Everything went wrong but I still designed this custom articulated storage box

[@Garoninja]

This is not helping me convince myself I don't need a laser cutter. I hadn't even considered custom boxes

[@nathanwright8598]

Same. Been keeping my eyes open for a used one.

[@franklynotyourbussiness9401]

I can relate. If not for the fact I don't have space for it, I'd be getting one as soon as I could.

[@GrayeWilliams]

I can heartily recommend Xtool’s products. I’ve got the M1 laser/blade combo and the P2 co2, and both are incredible. I’ve been engraving since I was a kid and they’re stupid easy to use.

[@aeonjoey3d]

Haaaaaa!!!! I have no notes, guilty as well lol

[@aeonjoey3d]

@@GrayeWilliams oh man, i've seen thoes on instagram and thought they might be all hype at first but I've seen some setups that blew my mind, one guy showed off a conveyer belt add on!? i thought they were just consumer products but they have some solid prosumer and commercial use it looks like

[@erlendh3257]

The black lines are phenolic resin-based glue, often classified as 'outdoor use.' The transparent glue (5-ply in your case) is water-based and often categorized as indoor ply. The resin chars much more when being burned, making the laser less efficient at cutting through.

[@Nifty-Stuff]

Just gotta say: Michael, that's a SUPER smart design!!!

[@Chad.The.Flornadian]

"I would have filmed more, but I was too busy swearing." - I think we can all relate to this! LOL Another great video Michael. I think that showing how even professionals and makers run into issues, problems, and gremlins will help the entire maker community deal with stressors they encounter. SH*T HAPPENS! Accept it...Learn from it...And move on.

[@thorbenh]

Nice to see someone else also having a bad time with "quick, simple projects". I don't mean I'm happy it happened to you, I only wish you the best, but it's very relatable to have this happen.

[@troywalker8078]

I am SOOOO glad to see that I am not the only one who goes through these types of frustrations!

[@peppekerstens]

You just shown my average diy project. I guess I'm cursed😮

[@FedeHippo]

Maybe paint the inside white instead of black? Would be way easier to find black lenses at night. And for extra ease of use, install some LED strips in the same color as the flashlight you showed at the start

[@elvinhaak]

Probably not the best idea for the LED's ... eyes need time to adjust again to darkness and just a little bit too bright LED's can have you take half an hour before you can work well again in the dark. Even a glowstick can be very bright so a small torch is working better besides just beeing able to find all the things you need by feel. When taking pictures, even white can be disturbing but that will probably okay inside the box. Red or green velvet is probably a wiser choice so you can still see the shadows.

[@hedwigmathijs3717]

@@elvinhaak If they paint the inside white and illuminate the inside with use just a couple of simple red LEDs, those don't ruin night vision but will still produce a nice contrast of the lenses against the red background.

[@grantmills4829]

P.S really enjoyed the design process, from identifying the design requirements through to the final product.

[@reliablerusty7039]

LMFAO... Quote of the year "I would have filmed more but I was to busy cursing". I hear ya brother!

[@likelovehahawow]

Great project and a lovely result. I’d recommend cutting the protective foam to cradle that solar filter in a manner that doesn’t let it roll to the sides in transport. An over center mechanism would work better than the magnets in keeping the lid from closing “without permission”. I really like the parts where you are testing the workings as you go and making small adjustments all along the way. I’ve learned from experience that this sort of testing benefits from adding weights and such to the process as mechanisms often behave perfectly when everything is empty but fail under load. It’s super easy to build stuff with perfect movements only to find everything binds the moment you put things in a drawer, a truth that you never uncover in computer simulation Thanks for sharing all this projects

[@imfabs]

Need to use an oscillating tool blade with carbide or titanium teeth for cutting the screws. Alternatively a good pair of side cutters

[@Mr_Yod]

I have a Bosch blade with titanium teeth, but it sadly isn't quite good at cutting wood screws. =( The teeth do resist wear, but after one screw I switched to the angle grinder with sandpaper (it was something I had to paint with opaque paint and I didn't care much about aesthetic).

[@naikymen]

My making journeys are only about curses and frustration. One time i struggled to get a structure square, only to realise that the extrusions were bent! I enjoy working with constraints but there is a limit to everything. Nice drawers!

