Dangerous Tools.
Bloody Viking
While the one-arm bandits are funny, one thing is not. Dangerous tools. I
remember being a teenager cutting down some weeds with a sickle. For those
who never seen a sickle except for the CCCP logo on a red flag, a sickle
is a curved blade, like the logo, with a handle. It's of course sharp. But
the handle is offset slightly from the plane of the blade so a righty-only
can sweep it outward and cut the weeds.
Guess what's going to happen if you use the same motion as implied by the
offset when your right hand gets tired and you switch - or try to use it
lefty-only. Yep, you guessed it, it now swings toward your right arm,
making for an injury hazard. For a lefty to use this tool swinging
outward, you hold it upside down and mirror-image swing like a righty.
Needless to say, the weeds are not cut as good (not as level) in lefty
mode compared to righty mode.
With this, you could imagine the frustration of Russian peasants who are
lefty or ambi. And of course, most Russian peasants are righty so the farm
tools are righty-only. An ambi sickle would be better for a lefty, but an
ambi sickle would not do quite as good a job as a one-hand-only sickle
used in the matching hand.
This with the sickle illustrates the frustration of lefties, but also
ambis when their right hand gets tired and want to switch over. Besides
the frustration, the sickle illustrates the dangers found in the lefty
world.
BTW, the CCCP hammer and sickle logo displays a righty-only sickle as to
hang a righty-only sickle on the wall by the blade tip, it lays flat when
hung in the same direction. A nail put lower on the wall is where you hang
the hammer. But the hammer hangs in a way for a lefty to grab. You could
have fun psychoanalising the significances. :)
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Daniel Driscoll
a left handed circular saw? How come the the safety switch for most
power tools is only on the right side of the tool? It's bad enough to
try to operate a right handed power tool left handed, but when the
safety switch is only on the right side then you have no choice but to
operate the tool right handed or defeat the safety. Of course, defeating
any safety device on any tool automatically voids any warrenty, express
or implied and is usually pretty stupid to boot.
What's a lefty to do? Which is the more dangerous, operating a right
handed tool left handed (assuming no safety switch), operating it right
handed, but with no coordination, or defeating the safeties, which don't
work for a lefty anyway?
The one good thing is that manufacturers are starting to wake up to the
fact that there are left handers in the world. I am seeing a few more
power tools with ambi or dual sided safety switches these days. The
tools are still designed for right handed operation, but they at least
realize that the tool might be operated left handed.
Dan Driscoll
Bloody Viking wrote:
>
> While the one-arm bandits are funny, one thing is not. Dangerous tools. I
> remember being a teenager cutting down some weeds with a sickle. For those
> who never seen a sickle except for the CCCP logo on a red flag, a sickle
> is a curved blade, like the logo, with a handle. It's of course sharp. But
> the handle is offset slightly from the plane of the blade so a righty-only
> can sweep it outward and cut the weeds.
<snip>
Bloody Viking
: It certainly isn't limited to hand tools. When was the last time you saw
I chose the sickle example becuse that was the first time I encountered
the problem when I started becoming increasingly ambi.
: What's a lefty to do? Which is the more dangerous, operating a right
: handed tool left handed (assuming no safety switch), operating it right
: handed, but with no coordination, or defeating the safeties, which don't
: work for a lefty anyway?
This is a good issue. It's like the sickle in lefty mode. For the ambi,
this hazard only occurs when in lefty mode. The thing comes up with those
big power drills too, whivh have two handles, a second one on the left
side to hold it up. You grip the pistol grip righty, of course. For the
lefty to use this item, it become nearly impossible. The ambi is forced to
continue using it righty as the hand gets increasingly tired, resulting in
increasing hazard as time goes by. Those evil righties!
: The one good thing is that manufacturers are starting to wake up to the
: fact that there are left handers in the world. I am seeing a few more
: power tools with ambi or dual sided safety switches these days. The
: tools are still designed for right handed operation, but they at least
: realize that the tool might be operated left handed.
At least it's a start.
Hagrinas Mivali
Daniel Driscoll <NoSpa...@BiteMe.com> wrote:
> It certainly isn't limited to hand tools. When was the last time you
saw
That would be the last time I was in Home Depot. Porter Cable makes one
for the same price as the equivalent righty model.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Ken
Daniel Driscoll wrote:
>
> It certainly isn't limited to hand tools. When was the last time you saw
> a left handed circular saw? How come the the safety switch for most
> power tools is only on the right side of the tool? It's bad enough to
> try to operate a right handed power tool left handed, but when the
> safety switch is only on the right side then you have no choice but to
> operate the tool right handed or defeat the safety. Of course, defeating
> any safety device on any tool automatically voids any warrenty, express
> or implied and is usually pretty stupid to boot.
