Always Use Protection

Sure, it's easy to start to take shortcuts when doing the same thing over and over again. But safety is imperative. Since this project began I have encountered a few safety mishaps and close calls.

When working with any power tool one must always wear safety goggles. I was quiet fortunate that I follow this rule for when I was first cutting out the buildings I was using a dremel. Anyone who has worked with a dremel before will tell you that when the blade reaches the end of its usable life, it will shatter and fly off the tool. Luckily the momentum of the shards are not enough to slice skin, but can be very dangerous to the eyes. As I hinted at earlier, when I was first using the dremel, a shard came off and bounced off my eyewear. Truth be told, this is highly unlikely, unless one, like me, keeps their head to close to the tool. Learned my lesson.

One's attire while working is also a safety issue. I always wear jeans or thick cargo shorts and closed toed shoes. But the most important piece of one's attire are gloves. Not only do they provide protection from splinters, but also from the various blades. It may not seem like much, but that extra layer of leather could be the difference between a close call, a minor cut, or sewing your finger back on.

The unexpected is always hard to prepare for, but taking these precautions can minimize any injuries. For instance, you might recall from an earlier post that I said the saw at extreme speeds was burning the wood. Well, not all wood is treated, so after cutting into the 1.5 inch wood the wood caught fire. You can see from the picture that gloves prevented any harm to myself.

Remember, if you are going to do a project, do it well and do it safely.