Another Stupid and dangerous woodworking mistake

[petertay15]

The squirrel runs up the pole to our bird feeder, so I was cutting the spout off large funnel to make a skirt the critter couldn't get past. How do you hold a funnel in a vise? So I used the band saw. Easy-peasy, just hold the funnel in both hands and slide it past the fully-exposed blade. It cut most of the way, but in the last half inch, something ponched and the funnel jerked out of my hands. It happened so fast, I don't know what happened, but I do know that my hand was jerked within a fraction of an inch of the blade.
Thanking the Lord that I have all my fingers, and I learned a lesson about always having the project fully supported on the table, rather than holding it in the air.

[Arlin Eastman]

Had something like that happen on a log and then I remembered the guys saying a 45* cradle should be used so it will not twist or turn.

After making 2 of them for different sizes I am in business again.

Arlin

[WoodCzech]

Arlin Eastman said:

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Had something like that happen on a log and then I remembered the guys saying a 45* cradle should be used so it will not twist or turn.

After making 2 of them for different sizes I am in business again.

Arlin

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Yeah, me too. And it also bent the saw blade.

[robo hippy]

I had a squirrel problem at my bird feeder, which was on a 3/4 inch piece of black pipe about 6 feet up in the air. Solved it with a piece of 4 inch snap lock metal pipe/duct pipe about 3 feet long. Drilled a couple of holes in the top and ran some baling wire through it, and suspended it from the bottom of the feeder. They couldn't go up inside it, and couldn't go up outside either. One figured out how to swan dive from the pear tree, about 6 feet up and 6 feet away, but I took off that branch...... No squirrel obstacle courses for me...

robo hippy

[MidwestMan]

Glad you are okay. Lesson learned without permanent physical damage.

The older I get, the more I am thankful that I have all fingers. Making things, is a big part of my life.

I am imagining what you did.... and I shudder at what happened. Not surprised though. With a very sharp band saw blade, you might have gotten away with it. But a terrible lesson in safety, might have been transferred to anyone you told it to (if it had worked).

The band saw is a real wonderful machine. I don't know what I'd do without it. Oh yea, I do.... I would be taking hours to do something it can do in minutes.

[Grey Mountain]

After a close miss or two, I devised and always use a cradle to hold round objects when sawing on a bandsaw.

GM

[chips ahoy]

zactly what Lonnie said.

Mel

[Sawdustd]

So glad you're OK. I'm thinking that's what a hacksaw is for.

[MichaelMouse]

Sawdustd said:

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So glad you're OK. I'm thinking that's what a hacksaw is for.

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Yup. Dremel a better choice. With a hacksaw you hold it in the vise by turning a mandrel to fill the small section.

Flashing responds well to shears and shaping. Any feeder without a guard is a squirrel feeder, not a bird feeder.

[Rodneywt1180b]

Glad you're ok. You learned a good lesson and no blood was spilled.
Not all bad.
Rodney