[@JAYTEEAU]

Thanks for that Michael, brilliant design and so many funny lines. I'm glad it's worked out in the end. Cheers

[@BenJuan26]

Thanks for taking us along with you through the trials. We've all been there. Reminds me of one I'm dealing with at work. A component wasn't behaving correctly, so we fixed it. But oops, we misunderstood the requirement, so it didn't actually fix the issue. Then once we understood what we needed to do, it wasn't possible without another service changing their API. We convinced them to do that, and it seemed to be working, but oops, the testing was a false positive. I realized the other service missed a step, so I let them know and they quickly fixed it. This time, it worked with more rigorous testing. Or at least, it did in staging, but the problem is still happening in production, and we have no idea why. I'm sure you can imagine how that feels!

[@philipershler420]

What a wonderful journey though the design, production, debugging and demonstration of the final case!

[@collie147]

Fantastic job. It looks amazing. I would put a glow in the dark strip in each of the eye piece trays right behind where the eyepieces would sit, that way in the dark you can see which slot is empty and which is full. The linkages look great too. For laser cut ply I tend to go with a laser material provider. If I go to a local timber supplier or hardware shop their supply tends to vary, especially for the cheaper ply or MDF (the thickness tolerances tend to vary a lot), but with the laser material provider, the stuff tends to be within specific tolerances. They use the same materials for their work too so its quality material and the price tends to be in or around the same as a timber supplier for their medium quality stuff.

[@arnaudcochin3854]

The frustrating part is always about the tolerancies for the mortises (or dog bones). According to the tool you used they are too tight or not enough (from 3d printer to laser cutter or CNC tolerancies are not the same). The final sanding/gluing is required even if you tried your best to avoid it... But the result is so rewarding. 🏅

[@ErrorTH]

I got into astro and it gave so much purpose for my other hobbies, esp. 3D printing. Building an OnStep, adapters, brackets, pulleys, they never end. My accessories are still scattered on a shelve...

[@php-3d]

Great Video! Like always!

[@gonegliding2966]

Yep, it happens. Welcome to the world of bespoke design!

[@tarcisiobatista5595]

I identify with your pain, my hole life its been like this, just keep moving forward. Stay hard

[@quintensteffens1942]

Nice work. Thank you for sharing the reality of designing, I can fully relate.

[@RPMiller]

You should totally add some red LED strips for lighting so you can see inside the box for things like caps and the like. I know you have the torch, but some integrated lighting would be so chef's kiss.

[@franktkalcevic5342]

I was thinking that too - lights come on when it is opened, like a fridge

[@gabriellgish]

As someone who had been designing and building a CoreXY 3D printer for the past 5 years, right before COVID hit in 2019, I understand your pain. The cursed cycle is destined for all makers.

[@jerseybarrier64]

Nice job and congratulations making it to the finish. Additions I would want would be some interior lights to help locate items in the dark and maybe a carrying handle.

[@kaytrim]

Almost every project needs some tweaking to get things working. At least you persevered and saw it through. I can't say the same thing with some of mine.

[@cmh8133]

Really nice final result.

[@alejandrot3689]

Very nice box! kudos!!

[@stuart_fisher]

I always find that when I'm on a short deadline then that is exactly when I get issues with technology. It often starts with "it'll only take 5 mins, I'l just do it now, at the end of the day", but is never that simple. The "5 minute" job turns into a day, or longer, of 3d printer maintenance and testing, ordering replacement parts if needed.

[@GeorgeGraves]

"the finish was exactly what I was after" - Ha! I'm going to use that line when I make something that looks like poop. Just say "That's what I was after!".

[@TeachingTech]

Thanks for the compliment.

[@OldCurmudgeon3DP]

A little envious. My 10" Apertura has been in the shipping box since it arrived last Dec. Happy stargazing & clear nights. The Cloudy Nights forum is a wealth of info if you haven't been there.

[@filetdelumiere5037]

Well done Michael, nice design ! The choice for the foam used to protect optical devices must be choosen with great care. In fact, lot of foam material tend to turn in powder after few years then polluting the opticals and the mechanisms.

[@TeachingTech]

That's good advice, thanks. At the moment I'm considering hard 3d prints lined with felt.

