Didn't think it would happen to me

I've been working with machinery since I was 10 or 12 years old. I (nearly) always wear eye, ear and respiratory protection. I'm very careful where I put my hands and fingers around machinery. I'm always thinking "What might happen if I do this". I make sure my son always does the right thing when it comes to safety . . . . . . . . . . and then this happens.

I still don't really know how it happened. One second I was ripping a piece of timber on my table saw - a millisecond later I'm holding my hand wondering "What - how did that happen?"

It reminded me of [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKX1orBiaCI&feature=related"]Paul Timberman[/ame]

Ouch, hope it heals quickly :C

So what tool were you using?

Sorry DJ - I've edited my original post

Happens quickly doesn't it. Hope you haven't done to much damage and it heals quick.

Looks nasty but could have been a lot worse. Hope you heal real quick. :2tsup:

Your post could have been word for word describing me, and what I did to my LH index finger a couple of months ago:-

good luck with it. Did it hit the bone?

Cheers
Michael

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

I can still here the sound the blade makes when it does that. Look after it well, it's in a bad place for doing anything. You will probably have no feeling in that part of the finger when it heals. I slit the part of the pad of my left index finger slicing onions without a board. It took weeks to heal and now have no feeling in it.

I hope that it heals well for you.

Robert

Ouchiepoos. That looks like something I did to myself in yr11 woodwork. The table saw had a planer/jointer on the left side of the table, similar to dad's saw at home. But unlike dad's, both sharp bits would be running at the same time as I discovered sliding open the jointer cover while the saw blade was slowing down. It took a nice divot out of my thumb and freaked out the teacher and nursing staff when I calmly showed them what I'd done :)

Love the video too. It looks like my average day in the shop :U

A-ha, yep I can almost feel that.

That 3.2mm kerf is going to smart for a while.

I hope it heals up OK.

Must go up to the shed and check my push sticks and blocks and magswitch fingers are all in operating order.

I think I'll be paying for this for a long time. SWMBO is getting some real milage out of it already, with comments like "imagine what damage you could do if you bought some of the machines you saw at the show".

Michael, no, missed the bone, just a mere flesh wound.

Bob, the very thing I was looking for at the show but couldn't find, mag switch featherboards, possibly would have prevented this. Now I have a real good excuse for getting some.

Mark, hey this is the woodwork forum, no photo - didn't happen.

Love the Magswitch feather boards.

If you check out the C'Tec catalog [2010 pp50->51] you will see what is available. They have changed colour and have now added riser blocks but have neglected to add the sliding feature which allows for more of the fingers to project sideways. I have the early version which I modified - the company contacted me and asked if it could be referred to their R&D people to which I agreed. The new versions have now come out but, disappointingly, I have never heard from them again.

For your info I have included the link to the modification which you can take for what it's worth.

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f44/ma...ication-51556/

Hope the cold weather is not affecting your finger too much.

Regards,
Bob

Bob, I ordered the feather boards today. The raising and sliding function on yours looks like a good idea.

And the thumb is still throbbing.

Mark, your post has disappeared.

Ok here's another one then, the newly developed thumb saver for cutting bowl blanks:D. Plywood with a couple of screws put through so the tips of the screws catch on the blank. All fingers and thumbs are now well out of the way:2tsup:.

:2tsup: I like it

You'll have to design a table saw version for me

If you are in Adamstown way call in for a coffee and a yarn and we can compare war stories.

I nicked my find index finger when moving from one side of the blade to the other in order to better control the timber I was ripping.

Bought a Magswitch feather board so I don't do that manoeuvre any more.

Image of finger attached. Looks worse than it is. Did lose a little bit of feeling.

cheers
conwood

Conwood that looks painful too :(

I must admit I'm a little nervous about finishing the rip cuts I was doing at the time.

I should go and clean the skin and blood off the timber and saw as well :C

Mark I'll call you if I can make it over there :2tsup:

In our shop before starting work we usually spend at least 30 seconds going through the activity with our mind and thinking about the hazards of the work and how to prevent it. Just to keep us ready and safe for the work ahead. It works for us, might work for you guys.

Hi Kev,
I finish rip cuts with a push stick..anything thin that is. More wood thru the saw will clean it. :U

How is your recovery going..back in the saddle I hope.

cheers
conwwod

G'day conwood,

Ist day back at work today :(

Progress is slow, still quite painful, seems I have lost some feeling in the thumb but doctor thinks it will return.

I started back in the shed last week :2tsup: (thankfully I can still give 2 thumbs up)

Kev

Will be tender for a while Kev. I am 18 months on and still not got complete feel back.
Back in shed is good

:2tsup:

cheers
conwood

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Alastair

Your post could have been word for word describing me, and what I did to my LH index finger a couple of months ago:-

---

For me it happened ripping a batch of stiles to 22mm dimension. Blade was "buried" in timber, so was using left index to "snug" up to the fence.

Did not take one warped piece into account. It had been jointed first, so when I ripped it, blade broke through surface, and took out my LHI finger.

Stupid:o

Did the next big batch this w/e, but spent the $88 on the Magfence on Fri.
Quantum change. Now a firm fan, and money well spent.

I firmly believe that safety measures which are awkward to use, and which inhibit your use of machine, will be the ones that are circumvented, ignored, or disabled. This is one so convenient to use, it sells itself.

Some 3 months down the track, I have largely recovered, but still have lost sensation on the tip of finger, and under the nail.. Still improving marginally ATM.

regards

Yep my magswitch featherboard arrived last week :2tsup:. A great bit of gear. Not cheap but I think well worth it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Soul14

In our shop before starting work we usually spend at least 30 seconds going through the activity with our mind and thinking about the hazards of the work and how to prevent it. Just to keep us ready and safe for the work ahead. It works for us, might work for you guys.

---

This is the way I was taught and how I always work. It becomes second nature: think about what you're going to do, think about what will happen, think about what could go wrong.