# Stupid is as stupid does



## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Last few weeks I've been busy in the shop with picture frames for the holidays this year. Ahead of schedule (as much of a schedule as i keep *L*) I decided to take on a new challenge to break things up a little bit. I decided I'd like to build a couple of tenon saws. For the sake of this yarn, and those who might not know, basically the saw itself consists of a saw plate or blade, a back or spine (which runs along the top of the saw and keeps the saw plate rigid) a handle and a couple of nuts. 

Last night I was to the point where I needed to permanently affix the saw plate to the spine for the first saw. After some discussion I decided to go with a thin CA (essentially super glue) as the means/method of choice. I carefully taped off the brass spine, cleaned up the saw plate a bit and applied the CA into the saw plate slot in the spine. I lined up the saw plate and began to slip it into place when all of the sudden the super glue just BLEW out. I mean it went every where. Including into my face! I had gotten sprayed in the outside corner of my right eye and the inside corner of my left. some on both eye brows. 

I was instantly aware of what had happened and the first thought was OHHHHH CRAP!! 

I spread my eyes open with thumb and forefinger from each hand. This stuff stings like all hell let me tell ya!! I released every few moments to make sure my fingers didn't stick to the area around my eyes. Weathered out the sting of it all and then rinsed my eyes out thoroughly as quickly as I could. Probably no more than 20-30 seconds after this happened. When it comes to CA, this is pretty much well after the fact since it sets up so quickly. I'm fine, no damage done and all is good as they say. 

The point of the story I suppose is that this potentially disastrous event could have and should have been easily prevented had I had on my safety glasses. Which I admit I rarely wear even though I have several pair sitting around the shop. 

I believe what happened was that when I taped off the spine I closed off both ends while I was at it. When I went to sit the saw plate down into the spine, the CA had no where to go. And instead of sitting the saw plate down at an angle, I went to place it pretty much in plane with the spine. Apparently I compressed the CA as the plate went down into the spine. Since it had no where else to go, the excess just blew out and up. 

So there ya have it,,,stupid is as stupid does!!!! I've worked with adhesives of all types for years and never had any problems, not even close calls. This one, just came outta no where!! I'm lucky!!!

bill


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

WOW Bill.... that is a new use for CA if I've ever heard one. You are very lucky to not have suffered any more damage than you did. I hate working with CA, although I do work with it a lot on the lathe. I would have never thought safety glasses would have been needed for the application you were using it for, but I think I just learned from you. Worst I did with the stuff was glue my lips together once while removing the cap from the bottle with my teeth while both hands were busy holding a project together. Believe me when I say that was a lot of fun and I'll never live it down either. I think that would classify for stupid is what stupid does for sure :fie:

Glad you came out unhurt and thanks for sharing the incident.


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

Yes, glad you were (reasonably) lucky on that one, Bill.


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## dutchman 46 (May 23, 2007)

That is one that I will remember! I don't know how many times I have heard," Put on Your safety glasses!" when I could see no need to do it. Bill, I won't be so quick to say anything about the use of safty issues again


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## Cabbie41 (Nov 28, 2010)

Bill-
Close call!! I'm like you in that my safety glasses seldom move from their hook. I normally wear glasses with polycarbonate lenses so I feel "protected", but getting them covered with CA sure would have been expensive!
Thanks for the tip!
Jim
CA


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Bob.... I thought the same thing first time I heard it. I was assured it was a proven method and decided I'd give it a try. Another option that had been offered up was to use loctite or threadlocker. Since I have CA on hand, I went with that. I used a .025 plate and the slot in the spine was something around .027-.028. My thinking was that the 'thin' CA would not only hold the plate in place but would also be fluid enough to "fill in the gap" between plate and spine. 

You actually glued you lips together? seriously?  Yah, I'd have a hard time letting you live that one down as well... Just glad were both lucky enough to laugh about it 'after' the fact...



Bob N said:


> WOW Bill.... that is a new use for CA if I've ever heard one. You are very lucky to not have suffered any more damage than you did. I hate working with CA, although I do work with it a lot on the lathe. I would have never thought safety glasses would have been needed for the application you were using it for, but I think I just learned from you. Worst I did with the stuff was glue my lips together once while removing the cap from the bottle with my teeth while both hands were busy holding a project together. Believe me when I say that was a lot of fun and I'll never live it down either. I think that would classify for stupid is what stupid does for sure :fie:
> 
> Glad you came out unhurt and thanks for sharing the incident.