[@gameboys248]

Today I learned that acrylic under stress and isopropyl alcohol react together and the piece will start cracking from the stresspoint. Had to remake like 40% of the parts....

[@elvinhaak]

Yes. sooo 'nice'.... I cleaned an acrylic lense once.... how to make things useless in seconds... ;-(

[@kimmotoivanen]

Same with acetone. Used it for gluing (melting) RC car body parts cut from 1 mm sheet (way too thick, but that's what I could get) together. It's not very good for that though 🤔

[@ulliulli]

You could add a kind of rubber lip on the left and right side of the lid to prevent water from getting into the gap when it rains and the equipment in the box wet. ^^

[@timcorso6337]

If you want frustration, and who doesn’t, try deep sky astrophotography with scope, main camera, guide camera, equatorial mount, power distribution, dew heaters and around three software apps running on a pc at the other end of your garden. Even if you do get that lot working the clouds roll in five minutes later. I love it 😄😄

[@MrGerhardGrobler]

good video, everything isn't always moonshine and roses.

[@grantmills4829]

Every project I attempt goes like this ! I do not have a workshop and use the kitchen table. I do more damage packing and unpacking tools and materials during constructon than from using the project. 🤓

[@brettjamesy]

Wait till you hit your 60's... a new level of frustration presents itself. On a brighter note, after you wake up from a nap, all is forgotten.

[@martinpirringer8055]

Happens all the time. Like rn I had a jam in my k1 where the filament jammed in the heatsink so take apart the head, loose some bolts, find out I don't have some extra, order some, Walmart sent me M4 instead of M3 - order some more and when they come put it back together, Print the stuff on my old Chiron which is on the last legs so lots of post processing etc etc. Its always something. So I feel your pain. And then - always - will everything fit and work....

[@petergamache5368]

"I had undertaken considerable growth as a maker." == I learned (and maybe invented) some new words that aren't said around little ears.

[@jurijsmisnakovs9284]

It's interesting that I have the exact same CO2 laser. While working on it, I've often wondered what would happen if the Y-axis belt were to break. Now I know! Thanks for the answer :D :D :D

[@billereses4935]

Adding some red led stripes (or even some common red leds) on each top part and letting them going on when you open the box to illuminate all parts inside could be a nice addition. There is enough space for a small battery inside.

[@jimbob1er]

Yeah, lots of frustration involving freecad behaviour! Lol

[@marcus3d]

Try realthunder's version for less frustration. 😉

[@redheadsg1]

@@marcus3d That version doesn't change the fundamentals of how FreeCad (and constraints) doesn't act like in F360 .F360 is way more forgiving when sketching a part.

[@marcus3d]

@@redheadsg1 I switched from F360 to FreeCAD LinkStage3 because F360 was so much more frustrating to deal with. Could you give an example of where realthunder's FreeCAD is more frustrating than F360? (I'm guessing there's plenty of examples although I've mostly encountered things the other way around.)

[@iszymek2760]

might wanna rethink the black on black color sheme especially for the night use or some leds? Other than that the way box opens up is super neat!

[@iTeerRex]

My most cursed project was a complex electrical board. It was a few years ago (before pcb-way), so I was building it by hand. Long story short, It just would not work, and after days of testing and tracing 🤦‍♂️, I built a new one from scratch. So yea the troubles and triumphs of RnD is real.

[@Engineerd3d]

Frustrating projects sometimes start innocent enough that they drive you nuts. I had more than I can remember, however it’s all a learning process… so I keep telling myself.

[@MrMalaman]

I feel less lonely, thank you

[@TurboThailand]

As makers we've all been there. I NEED this laser/printer to do this, then catastrophic failure. Even right now I have front covers off my CO2 3020 trying to cut something 3528 lol and have a diode 4040 but need to cut clear :(

[@cabe_bedlam]

“I’ve grown as a maker” oooof yeah :) I’d probably add the handle you removed to the top of the box so you can more easily carry it separately from the rest of the unit. Save weight when moving the Telescope to observing sites.

[@CNKXU1]

Some ply and mdf inhibit combustion. I found this with my first laser cutter, being disappointed with its performance as it was supposed to cut through 6mm of timber. No luck with ply or MDF taking multiple passes and lots of smoke and charring but then through the same thickness of cedar like butter and very clean.

