3/4 inch tongue and groove ply for sub-flooring is a great idea. Ripping things down to size on the table saw just makes good sense unless you opt for a circular saw and guide. When I am ripping stuff, I feed with my right hand (I am right handed) and I use my left as a guide to keep the material tight against the fence. I suspect this is normal for most of us. There I was merrily ripping away when I felt this awful pain in my left finger. I rapidly removed my hand from the guiding position but had enough frame of mind to finish my cut before I did anything stupid. I looked at my finger and contemplated the blood pouring out. My helper, having only seen me snatch my hand up from the saw, had assumed the worst and was looking for a severed digit around the saw. No worries, just a splinter. I grabbed the fat end and pulled, it immediately broke off. I grabbed another visible area which also broke off. My first aid kit in the truck allowed cleaning solution, salve, and a band-aid. I did my hasty patch job and continued working, a bit slower and a few more pained looks off and on, I finished my day at the job site. At home, I removed the covering, cleaned everything again and poked and prodded until I had the finger hurting really well, I still didn't get the spinter out. I knew it was a pretty good sized splinter and like any other puncture wound, it was very likely to become infected. For two days I cleaned, re-bandaged, and nursed the finger while i continued working. At the end of the second day, I uncovered the finger and could see wood. Between the pressure build up of some infection and the continued use of the finger, the splinter had begun to work it's way out. Grabbing the end that was visible, I pulled a half a toothpick sized splinter from my finger. The relief was instantaneous. Again, I cleaned and bandaged the digit and the pain was almost gone. This was not so much a chance to regale you with my tale of woe, there really was a purpose for this. First and foremost, consider the method you use when sawing. If the lumber in question has rough edges, splinters will surely happen. Getting a splinter and jerking your hand could be disasterous if you jerked the wrong way. Having access to a decent first aid kit is a must. We should all have one in our shops, our homes, and our vehicles. Accidents WILL happen, try to be prepared for them. Lastly, a good pair of tweezers should be available. Spend the extra money and get GOOD tweezers, they ARE worth the price! Be safe, make chips, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
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BudgetWoodwork 
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