Could This Tool Change Everything?
UPDATE – April 5, 2011
We hope you enjoyed this April Fool’s joke. Since it first aired on April 1, we’ve been hit by a flurry of great comments. Glad you enjoyed the prank and remember:
Don’t build or use a four-foot push stick. We took extra precautionary measures in the filming of this video post.
April 1, 2011 – Associated Press – New York
Federal Consumer Products Safety Commission (FCPS) Calls for Tool Safety Regulatory Body
– Less than a year after a Massachusetts circuit court sided with a plaintiff who claimed a tool manufacturer should be held responsible for injuries to his hands sustained while misusing a portable tablesaw, fresh controversy seems to be on the horizon. The federal government seems to be one step closer to enforcing stricter regulations regarding tool safety.
Read more about the details on the Carlos Osorio tablesaw lawsuit here.
That was just the latest headline–released less than four hours ago–concerning the federal government’s new heightened awareness regarding tool safety and the possibility of creating and enforcing new regulations that just might increase the cost of a wide range of power tools in the coming years. Interestingly enough, the headline appeared just as I was polishing off a quick post concerning a new tool that just might spark a revolution in tool safety tech.
More on the Great Tablesaw Safety Debate • Tablesaw Safety Goes Under the Microscope–Again |
We Get Mail…Lots of Mail
Every few weeks here at the Newtown, CT offices of Fine Woodworking magazine, we receive any number of new tools and prototype tools sent to us by manufacturers who hope to receive a positive review within the magazine. For the most part, it’s run-of-the-mill tools that we receive; routers, drills, chisels, handplanes. But once in a while, we receive something so utterly different than anything we’ve seen before, that we’re left picking our jaws up from the floor by our feet. That was the case when a new tool startup out of Worcester, Mass. called Kona Industries sent us their latest prototype.
While I can’t give away all the details until the scheduled article appears in FWW issue #224 later this year, I can offer a few small insights via our latest Quick Cuts video blog.
Could this be the revolution in tool safety that puts the breaks on the federal government’s plans? Who knows? Chime in by leaving your comments at the bottom of this post.
**And be sure to stay tuned for a message from Kona regarding other new tools and jigs on the horizon–at the very end of this video blog.
Comments
Woodworking humor. Uh-huh, I see...
Don't give up your day jobs, fellahs.
good laugh
fjb in chicago
Love it! Can't wait to get one, so I'm heading out to the shop now to see if I can't duplicate it myself. Thanks guys.
Wow...that video was an inspiration on so many levels. I love the close up of the Brit's pinky in the air. Nice touch! On the other hand, at the risk of exposing myself as a newbie and someone that only hocks the wares of talented woodworkers, I also thought it was a great idea and name!
Keep calling it like it is! I think you SHOULD give up your day jobs!!
Thanks guys - glad you got the JOKE. LOL
Cheers,
Ed
Good job guys, made my day!
Good job guys, made my day!
You got me again. I always fall for an April Fools Joke.
Up here in the Sierra's the only change I would consider is,a Camo or international orange color, that would help sales and smiles.
Everyone out there have a great day!!!!
Roy
very cool. pink and prreetensssious.
Got me good, hook, line and sinker....LOL.
Your feather board is too far back...and yeah, I agree, don't quit your day jobs. :-))
When it goes up for auction I'll take it off your hands for $20.00.
Of course you also, along with paying me the $20, pay shipping!
Does not make sense ... I mean once all corded and cordless power tools are banned, who will need a push stick? Thanks for the laughs!!!
I don't get it!!??
Loved the smack in the back of the head, nice touch! To be honest, the tool seemed to work, might come in handy to some folks. Cheers!
I was trying to make sense of it all when your your "...wait for it" audio came through! You GOT ME. Loved it!!
I don't think its real. Who would want to deal with something as cumbersome as that while using a table saw? What if you have a small shop? Pink? No, sir. But it was worth watching. Nice job, guys!
I like it! Do you have one for the Band Saw too?
Very amusing. :)
You had a promising piece of satire there for a moment - a poignant, transparent comment on the court's decision. You didn't need to dilute its impact with the April Fools disclaimer.
