Safety Rules for Woodcarvers

To avoid injury when woodcarving, follow the safety rules outlined in this article...

By Jim Hingst

If you have worked with woodcarving chisels and gouges, you know that they are razor sharp, or at least should be.  One wrong slip can result in a deep cut.   To avoid injury, health hazards and painful learning experiences, here are a few simple safety rules that you should “Read and Heed”:

• Never point the tip of a chisel or gouge in the direction of anything that can bleed.  The blade of the chisel should always point away from yourself and, of course, any of your loved ones. “When I was in high school, my father, who was a master woodworker, saw me carving with the blade of a gouge pointed at my abdomen,” says Butch “Superfrog” Anton of 2 Brothers Signs in Moorhead, MN.  “He immediately let me know in no uncertain terms that this was not way to carve, unless I wanted to commit hari-kari. After he explained the dangers, it all made sense to me. Ever since then, I always direct the blade away from my body.” 

•  When driving your car, you should keep both hands on the steering wheel.  Another good practice is to grip the chisel with both hands.  Keep one hand on the shank of the chisel or gouge and the other on the handle. For added control, rest your wrist or forearm on the work surface or your workbench. The only time that you should not have two hands on the gouge or chisel is when you are using a mallet. In that case, one hand should be on the mallet and the other on the tool. Keeping both hands on your tools will hopefully keep them out of harm’s way.   As you work, your wrist should slide over the surface of the wood sign panel. Keeping your wrist or forearm on the work surface not only steadies your hand and gives more control of your chisel, but it also keeps the blade at a desirable low angle to the wood. As you are carving, keep the edge of the blade on your work, and make short cuts.  Slide the chisel or gouge along the surface of the wood. This way, you won’t lose control of your tool.

• To keep the piece that you are carving from slipping all over the place, secure your work to your workbench. There are a number of ways to do this.  The simplest way is clamp it in place. Sal Cabrera of Signs by Sal in New Freedom, PA (www.signsbysal.com) says “you can also use double-sided foam tape or some hot melt adhesive to secure the wood.”  When removing the tape, he recommends carefully rolling it against itself at a 180º angle to the surface.

• Be prepared. Accidents will happen. Keep a well-stocked First Aid Kit and a fire extinguisher nearby.  Your First Aid Kit should contain plenty of gauze compresses, an assortment of Band-Aids and antiseptic ointment.  If you have a severe cut or a wound becomes infected, get medical attention immediately.

• Always keep your tools sharp. Without a razor sharp tool, you will never get a clean crisp cut.  A sharp chisel will easily slice through the wood and is much easier to control that a dull blade.  Conversely, cutting will a dull tool takes more effort and, as a consequence, is more difficult to control.  That’s when accidents happen. 

• Sanding and grinding creates dust, especially if you are working with power tools.  You may not see the tiny dust particles, but be assured, they are there. Some woods also have microorganisms, which can cause incurable lung disease.   To prevent breathing wood dust, always wear an air respirator or dust mask. Use a high volume fan in your work area to create a positive flow of air. If the weather permits, do your sanding and grinding outdoors.

• When you work with power tools, be sure to wear your safety glasses.  Even when carving, it never hurts to wear eye protection.  It never fails that the one time, that you are not wearing your safety glasses, is the one time that you have  suffer an eye injury.

• In addition to wearing safety glasses, when working with power tools, you should also wear ear plugs or an ear muffler headset to prevent damage to their hearing. Power tools, such as circular saws, routers and sanders, generate more than 95 decibels of noise, which is well-above an acceptable level. Prolonged exposure to high levels of noise can permanently damage your hearing. 

• For additional safety, when working with power tools, do not wear loose clothing.  Better yet, invest in a heavy-duty leather carver’s apron.  The leather is less likely to get caught up in a tool’s mechanism. When carving with either a gouge or knife, the leather apron also provides your torso with added protection.

• Heavy-duty safety shoes provide some protection for your feet in the event that a chisel or gouge rolls off your workbench.

• If a gouge falls off of the edge of your work surface, do not try to catch it. It’s much better to just let the tool hit the ground than risk impaling yourself with the blade.

• If you have a severe cut, you may need immediate medical assistance.  Keep your cell phone handy so you can call for help in an emergency. 

• When painting, staining or varnishing with coatings that have VOCs, always work in a well-ventilated area and wear an air respirator. Accumulation of solvent fumes can pose a fire hazard as well as being harmful to your health.  Before using a product, always review the MSDS so that you fully understand the risks associated with its use. 

I am sure that you have heard many of the rules that I have just reviewed. You may even think that all of these rules make sense. Now put the rules into action. As the saying goes, “it’s only good advice, if you take it.”

RECOMMENDED SHOP SAFETY EQUIPMENT

Amerex B500, 5lb ABC Dry Chemical Class A B C Fire Extinguisher

● For use on Class A (ordinary combustibles), Class B (Flammable liquid) spills or Fires involving live electrical equipment (Class C)

● 14 sec. discharge time

● All metal valve construction, Aluminum Valve

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3M Ratchet Headgear, Head and Face Protection 82521-10000, with 3M Clear Chin Protector HCP8

● Includes high-strength ratchet headgear and clear polycarbonate chin protector

● Headgear and chin protector assembly helps deliver reliable face protection

First Aid Kit Hard Red Case 326 Pieces Exceeds OSHA and ANSI Guidelines 100 People 

● 326 pieces of comprehensive first aid treatment products.

● Meets or exceeds OSHA and ANSI 2009 guidelines for 100 people.

● Ideal for most businesses and perfect for family use at home.

● Wall mounts or folds compactly for storage.

3M Half Facepiece Reusable Respirator 6200/07025(AAD)

● Soft hypoallergenic face piece is very comfortable even for extended use.

● Snug fitting for secure protection compared to cheap dust masks.

● Lightweight. 

● Easy-to-adjust head straps.

● Versatile. Great for sanding, grinding or painting applications when used with approved cartridges and filters.

● Affordably priced for any budget.

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Squeegee Technique. Nothing is more basic in vinyl application than the squeegee. But some squeegees work better than others. And there are right ways and wrong ways to use this simple tool. This video clip reviews squeegee selection, squeegee care and squeegee technique. Click here to view the Squeegee Technique video.

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About Jim Hingst: After fourteen years as Business Development Manager at RTape, Jim Hingst retired. He was involved in many facets of the company’s business, including marketing, sales, product development and technical service.

Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer.  Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.

Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 150 articles for  publications, such as  Signs Canada, SignCraft,  Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and  Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 325 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published.

Slides of Jim's Artwork

© 2015 Jim Hingst