*Warning* - Shaper Accident. Scary Woodworking Carnage - key learnings for shop safety

[@billballeza377]

All that technology and engineering in a remarkable piece of equipment, and it still comes down to a tiny Allen screw being properly tightened. Glad you weren’t maimed in the mishap.

[@pkwoodworking]

Agreed. it comes down to the basics.

[@rudibirgenheier320]

I know Instagram is important to some but I personally was shocked to see a phone in one hand while operating a piece of equipment. To me that's similar to driving down the road while looking at the phone. I know attention on the phone didn't cause this accident, but if that's common practice it will cause an accident.

[@pkwoodworking]

I never do that actually. And I agree, it was less than safe. I have a tripod and a way to do that without me using the phone manually. I chose not to. Not anymore.

[@zeff1015]

The "incident" is one of the main reasons I run stiles and rails with an outboard fence. I've had carbide shrapnel destroy the rear windshield on my truck with the door of the shop open as well. Glad you're not injured. Thank you very much for the safety reminder.

[@pkwoodworking]

Scary, but I posted it to make sure people are not letting down their guard.

[@suzylarry1]

wow , fingers ok? belly ok? .........wow lucky ... thats how fast accidents happen . Glad you are ok and people see how FAST these things happen . good education !

[@pkwoodworking]

Thanks, like so fast!

[@clemoniii]

Thanks for posting Garrett at Felder will have to sit on my F900M order a bit longer. That was spooky!

[@pkwoodworking]

Perfect

[@justcruisin109]

Very instructive so thanks for showing the video. I have pretty much the same setup and have always been wary of using the insert - I usually just adjust the fence height and lateral position until the outfeed fence makes solid contact with the workpiece. This doesn’t always work though with cuts like lock miters where you’re dealing with a thin edge. I haven’t done it yet but a false fence could be an option although that might prevent the use of the power feeder. Anyway, glad you’re OK. Cheers

[@pkwoodworking]

Thanks for watching. The insert is a great thing, If I would have used it correctly.

[@lounackman6104]

Glad your OK, Just shows how in the blink of an eye things can go sideways!. Speaking of eyes - I noticed you were not wearing eye protection - you're very lucky that carbide didn't do any damage! First thin I do in my shop is to put on the safety glasses!

[@pkwoodworking]

I did talk about it in the video a bit later on. I have them. I actually have 4 pairs and one is a prescription pair. I have learned my lesson. Thanks for watching

[@Mc-zb3xg]

Scary accident, glad you’re alright.

[@pkwoodworking]

Yes, God was on my side!

[@carlnolte1637]

Glad you are okay. That certainly was a colon clenching moment for sure! Aigner used to make the thickness stop. It forces the piece against the fence, preventing the piece from rotating. Although that would not have helped in your situation, it is much safer than relying entirely on the power feeder to keep the piece tight against the fence.

[@pkwoodworking]

Agreed. I do have the pressure rollers from them and could easily make the outboard fence too.

[@carlnolte1637]

@@pkwoodworking Steve at extremewoodworker has a video on his setup for this. I find I get much more consistent pieces with this method.

[@pkwoodworking]

Yes, the outboard fence is a great way to go. I need to make one and give that a shot too. I am trying to use the programming of the shaper to see if I can count on the repeatability of setup.

[@carlnolte1637]

@@pkwoodworking I have an older profile 45 without the programming. I get close but still have to make very minor adjustments after changing cutters.

[@pkwoodworking]

That is what I am seeking to understand long term. If I program in a cutter with the correct spacers in place, can I repeat a cut? I am going to make a sheet for each cutter with a space for a picture of the setup and the associated program to the machine with all of the dimensions of the stock etc. Hoping the work is repeatable.

[@Pound_Shift]

Thanks for sharing , You may have helped someone avoid a dangerous mistake

[@pkwoodworking]

Thank you for saying that. I took a week and thought about showing the video or not. Everyone wants to put themselves in the best light, but I thought it would be a great reminder to people that it only takes a split second.

[@davidstewart66]

I was a toolmaker for forty + years and I would suggest using that E-Stop as quick as possible.

[@pkwoodworking]

David, after watching the video back I thought the same thing. The e-stop does not stop the shaper any faster, but it is easier to hit for sure.

[@VinceEspositoJr]

Just a quick observation which may or may not be relevant to the post mortem. The first few boards you ran on the video appeared to be flat. The one that flew the coop was warped, bowed and/or cupped. You can see a space between the board and the table surface and after the incident the board is spinning on the high point. I'm glad to see you were not hurt.

[@pkwoodworking]

This is true, but one of the others were as well. The power feeder would push it flat.

[@brycecomerwoodworks]

Glad you're ok. Incidents are never a good thing on the shaper, but at least it only cost you some money.

