Safety First

I think my first subject post needs to be on safety, this is of course the most important part of undertaking building of any kind.

The basic safety equipment needed are

Eye Protection - made of shatterproof plastic will protect eyes from flying debris.



Breathing Respirator - when sanding your wood the amount of fine particles released into the air is amazing. If you do not wear a mask of some kind you will inhale these particles which is not good for your respiratory system. If you are exposed to this for over a long period of time you can develop issues with your breathing. Some wood contains some rather nasty stuff so save yourself and wear one of these.



Hearing Protection - some of the tools that you use are extremely loud, protecting your hearing is just as important as your breathing.



Footwear - Do not wear your newest opened toed slip on's while you are using tools, you drop a piece of wood or tool on your toe and its going to hurt. You need closed toe shoes preferably steel caps however this is not something most have in their closets so wearing sneakers is passable.



Tool Manuals - They are included with tools for a reason. Make sure you read them, they contain important safety information on the tool you will be using. Many saws for example can kick back wood if not handled correctly, this can be very dangerous when a piece of wood goes hurdling across the shed. So once again make sure you read any manual provided with your tools.

Hope the above helped a little, before you pick up any tool or start any work you need to make sure you take safety first, never become complacent because this is when accidents happen and fingers or other limbs become injured.