Safety
We as students all know that safety in the workshop is crucial, but always being able to recall and remember a few key points can be the difference between an injury and preventing an injury. So for the safety of yourself and the classmates around you, take time to read over these few points.
- Avoid using wood with known toxicological properties.
- Reduce dust to a minimum. Ensure that dust extraction units are functioning properly.
- Always wear PPE, including shirts with collars, long trousers, shoes or boots.
- Ensure that all wounds are clean and well covered before work.
- Clean the workshop machines and tools regularly to prevent dust build-up.
- Suspect that a health problem may be related to your workshop if the symptoms improve during holidays or absences from the workshop.
- Use push sticks when applicable.
- Always keep your thumbs tucked in when using cutting machines.
- Stay out of the protective safety zones of the machines when someone else is using them.
Types
There are many machinery types, especially in this modern day era. More and more machinery is designed each year that out dates older machinery due to new technology. All machinery has different safety protocols as to what is needed to be done while using it as well as what needs to do be done before and after using it including maintenance, cleaning, PPE and safety guard use.
Within a common workroom these days there may be planing, sanding, cutting, and drilling machines as well as even laser or CNC (Computer numerical control) machinery which has come into great use within the last decade.
Within a common workroom these days there may be planing, sanding, cutting, and drilling machines as well as even laser or CNC (Computer numerical control) machinery which has come into great use within the last decade.
Planing machines are used to mill down timber to make sure a board is flat and even along the width. Basically it can be seen as a heavy duty sanding machine On the left is an example of a planing machine that would be used to cut down on thicknesses of thick boards or to even up the thickness of an uneven board. This is a good example as say a board that has been found after cupping has taken hold can be planed down on both sides to make it a thin flat piece of timber again. |
Sanding machines sand down mainly edges and lengths. Where as a sanding application or tool would be used on the main face surface of a project for a more fine finish. On the right is a vertical belt sander. This machine would be used to sand down rough edges mainly on timber or maybe to strip off old paint or some other kind of finish when recycling old timber for a new project. |
Cutting machines such as the drop saw or table saw cut the lengths, widths and thicknesses of timber. On the left is an example of a table saw. Never use a table saw until you have passed all training tests and been shown properly by a supervising instructor. The rip fence supplies a straight border to push the timber along. The blade guard stops timber from kicking up at the user. The blade height can be adjusted for varying timber thickness and the tilting mechanism and mitre gauge can be used to cut along or on angles. This machine is highly adjustable making it very versatile. |
Drilling machine such as a pedestal drilling machine allow cuts through the width or thickness of a timber piece. With varying thickness of drill pieces in all shapes and sizes. The pedestal drill can use threaded drill pieces, tap pieces or even countersink a hole. The depth of the surface plate is adjustable and so is the speed of the drill for varying timber types and drill types. |
Laser machinery is new and modern and allows a small laser to cut almost any design from a computer input. It is a form of CNC machinery which in a nutshell comes down to a CAD (computer aided design) input from a computer. These machines cut to a +/- 0.01mm standard which is smaller then the width of a hair. A major pro for all CNC machinery is that they can be left on over night or weekends or public holidays for another example unaided by human interference to be left to work on a project. A CNC machine can create any cut, shape or finish that is imputable into a computer program making it a highly versatile tool. |