cut myself on the saw last night!

[keith ouellette]

Even though its not that bad I had to wait till my wife left to take the picture because she tends to panic and worry a lot.

I was re sawing some of my free white pine (maybe spruce) on the table saw when It felt like someone hit the tip of my finger with a hammer. I think I was very lucky.

The culprit, other than the stupidity of not using a blade guard.... too much dust it the air. I had a dust mask on and without my dc working the shop filled up with dust but I didn't really notice the poor visibility until after I got cut.

111084

You can't tell from the picture but a uniform 1/16 of an in deep and 5/16 wide section of meat was removed (yes I measure it with a caliper. I know its weird) It throbbed and kept me up most of the night. I told my wife I jabbed it with a screw driver. she hasn't seen the wound.

Some one had just posted some pictures of accidents and I claimed I was going to get a guard for the saw. I was going to look into it today. to late. The guard that came with the saw, a 3hp jet exacta saw, was attached to a splitter that I could never get lined up right. After the accident I wrapped the finger and sought out the original knife and guard and this time I was able to figure out how to adjust it properly so it lined up with the blade. I have no idea why I couldn't figure it out before.

I won't use the saw without it again. I wasn't going to show off my stupidity but then I figured this might help others to make more sound decisions. I have a very active imagination and have thought of some very horrible results I COULD have had. I was very lucky.

[Matt Woessner]

Keith,
Man you are lucky, please use the guards and be careful. I only takes a split second to change someones life using the tools we all are "comfortable" with.
Take care of you injury.

[Prashun Patel]

I'm glad you're ok. I read these accident posts with a LOT of humility and sweaty palms, thinking each time, "Damn, that coulda been me!"

[Peter Quinn]

Dats UGLY Keith. Very ugly. Reminds me why I don't like to resaw on a TS. Not sure a guard would be of much use in most resaw operations, but a BS sure comes in handy. I hope you have a speedy recovery.

[Lee Schierer]

What hit your finger may not have been the blade. Some knots in soft wood can be very hard and when they are on the edge of a board, they can come loose and hit the blade with explosive results. While I won't discourage you from using your splitter and guard, you might also want to make some push sticks and feather boards to use for future resawing efforts. Use these tools to keep your fingers as far from the cutting action as possible.

Work safe.

[keith ouellette]

What hit your finger may not have been the blade. Some knots in soft wood can be very hard and when they are on the edge of a board, they can come loose and hit the blade with explosive results. While I won't discourage you from using your splitter and guard, you might also want to make some push sticks and feather boards to use for future resawing efforts. Use these tools to keep your fingers as far from the cutting action as possible.

Work safe.

Good thought on the safety equipment but I'm sure it was the blade. there were two strips of cut skin still attached but hanging loose. I snipped them off with a wire cutter. you could see how three teeth of the blade made the cut. My finger hit the blade at an angle about 45deg to the blade as I was reaching for the wood as it came out. Not to bright. I know.

[frank shic]

heal up soon, keith. remember: what does not kill me makes me stronger! and get a better blade guard/dust collector in the future, ok??? ;)

[Rod Sheridan]

Keith, thank you for posting this, I hope it heals well for you.

On the forum we often hear from members who claim that they don't need a blade guard because they are always aware of what they are doing, they're experienced ....Yada...Yada...Yada....

A bunch of bull.

People are not machines, we lose concentration, we make mistakes, we fail to realise that it only takes milli-seconds to have a life altering accident with machinery.

I'm very glad to hear that your wake up call was something that you didn't have to ask your wife to find your fingers in the scrap box.

When I was working for a year between high school and university, a women who worked in the shop with me severed three of her fingers off in a straight line from the base of her index finger to the top of her small finger.

I can hear her scream to this day, and I remember having to help the foreman look through the scrap box for her fingers to take to the hospital.

A moment without a saw guard, a lifetime to regret it.

I'm glad you're OK Keith.............Rod.

[guy knight]

Sawstop for the tip

[Jason White]

How were you feeding the boards? Were you using featherboards? A push stick?

JW


Even though its not that bad I had to wait till my wife left to take the picture because she tends to panic and worry a lot.

I was re sawing some of my free white pine (maybe spruce) on the table saw when It felt like someone hit the tip of my finger with a hammer. I think I was very lucky.

