There is one tool above all others that doesn’t get much discussion in woodworking. This saddens me because it is the most important one and cannot be replaced. Parts for it don’t really exist or are rare as well. This tool is your physical body. The equipment is YOU.

All the high-quality machines and tooling are completely useless without a capable and able operator. The quality of your products and process begins with you every time. Woodworking can be a physically demanding profession, and you certainly need your body to be functional to be able to produce work in a timely fashion. 

The key to remember is that a career is a marathon, not a sprint. Outside of the well-known common practices of good diet and exercise, there are some ways to make the toll on your body less by being smart in your shop setup. When paired with good safety practices, the possibility of having an efficient, enjoyable, and long-lasting career is drastically improved.  

Protecting your eyes
Most people focus woodworking safety discussions on hands and fingers. Although I also find that to be relevant and important, there are plenty of articles on that so I will suggest you look into those. The two most important parts I want to talk about today are your eyes and your back. 

An eye injury cannot just be career ending, it can be a life-altering injury. When working long hours, we are all guilty of forgetting to wear safety glasses from time to time. A solution in my shop has been to have a pair of safety glasses assigned to every single machine using magnet hooks to store them. 

To be honest, you should never take them off, but we are human and must always accept the need to improve our habits. I had a pretty severe scratch on my eye from sandpaper debris while hand sanding if you can believe that, it was quite painful. I now try to wear them for every task, motorized or not.

Saving your back
For those of you who have never had a back injury I need you to read carefully. Preserving your back is key to a long and healthy career. Without it, you will not be able to work.

I use several simple solutions in my studio. One is the classic infeed/outfeed on a table saw. I have two portable sawhorses that can double as infeed and I permanently mounted an outfeed table. I also have a 4-foot-x-8-foot rolling cart at the same height to move sheet goods to the sawhorses. This way I can cut full sheets alone without ever lifting them. I also use that same 4-x-8-foot cart to unload straight from my truck bed without hardly any strain.

Another big one is workbenches or work table tops. I highly recommend building a few that are custom height to you, so you can minimize the strain of leaning over or reaching up too much for long hours. You can also build a plinth to raise current ones if needed.

Low assembly tables
The third solution and one of my favorites is to have what I call low assembly tables. I currently use three separate ones that are about 24 inches off the ground. This allows me to work on, sand, install hardware, or glue and assemble pieces without leaning over when the piece is on the floor. They also keep me from reaching upward trying to do the same task on a regular height work table. 

Two of these mentioned assembly tables are designed to connect together creating an 8’ x 8’ assembly table for things like bed frames. 

Another tip is to have many “rolling options” in your shop to make moving things around less stressful on your body. Having multiple shop carts on casters and some at the infeed height to match your machines is a lifesaver. I have also found it handy to have a few that sit at floor level to move completed pieces around the shop or in and out of the finish room. 

These simple things have allowed me to be more productive working alone and preserve my back well for over 12 years. They are also still useful to have around when you actually have help.

Last, I want to challenge you to use your mind a bit. 

Think about storage for materials and tooling. Are the items and tools you use most stored somewhere easy to get to with minimal effort? I recommend those tools be stored within easy arms reach that requires no leaning or reaching. It might sound silly, but the cumulative effect of reaching for this stuff thousands of times over the years does create wear and tear on your body.

I am of the belief that these kinds of practices are needed preparation to help lead to a more successful long-term career allowing you to maximize your time and enjoyment of the profession of woodworking. Please be mindful to take care of the most important equipment in your shop, you.