By a nice co-incidence, 'Kona Industries' is an anagram of 'desks urination'. Is this your really clever way of forewarning us it was a pXss take by the office guys?
Anyway, it made me smile.
I hate that product!!! it sucks! and I'm never gonna buy one.:)
Table saw safety is never anything to joke about. I would have expected more from FWW.
I am a southpaw, do they make a lefty model???
I hope you're sending one of these as a complimentary gift to that twit in Massachusetts??? ;-) Nice one, folks!
That's pretty funny guys! I think I'll go with the shop-made version though. The real jokes are the guys getting multi million dollar settlements for being stupid and careless. Where is the sense of personal responsibility these days? Nobody cut their finger off but themselves. Nobody ignored safety rules and disconnected fences and blade guards but them. What did they think was going to happen? Bunch of fricking idiots.
I hope you're sending one of these as a complimentary gift to that twit in Massachusetts??? ;-) Nice one, folks!
I hope you're sending one of these as a complimentary gift to that twit in Massachusetts??? ;-) Nice one, folks!
I think you guys should contact Kona and suggest the following improvement. I suggest a shield like aparatus just foreward of the grip,in order to protect oneself from the unlikelyhood of an errant kick back. Of course an impact resistant clear perspex window would need to incorporated in order to view your work. I think with this addition they would be onto a winner
You guys made my day.
Hey guys @ FWW,
Hate to bring reality into your warped world but if this was meant as an April Fool's joke you missed it completely...by 4 days.
Message sent: Mon, Apr 4, 2011 at 11:13 PM
Try checking the calendar next time. It would have been funny then.
Or was this meant for NEXT years April Fools Day and your sending it 361 days early?
Does it come in other colors? Also, is one available for my band saw? Thanks for the laugh.
I laughed so hard I splilled hot coffee on my lap and scorched myself, nothing funny about that..you'll be hearing from my lawyer!!
I got suckered! Good one and funny too.
Too bad I got the email about it on the 5th.
Liked the tool, quite practical (lol). What I really found funny were some of the comments. "I don't think its real. Who would want to deal with something as cumbersome as that while using a table saw? What if you have a small shop?" LOL Seems like this guy, along with some others, really fell for it.
For the woodworker in all of us that wants the latest and greatest tool, this is a must for every shop. May everyone also have a leather apron between your legs for that errant coffee mug.
Please have a model sent to our boys & girls in congress so they can set up an oversight committee to do a comprehensive study, and maybe some day it will be shipped out with every new tablesaw purchased in the future.
I'll bet the new version will have an additional device to control the offcut. Dibs on the idea.
I think the design for that tool would be better if they placed a magnifying sight on top just like on a riffle... but I like the color though.
Hil-freakin-arious, guys. Loved it.
You wasted my time.
The type of tool Barbie would give to Ken
That was good guys. Keep it up
Good to see some humor on the FW site.
Thanks for the laugh!
Is that a push stick on steroids? If so I am sure the government can manage to spend a few million looking for the needle marks at a hearing!Great job! Made my morning.
Is that a push stick on steroids? If so I am sure the government can manage to spend a few million looking for the needle marks at a hearing!Great job! Made my morning.
I know you guys created this ask a joke tool but it actually would be pretty useful if used for cutting sheets of plywood. just change the color and name to something better.
Loved the intro to the staff.
I want to see it with a cool pink 16x42 scope - perhaps even a red dot scope just to sight that itty bit of wood in wayyy down on the table
next time, skip my inbox
I appreciate the fact that this was an April Fool's joke but the implications of the court case that awarded damages to the fool who was using a table saw without a fence is no joke. I hope Fine Woodworking will take a responsible and firm position on the limits of tool "safety" legislation and litigation. By the way, I find the Saw Stop ad of a guy with a bandaged hand juvenile and offensive. Power tools are just that power tools and have to be used intelligently. If that scares you, there’s always stamp collecting.
I think it should have a laser sight to make sure you are placing it in the right position on the material. i also think the color should be brighter, I could possibly lose this in my shop.