[@pkwoodworking]

Bryce, Thanks! I agree

[@jeffreylonigro4081]

Want to turn a simple nick into the loss of a hand? Just keep wearing gloves around spinning blades. It will catch that glove and pull your hand into the cutter. Never, ever wear gloves when operating any kind of saw or cutter, jointer, etc.

[@pkwoodworking]

Jeffrey, I have seen the light. Thanks for watching!

[@christophedelepaut6398]

Wouaw tu as eu de la chance, j’ai justement acheté ce système Aigner mais je ne l’ai pas encore installé, maintenant je vais faire attention !! Imagine si tu n’avais pas un entraîneur ce qui aurait pu t’arriver !!! 👍👍🇧🇪

[@pkwoodworking]

Thanks, The system is great if used correctly

[@EmveWoodworks]

How did your fingers fair from it? No bruising?

[@pkwoodworking]

No bruising. I felt something but I think the glove actually helped.

[@newdutchworkshop7026]

Ouch! Glad you're okay, that could have been way worse. I guess in some cases a traditional fence is better, or perhaps an MDF zero-clearance fence if the plunge cut is possible with the CNC fence. Outboard fences are great for this type of work but I haven't found one that gives me the 0,1mm accuracy I'm looking for. Besides all that; are you planning on doing more videos on the Format4? I hope to invest in a new shaper next year and this one is pretty high on the list so I'd love to see more (especially the programming options)

[@pkwoodworking]

Thanks for the input. I have used the MDF fence solution before, the Aigner fence is amazing and I did not use it correctly. The outboard fence is a great solution too. I want to dive into the programming deeper and understand the repeatability of the settings.

[@extremewoodworker]

Hi Paul, I am glad you came away unscathed on this event. It looks like you had a literal gut check on this one. The shaper rates a 10 on my pucker factor scale for sure. I would like to offer the following suggestions: 1) I would inspect the other carbide cutters in that head closely to make sure they are undamaged as they may have had contact as well. 2) I am not so sure about removing the orange tape on the filler strip. I thought the setscrews were leveling screws that were used to pinch the filler down on the table. I checked my setup this morning and found that inserting the filler strip upside down, it is barely recessed below the bottom of the fence plate making it impossible to provide any retention. Perhaps Joe can weigh in on this as he has been doing this a lot longer than either of us. 3) Please wear safety glasses. My wife worked for an ophthalmologist in my small town for over 15 years and they averaged seeing at least 2 eye injuries per week that could have been easily avoided had safety glasses been in use. BTW - I really like the new interface on the Profile 45Z shaper. Steve

[@pkwoodworking]

Steve, There is a small groove under the main section it slides into. To me it is there to let the set screws locate with. But I did talk to Joe. I will re-check with him. I definitely am on the safety glasses plan!

[@extremewoodworker]

@@pkwoodworking I thought the small groove was to capture the ball detent on the bottom finger that swings over from the infeed side of the fence. If it still fits, you may want to check this out with your damaged filler strip. Nearly 20 years ago, I had initially tried to put this in with the setscrews pushed all the way in and could not get it secure. I agree that the Aigner instructions on this are quite vague and pictorial only. Steve

[@pkwoodworking]

I will try on Tuesday as the parts should be here then

[@pkwoodworking]

Steve, I just got the replacement insert from Felder. The doc from Aigner that was attached does show the filler strip inserted with the grub screws adjusted into the groove in the fence and not the table. I am going to play with it for a bit to see if that does indeed index it into the cartridge and when the cartridge is tightened to the fence and down to the table that it keeps the filler strip tightly clamped there.

[@extremewoodworker]

@@pkwoodworking Thanks PK. I look forward to hearing the results. Steve

[@user-tm8tm6qf2c]

No safety glasses! Unbeleivable!

[@pkwoodworking]

I have documented my learnings and the new video shows!

[@user-tm8tm6qf2c]

@ Good. I’d hate to see you hurt yourself.

[@glennhinkle8435]

Wow!!! Looks like you almost went from a rooster to a hen. 😮 I’m very glad you’re ok.

[@pkwoodworking]

hahahaha best comment yet

[@glennhinkle8435]

@@pkwoodworking😂

[@pkwoodworking]

Someone else found your comment funny enough to ping me about it!

[@glennhinkle8435]

@@pkwoodworking 😊

[@Meyerwoodworks]

Wow Paul, that's nasty! Glad you're okay.

[@pkwoodworking]

Thanks, me too!

[@tableshaper4076]

High five for surviving!🖐 I don't recognize the power feeder, did you custom paint one?

[@pkwoodworking]

No, It is a Comatic DS400 with the smart stand. They make it in other colors for manufacturers.

