Safety

1. In a Medical Emergency – Dial 911 – Use the woodshop address posted near the front door. All members have emergency contact information on the backside of their name tag and a current contact phone number next to their name when signed in.
2. Alert a monitor immediately of an injury or medical issue. Monitors may shut down power to the shop equipment during an emergency and ask for assistance from members.
3. First Aid Kit – Is located in the finishing room with limited supplies i.e. Band-Aids , gauze, etc.
4. Closed toed shoes must be worn. No loose jewelry, hair, or clothing is allowed when operating power tools.
5. Safety equipment, such as eye protection and hearing protection must be worn for tools and machines for which they are required. Face shields are provided for the Lathes.
6. Woodshop Monitors have absolute power in the Woodshop. If they think some operation is dangerous, then it is. No arguments will be accepted.
7. No smoking is allowed in the Woodshop. No open flame (cigarette lighter, propane torch, welding torch, candle, match) is allowed in the Woodshop. Sawdust, wood, and paint solvents in the presence of a flame or spark is an invitation to fire and explosion.
8. Clean your area and stow tools after each use of the Woodshop.
9. If a member changed the configuration of a machine (changed saw blade, installed dado set, installed router bit, etc.) to perform a task, that member is expected to return the machine to the previous configuration before leaving the shop.
10. Do not leave unfinished projects on benches, carts, or tool surfaces. Projects must be stored in appropriate locations and Labeled with your name and date using blue tape.
11. Report any damaged, broken, or unusable tools to a Woodshop monitor. Never use damaged or broken machines. Never use a machine that is producing an unusual sound.
12. You must use installed guard systems unless removal has been approved by the Head Monitor. Be sure guards are properly adjusted.
13. When in doubt, ask for assistance from a Woodshop Monitor.
14. Never leave running tools unattended. Always turn power off when finished.
15. Never distract anyone using a machine. Wait until they have completed the operation before approaching or initiating any conversation.
16. Always use the dust collection system to reduce airborne dust in the shop, which is the least visible safety issue but potentially one of the worst. All power equipment has manually operated dust gates which are to be opened before the power equipment is turned on and closed by after the power is shut off.
17. None of the woodworking machines, excepting drill presses, shall be used for cutting ferrous metal. This hard rule applies to woodworking machines, and not to the few shop machines designed specifically for cutting metals, such as the grinders for sharpening lathe tools, the small vertical-belt sander for sharpening knives, and the battery-powered metal-cutting bandsaws specifically designed for cutting steel.
18. No chairs or stools will be left on the main shop area and planer room floor (policy does not apply to the finishing room), except the one chair by the sign-in desk. Sitting on a stool or chair in these shop areas is okay, but once you are finished sitting, you must return the chair or stool to it’s storage location off of the shop floor.

Table Saws

• Riving Knife: Must be in place for all cuts except multi-blade dado or wedgie-sled cuts.
• Blade Height: Set no more than 1/4 inch above the stock.
• Push Sticks: Required when the fence is closer than 6 inches to the blade.
• Kickback Prevention: Never leave wood stock between the blade and the fence; push stock completely past the blade.
• Hand Safety: Hands must never come closer than 4 inches to a running blade.
• Ripping vs. Cross-cutting: Use the fence for ripping only and the miter gauge/cross-cut sled for cross-cutting only.
• Stock Condition: Material must have at least one straight (jointed) edge and one flat face.

Lathes

• Eye Protection: A full ASTM Z87+ face shield is mandatory during turning (provided at each lathe).
• Speed Control: Always check the lathe speed before turning it on; start at a slower speed for larger or unbalanced pieces.
• Tool Rest: Position the rest close to the work and rotate the workpiece by hand to ensure clearance before power-on.
• Red Zone: Avoid standing directly in front of or behind the workpiece (the “firing zone”) when starting the machine.
• Sanding: Turn off the power and remove the tool rest before sanding or polishing.

Bandsaws

• Blade Guard: Set the upper guide at a height no more than 1/4 inch above the stock.
• Hand Safety: Keep fingers at least 2 inches away from the path of the blade.
• Log/Bowl Cutting: No crosscutting of logs; the 14-inch Laguna bandsaw is reserved for resawing and requires specific training.
• Backing Out: If you must back out of a long cut, stop the machine and wait for the blade to stop completely first.

Jointers

• Maximum Cut: Do not exceed a depth of 1/16 inch per pass (1/32 inch for final passes).
• Stock Size: Do not joint stock shorter than 12 inches; jointing end grain is prohibited.
• Hand Safety: Use push blocks for flattening stock and keep fingers at least 6 inches from the cutterhead.
• Orientation: Always position stock with the bow facing down and cut with the grain.

Planers

• Wood Restrictions: Absolutely no recycled, painted, or metal-embedded wood.
• Feed Direction: Always plane with the grain; never feed boards perpendicular (width-wise).
• End grain boards are prohibited in the planner.
• Depth of Cut: Do not remove more than 1/16 inch per pass.
• Safety: Never look into the planer or put hands inside while the cutterhead is moving.

Drill Presses

• Clamping: Use a clamp or vise to secure short stock; never attempt to handhold small pieces while drilling.
• Chuck Key: Always remove the chuck key immediately after tightening the bit.
• Hand Safety: Keep hands and fingers at least 3 inches from rotating bits.
• Cylindrical Stock: Use a “V” block when drilling into rounded materials.

Compound Miter Saws

• Hand Safety: Never allow hands or fingers closer than 6 inches to the blade.
• Cutting Short Pieces: Do not cut material shorter than 8 inches without a zero-clearance backer board.
• Technique: Pull the saw out to the width of the material before starting, then push back during the cut to maintain control.

Grinders

• Tool Rest Clearance: Adjusted to within 1/8 inch of the wheel.
• Spark Arrestor: The tongue guard must be within 1/4 inch of the wheel.
• Startup: Stand to the side for the first full minute after starting the grinder.