Woodworking looks strangely appealing and it's satisfying to make something with your own hands, at least once in a while. But with how absent-minded I can be I'm scared of losing a finger. Around here we say every carpenter loses a few sooner or later. Are there foolproof ways to keep them?
Only use unpowered hand tools maybe. Unfortunately, using powered saws is always a little dangerous. Some table saws have a detection mechanism if it hits your flesh that causes it to hit the brakes immediately, but there aren't many other saws with that sort of safety feature. There are safety devices and safety protocols, but it's probably best to avoid them if you know that you tend to be absent-minded. Any safety device that lets wood near the blade will also let your finger near the blade.
Probably the most dangerous tool in a shop is the table saw. SawStop is really the only truly foolproof method to prevent injury. Unfortunately, they are not licensing their patent (even though they tried to initially), and they have shut down several other companies who have come out with similar mechanisms (at least Bosch).
The downside to this is that the cost of safety is relatively high ($2000+), and there is no way to retrofit high-quality used saws from the used market ($500+)
Even a SawStop won't prevent kickback, which is the most common type of table saw injury. However, it will prevent you from losing fingers, which was enough to convince me to buy one.
I have a strict process that I go through with any powertool that can get me quickly (not really worried about drills or sanding equipment).
* Never leave the tool running
* If I can't keep my fingers at least 6 inches away, I need a jig. Many tools I keep 12+ inches away.
* Clamps and wood scraps are your friends.
* Unplug every tool immediately after done using.
* Hand and body check immediately before turning on a tool.
* Again, jig everything that I can.
« A useful tool is dangerous » is what I teach children. Some could say that a blunt chisel is more dangerous than a sharp one, but that’s the next level class :)
Risk is accident probability x damage potential. I guess that if you think your nature increases the probability factor, then I would choose the tools with the least damage potential, I would stay off power tools.