The hand help power saw is even more sinister and dangerous to use left
handed than you are describing. I have used them for years left handed
and the worst thing about them is the dust diverter spits out saw dust
on the right side of the saw. Used in the right hand this is no problem.
Used in the left hand the saw dust is diverted strait at your body and
saw dust invariably gets in your eyes if eye protection is not worn.
It also causes saw dust to blow into any opening in your clothing such
as a button shirt and down your pants.
> The one good thing is that manufacturers are starting to wake up to the
> fact that there are left handers in the world. I am seeing a few more
> power tools with ambi or dual sided safety switches these days. The
> tools are still designed for right handed operation, but they at least
> realize that the tool might be operated left handed.
Left handed power saws have been available for years but they are uncommon
and at times are very difficult to find. Other power tools have been much
slower in appearing and there is a definite lack of retailer attention
in this area.
--
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Kevin Moore
If you'd like a more personal experience with dangerous right only
design, try using a gas powered chainsaw. I tried holding one once for
my father who was cutting some pampas grass stalks. The problem is if
you take it left-handed the hot muffler is toward your body. I melted a
large hole in the front of a pair of synthetic slacks doing that.
Suddenly, it was very drafty. Fortunately, I didn't get burned.
Best Wishes
Kevin
Bloody Viking wrote:
>
> While the one-arm bandits are funny, one thing is not. Dangerous tools. I
> remember being a teenager cutting down some weeds with a sickle. For those
> who never seen a sickle except for the CCCP logo on a red flag, a sickle
> is a curved blade, like the logo, with a handle. It's of course sharp. But
> the handle is offset slightly from the plane of the blade so a righty-only
> can sweep it outward and cut the weeds.
>
> Guess what's going to happen if you use the same motion as implied by the
> offset when your right hand gets tired and you switch - or try to use it
> lefty-only. Yep, you guessed it, it now swings toward your right arm,
> making for an injury hazard. For a lefty to use this tool swinging
> outward, you hold it upside down and mirror-image swing like a righty.
> Needless to say, the weeds are not cut as good (not as level) in lefty
> mode compared to righty mode.
>
> With this, you could imagine the frustration of Russian peasants who are
> lefty or ambi. And of course, most Russian peasants are righty so the farm
> tools are righty-only. An ambi sickle would be better for a lefty, but an
> ambi sickle would not do quite as good a job as a one-hand-only sickle
> used in the matching hand.
>
> This with the sickle illustrates the frustration of lefties, but also
> ambis when their right hand gets tired and want to switch over. Besides
> the frustration, the sickle illustrates the dangers found in the lefty
> world.
>
> BTW, the CCCP hammer and sickle logo displays a righty-only sickle as to
> hang a righty-only sickle on the wall by the blade tip, it lays flat when
> hung in the same direction. A nail put lower on the wall is where you hang
> the hammer. But the hammer hangs in a way for a lefty to grab. You could
> have fun psychoanalising the significances. :)
>
Brett
Kevin Moore wrote in message <38EE8F3E...@home.com>...
>B.V.:
>
>If you'd like a more personal experience with dangerous right only
>design, try using a gas powered chainsaw. I tried holding one once for
>my father who was cutting some pampas grass stalks. The problem is if
>you take it left-handed the hot muffler is toward your body. I melted a
>large hole in the front of a pair of synthetic slacks doing that.
>Suddenly, it was very drafty. Fortunately, I
They reckon lefties are dangerous in the work place , I reckon get rid of
crimplene .
Cheers Brett
Morris, Roger
You don't need a chainsaw to cut crimplene! (-:
--
Roger Morris
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Bloody Viking
: If you'd like a more personal experience with dangerous right only
: design, try using a gas powered chainsaw. I tried holding one once for
: my father who was cutting some pampas grass stalks. The problem is if
: you take it left-handed the hot muffler is toward your body. I melted a
: large hole in the front of a pair of synthetic slacks doing that.
: Suddenly, it was very drafty. Fortunately, I didn't get burned.
Not to mention the "car exhaust" is aimed toward you instead of away from
you causing a carbon monoxide hazard. No good, unless you want to commit
suicide. I [pointed out the sickle becuse that was the first time I tried
using a righty-only tool in lefty mode.