[@MrTrockc]

yes - building and running the ERCF

[@ianbruene1529]

I'm currently in the middle of a couple different projects which interrelate, and one of them which is partly a testbed for the others has been extremely cursed. That project is upgrading a voron 0 to work with superpolymers, and also switching to a toolhead control board instead of a breakout board. Except that I apparently can't make a CANBUS cable to save my life. And I have a weird voltage loop issue somewhere that I need to track down once I get back to the project: it is currently sitting to let the frustration dissipate.

[@CrudelyMade]

I wonder if... it would make sense to have the big filter location on the front of the bottom drawer. the overall depth would be the same, but should allow easy access to all the things the clearance of the top/bottom drawers wouldn't change at all, really, just the bottom would have an attachment on it, so.. a little clearance at the bottom would be required for when it folds out.

[@chuckthetekkie]

I know the feeling. As an IT guy it always seems what should be a quick 5-10 minute fix turns a 5+ hour ordeal. Last year I was building a Voron Tridex to show off at ERRF 2023. All seemed to be going well until my Euclid probe didn't attach properly so I went to grab it only to cause some sparks and fry the tool head board. I get that replaced and continue the build. It was working pretty good and I did a bunch of single color printing as I haven't aligned the 2 tool heads yet. Cue next mishap where the print head decides it wants to etch some designs into my $90 build plate. Then in my infinite wisdom I decide to install Double-Tap to get rid of the Euclid (HUGE MISTAKE). After installing all the necessary parts, I find that I can't get one of the tap boards to trigger reliably. After some more fiddling, CanBUS decides it wants in on the mishap action. In the process of trying to figure out what is going on, the Manta M8P board decides it wants to blow some smoke and take itself, the CB1 SBC and ALL 7 Steppers out. Needless to say the printer never made it to ERRF 2023 and is still not working properly.

[@ZeeengMicro]

When 2 days project becomes 3 weeks of frustration

[@TheRealStructurer]

Nice box. Over engineered as it should be 😉 I have also had these type of projects that looks easy at start, and get totally tilted. Work it through and analyse what you could have done better. Thanks for sharing 👍🏼

[@Rebar77_real]

Could put that handle you removed on the box to make loading in the car easier. Also cupboard/counter top liners are pretty nice these days for some cheap vinyl wrapping some day. Could you cut lettering out of that? Probably eh. :D Great project!

[@tehKaito23]

Isn't a handle missing?

[@DavidRolling]

I agree a super smart design! I had to smile because Been There Experienced That 🙂

[@thefakemaker]

Building a full size Dalek. Am back at the stage of decisions Im making having a knock on effect on other parts and needing to redesign them. Im doing plenty of 3D printed brackets.

[@vollekannehoschi]

My most cursed project: life 🥺 rarely anything I buy works as intended and has bugs 😢 good to see you made it 🎉

[@cowboy124aa3]

you need to build yourself a small horizontal sanding drum with adjustable width for sanding those boards...lol Nice design, but I would have found a way to pull the filter out the side instead of the top, I know there was a side board sticking out on the telescope but if you put the filter in the front part I think you would have accomplished the same results.

[@baddan]

Frustrating, but in the end, it worked flawlessly 👌🏻

[@SpentAmbitionDrain]

The door on top should be slide out, flip down. Then you get a strip of material, lay it around the filter to let you pull the filter out.

[@AlexTheStampede]

New body for my 1:24 crawler… between questionable eyeballing of dimensions, failing supports, failing prints, “oops the wheels catch on the body”, a support removal that took the hood with it… it was a bit cursed.

[@raulc.]

My most cursed project is always the one that follows the previous one.

[@danieldc8841]

If you want to focus the telescope, especially with the CCD, I made a bhantinov mask with a one-layer thick section that had a modifier to be printed with 50% infill. This left me with 0.4mm grating width so it yielded a really prominent diffraction spikes If you want it I’ll upload it! How is that CCD compared to your DSLRs?

[@TeachingTech]

I've only used it briefly, but as a package it's a lot more convenient than a DSLR. I don't have an adaptor for this telescope yet and I probably won't get one. I'm not sure what the thing you're talking about it, but I'll gladly have a look if you upload.

