Wood Lathe Accident at Yale

There is a headline that has bothered me all day. Actually, it's broken my heart for everyone involved.

It's with a heavy heart that I'm writing to tell about this horrible accident on a tool that most woodworkers take for granted - a wood lathe. A Yale University student died in an accident Tuesday night in a campus lab while using a wood lathe.

I was actually thinking about woodshop accidents this week, after noticing that a couple of students were getting a little careless in the shop. When classes are full and people feel rushed, they tend to work too quickly. That is never good in a woodshop, and over the years, I've seen some awful things occur from to trying to rush through something.

Losing a finger is one thing, but losing your life - horrible beyond belief. My sympathies go out to her family and friends at Yale. RIP

Please! Relax and take things slowly in the shop. Your time in the woodshop is supposed to be fulfilling and enriching. Remember - it's about the "dance of doing" rather than who crosses the finish line first.