Last Monday, I asked each of you to tell me what you thought safety and accuracy meant to you in exchange for the possibility of winning a GRR-Ripper 100. And, I have got to tell you, there were some thoughtful and well-written responses. And, as promised, I had Iggy take a look at the entries that came in.

He seemed puzzled at first, but I think he came up with the three best ones!

First, thanks to Matt Swier. For him, the safety part of the equation means the world to him:

Safety to me means that I will have all 10 fingers, 2 eyes, 1 nose, and 2 ears ready to use to serve my wife and my son in my other full time job: being a husband and a dad! It’s also very important for me to pass safety knowledge on to my 4 yr old son when he’s down in the workshop working with me. He may not be the best ball thrower out there, but he sure knows that when he’s in daddy’s workshop, he has to have shoes on and walk directly to the hook that holds his ear and eye protectors before he does anything else. Some of the sweetest words ever heard for me are “Daddy, can I please drill some holes?”

Kyle Veatch had a great perspective on the meaning of these two words from the point of view of a brand new woodworker. His input:

Safety in my shop means more to learn! I am a beginning wood worker and can’t get enough videos and articles about wood working safety. I have learned so much from sites like yours finding out better and correct techniques for things I have been doing wrong in my shop.

As far as accuracy, in my shop that is a goal that I often try but fail to achieve. Being a beginner I often find accuracy is lacking in many projects and not only do I learn a good lesson, but I get to learn how to hide or fix my mistake.

And, when it comes to accuracy, Michael Boulant weighed in from the perspective that many of us, who don’t have a giant pile of money to throw at expensive hardwoods:

Woodworking is simply a hobby of mine. I do not use it to supplement my income in any way. Therefore, I must be very careful with the material that I purchase for a project. I typically buy just enough to complete the project that I am working on. If I mess up on a cut, I may have to go purchase more wood. There are projects that I have had to put on hold until I got paid again so that I could go buy more wood. It can really stifle the momentum that you can build while doing a project.

Congratulations to each of our three winners, and I hope you enjoy your new GRR-Rippers!

As for everyone else, remember that safety and accuracy are important. Now, let’s get out there and make some sawdust!