[@Mr_Yod]

Me, while watching the video: "Sliding the solar filter from where? The side? 🤔" After a couple minutes: "Oooh" =)

[@eleanorhathaway3619]

your project sounds a lot like how my life is going right now. important thing is to learn from mistakes and persevere with a positive attitude. I know that's easier said than done.

[@andyu69]

Red led,s that turn on when opening. Possibly with a night sensor.

[@luisarevalo4645]

Ohhh my most curse project.... Installing klipper on a Neptune 3plus... And now the bedsheet doesn't want anything to grip anything

[@iansalmon6327]

Just trying to find a flat sheet of plywood at Bunnings has become an exercise in frustration.

[@TeachingTech]

They had at least a dozen stacked, and I could only find four that I was happy with. Even so, some of them had large knots which I then had to avoid.

[@elvinhaak]

And about the project of yours... I would be very afraid of the plastic printed connection-rods, especially in some years. I'd rather go with steel-wire or aluminium-strips for those. They will probably break when you hastely want to take out something during the perfect conditions at a nice dark night one or two years from now. For making designs and testing, I like to use cardboard first. It really gives a good overall view and would probably have told you in the beginning that you needed adjustments for the filter. And it generally comes for free... With the plywood, do you have enough tolerances for moist weather? This one is 'weatherproof' so at least it holds up to it. I'd like to see your follow-up after testing!

[@izzieb]

I am my parents most cursed project and I'm unfortunately still a work in progress.

[@theglowcloud2215]

bruh

[@thedabblingwarlock]

Well, there was one time where I messed up and managed to take a client's site down for 12 hours. That was not a fun day.

[@flyingfireguy]

Ive watched this a day too late! Purchases large sheet of ply wood from B&Q and it is different to the smaller sheet i purchest before! Its got the black glue in it!

[@dGdalejones]

not super frustrating in the sense of things going wrong, but i just rebuilt my workshop, and slowly setting it back up, making the cabinets shelves, drawers etc, but trying to set up from scratch with nothing has been a huge headache, took nearly a week to build 1 drawers, because i had to keep shifting stuff, or needed a jig/setup to something (i still have 25 drawers to go). then drawer slides arrived late, then found out they are slightly longer then advertised, has been one giant headache. and i know that if id had a functional workshop, i would have kncoked the whole thing out in 3-4days

[@DarrylAdams]

Serious point: maybe some led lights so you can see the contents ay night?

[@PoweredUP_]

My most cursed project is my 3d printer))) I have a love-hate relationship with it tbh.

[@martinjarrell422]

Personally I would have chosen a cnc router over a laser for the plywood, but damn if that is not a wonderful project. Great work.

[@TeachingTech]

Definitely some advantages to using a router, but one big drawback is not having square internal edges. I would need dog bone corners or similar.

[@DavidClunie]

It almost sounded like you owned a glowforge! 😂

[@thenextlayer]

Great video. Love seeing that you have the curse too. Check your email btw!

[@sasukecruz2000]

yuhhh new drop on a friday. great day today

[@WeekdayWeekend]

I would love to see some more Too Tall Toby practice models on the channel.

[@sacrificialrubber779]

Didn’t know you were an animal lover as well!🤘🏻 I have 2 dogs, 2 cats and a Vietnamese potbelly pig! And a couple of 3-d printers…and a Lot more tools 🤷🏻‍♂️😂😂😂

[@TeachingTech]

We've always had lots of pets. The goats are an acquired taste :D

[@mjcontos1119]

What do you think of the Dobson mount?

[@IL3D]

Nice work! I love the process! I wonder if those clasps could be replaced with strong magnets as well 👍

[@sacrificialrubber779]

You might want to clear coat the box, the paint alone won’t keep water from being absorbed.👍🏻

[@TeachingTech]

I am considering this, but I wasn't planning on taking the telescope out on wet nights, although I do concede dew can creep in regardless.

