Shopsmith Forums

Ohhh yeah. He has been on a tear against those online "woodworking plan sites" that rip off existing plans and sell them as their own, with no mention or compensation to the original designers.

He got a bit emotional when some people chipped in and bought him a table saw. Let down the "unhinged" act for a bit there. lol

Plus, I love how he doesn't use a tripod... just craziness!:D But he does what I need to do more of, simply get out to the garage and make something. don't put it off or be intimidated. The worst it can do is cost me a bit of wood... right? In fact, Steve and Paul Sellers (I know, totally different methods and demeanors!) have motivated me to do just that and I'm actually making useful items for my gal.

There is nothing more important than these... sharp tools! Sorry Norm... I had ta say it!:D

I think Mike has it right. I recently say a documentery on the building of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. One of the things I remeber the most is that with todays OSHA restrictions it would be impossible to rebuild but I don't believe any one was killed in the building of it at the time common since and keeping an I on their own safety ruled the day.

Well, I'm not experienced enough to know where it should go. I just know when I was in the Navy in 1968, it was drilled into us that safety was first. The crew of the ship depended on us to keep them safe. The pilots of the planes depended on us for their lives. While I worked for DOD, it was always safety first, sometimes to the ridiculuous. It got to be that we normal folks couldn't change a flourescent light bulb.

Go back into American history. When cars were becoming available, at all intersections, the driver had to have a shot gun and a bonka. First, the driver of the car, stopped and turned off the car. Driver then exited the car, sounded the bonka and the shotgun, looked both ways so to ensure no one was coming with a horse, horse and carriage or mule and wagon.

Airplanes to this day, especially, commercial, fills up tanks to the max. As they approach their destination, if they get a landing slot at the right time, they dump perfect fuel.

Wipers on cars were a safety factor. Thanks to Chrysler for that one.

Lighthouses are a safety courtesy for mariners. And, they used to be privately owned. Then all the old timers retired and died off. No one would man the lighthouses, then automated and given to government to maintain.

The discharge chute and back flap on your lawn mower was mandated because a man in Georgia in 1958, too lazy or sloppy in picking up the debris from his yard prior to mowing, was killed. The lawnmower picked up a piece of wire, tossed it out the side discharge and into his heart. Died in the yard before the ambulance could get there. Remember the story well as it was not far from where I grew up. Safety, first, second, third, it should be common sense IMHO.