My 81 mom and dad have stayed with me most of the last 12 weeks and will be here 5 more as my dad gets cancer treatment at Duke. Today I was in the shop working on making drawers (my first effort at drawers). I was cutting an inch off of a few pieces because i had figure the dimensions wrong. The last time i was in the shop i had taken off the kickback guard because of the big piece i was putting through the saw. Dad came in the watch me work, as he isn't really a woodworker or handyman.
I think he must have seen me do a dangerous move getting the cut pieces out of the way, but the next thing I knew i saw his hand at the blade trying to get the small pieces left from the cut. The saw stop engaged and thank God it worked. he only had a very light cut. I can't tell you how freaked out i was that this happened. He doesn't know woodworking, his brain is probably a little impacted by the cancer treatment, and he is impulsive like me. I just couldn't get the thought of him cutting his fingers off because i hadn't done a proper job warning him (like i do my kids). been kind of shaky all day since it happened.
It is easy to make statements about how ignorant he was in doing what he was doing but that is not that helpful. I am just glad that the saw stop worked and that i had bought it. I always imagined if it was engaged it would be to save my kids fingers but glad it was able to do it for my dad.
It is a very strange experience when i worry about my parents the way i worry about my kids-he is still very sharp in a lot of ways but the strength and smarts that i took for granted all my life with him now seem more tenuous. I guess that is the cycle of life and my kids will be seeing me that way before i know it.
I think he must have seen me do a dangerous move getting the cut pieces out of the way, but the next thing I knew i saw his hand at the blade trying to get the small pieces left from the cut. The saw stop engaged and thank God it worked. he only had a very light cut. I can't tell you how freaked out i was that this happened. He doesn't know woodworking, his brain is probably a little impacted by the cancer treatment, and he is impulsive like me. I just couldn't get the thought of him cutting his fingers off because i hadn't done a proper job warning him (like i do my kids). been kind of shaky all day since it happened.
It is easy to make statements about how ignorant he was in doing what he was doing but that is not that helpful. I am just glad that the saw stop worked and that i had bought it. I always imagined if it was engaged it would be to save my kids fingers but glad it was able to do it for my dad.
It is a very strange experience when i worry about my parents the way i worry about my kids-he is still very sharp in a lot of ways but the strength and smarts that i took for granted all my life with him now seem more tenuous. I guess that is the cycle of life and my kids will be seeing me that way before i know it.