[@justinchamberlin4195]

Most frustrating project? It's a toss-up for me between two projects I've technically had floating around for something like three years: -An LED-lit brain lamp. The concept is cool: a 3D-printed anatomically-correct human brain, resting on posts with LED lights in them, would be a gorgeous decorative piece for a psychologist friend of mine. Printing the brain wasn't terrible but there are spots where the clear PETG from Push Plastic globbed onto the side of the nozzle, burned, and then dropped into the model. I got most of the burned chunks off but there are a few buried in the print that I'll never reach. Getting the brain onto the stand is where things went off the rails. The three stands for holding both the brain and the LED lights are long and thin, but not so thin that any drill bit I can use in my hand drill will actually work...I had to buy a drill press to accommodate a bit large enough to drill holes into the brain. But I didn't even use it because the parts of the stands that screw into the base are super fragile and broke during the test-fitting process. I'm also properly terrible at wiring and struggled to get any of the lights to work. Then the battery compartment I found wouldn't fit into the printed base so I had to roughly model, print, and glue on an extension to the base. But the glue job looks terrible and after the last stand broke off the broken bit got stuck into the base. I think I need to scrap everything except the brain and start over... -The Mini-Giddy, a miniature hurdy-gurdy. The concept here is also cool: a nearly fully 3D printed hurdy-gurdy with four strings and four keys. Definitely more of a novelty than a serious instrument, but still. I printed as many of the parts together as I could, and happened to have a problem where the hot end was slightly loose in its mount...every single piece has a wavy texture on the outside that's at a slight angle. It's all PLA, so sanding it is going to be a pain, but it was also done in a special color so I'm hesitant to scrap out all of the parts and start over. I also have no idea what to cover the wheel with so it sounds good when rubbing on the violin strings I bought. All the parts are in a box, ready for whenever I get around to working up the urge to re-print the bad ones and finally finish the thing.

[@Zeldur]

A project taking a ton more time than it should? Nooooo, that neeever happens. So the main example I have of that is my life sized Dragonair. I tried to pattern the entire thing off of a 3D model and unfold the mesh. Well, the fabric I got had 0 stretch. Tried to stitch it together, looked wonky. I printed out the head, had 2 GIANT gaps in it, to where my 1”/ 2.5cm seam allowance was not enough. Was about 6” x 8” / 15cm x 20cm ovalish shape on either side of the center of the head. Also custom dyed fabric. So I got new fabric. Turns out, the new fabric was too big for me 12qt/ 11 litre pot and the dye wasn’t as effective. I got a 32qt/ 30 litre stock pot and 5 bottles of dye. Finally managed to dye it, and the pot was almost too small. Glad I cut the fabric first. Oh, I also tried to remove the little bit of dye from round 2. I ended up gassing myself, even with a tiny like 5cm x 10cm test piece. Took a couple of hours until I could stop smelling it. I’m still working on this project. Been scared to make a mockup 😂. It’s also 4m long, so it’s hard to find the space

[@riverracer]

Great box design, but personally I would have used different/smaller latches, they just spoil it for me. What's happening with your race car, it's been over 5mths since an update?

[@coleabbott3432]

It looks like in a lot of these shots that your laser is out of focus or the lens and mirrors are dirty. It sucks replacing cracked lenses so just double check and make sure that its not dirty regularly. Did you run a focus calibration in lightburn or whatever software you're using? Also it's a massive pain the clean the nasty resin glue that doesn't cut well out of your laser so just don't use the wood in the future! It's not worth it!

[@jannekallio5047]

I guess all my projects are cursed.. each has more than 10 versions from the workshop itself and my home brewery to my laser engraver project all the way to the dashboard I have been building for few years now for my 1972 Camaro 😂

[@billstoner5559]

Hmm…. I have a home made 3d printer. I spend more time on fixing it than I do on any other project. But that’s okay. I really feel great when a project prints out perfectly on my printer.😅

[@DennisDay58]

very nice

[@boazjoe1]

MDF instead of plywood? Consistent and dimensionally accurate. And lasers laugh at it.

[@devhammer]

7:56 Please, please, please don’t cross cut plywood like that on your table saw! You’re at major risk of kickback, and you’re standing directly in the path of the blade. One of the scariest moments I’ve had working with a table saw was cutting 1/4” plywood, and having the part between the blade and the fence kick back into my stomach. Thankfully, I was wearing a heavy duty sweatshirt which prevented me from being lacerated. But I had a nasty bruise, and was lucky it wasn’t worse. If you need to cross-cut on the table saw, make a cross-cut sled. Been watching your videos a long time and this is the first time I’ve seen you do something dangerous. Be safe, please!