This was totally a waste of time to watch and wasn't at all funny.
Would SOMEONE please tell the bumblers at FW who are stumbling through things electronic to wander off to California, or someplace. We're serious woodworkers, for heaven's sake!
You've got to be kidding this has to be an April Fools joke.
Every time you use it you need to set up your fingers device to hold the wood against the fence and I hope you don't get this thing tangled up with the saw blade or you could be missing a few teeth.
Hilarious. Great to see you "cut up" like that. For those that are so stinkin serious, give it a rest. Of all people, the FWW staff knows the importance of safety, lighten up and laugh a little.
U suckered me with the intro but soon realized something was going on. Nice job!!!
It's a great tool for paranoid woodworkers
what a waist of time not funny nor entertaining if you like to win my subscription with that nope don't think so; besides today is the 5th - walk on boy
Unprofessional, a distraction and a waste of my time. You compromised my trust in your communications. It wasn't funny anyway, and table saw safety is a tasteless topic to joke about.
sissy and pink together .. um .. there might be a few women out there that would find that offensive. Just sayin'.
I thought it was a great tool... despite the joke.. but then I must not be a "serious" woodworker...
WOW! This appears to be a great new tool and I can hardly wait buy one.
I'm new to woodworking (less than 1 year now). So far, I've had a few minor problems using my father's old table saw. Every time I meet the EMTs and physicians, they try to get me to stop woodworking but I'm hooked. I hated it when I lost my good eye recently but the 14" gash in my forearm, having my 3 fingers re-attached and loss of my last 4 teeth due to what the EMTs call "kickback" were not all that bad.
Your video was intended to highlight this revolutionary new tool but you guys (and gal) are so smart... I learned that the blade spins toward me. I'm going to pay attention to that detail in the future. I have a question for you. Your table saw seemed to have some nice attachments that mine does not have (a long support running from front-to-back to help guide the cut and a small black finger-like piece on the other side of the blade). Are these other prototype new tools or can I buy them now?
Lastly, I was really happy when, in your credits, I learned that the video was made by April Fools. I wonder if you could send me some contact information for her. My mom (Ima) and dad (Old, not his real name but everyone calls him that) didn't recognize the name but we may be related.
Signed,
I. Diot Fool ("I." is not really my first name but I think it looks impressive)
Really funny even though I happen to agree saw/tool safety is no laughing matter in the "real" world. Some of us... are not sissies, just irresponsible and unfortunately our society rewards such things. Be careful, with the right lawyer your "new guy" could sue the manufacturer for discrimination as being insinuated as the "sissy". Great job!
No fooling around I got to have one!
It's not the tool, but all about the process. You've got a great organization. Very entertaining skit. thanks !
A convenient shop tool, but I couldn't see where the batteries are installed.
Reminds me of the old jobsite gag of taping a power cord to the handle of a handsaw...
I'm writing an urgent letter to Kona Industries to caution them about their exposure to liability with the public release of this "tool." No doubt the idiot/woodbutcher who injured himself with the Ryobi bench saw will find a way to injure himself with this new "tool" and with his attorney on his speed dial, Kona Industries is in trouble.
I'm all for a good April Fool's joke. However, receiving this email on April 5th, it doesn't seem as funny.
Also, being a female woodworker, I don't appreciate the "sissy stick" being pink. It could have been many other colors and still achieved the same effect.
Hey you guy's, it was a joke. You didn't wait for the last comment. Get a life!!!!!
The best thing is that it keeps us thinking safety and best practices. I surly don't want to loose anything including my since of humor. So call me "SISSY"
Dear songbirdfeeder:
The video actually went up at 8:30am on April 1, 2011 - check the date. Our eletters however, go out on Tuesday's - so you may not have seen it on the site until just now.
Cheers,
Ed
PS: Glad you folks got a good laugh! Wow, was that ever fun to produce. Wish we could do these more often!
You know, if this was a free-content website and the date was actually April 1st when you send the email, maybe I'd have let this go. I've known two men who were seriously injured in table saw accidents, and neither of them, or their wives, would have been remotely amused by this 'skit'. I wasn't either.
