How often do you cut yourself?

[Mark Baldwin III]

I cut myself so often people think I'm one of those depressing emo kids. Only three times with an edge tool...wiping off a plane iron while sharpening, and a light one with a chisel, the third came from the SIDE of a chisel. One of the worst cuts came after feeling the edge of a freshly jointed board, I guess that corner was pretty acute! For some reason, most of my cuts are from things that you wouldn't expect.

[ray hampton]

I get some cuts but I bruise easy so I try to hold the knife or other cutting tool by the handle , the last time that I got hurt were a pinch finger and NO BAND AID[ only GAUGE AND PAPER TAPE

[Chuck Walker]

My late woodworking mentor always told his high school students that "you can't cut yourself if your hands (and other meat) are behind the cutting edge". With that advice, I still manage to injure myself in one way or another on each project. I have begun to think that it is a symbol of involvement.

[Michael Ray Smith]

I keep a box of bandaids at my workbench and reach for it frequently. I use handtools almost exclusively, but I still manage to draw blood fairly regularly. The worst I've done was a small puncture to my palm when I was sharpening a chisel. The wound became infected, and the infection spread to one of my fingers. 3-4 months later, the inflammation still hasn't entirely disappeared, but the doc tells me to just give it more time. I figure if I can do that much damage with a chisel, it's a good thing that I stay away from power tools.

[Jim Koepke]

One of the worst cuts came after feeling the edge of a freshly jointed board, I guess that corner was pretty acute! For some reason, most of my cuts are from things that you wouldn't expect.

This is what convinced me long ago to give a very light pass on corners of boards.

jtk

[Brian Loucks]

Very rare since I stopped shaving 30 years ago :-) Seriously, as Zahad stated, 'Monitor your state of being and stop when you start feeling tired or frustrated. Little nicks don't even count.

[george wilson]

Hand tools are ALWAYS more prone to injure you than power tools: Your hands are in closer contact with them,and you tend to be more careful around power tools.

[Michael Redmond]

Hi,I haven't had a cut lately but managed to trap my finger between two magnetic tool holders from Benchcrafted, I had finished looking at them and thought the best way to store them until I was ready to put them on the wall was to put them mag to mag so nothing wood be attracted to them but didn't take my finger out of the way. Pain shot through me like a rocket, won't be doing that again.RegardsMichael

[Philip Duffy]

I try to do it twice a week, just to see if the blood is the correct color. Otherwise, I might have to observe the proper safety procedures and protocols that go with operating dangerous machinery. Phil

[Zach England]

Hand tools are ALWAYS more prone to injure you than power tools: Your hands are in closer contact with them,and you tend to be more careful around power tools.

This is what I am talking about. I have gotten hurt precisely twice with power tools. Once I had a board kick back from the tablesaw and hit me in the stomach and once my finger came into contact with a router bit. Both of these were long ago and valuable learning experiences.

The only time I have ever been to the hospital (for any reason) was when I cut myself with a chisel, albeit before I was really interested in woodworking. I was cleaning the glue out of a rabbet in the back of a cabinet door into which I had recently installed a glass pane and the chisel slipped and sliced the wrist of the hand that was holding the door.

Edit: I have been hurt three times. I once shot a brad through my finger (and out the other side!).

[Larry McGarrah]

Splinters and scrapes yes, cuts not in years. I used to think of my blood as a natural wood stain until I learned to slow down and pay attention to what I was doing.

[Steve Beadle]

I think I have cut myself two or three times in the last two or three months because I have been trying to perform a carving procedure without the proper equipment--that is, without a proper hold-down or clamp or vise and without the right kind of blade. I think I am still pretty much a novice at woodcarving, and I think that leads to accidents.