How to make bell cranks

[Bent]

The idea was to show you the way I made aluminum bell cranks with just a table saw. I cut about 50 bell cranks very safely and quite accurately.
I have the procedure written down w/photos and was ready to post - then reconsidered.
I thought it would be a tad irresponsible to post this on a forum where Joe the pre-teen can read it and get ideas to do some cutting on Daddy's saw.

So before I post anything, I would like some guidance from the membership as to whether or not I should post it here.

I do have sound safety warnings on the document but we just never know if the rest of the world will heed those warnings.

I would like to test the waters first, to see if there is any interest for this type of How-To.

An alternative to posting on here, would be for anybody who really thinks they could use this method, would be for you to email me and I would send it to you via an email attachment.
Let me know what you think!
Pictured below is an example of the finished product, all done on the table saw - and drill press for the holes

Z-fin~crank.jpg (31.4 KiB) Viewed 3094 times

[Eldon]

Bent, I'd love to see something like that I know we've talked about it but pictures are worth many words.

[Bent]

Eldon, I know you are careful. I'll email you the first installment

[Allan]

OK, here I go...

I feel that it would be wrong to censor posts in a builders forum because some one may get hurt trying to copy an idea in a post. It's a builders forum, people will come here if they find that there is something that interests them - they will quickly loose interest if they have to go through a multi stage process involving emailing for details. What is to stop someone from claiming to be over twenty one and of sound mind and body when they are actually a twelve year old with no ambition other than to become a one armed dishwasher?
There comes a point when it becomes necessary to expect the rest of the world to look after them selves - I, for one, do not accept any responsibility for anyone else's stupidity.
A very large percentage of the posts that this forum will generate will involve the use of fast moving and sharp things. It's that kind of forum. If a poster feels that a process that they are describing needs more that the standard warning ('watch out for yer knuckles on this part' or some such) then perhaps the process should never have been attempted in the first place!!!
Personally, unless I am instructed otherwise by the forum administrator, I will assume that anyone using an idea that I may post here is going to be aware of their own limits and is willing to take responsibility for their own skin.

Now, with all of that said, Bent, for years I have been using a combination of table saw and router to substitute for a milling machine and a shaper so I fully appreciate your concerns. It is simply that I refuse to accept responsibility for, or to limit my life in case someone else is stupid.
Bottom line, the responsibility for the injury to the exampled pre-teen would lie, in my mind at least, with the father who allowed him unfettered access to power tools anyhow and NOT with you who posted a legitimate processing idea to a BUILDERS FORUM.

Regards, Allan.....

[Georg]

I have the same view as Allan on this.

Visitors should be able to find steel-building information here - on the steel-building forum. If people don't know how to protect themselves from harm while using potentially dangerous tools, then no-one can be held responsible but themselves for whatever happens.

All tools are potentially dangerous in the wrong hands anyway, so I wouldn't know where to draw the line here so it would be "safe enough".

[Bent]

Georg, Allan, two VERY good arguments. It is just me and my cautious-kate mentality, coupled with my thinking what a law-suit-happy society we are.
I will indeed post my how-to ideas on here, after seeing it your way.
In advance, I will ask you to bear with me ..I will still give you my long drawn-out safety schpiel!
Maybe Larry will even consider drafting some sort of a blanket disclaimer statement on safety and power tool usage?

[bobby burns]

Bent, I would love to see your article on making the bellcranks on the tablesaw. I think that just like using a shaper or router or any other power tool is dangerous, a table saw deserves a great amount of caution and respect. I don't think it would be your fault if someone got hurt on it because they read how you used it.

[Bent]

Bobby and all the others that posted their views on this subject: Thanks. I will piece together the first installment in a new thread called 'Table saw Bell cranks'