Nice spoof. The real problem is that we seem to think that we can legislate brains into people in this country. We award stupidity and penalize anyone who smart lawyers can "prove" are to blame. Makes me sick.
nice color, might make us think just hanging one the wall,but we all need too start address this problem pretty quick or we will be paying $big.bucks for a five hundred dollar table saw,
Got a saw you think will last you twenty years, plus ten more for your son? Think again, now if you don't have a trigger locks or your guns in a LOCKED safe in some states you could face charges for the guns, child endangerment and anything else someone comes up with, We need to start screaming now and loud. If we don't we'll be herded up like sheep again. One man, holding a patient on safety device like the one we are all thinking about, has a lot of incentive and he all ready has his legal team lined up.
Funny...While I feel sorry for the guy who got hurt, if it was out of gross negligence, he had it coming. He should stay away from dangerous jobs or at least read the instructions first..Now it was just natural for the present day sense of "justice" that rules in the world, that instead of enforcing OSHA and prosecuting the idiots that hired an unprepared person to do a dangerous job, will rather see that the manufacturer of the tool is sued. Maybe because the manufacturer is "rich"? And we can't forget the poor people who have been offended by the word "sissy" even if used in jest., Or the color pink.. aha.. new legislation is in order by the government...question is.. Will sissies rule the USA someday..or do they already rule? you better believe it.
judging by the responses 50% of woodworkers take life way too seriously. The other half are invited to my house for a Margarita.
Well, a A+ for the paint job but a few days late for a April Fools joke.
First and foremost, if your going to do a April Fools Day joke, deliver it on April 1st.
Second, be original. I knew where you were headed with each little skit before you said a word. Are you telling us that even though your about the only publication on woodworking you can't come up with something original on the topic? Obviously more than the art director are sleeping on the job.
Thirdly, you need a different mind set. Now that I think about it, I realize that the whole magazine is kind of drab. There are no tongue in cheek articles like the one at the end of Fine Homebuilding. I can't remember the last light hearted article I read. And I often know where a joke is headed before I get to the punch line.
Fourthly, you need to start working on next years April Fools joke now. If you work on a joke a month I'm sure by next year you will have the skills needed.
Lastly, if it's not good, pitch it.
Heh, heh
Poor taste guys...and the wrong message. You're coming from a dark place on this one...
This was a joke??
You mean Peckovich DOESN'T sleep in his cubicle????
Man, buncha crotchety old codgers on here. I thought woodworkers were supposed to be a relaxed creative bunch.
I hear Bridge City Tools plans to release a limited edition model in hot pink annodized aluminum with rosewood handles!
I'm with you, Ocotillo Mike. I like mine blended on a hot day...
maxfrustation: I'd say Mike P. is one of the hardest working guys in this office!
Ed
I understand ver 1.1 is already in the works to include a safety shield in front of the handle.
Crafty and smart are the peeps at Taunton. The "April Fools" was a Trojan Horse screening device to WEED OUT the fuddy-duddys in their audience and know who are the woodworkers fully of life that do not take themselves too seriously and are not thin skinned anemics. Taunton knew, as is common with most balanced people, that the bright pink scheme, waist (sic) of time, non-Shakespeare crafted actors, and all the other bitching / moaning complaints would shed right off the full-of-life woodworkers, who they were targeting, and expose the fuddy-duddys they wanted to relegate to their B list outreach. Nice work Taunton. How about an IPO??
Hey, I've got next year's April tech improvement here... All the problems with kickback would be ameliorated were the PUSH stick to be replaced with a PULL stick. Can't say I really like the pink color, but add a little weight to keep the end of the stick down, reconfigure the push notch into a pull notch, and you get to stand on the safe side of the blade.
For the random physicist who might be reading this note, it is occasioned by my memory of a lecture from years back. Speaker drew the classical picture of the positively-charged alpha particle having its path curved to the right, the negatively-charged beta particle being directed to the left, and the neutral gamma shooting straight up. "The only safe place is right beneath the atom," the speaker informed his rapt audience.
