JamesEMc

Not only do I think you should mention what you do, I think you should take pictures of your students and their work, possibly finished products, and if at all possible, your most gifted student. I'd omit photos showing students not using safety goggles (yeah, I know), dust masks and hearing protection.

Good luck

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mantelmaker

I remember using a router in 9th grade, everyone had to use the router to round over the handle of their cutting boards. We had one router set up and the instructor supervised every student, no accidents ever occured. However, I once saw a little league mom hospitalize a boy while swinging a bat after a game. Whats next, do we ban baseball from schools. Bob

jerrymayfield

AMEN

jerry

cabinetsetc

I'm just wondering what would happen to that school district if anyone was ever stabbed with a pen or pencil or wacked with a ruler or book. Food for thought.

Drugstore Cowboy

Careful -- they will find a way to ban those too.
I can't speak to situations overseas -- but in the US -- the issue is fourfold:

• too many greedy lawyers
• too many judges who don't have the spine to throw out ridiculous suits
• too many people who have learned that the court system has better odds than Vegas
• a generation that has been raised to believe nothing is their fault

Not too long ago a woman here was awarded a MAJOR settlement because no one warned her that if you spill hot coffee in your lap it might burn.
So - in a way - how can blame someone for rolling the dice any time they bump their knee - especially with lawyers working on spec - they have nothing to lose.

And given that -- who can really blame school districts for being gunshy.
Over here it goes far beyond shop tools --- school districts are banning dodge ball -- tag --- essentially almost any of the kinds of running and playing games kids have done ever since there have been kids -- and the kinds of things they NEED to do at that age to grow up healthy.
You want to talk about sad -- THAT -- is sad.

The excuse is that it is concern for the safety of the kids --
The reality is -- it is concern that little Jimmy will skin his knee and little Jimmy's mom will sue the school. Win or lose - the school is still out major money.

Just shooting in the dark here -- but I would be willing to bet -- someone in that school district got hurt using a router and threatened to sue -- OR -- someone heard about someone who did and the school is play CYA. Hard to fight that -- but I DO wish you luck --- I keep hoping something will happen over here to restore common sense and a sense of personal responsability.

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The one who says it can't be done --
Should avoid interrupting
the person doing it.

Drugstore Cowboy

AMEN -
Every router I have ever owned has come with a manual that details the ways you can get hurt with it - and the things you need to do NOT to.

Truth is --
Any tool that is decently made - (ie - doesn't fall apart when used or blow up or catch fire) - is safe when used as designed.
And by the same token -- ANYTHING can be harmful if used incorrectly.
I've mentioned elsewhere how I wound up at the dr after stabbing my hand on a toothpick. HECK -- you can choke on a glass of sodapop then cut your foot when you drop it and step on the glass.

99% of the time -- the issue is NOT the tool but the user.
I read frequently where an SUV plowed into a wall -- or crowd of people etc.
NO -- it didn't --- a DRIVER ran an SUV into the wall etc.

Like many of you I had the good fortune to be raised by men and women who knew and loved and respected tools and I was taught that from the time I could hold a hammer. But many kids today are NOT.

Sounds to me like -- if the school district is truly concerned for the safety of the kids --- they would encourage MORE instruction in proper procedure.
Not less.

Ok -- I'll hush now.

Sorry -- this business of blaming the tool -- or the school -- or the store -- or the government -- or whatever for our OWN ignorance or carelessness or laziness is a HOT button with me.
Thanks for listening-

And again GOOD luck to those who are trying to bring some sense to this situation.

__________________
The one who says it can't be done --
Should avoid interrupting
the person doing it.

Joe Lyddon

Any tool is as dangerous or safe as the operator is using it.

jerryc

As a retired teacher let me add one small but important fact to the debate on safety. That is the skill (or lack of) of the teacher.
I taught woodturning for spell and had no problems. I used to put a piece of four by four redgum ( a very hard Oz wood) between centres and show the kids how safe it was to turn it properly, even though it was spinning at 1800 revs.
I was not a woodwork teacher and the woodwork dept decided to take over the elective subject because it was wood.
Upshot was a teacher knocked himself senseless (Had none to start with) turning a bowl because he let the gouge dig in and shattered the bowl.
Guess the rest?
I actually demonstrated to the principal how safe it was by turning a rough branch between centres until I cut straight through it and the two pieces fell onto the bed of the lathe.
His verdict .Wood work was OK with hand tools because it was in the hands of "professionals"

Jerry

Everyone is entitled to my opinion

karateed

I was looking at the work Tom's students were doing. Obviously, it's not the router that is unsafe, it's how the router is used. I think we all agree on that.

I'm a raw novice when it comes to the router but you folks have taught me so much in the safe use of routers, so much so that when watching podcasts, I notice unsafe acts, such as not unplugging the router when handling or adjusting the bit depth, things like that.

It seems that common sense has gone the way of the dodo. In order for the next generation to grow up 'safe' they need to be in an environment that allows them to make small mistakes while getting good coaching on how to be safe while working with potentially dangerous machinery. To not educate is the greatest of sins for it is by education that mankind can move forward.

By removing routers from the curriculum, we are also removing education......and that is what is dangerous and sinful.

KarateEd......:-)

harrysin

Well put Ed.

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Harry