The culprit, other than the stupidity of not using a blade guard.... too much dust it the air. I had a dust mask on and without my dc working the shop filled up with dust but I didn't really notice the poor visibility until after I got cut.

111084

You can't tell from the picture but a uniform 1/16 of an in deep and 5/16 wide section of meat was removed (yes I measure it with a caliper. I know its weird) It throbbed and kept me up most of the night. I told my wife I jabbed it with a screw driver. she hasn't seen the wound.

Some one had just posted some pictures of accidents and I claimed I was going to get a guard for the saw. I was going to look into it today. to late. The guard that came with the saw, a 3hp jet exacta saw, was attached to a splitter that I could never get lined up right. After the accident I wrapped the finger and sought out the original knife and guard and this time I was able to figure out how to adjust it properly so it lined up with the blade. I have no idea why I couldn't figure it out before.

I won't use the saw without it again. I wasn't going to show off my stupidity but then I figured this might help others to make more sound decisions. I have a very active imagination and have thought of some very horrible results I COULD have had. I was very lucky.

[John Dykes]

Make sure it's clean....

I took most of the tip of my left thumb off with a chisel I was sharpening (don't ask). The urgent treatment place did a poor job and left a considerable amount of grit in it. Looked like it was healing, but hurt like hell for about 10 days. I about lost the thumb due to infection...

The hand surgeon took off the entire top again to get all the bad stuff out... Still flat on top.

Make sure it's clean....

[george wilson]

In this instance,the Saw stop probably would have yielded a similar small wound.It will still cut you,but should keep you from losing fingers.

[John Morrison60]

Keith

I am glad you posted.
The reminder, especially coming from an old hand (no pun intended), is valuable.
I have a scarred finger from an old table saw miscue (stupid also) that reminds me.
But I still look at the sawstop with interest, every time I see one.

I find that I am prudent with the table saw, but I am concerned that I take some of the other tools (like the router) a little too much for granted.

Thanks again.
John

[John Thompson]

Glad you are OK and posted for a reminder to those that just don't use any device at all. Something is better than nothing as I have had stock twist and pop me on the arm and in the gut in the days long ago I used nothing.

I woke up one day and found ways to put safety devices in place without sacrificing them getting in the way. For those that can't afford a simple splitter that comes off easily.. I built two Saturday in about 30 minutes. I use a more complex rig normally but I wanted one for non-through cuts and one for when I take the shield off to do long 45* angle cuts.

The first picture is my main set-up which about eliminates any chance of getting into the blade or twist that can zap you. It stays on the saw unless I do have to remove it to avoid it getting in the way. The second picture is the two splitters I made from a $3 Johnson 12" square. A bosch barrel grip.. a file.. a drill and some spray paints were used as I am not going to pay the $$ required to purchase a simple splitter from Biesemeyer or whomever.

These are around .105 thickness as I use strickly .126 full keft blades. If you use TK's.. then a piece from most strap hinges will work fine as the splitter must be thinner than the blade kerf. They go on and come off in under 30 seconds as most "can" find that time if they look closley.

Sarge..

[Dave Verstraete]

Keith
Ouch!! but it could have been a lot worse. You didn't mention if you sought out some medical help. A trip to the doc might yield some antibiotics and instructions on how to handle the wound. Soaking the wound twice a day in a solution of antibacterial soap and warm water followed by antibiotic ointment and dressing eventually yields flesh growing back into the hole and filling it. I have personal knowledge since I "tipped" my middle finger in a tablesaw last August. I visited a hand surgeon and was glad that I got good info. It still "tingles" while typing.

[keith ouellette]

How were you feeding the boards? Were you using featherboards? A push stick?

JW

I was using a push stick to push it through but as the board went past the blade I would keep it against the fence with my left hand. Why on earth i did not use a push stick for that also is beyond me. for now on I will. The dust in the air kept me from seeing clearly enough and the blade hit the longest finger . Luckily I was moving my hands real slow and cautious.

Now I'm wondering what could have happened if I had my left hand on the work piece and I got some violent kick back. real bad thought.

[keith ouellette]

Make sure it's clean....

I took most of the tip of my left thumb off with a chisel I was sharpening (don't ask). The urgent treatment place did a poor job and left a considerable amount of grit in it. Looked like it was healing, but hurt like hell for about 10 days. I about lost the thumb due to infection...