Thanks for the informative and entertaining note, FWW! And raspberries to those commentors who have lost their ability to smile.
-- Richard Juday
Longmont CO
This product is perfect you are very,very dumb! Make your own stick – I keep a 5 gallon full.
I'm holding out for the digital model...
Why are two of the guys watching the push stick demo not wearing their safety glasses?
Ever notice that the people that don't get the joke can rarely spell or use homophones correctly. I don't see this as a "waist" of my time, or a waste either. Makes you wonder if the do or can read the instructions and safety rules either. Use of table saws and other power equipment (worst injury I ever had was with a number 5 sweep carving chisel) is most definitely a serious business, but the ability tolaugh at ourselves is one of life's little jokes in the first place.
Nicely done. However I was concerned that the short length of the work piece might have kicked back unexpectedly, turning a spoof into an accident. After teaching a construction program for 26 years at a local community college, I've witnessed many accidents that shouldn't have happened. Thanks for the fun.
I have just viewed your video + 5 comments.....
There is a clear separation of those who enjoy their vocation/avocation working wood, vs. individuals who are so self consumed they need to get a life.
Keep up your good work!
I was amused by the number of people who complained about the waste of their time who wasted more time by taking the time to complain about it.
What I witnessed I would consider horse play. Using a table saw requires a person to be in complete control of the material being cut. Some degree of control was certainly lost using the tool. As an experienced cabinet maker, I have never found anything funny about using power tools to joke around with.
I teach industrial classes occasionally and would be very upset if I saw a student attempting to use a TOOL like that.
Your time would be better spent developing real safety items.
I have great respect for the table saw, and all the other tools in my shop, and approach any use of it with extreme caution. Maybe that is why I still have all of my fingers.
Wow there are a lot of anal people on here! It was satire people. And unfortunately, FWW felt the need to actually add that it was an April Fools joke at the end in expectation of all the woodworkers who have a stick in a very uncomfortable location. Did the guy who loped off half his hand do something stupid? Yes. Was it FWWs fault that he had no common sense? No. I say BRAVO to FWWs fine example of dry humor and the ability to laugh at life. If more people had a sense of humor they would live longer....
There sure a lot of tools on this site .....
Hello.
I was really thinking " what is that?
Saludos from beautifull Costa Rica.
You have to like the idea of a Pull Stick. Sounds like money in the bank.
At first i thought it was a rip saw in pink bubble wrap
Just when I thought that one of my long time favorite magazines had fallen to a new low spot in the group of other woodworking magazines, this clip just made me shake my head even more so.
I know they are trying to be funny, but Fine Woodworking used to be a class act. Now they have fallen below quite a few magazines (IMHO). Will this ever get any better? What do you think?
I used to save every issue and keep them in order. I'm not interested any more. Sorry, this joke is on you.
The funniest part about this is all the cantankerous old guys complaining that it's not funny.
Folks, I grew up working at a southern yellow pine sawmill. Big, 60" circle saw, no guards. Folks were very careful around that guy. Been using a table saw for 40 years, had my first and last accident about two months ago, involved stupidity on my part, but I ended up with eleven stitches. I still have all my digits, and a renewed sense of caution. Having said that, the skit was funny, and I'm already signed up for about five more years to this magazine, and will be renewing when that runs out. It's equally ludicrous to fault FW for having a sense of humor as it is to blame a manufacturer for user ignorance. You guys are right, safety is no joke. But that was funny, I don't care who you are!
How about a table saw that requires you to read aloud the safety manual before it will turn on. A little voice recognition.... It could work as a cell phone app with bluetooth.
G*eat vid*o! I had th* beta ver*ion of th*s t**l, and it h*d a lot of b*gs that n**ded adr*ssing. One of wh*ch as you can see b*t me. Kudos 2 Kona for wo*king th*m out pr*or to the off*c*al rele*se ;)=
You win! I was expecting an endorsement for the stupid legislation of safety, and ready to cancel as a result. You did good although I too, like a prior reader, expected a kickback from that pusher. We do need more people who know how to use their brains instead of mandatory seat belts and helmets. Thanks for what you do.
