kara vs. table saw

In one corner we have a thirty-something DIY-er who never met a power tool she couldn't conquer.

In the other corner we have a barely used JET table saw fighting sans manufacturer's recommended guards. (They were removed during an earlier bout - one which DIY won - and the end result being the angled shower walls below.)


This battle was all about archways. DIY won rounds one and two, ripping 2x4's and knocking around 1/2" plywood like a punching bag. She finished two archways for niches in the addition hallway, adding an air compressor, a framing nailer and a neat little staple gun to her belt.

DIY came back for round three, preparing for a knockout. Her frugality got the best of her though... With a near-fatal mistake, she decided to rip a 4" chunk of 2x4 for bracing, but JET took advantage of a weak moment. DIY had her arsenal of boards piled up, reading to fire away at JET's blade. But, after the first little chunk went through, she didn't take the time to fully prepare for the next cut by cutting power and removing the board. Instead, she went full steam ahead, determined to finish off JET by completing the pile without breaks.

JET somehow got a piece of the piece of 2x4, kicking it back toward DIY at lightning speed. The piece nailed DIY square between the eyes, breaking her glasses neatly in half between the lenses (sending one half flying six feet to the left) and catching her between the bridge of the nose and her left eyebrow. Somehow JET managed to also take out DIY's right thumb and forefinger. DIY still isn't sure if that came before the head blow or after.

DIY couldn't believe it. She's had many close calls in her fighting days, but never anything like this. Stunned, she picked up the other half of her glasses by her feet and then realized that she was in trouble. Her head started spinning, her eyesight fading and she felt intense pain shooting from her forehead. With minimal faculties, she started to stumble toward the house, aware that not only was her husband/manager not home, but it was 11 pm and 25 degrees outside. He would not be home for at least an hour and she did not want to be TKO'ed outside on a concrete sidewalk.

Clearly she should not have been fighting without an audience, or at least an audience that hadn't gone to bed at 8 pm.

She made it into the house, dripping blood every four feet. Her head was stinging, her eyes watering (both from the pain and from sawdust) and she couldn't move her two fingers, one of which was also bleeding. Despite her limited vision and intense pain, she managed to pull an emergency ice pack from the freezer (a bag of peas) and push speed dial to call hubby at work. By that time, she realized that 1) she was not going to die and 2) she was going to be very attractive in the morning.

She remembered she had arnica montana in the cupboard and quickly called sister/doctor to see how often to take the little white pills. Somehow she managed to turn the vial to get out four and endure sister's laughter at her description of round three.

She also had the presence of mind to record her injuries for posterity.

11:04 pm - shortly after a near knock-out in Round Three

















8:30 am - Ready to head back in the ring


Round four commenced at 9 am and this time, DIY was prepared, even though she could only see out of one eye and had to result to an old pair of glasses to see anything. She first searched for JET's weapon, finding that it had careened off her head a full 12 feet in the opposite direction it came from. She chucked it aside and got back to the fight. She took her time, methodically pushing boards through JET's blades, wearing it down by repetition and carefulness. She even managed a mini-bout with jigsaw, winning that one as well, after manager hooked up a light so she could see better to advance her cuts.

She shut JET down, carried her lumber into the addition, and built the two final archways for her shower walls. Archways were nailed into place, with manager's help, because DIY could not pick up the heavy framing nail gun.

And the winner is DIY! But, she looks pretty rough, even in victory. Tomorrow she will be back to face JET as she puts all the safety guards back on.

Here's proof of DIY's victory - master bathroom shower walls w/archways (although her handiwork is hidden by cement board.)













Nearly 24 hours later, here is our valiant DIYer - ready to take her one-eyed body to bed to rest up for another battle tomorrow.