The hand surgeon took off the entire top again to get all the bad stuff out... Still flat on top.

Make sure it's clean....

I did. this may sound gross but that was my first thought and I would let it bleed a little and then suck on it gently to make sure there wasn't anything stuck to it. I repeated that process a number of times.

[David Keller NC]

"Now I'm wondering what could have happened if I had my left hand on the work piece and I got some violent kick back. real bad thought."

This is an excellent reason not to attempt to re-saw wood on a table saw. It doesn't matter how many times you do it without incident - safety depends on the consequences of a mess-up.

Buy a bandsaw - it will be the best $800 you ever spent. There's no doubt you can get a real nasty cut on a bandsaw if you're not paying attention, but violent kickback isn't a danger, and it's a lot more efficient - much less wood gets turned into sawdust.

[george wilson]

Don't forget,the bandsaw is the fastest cutting saw in the shop. keep your thumbs out of the path of the blade.

The thing to do is NOT be afraid of the machine,just respect it,and plan ahead as you work as to where your hands would end up if there was a sudden kickback,or if the saw blade,like a bandsaw,suddenly lurched forward into the wood. Use push sticks,but also be sure they permit you to remain in control of accurate movement of the wood. Even with push sticks,you can get severely kicked in the palm of the hand,so round the end over that you are holding on to.

[Jim Solomon]

Sure hope your feeling better Keith. Sadly I know how you feel. My "accident" was on a jointer. Jointing the edges of 1/2 X 2 1/2 cedar strips. I had 64 to do. After a monotenous number 34 I left my left middle finger slipped into the blades. I was only removing 1/16th but the blades dragged it between the blades and infeed table, whittling it down in a perfect arc. Lost 3/4 of the finger from the first knuckle. Surgeron cut a skin draft from my forearm to graft it on the mangled tip. The 1/3rd fingrnail I have left is pointing to the ring finger now. Also know what you mean by the wife,lol. Mine was in the bathtub when I asked if she could run me up to hospital, I could'nt hide it from her as it needed wrapped again from blood soaking; she darn near fainted. This wasn't due to a lack of guard as in your situation, but by repetitive actions that I should have took a break from. Now I always use guards no matter how inconveinant and take breaks from repetitive tasks on machinery. Both equally important imho. Make sure to keep it clean! Hope you heal well, physically and mentally.
Jim

[Laurie Brown]

I cut a slice off the end of my thumb like that using a chef's knife to mince garlic. Nicked and cut myself a lot in the kitchen, but never in the shop. I'm VERY careful around high-speed spinning sharp things.

When I was a kid my dad was using an old used table saw with no guards and almost cut his thumb off. My mom had to drive him to the hospital, and she was screaming and freaking out all the way out the door. That incident stuck with me all my life and made me a lot more careful around power machinery, something I'm thankful for.

[Phil Thien]

I did. this may sound gross but that was my first thought and I would let it bleed a little and then suck on it gently to make sure there wasn't anything stuck to it. I repeated that process a number of times.

Not as gross as letting someone else suck on it.

Thanks for the pics. Tell your wife the truth, otherwise you can't blame her for hiding stuff from you. ;)

[keith ouellette]

Keith
Ouch!! but it could have been a lot worse. You didn't mention if you sought out some medical help. A trip to the doc might yield some antibiotics and instructions on how to handle the wound. Soaking the wound twice a day in a solution of antibacterial soap and warm water followed by antibiotic ointment and dressing eventually yields flesh growing back into the hole and filling it. I have personal knowledge since I "tipped" my middle finger in a tablesaw last August. I visited a hand surgeon and was glad that I got good info. It still "tingles" while typing.

I am not a doctor person. I know you are probably right but I have to be hurt really bad before I go to the doctor.

I used hydrogen peroxide and some neosporin after I sucked the dirt out. (it seems to work well for dogs)

[Wayne Watling]

Hi Keith

I feel your pain :eek:
I rarely use the scoring blade and kind of forgot it was sitting about 1/4" below the throat plate but not fully wound down. During a cut I was concentrating on keeping the piece tight against the fence and my left index finger must have slipped just below the plate until I felt a grinding type sensation and pulled my hands out of the way.
The most painful part of the exercise was the alcohol wipes I used to ensure it was clean. I also made extensive use of liquid band aid which was really good stuff, where possible I left the wound open and let the fresh air and light get to it. Basically I was very luckly and the finger is back to normal after about 2 months finger prints and all.