I think you guys need to stick to just hand tools. Better yet, figure out how to reduce the number of paper cuts I receive by delousing your monthly magazine with over stuffed subscription inserts. (sarcastic humor intended :) I thought the April Fool's stint was good.
Why do I wish the CPSC in Hell? Intelligent people can look at a device and decide what the risk is. Giving this task to a "commision" is something I hate worse than death.
Ich hasse CPSC.
Anybody remember the "Backward Bike"?
Sincerely,
Robert H. Galloway
While I didn't find it super funny, I certainly appreciate the need to laugh in life. Just because many of us out here are "serious woodworkers" shouldn't mean we cannot take a step back and chuckle once in a while. And even if we didn't find it funny, FWW is still head and shoulders above other woodworking magazines. We all get dumb forwarded emails that we stop reading and delete. I would hope that we don't rail against the friends that send them. I have been subscribing to FWW for years and I have no intentions of letting a not too funny and maybe even tasteless joke impact what I read this magazine for.
On a slightly different note...Every time I hit the "on" button on one of my tools I try to pay maximum attention to what I am doing. This paying attention goes for my hand tools as well. The worst cut I have gotten in my shop came from a chisel and that was at the end of the day when I had just finished saying to myself "you're getting tired, time to stop." I should have listened to that little voice. There is not one of us who has not done something stupid in the shop.
Let's try to have a little compassion for those of us who were not so lucky and their stupidity led to tragedy. Truth is none of us deserve to loose any of our parts no matter the dumbness of the move. Don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting that manufacturers should pay for my stupidity, but we are all kidding ourselves if we think that all manufacturers have our safety as their priority. Having some over sight can be a good thing.
To the editors at FWW, I'm glad you guys and gal are having fun and are still able to put together the best damn woodworking magazine out there. Wish I was working there!
Peace.
To those who just don't agree with this sort of joking about woodworking, I want you to know that I do respect your opinions. Humor is always a risky thing for FWW, since we are regarded so seriously by our readers, and also since you never know how a joke might be taken. But each April 1, we take that risk and let our hair down for just one day. We thought the video was funny, especially the part where you got to see the staff joking around, and we didn’t think anyone would mistake the “Sissy Stick” for anything more than what it is: ridiculous.
And, although some people have complained, it is mostly about the fear of OTHER people misunderstanding it, not the objector himself. That said, I do think we gave the impression to some that we are not serious about safety, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Helping people become better, safer woodworkers is deeply important to me, and is a big reason this job is so meaningful for so many of us.
Nice!!
What makes it even more funny is it looks like the 6 sigma liability folks made sure it was properly framed in case someone actually tried making a sissy stick and got hurt.
I think we should just skip the sawstop entirely. It is too narrowly focused.
All those dangerous sharp objects and tools, oh my and splinters too.
I think instead, the government should only allow us to have a completely computerized milling machine.
Put the wood in one end, pick the desired object you want to end up with from a FW database and voila out the other end comes the finished product.
And for the really safety conscious, skip the material entirely and just have holograms of objects. Looks just like the real thing and you can take it with you on a thumb drive.
Too short. If they're going to keep with longstanding tradition, it should have been a ten-foot stick. Or pole.
I was disappointed to note that there was no forward motion limiting devise on this highly original push stick.This device would act to ensure that the hands could not reach the blade. Nor was there a perspex shield fitted to protect the user from the kickback that this stick is sure to promote
Something along the lines of a 3' section of broom handle mounted to the side of the push stick and projecting down towards the floor. When the push stick is in the fully deployed position at the end of the cut and the timber is clear of the blade this is when the device should activate and strike the front of the mackine.
As for the shield, I envision somthing similar to the wind screen fitted to early police bikes.
I hope that on the MkII model, these important features will be present and provide users with a reassuring "THUNK" each time it impacts the front of their machine. Or a "THUNK THUNK" in the case of kickback.
I look forward to 1 April 2014
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
Sign up Log in