November, 2017
My Brother and I are as different as night and day.
One particular example is instructions or manuals that come with a new purchase that may require assembly or specific operating instructions. I will sit down and read them and my brother throws them away without a glance.
My point isn’t that one way is right and the other wrong. It is simply that I enjoy reading humor.
The case in point here is a new chop saw from Harbor Freight (China). The instruction/assembly manual has some points that I’d like to share to illustrate my point. I will admit that the translation from Chinese to “English” has improved in the past 15 or so years, but they aren’t there yet.
So, in the operating-instructions section of the manual, one is instructed to…
“…8. Use two hands and hold the workpiece [SIC] securely against table and fence at all times.
9. Press down lightly to cut the material.
…
10. When cut is completed, raise the blade assembly, release the trigger, wait for the Blade to stop turning, release the Clamp and remove the work material from the saw.
…”
As I interpret this, one should either; 1) Use your chin to lower the blade cutting mechanism to cut the work piece, since both hands are holding the work piece, and use the tongue to operate the trigger mechanism. or 2) Use your third hand to lower the cutting mechanism and operate the trigger because your other two hands are holding the work piece. I guess this could be performed in a 2 person manner.
And on the next page, we find instructions on Cleaning, Maintenance and Lubrication. Here we are told,
“…3. Periodically, wear ANSI-approved safety goggles and NOISH-approved breathing protection and… .”
I will leave it up to you guys to figure out what ANSI and NOISH are and to what type of PPE (personal protection equipment) that refers. I only want to focus on the word “periodically”. I assume that the statement means that the Chinese are able to predict when, where and how accidents will occur and that at these times the safety equipment should be worn, but not necessarily at other times.
Musings from your grumpy Uncle/Brother Dave, who would go on for ever, doesn’t want to instill too much fun here.