Is it just me or does anyone else think his right hand is too close to the blade in the photo of the mitre cut? I would do the cut from the other side, holding the wood with my left hand and the right on the handle where they are both out of the way. That would also allow a clean entry on the exposed long corner and whatever tearout might happen on the inside, easier to fix or hide.
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Replies
It's a set shot. The saw is off, he's not even pressing down on the stock or gripping the handle. (pink fingertips) He's pushing the button on the camera and walking around the saw with 4 seconds left to place his hands without moving anything. Then he decides his fingers look weird and does it 14 more times.
FWIW I think being outside of the throat plate is a generous amount of space, and he has tearout covered with a backing block.
I think I finally saw the picture you are refering to. Yeah while it might be ok(studio shot and all) it looks really awkward in the photo for sure. I'm personally looking for more clearance between me and the blade. "Blocks and sticks not hands and fingers." Is what I was told many years ago.
Was there a picture I'm not seeing?
"Was there a picture I'm not seeing?"
Apparently(?). Maybe a link that got removed?
We have all seen photo department setups that don't look typically "real". FWW has always preached safety practices well but sometimes photographs of operations or techniques benefit from the removal of guards or changes in operator positions. FWW generally mentions this in the article or photo sub-titles for the sake of transparency.
You always want to use safe operating procedures. When showing things for the purpose of instruction there are times that some guards or operator positions have to be modified. These are photo setups for clarity and not something that would actually be performed.
I guess I should have been clearer in my original post.
Tool Review: Woodpeckers In-dexable mitre gauge. It comes up on my screen as soon as I log in. Regardless of whether or not the saw is stopped, the cut has been made and there is no reason to think it was held differently. Having lost the tips of two fingers, maybe I'm just too sensitive to such things but in my mind his fingers (maybe his wrist) are too close to the blade.
To avoid confusion assume everyone hasn't seen the article you're talking about and post a link:
https://www.finewoodworking.com/2025/06/05/tool-review-woodpeckers-in-dexable-miter-gauge
ok... now... my take...
It's a safe cut. At first glance, it looks suspicious, but he's outside the danger zone, and everything is under control.
Personally, I'd have used a shot that had my hands further away, but that's because I'm generally the one who sees the comments (case in point!).
In the end, distance from the blade and safety are not always one in the same.