Take care,
Wayne


14th Dec 08 (You can see the liquid band aid on the finger here)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l227/woodworkingpics/FingerCut/pic1.jpg

20th Dec 08

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l227/woodworkingpics/FingerCut/pic2a.jpg

28th Dec 08

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l227/woodworkingpics/FingerCut/pic4a.jpg

3rd Jan 09

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l227/woodworkingpics/FingerCut/pic5.jpg

23rd Feb 09

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l227/woodworkingpics/FingerCut/23Feb09.jpg

[Rich Marzec]

eewwww!

So far so good. No major injuries (knock Knock). A couple of close calls from small pieces flying off the table saw or miter saw. Damn those small pieces.

My problem comes mostly from my chiesels. They are razor sharp and my left hand keeps getting in the way. Sometimes I don't even notice until I see red on my workpiece. Metal mesh glove is my next purchase.

[Rick Fisher]

I think the safest tool in my shop is my resaw bandsaw. Its caused me to use my table saw for ripping about 80% less.

Whoever made that comment about people making mistakes is bang on. I nicked a finger last summer on a table saw due to a kickback. Scared the poop out of me.

[Rick Fisher]

Since we are posting yucky pictures..

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/shop028-1.jpg

Here is the after effect of the kickback. My hands where behind the blade when it happened but I got nicked anyhow.

This one has doh!! written all over it. :)

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/shop027.jpg

The cause was partially the blade being set too low. This also "caused" my finger to still be attached. :)

The other cause was fatigue. Working 5 hours in the shop in a heat wave.

I am glad you only got a warning from the saw...




The worst part of the injury is looking down and seeing blood on the table saw top and plywood. Then trying to figure out where its coming from..
Its a second of real panic.

[Dave Malen]

Keith,
Hope you heal quickly. It easy to spend other people's money. But a bandsaw is a great investment in safety. I use mine for all my thin rips. Thanks for posting . We all need reminders how dangerous our hobby can be. Feel better soon

Dave

[Craig Johnson]

I have learned never to resaw on the table saw.
Strictly a band saw operation. And I dont even have a band saw yet.
Read. Read. Read.
And work safe. :eek:

[Craig Nickles]

First let me say, I am glad to hear you are ok. Thanks for not letting your ego get in the way of sharing. You may save someone else from getting hurt.

[ken gibbs]

Well, I stuck my finger in the table saw, do da, do da! Sung to the tune of "I bet my money ont he bod tailed nag, etc". A saw blade does not care if its wood or meat (your hand). It will still do the job.

[Al Willits]

Worst accident was cleaning the blades on the jointer I had just got, wasn't even running, but while trying to wipe the protective coat off, the blades turned and I swiped across one of the blades with my hand, went right though the rag I had.

No problem bleeding out the crud on this one, she bled out of three fingers like I hit a major artery.

Was a lesson I won't forget, add two kick backs on the table saw and one from the router and its easy to develop a respect for these tools.

One poster mentioned you shouldn't be afraid of these tools, maybe so, but you should go into a more concentrated state of mind when ever you use one of these tools, so for me if I have a bit of apprehension when I start one of these tools, it helps keep me from get complacent.

Good to hear alls going well, that sore finger will remind you about keeping
aware of what's going on I bet.

Al

[David Keller NC]

"Resawing is dangerous, and when I need to do it on the tablesaw, say with a wood that my mediocre band saw will not handle, I resaw a bit less than half way from both sides then cut the last bit with the bandsaw. That way there is still a band in the middle holding them apart."

Guys, please do not do this. It's pretty easy for the center "band" of material to flex and allow the bottom kerf to close and cause a really dangerous kickback (doubly so because of where you generally have to stand to push the wood through the saw). The general rule here is don't re-saw things on the table saw - ever, no matter how bad you need the work piece.

There are easy solutions to not re-sawing on a table saw. Among them, use a bandsaw, take it to friend's house that has a bigger bandsaw, and finally, plane it down to the thickness you need if you don't have a beefy enough bandsaw. No question this wastes a few dollars of wood, but even a relatively minor cut is worse than that, and think how you'll feel when you tell your WW buddies that you traded your middle finger for $50 worth of wood.