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

Wow, Bill... I'm sure sorry to hear about your "explosion". I had a smaller one when I was in my early teens... like Bob's except swap the lip glue-up with CA evenly coating the roof of my mouth.

And I remember a split-second before the explosion thinking... "Boy, is this dumb!"


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Thanks Ralph...

as they say, at times, its better to be lucky than good...



Ralph Barker said:


> Yes, glad you were (reasonably) lucky on that one, Bill.


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Hey Howard...

as Jerry is so fond of saying.. "work Safe"....



dutchman 46 said:


> That is one that I will remember! I don't know how many times I have heard," Put on Your safety glasses!" when I could see no need to do it. Bill, I won't be so quick to say anything about the use of safty issues again


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Howdy Jim...

the kicker about this whole deal is that I never seen it coming....never woulda thunk it!

I suspect it was all about hydraulics or fluid dynamics or such thing, but damn...

anyways, all well that ends well and its looks like it'll take a "real" explosion to get that plate out of the spine now...



BigJimAK said:


> Wow, Bill... I'm sure sorry to hear about your "explosion". I had a smaller one when I was in my early teens... like Bob's except swap the lip glue-up with CA evenly coating the roof of my mouth.
> 
> And I remember a split-second before the explosion thinking... "Boy, is this dumb!"


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

Thanks for Posting that Bill as I have a bad habit of slipping off the safety glasses when not cutting something............ Glues, stains, finishes can all easily fly in the eye


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

Glad to hear you are ok Bill! It's a good heads up reminder. I rarely wear my safety glasses in the shop unless I am running a power tool. I ALWAYS put them on before I start anything up. But we all have quite an array of chemicals out in our shops that we need to take obvious precautions with.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Thanks Bill for letting us in on your mishap. I use very little of the stuff, but when I do I'll remember to wear safety glasses.

Bob you didn't really did you???


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## sourdough (Jan 31, 2010)

Makes me wince just thinking about it. I keep safety glasses hanging from every tool, right in my way....so I have to MOVE them to work. It reminds me. BUT....I could easily have done what you did.
Thanks for posting. Might save somebody's sight!!


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## oldbilbo (Nov 10, 2008)

Thanks for that. It's a sound 'head up'.

I can't yet initiate my own posts, so let me piggy-back on this. I was hand power-drilling a line of holes in a wood workpiece, to accept screws. The first few were careful.... then I must have lifted away the drill at a 'bending' angle, instead of vertically. The bit was still rotating - fast - and it broke.

A piece of High Speed Steel came whirring right at my right eye. It connected right on the outside corner, nicked the skin, and continued to hit the wall at the far corner of the room. Of course I didn't have any of the several pairs of safety specs on my face, did I?

#6


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## azw (Dec 4, 2007)

TwoSkies57 said:


> ... I decided I'd like to build a couple of tenon saws. ... basically the saw itself consists of a saw plate or blade, a back or spine (which runs along the top of the saw and keeps the saw plate rigid) a handle and a couple of nuts. ...


Boy, it's hard to imagine that this could happen, which is exactly why we can't rely on "logic" to tell us when we can get way with not wearing safety gear. I'm glad to hear it didn't cause serious problems.

I'm curious about your tenon saws. Do you have a picture you could share?


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

azw said:


> Boy, it's hard to imagine that this could happen, which is exactly why we can't rely on "logic" to tell us when we can get way with not wearing safety gear. I'm glad to hear it didn't cause serious problems.
> 
> I'm curious about your tenon saws. Do you have a picture you could share?



Art..

here ya go..

http://www.routerforums.com/project-plans-how/25205-homemade-tenon-carcass-saws.html


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## azw (Dec 4, 2007)

I'm in awe, Bill! You've done an amazing job. It's really an "art saw"! Thanks for the photos.


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Thanks for the kind words Art... 

much appreciated. I'll post a few more pics once its completed. The walnut handled saw will be a rip cut and the wood with the tracing on it is tiger maple and it'll be for the crosscut saw. the open handle I think I'll pick up a razor saw and just steal the sawplate and spine off of it and use with the handle.. 

bill


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Gluing the lips together just gave me a great idea of how to cure my coworker's bad breath! Thanks for the tip!


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