I cringed watching Ask This Old House

[mound]

They were making an end-grain cutting board.. At the last step, "we could sand this but we're going to use the planer instead"

Running an end-grain cutting board through a planer???#$%

I remember the one time I tried that (first and only time!) the board exploded and kicked back out.. would have slammed me in the gut if I had been standing in the wrong spot.

[EricU]

probably a little short for safety as well. 

They were demonstrating two part spray foam from boxes on one show.  No PPE at all, no gloves, no eyewear, no respirator.  Pretty sure that's why most manufacturers don't want to sell to just anyone.

[Arlin Eastman]

I had a guy come over my house to use the 15" carbide insert planner the VA bought me for the same thing but his was about 40" long.  After looking at it, it seemed he had no problem with tear out or anything else.
Maybe it was the length or the carbide?

[packerguy®]

I said the same thing right before he did it and my wife looked at me like I already saw the episode. I notice Silva doing things like this more and more....cutting the pine with no splitter was another .

[Phil Thien]

Thought the same thing here.  Figured maybe the planer had a segmented head (I hear these don't tend to cause the boards to break apart).  But I wasn't sure. And even if that was the case, it wasn't communicated for the casual observer.

I think it would have been a better episode had they shown users how to use cauls so any misalignment could be sanded out.

They could have eliminated the requirement for a planer altogether had they demonstrated cauls.

Or maybe even the sand trick.

[Steve N]

Running an end-grain cutting board through a planer???#$%

As with anything to do with tools, if you aren't comfortable with it, don't do it.

You obviously missed the 2 pieces of whitewood attached to the leading, and trailing edge. The piece where Tommy clearly said, we're leaving the edge boards on, so we don't have tearout on the edges right as he was putting them into the planer. He also stated he was taking off a very fine pass, it's not something you can make a 1/16" run or greater on. You want 1/32" or less on the tallest piece of stock on the boards face you are working with. The "danger" is from an user who takes the maximum amount of wood off with each planer cut on everything. Even on straight flat grain there are instances if the board has cup, bow or twist that the wood can "JAM" the cutterhead and get kickback. So with endgrain it's not because it is so much harder to cut, it's after cutting  it up, and re-gluing it you have differing heights of wood. Now take that back to the guy who always takes max cut, and he doesn't take differing heights into consideration, well he may get some excitement in his life when the blade trying to take an 1/8" off hits a piece that is already 1/8" taller than the rest of his cut, BOOM.

Below is a video from MTMWOOD who is a commercial maker of incredible end grain boards, we have all oooohed and ahhhhhhed his work. Here he talks about the safe way to do this, and it greatly reduces your time, gives the best finish, and if you follow a few rules you won't have any issues.

[Rob Young]

Waste boards glued on and light cuts are OK for end grain plaining. Straight knives work but it shortenes their life.

But definately light cuts.

If it makes one nervous or one doesn't wish to do the necessarily maintenance after then don't do the operation.

[packerguy®]

As with anything to do with tools, if you aren't comfortable with it, don't do it.

I 100% agree. My issue with a show like Ask TOH doing things like that (planing end grain, not using splitters, etc) its audience is people that arent woodworkers. Id say 75% of people are weekend DIY'ers, and don't know the pitfalls of what they are doing. Sure he said to take light cuts....define light....sure you or I know....but there are even people here that don't know. 

I agree with the person earlier that said it was a great opportunity to show how to use cauls and to use a hand belt sander, and finish it with a ROS. 

Like I said, ive noticed a number of times where he has done something over the past two years and I cringe. Not because he isnt being safe in HIS skills....hell he is a master carpenter, he knows his limits, but some novice watching.....OH BOY......

[Steve N]

Yeah, I'm not leaving Tommy off the hook. As far as safety education he, Narmon, well the whole lot of them, with the exception of the much abused Scott Phillips don't so squat toward teaching noobs what is what about shop safety. Scott may make some crazy projects, and he's gone blind as far as finishing goes, but he really does consistently tell you what to do as far as safe operation. He always seems to be able to show you the cut even with saw guards, splitters, and kick back pawls attached, even if he is using a hot dog eater.

[MikeBob]

Many of these shows have a verbal and/or written disclaimer during the show that guards have been removed for video description of what they are demonstrating.