Don't do this

[Josiah Bartlett]

I was boring out a freshly turned screwdriver handle with a forstner bit using a chuck in the tailstock and it got a bit stuck on the bit while I was backing it out. I was twisting the handle and pulling on it to get it off the bit and i managed to yank the chuck out of the tailstock (morse taper) and used it to bash the heel of my hand right into the spur center!

I gouged the heel of my hand up pretty bad. I have an ugly bunch of puncture wounds in the shape of a spur center on the heel of my hand now. Fortunately I didn't get any blood on the work. The even more embarrasing part is that the only bandaids we had left in the house were pink Hello Kitty.

Lesson learned: either remove the spur center or use an alternate method for backing out drills!

I'll spare you the pictures. At least the screwdrivers turned out nice. I got a good deal on those 4-in-one screwdriver kits and I'm passing them out for stocking stuffers to the craftsmen in my family.

[Jeff Nicol]

Josiah, I bet the hello kitty band aids sure were cute! Hope it heals well, I have done similar things in the past, and if you are like me, some more will happen in the future!

If we don't get a few BOO BOO'S we are not working hard enough!

Jeff

[Cliff Holmes]

So, where are the photos? At least you'll end up with a studly scar!

[ROY DICK]

I sure hope you heal up fast.

Roy

[Steve Schlumpf]

Sorry to hear of your mishap - hope you heal quickly!

[Bob Haverstock]

Josiah,

I've reached an age where everything that I make seems to reqiure a bit of my blood. If I didn't leave a trail, I wouldn't know that I was bleeding.

BTW, clean and oil the spur to prevent telltail rust.

Bob

[tyler mckee]

anothing thing you should never do is try to remove old tape from a drill press table while a 1/16" bit is in the chuck. you wouldn't believe how much blood can come out of a 1/16" hole in the back of your hand

[Bernie Weishapl]

Sorry to hear about the accident. Really would have liked to see the kitty bandaids.:D:cool:;):rolleyes:

[Kyle Iwamoto]

So, what exactly is wrong with Hello Kitty band aids?:D

[George Morris]

Th lesson is have regular band aids in the shop!!!Hope you heal quickly!

[gary butcher]

heh, If I have such an incident I tend to swab the cut with denatured alcohol and then superglue the cut. Both readily at hand in the shop and do a pretty good job. :)

[Ryan Baker]

This is why you need to use a steb center -- you can claim the scar was a shark bite! Heal fast. Watch out for "turner's elbow" too (as Bill Grumbine would call it).

[Josiah Bartlett]

Well, it quit throbbing today. It seems like most of the injuries I've given myself have been to my left hand.

[Alan Zenreich]

Sorry to hear of your mishap.

I have a related question for making screwdrivers.

I recently used a Woodcraft kit, and their kits require a hole 3.75" long x 5/8".

My forstner bits are not that long, so I wound up using a spade bit, not a great experience on end grain. I tried an auger bit on some test wood, but wound up splitting the wood.

How do you bore long holes in your screwdrivers... is there a longer forstner bit available?

[Ryan Baker]

Rockler sells carbide forstners that are longer. You could use an extension if you have one that is narrow enough. Most of them require at least a 3/4" hole.

[Josiah Bartlett]

I used a regular length forstner until it bottomed out and then finished up with a 1/2" twist bit. The hole only really needs to be 3/4" for the knurled insert, then the rest of it can be smaller.