[@tristanpatterson3843]

It's a good unit that, production quality.

[@pkwoodworking]

Thanks

[@amasonsson]

Holyyyy, my pants would have been soiled. Glad you’re ok pal

[@pkwoodworking]

Thank you! It happened so fast I didn't have time to soil myself.

[@missingegg]

@@pkwoodworking That's part of the lesson here. People lose sight of the fact that when you're working with a 10HP motor, the accidents are often over before you have time to realize that something is going wrong, much less having time to do anything about it. In the worst case scenario, the machine will suck you in and spit out the pieces, leaving nothing but chunks for someone to find when they come looking for why there's a bad smell coming from your workshop. PPE is great, but the focus of safety precautions on a machine of that power has to be preventing the accident in the first place. Back when I was learning machining, my instructor was a retired machinist who'd spent many years working at the Mare Island Shipyard, and he made a point to tell grizzly stories about accidents as part of the training. These days you can show people grizzly videos off the internet.

[@pkwoodworking]

Well said. I have been doing this for so long that we had those grisly films in shop classes throughout my school years. I got to see a few first hand in the shops over the years. A 36" planer incident with a kid standing next to me I will never forget. I had to pull him away from it. Also saw a kid knocked out with a kickback. More recently I was next to a guy using a belt sander and carelessly dropped it onto his shorts while it was running. That was not fun. Safety is a never ending obsession. I am glad my reminder was not severe and I have taken the lesson and learned to reconsider the methods of work. I have a video out about the Table Saw where I state that I am always looking for ways to make the operation safer. I learned on this one for sure.

[@Treadleit]

Have the cutter head checked by an engineering firm . They dip it in Blue liquid and then you can see if there are hairline cracks . If yes, the head is kaput. You’re a very lucky man.

[@pkwoodworking]

I already reached out to Rangate and they did not recommend this, but I will call them today!

[@Trevieze]

As an Electrical Engineer I have noticed that most hobby machines are light on safety. Industrial machines can't be sold that way. My printNC diy mill has multiple emergency stop buttons and extra guarding. Shop safety is often taken for granted. My 2 cents.

[@pkwoodworking]

It does have 3 emergency stops. I need to get familiar with the use of each of them

[@jeffreylonigro4081]

Want to turn a simple nick into the loss of a hand? Just keep wearing gloves around spinning blades. It will catch that glove and pull your hand into the cutter. Never, ever wear gloves when operating any kind of saw or cutter, jointer, etc.

[@pkwoodworking]

agreed

[@toddwheeler1526]

You may want to consider removing and inspecting the spindle as well as the spindle bearing housings? Not good, lots of energy and you are lucky to have had the oak to catch the shrapnel.

[@pkwoodworking]

Thanks Todd, I did pull out the spindle to inspect it. Guess I should have mentioned that. Yes, the shrapnel may have also been slowed by the other things like the powerfeeder.

[@toddwheeler1526]

@pkwoodworking Equipment always has some surprises regardless of how many safety features that are designed into them. Thank you for sharing your experience and providing awareness for the viewing public. Glad you were not injured by the mishap. Be well and stay safe. 🙏

[@pkwoodworking]

Thank you for watching.

[@welshman100]

Sometimes, in the effort to increase safety. You can stray further into danger.

[@pkwoodworking]

I see your point, but I stick with over preparing.

[@jensj.7282]

Please, dont wear gloves ..

[@pkwoodworking]

That is a great debate point. I avoid it without the powerfeeder.

[@Jimmy-Legs]

Do you normally not wear eye ware.. I’m glad you’re OK. I’d have soiled my pants.

[@pkwoodworking]

Ok, its a yes and no. I didn't on my J/P or compact sliding miter saw. But now, I am on the plan

[@flashfire3220]

Both hands should be working in unison with shaper. Buy a camera, don’t use the phone unless you can mount it securely.

[@pkwoodworking]

Agreed. I have four cameras. I have a mount for the phone. It was a mistake I will never make again. Thanks for watching!

[@Jimmy-Legs]

Damn.,😮

[@pkwoodworking]

exactly

[@jeffdeluca1153]

Glad you were OK. But as soon as I saw you care that little about even wearing safety glasses staring into a shaper, I'll just leave it here, and leave. 😢😢

[@pkwoodworking]

Sorry to see you leave, I talked about my learnings at length and I do care about safely and even made another video to speak more about it.

[@JohnLeonard-k4k]

Glad u weren't hurt but noticed something else, can't believe u don't wear safety glasses, very foolish!

[@pkwoodworking]

I do now It is in the follow up video. Thanks for watching

[@Mc-zb3xg]

First comment lets goooo

[@pkwoodworking]

Nice work