use it on the router table on the day of the accident. Retracting block sounds ideal

 

[dedee]

Tony, have you seen the Grr-ripper (http://www.microjig.com/). It pops up on john lucas' site quite often http://www.woodshopdemos.com/nprod-14a.htm.

Andy

 

[tim]

Tony

Aside from several proprietary push sticks and pads, I have also recently started wearing these esp with sheet goods

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?cId=A331066&ts=01290&id=56535

I bought them for moving larger pieces of sheet material which can be slippery and difficult to grip. What I have also found is that sometimes a hand which is someway from the blade can slip towards it if the surface is dusty etc and these help prevent that. They are not pushstick replacements before anyone comments.

Cheers

Tim

 

[Chris Knight]

Tony,

These are the things I mentioned above http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES. ... UM=124-205

I got them from Woodworker's Supply.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Tony

I'm so sorry to hear your news. As Chris says, show them what you can do.

I use similar ones to the Axminster link, but I must say that I like Chris's Joy Block.

Cheers
Neil

 

[Neomorph]

I just use the plastic pushstick that came with my cheapo table saw.

It does the job which is all that you can ask for.

Mind you I still wouldn't mind getting some chain mail gloves. When I told this to my sister she surprised me by saying that you CAN get metal reinforced gloves but they are apparently very awkward to use. :?

 

[Gill]

Hi Tony

Let's hope you recover more speedily than the medics predict. Then you'll be able to enjoy the maximum satisfaction from flicking the V's at them !

Push sticks? I use a plastic one that was supplied with my Kity 419 and one that I made from a plywood offcut about 9 years ago. They're dead easy to make and cheaper than those that are commercially available.

Gill

 

[Scrit]

So, what push stick (or other useful tools) designs have peopel come up with and what do they use?

Homemade?
Purchased?
Design?

Home-made. By their nature push sticks are a consumable. They get chewed-up, so make your own from offcuts

I did order some of these Axminster these and mrs T keeps muttering about horses, bolting and locks :?

I wouldn't use any of them on a table saw. Neither would I use the type like this. The way that any C&G pupil is taught to use a rip saw is to keep the hands and fingers at least 12inches away from the blade at all times and never to lean over the saw table. That means the safest design is like this

A quick push stick can be made by notching the end of a piece of 1-1/2 x 1 PAR pine.

Scrit

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies and good wishes

Just ordered a couple of those Chris, thanks mate :wink:

keep the ideas coming!!!

 

[RogerS]

Did I read somewhere of an instance where the plastic type of push-stick shattered while in use?

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Tony

Just ordered a couple of those Chris, thanks mate

If you don't mind me asking, how much was the carriage?

Cheers
Neil

 

[Mdotflorida]

Sorry to hear about the finger Tony.

A couple of years ago I severed a Tendon in my thumb (Reminds self Stanley knives are NOT chisels in disguise ) All I would say is don't rush it and follow all advice. Took 6 months or more to get full mobility back but it finally came.

I use the plastic thing that came with my saw but sometimes I would like more downward control so I may take a look at Chris's option. For me, I feel safest when using the long push stick from the back together with feather boards to hold the stock in the right place.

Mend well
Jeff

 

[JFC]

I make my own out of offcuts , I have a few plastic ones that came with tools but ive nicked them once or twice and decided i dont like them . Ive made myself 3-4 types and all of them have a birdsmouth to hold the end of the timber , i dont trust nonslip grippy stuff and then adding sawdust :shock: Not for me .
Hope the fingers mend soon .

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Tony

Just ordered a couple of those Chris, thanks mate

If you don't mind me asking, how much was the carriage?

Cheers
Neil

$10.99 for each pad (I orderd 2)
$6.95 pack and indured delivery

 

[Oldflyer2]

I too am recovering from a push stick incident. I was using a plastic push stick (Came with a saw) with some hickory. The stick just touched the saw blade and exploded into many pieces.

Needless to say the hickory got loose and went flying ... into me

End result ... I still find parts of the push stick when I clean the shop. I will never have proper use of my thumb and finger again. My cracked rib is almost better.

The table saw is now gone ... Not it's fault but I really do hate them. My big bandsaw does what I need.

Tom

 

[Neomorph]

I too am recovering from a push stick incident. I was using a plastic push stick (Came with a saw) with some hickory. The stick just touched the saw blade and exploded into many pieces.

Needless to say the hickory got loose and went flying ... into me

End result ... I still find parts of the push stick when I clean the shop. I will never have proper use of my thumb and finger again. My cracked rib is almost better.

The table saw is now gone ... Not it's fault but I really do hate them. My big bandsaw does what I need.

Tom

Oh god! :shock: I've been using the push stick that came with my table saw and that too is plastic. Looks like it's going in the bin tomorrow and make my own.

I mentioned getting a chain mail suit... scratch that... anyone know of a supplier of plate mail instead lol.

 

[Oldflyer2]

Good idea John.

I was lucky, no digits missing and only a few drops of blood from where the sharp plastic bits hit me.

It is amazing ... I have found about a dozen pieces so far of the push stick. My shop is 28 feet long and some pieces were at the opposite end to where the saw was.

Again, it wasn't the saw's fault. A large bit of operator laziness involved. (Not making a proper push stick when getting the saw).

Tom

 

[Neomorph]

Hmmm... lack of sleep overnight meant when I did sleep I got some vivid dreams... brain came up with a pushstick with some rubberised foam around it. Would help it not slipping and if you got too near the saw it would spit foam bits at you as warning before it hit the wood. :-k

How about we have a competition to create the safest pushstick? :idea: