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I wanted to run the huge 24” table saw in shop when I was 12. I’m glad no one let me.

by ip26 6y ago

freeone3000 6y ago
What about you being twelve made you less safe than someone of sixteen? "Don't put fingers on the metal bit" isn't a terribly complex lesson, about on par with "don't touch the stove when it's hot" or "curl your fingers when cutting downwards".
- ip26 6y ago
  Less strength, focus, reach, coordination, awareness, probably less responsible... anyway, a large table saw is one of the most dangerous power tools in a wood shop. There’s just no reason a 12 year old needs to assume that risk. We had unfettered use of band saws, drills, jig saws, sanders, and all kinds of equipment. You don’t need to run the table saw to learn woodworking. I think about this as a parent. Letting your kid take risks is good. A jig saw can hurt! But that doesn’t mean a child should be taking mortal risk. A table saw can absolutely kill you.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
- imtringued 6y ago
  >Don't put fingers on the metal bit" isn't a terribly complex lesson No, that's not the problem. The problem is kickback.
imtringued 6y ago
I'm an adult and I don't want to use table saws because I consider them too dangerous. Nobody has to tell me when I am old enough for them because I know the danger doesn't go away with age. I also don't want to weld or use an angle grinder for the same reasons. Dangerous tools will never be safe. If I could avoid driving I would probably stop that too.
sitkack 6y ago
That isn't what I said, this is a comic book guy response. Am I supposed to argue with you and support and argument I wasn't trying to make? No one unskilled should do dangerous things, rather than throw up comment like this, why not make a constructive one along the lines of, "when I was 12 I wanted to build X and it required using the large table saw. I had to wait until I was 17 to do that because using the table saw blocked me. How can we unblock kids from completing their projects?"
- ip26 6y ago
  I must have misunderstood your concept of proto-adult, apologies.
  - sitkack 6y ago
    You might not have, but jumping directly to using the most dangerous tool in the shop is not what one would expect for the most inexperienced person in the room. The idea is that we ramp the responsibilities and the agency as the person is ready, not by some date. I have known 10 year olds that could schedule a 100 person party and 40 year olds that are incapable of paying a parking ticket on time. The thing I take point with is bringing up the most extreme counterpoint to the concept I put forth has the affect of either derailing the conversation or shutting it down. Don't vanquish imaginary dragons, give cover to a spring flower in a hailstorm under blue skies.

I wanted to run the huge 24” table saw in shop when I was 12. I’m glad no one let me.

by ip26 6y ago

I wanted to run the huge 24” table saw in shop when I was 12. I’m glad no one let me.

What about you being twelve made you less safe than someone of sixteen? "Don't put fingers on the metal bit" isn't a terribly complex lesson, about on par with "don't touch the stove when it's hot" or "curl your fingers when cutting downwards".

ip26 6y ago
Less strength, focus, reach, coordination, awareness, probably less responsible... anyway, a large table saw is one of the most dangerous power tools in a wood shop. There’s just no reason a 12 year old needs to assume that risk. We had unfettered use of band saws, drills, jig saws, sanders, and all kinds of equipment. You don’t need to run the table saw to learn woodworking. I think about this as a parent. Letting your kid take risks is good. A jig saw can hurt! But that doesn’t mean a child should be taking mortal risk. A table saw can absolutely kill you.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
imtringued 6y ago
>Don't put fingers on the metal bit" isn't a terribly complex lesson No, that's not the problem. The problem is kickback.

imtringued 6y ago

I'm an adult and I don't want to use table saws because I consider them too dangerous. Nobody has to tell me when I am old enough for them because I know the danger doesn't go away with age. I also don't want to weld or use an angle grinder for the same reasons. Dangerous tools will never be safe. If I could avoid driving I would probably stop that too.

sitkack 6y ago

That isn't what I said, this is a comic book guy response. Am I supposed to argue with you and support and argument I wasn't trying to make? No one unskilled should do dangerous things, rather than throw up comment like this, why not make a constructive one along the lines of, "when I was 12 I wanted to build X and it required using the large table saw. I had to wait until I was 17 to do that because using the table saw blocked me. How can we unblock kids from completing their projects?"

ip26 6y ago
I must have misunderstood your concept of proto-adult, apologies.
- sitkack 6y ago
  You might not have, but jumping directly to using the most dangerous tool in the shop is not what one would expect for the most inexperienced person in the room. The idea is that we ramp the responsibilities and the agency as the person is ready, not by some date. I have known 10 year olds that could schedule a 100 person party and 40 year olds that are incapable of paying a parking ticket on time. The thing I take point with is bringing up the most extreme counterpoint to the concept I put forth has the affect of either derailing the conversation or shutting it down. Don't vanquish imaginary dragons, give cover to a spring flower in a hailstorm under blue skies.