[@elvinhaak]

At least his saw has a rivingknive. that helps a lot against kickback when set up right. But yeah, agree better to be safe then sorry. I had things flying next to me due to kickback too and thinking that a gun went off when it hit the door meters away.

[@devhammer]

@@elvinhaak True, but it's still an unsafe way to cut...too much opportunity for pressure from the outboard hand to cause twisting, and the riving knife won't really help there. The saw I was using was an old Delta contractor saw (this was early '90s) with no riving knife and no blade guard. I'm very lucky that kickback was my only incident with that saw. Also used radial arm saws in several shops I worked in during college and professionally. Scary beasts, but we didn't know any better.

[@elvinhaak]

@@devhammer Even the old (70's) circular saw / table saw of my father allready had a riving knive and protection on it. Yes, AEG with a drill as the motor and used as a handsaw or table-saw with different accessories. Because the motor (drill) of it smoked, I replaced it this summer with a new one which is far more dangerous but cheap. My father has an Emco system now which I think is even older. With a lot of tools integraded but you need to spend some energy and time to swich between those, and ofcourse you need a seperate handsaw (circular saw) besides that combi-system. Also with riving-knife and protections. But yeah, Europe... You sure were very lucky not to get real problems with that saw! My father told me where to stand from when I was helping at around the age of 6.... my mother probably didn't know that I was near this machines at that time. The only machine I used myself at that age was the electric sander which was the motor of a tumble-dryer with a wooden round block on top of it with sanding-paper around it, on a little table with a cable to a plug. Safety was just beeing careful not to grab and not to wear wide clothes. But surely I was not allowed to touch any saw when it was plugged in. Large boards.... well.... no way to guide them so all freehand on our hobby-machines, not even fitting on the tables of course. Sometimes using wood on the floor outside, laying the boards flat and running over them while sitting/creeping over them on your knees. Well, this is how I grew up! Did you learn woodworking when you were a child too?

[@devhammer]

​@@elvinhaak Started some basic woodworking in grade school, but did a lot more in college, where I did a lot of work on theatrical sets. Worst injury I've given myself in the shop wasn't even with power tools, it was while finishing a small part of a cut in a sheet of 1/4" plywood with a utility knife. Wasn't cutting well, so I changed for a fresh blade. Pulled the knife too hard and when it went through the wood (cutting towards myself, mistake #1), it continued through my canvas shoe (mistake #2) and into my foot, requiring 8 stitches. Thankfully, with a new blade it was a very clean cut, and nothing important was damaged. That tool you grew up with sounds something a little like this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4exfoGArJKmqLM 🙂

[@elvinhaak]

@@devhammer Yes.... my sister almost lost her finger with such a knife too, at highschool. They are more dangerous then they look. My worst injury when working probably was with an angle-grinder when it was grinding my finger open (pushed it together, paper towel and good packaging tape around it for a couple of days before looking.... only feeling a bit numb). This was when I was working around 17 years old at a mechanical shop. Better not go to a doctor since the boss wouldn't like that with insurance and visits from inspections and such. Then I learned to always, always use a clamp to hold your work and not your hand... listen to 'old people'. I did start to wear safety-shoes before that most of the days already. The AEG was quite simple but looks more safe than that open machine with atleast the saw always enclosed,I cannot find a video about it now. The EMCO was a bit later (for me) and as Western-European was also already safer in most cases. Of course when the sawblade was on top as a cutoff miter-saw well, it was more dangerous but I don't think my father used that even once but mostly used the saw as a tablesaw. The bandsaw was not used much either since he bought a cheap and small bandsaw before that and in the 90s gotten a big industrial bandsaw at another shop a couple of kms away that worked on 3-phase which we didn't have at home. Not that practical to go there everytime so it was mostly used by others until he gave it away a couple of years back. 3phase electric is mostly costly because of the montly fee we need to pay to the utility company in this country although it is pre-installed in most houses here.

[@wyohman00]

One clamp in the middle?

[@Matt-ob3ek]

the lot of growth as a maker comment made me laugh a little too hard