"Warning, graphic photos!" Handheld router accident (Stupid)

[George Konis]

Hello all,

This happened a month ago. Using a straight cutter with a bearing to pattern cut a small piece of plywood screwed to the template with one screw not screwed correctly and using your left hand as a holdown results to this.

Was quite lucky no nerves were damaged.

Didnt except to get this from a small router:mad:

[Neil Brooks]

YIKES!!! :eek:

[Eddie Ng]

Glad you're alright.

The router probably scares me more than any other tool in my shop.

I feel queezy from seeing the first picture.

[Matt Day]

You might want to a caution to the title of this thread that says something like "WARNING - gross pictures attached". I know a couple guys that would litterally pass out seeing that first picture.

Thanks for the reminder to respect every tool in the shop though. The tools don't care if they're cutting meat or wood (well, except the SawStop!).

[Bill Huber]

Sure glad you have all your fingers and didn't cut anything really bad.

That is one of the reasons I like my router table for those small items like that. I do a lot of template cutting on the table and I use double back tape, sometimes a little more then I needed, hard to get the parts apart. But I have never had a template come loose.

[Steven J Corpstein]

Yep it's a gruesome reminder that I for one will not forget very quickly. Almost made my... pucker, and I'm not by any means squeamish. I always try to think things out, and I'm sure you do also, so it's operator beware. These things do bite if we let them.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

That is just nasty, but I guess it's a good reminder that accidents can and will happen.

I hope your hand has healed nicely in the past month.....

[Art Mulder]

Eeek, please someone change the title to add "Warning, graphic photos!"

ugh. Get better soon!

Mod note...Agree and done!

[James Williams 007]

I put a circular saw through my hand in the same spot and am very lucky to have my opposing digit. That accident is always in the back of my head when I'm in the shop. Its also the reason we got my father (a doctor) the sawstop.

[Brice Burrell]

I hope you thanked the doc that stitched you up, looks like he did an outstanding job. I'm glad this didn't end up worse.

[Fred Voorhees]

Glad you're alright.

The router probably scares me more than any other tool in my shop.

I feel queezy from seeing the first picture.

Yeah, I think Eddie says it best.....I got a bit queezy just looking at that first picture myself. Yup, the router deserves quite a bit of respect. Pictures speak a thousand words. Glad your ok.

[Loren Blount]

Oh great, now Sawstop will come out with Routerstop and I'll have to buy that too! Just kidding hope your hand is better real soon.


Loren

[Victor Robinson]

Wow, thanks for the reminder - hope it healed up ok and glad the damage wasn't worse. And seeing the first photo, have to agree, nice stitch job!

[Don Morris]

Thanks for posting. Always good to remind us this is a dangerous profession/hobby. Glad you're OK and looks like it will heal and leave a visual reminder that safety is #1. Always worry that I'll leave out some little detail and just like you a little lose nail/screw will come back to bite me. I think it's good to be a little paranoid if you're going to be a woodworker. Heal quickly!

[Bob Lloyd]

OUCH! Hope it heals well, you were lucky to miss the nerves.

[Karl Brogger]

Holy Hell, I bet that stung a bit!

Here's a question, did you get to enjoy the feeling of it digging in as it was winding down? Thats a surreal experience I don't care to relive.

I love a good nasty photo, keeps people on their toes.

[Peter Aeschliman]

Wow, I'm really sorry this happened. Could've been worse, as you said.

The picture is nasty, but I clicked on it! ha ha It reminds me of when I was in drivers' ed and they'd show you gruesome/gory car accidents to scare you straight.

These kinds of posts are very effective.

[Don Whitten]

Last saturday I let my ring finger come into contact with my jointer blades. Yup, lost 35% of the finger pad just to the nail, got a hole all the way to the bone. Haven't smelt burning flesh before, did saturday as it was the only way to stop the bleeding was to cauterize it. The CareOne Center didn't think they could help and I'd have to hit the hospital emergency room. Its healing nicely, can still see the bone a little. Wife still almost passes out looking at it.

[Dino Makropoulos]

Hello all,



Didnt except to get this from a small router:mad:

George, the small tools are the most dangerours.
Not enough space for material support, fences and safety devices.
A small tablesaw or a circular saw cuts as good as a cabinet saw.
From the pictures looks like you are very lucky.

Can you post a picture of the setup going wrong for me and others
to understand what may go wrong in similar work?

thanks.

Konis? roots of the name?

[David Prince]

Was it a carbide or high speed steel bit? :rolleyes: lol

Should have left the hole. It would have made a great place to put your pencil when you do layouts! lol;)

Hope you didn't hurt your router! lol:D

[Joe Scharle]

Hope it's your last accident and you heal up nicely.
Reminds me of why I never bought a trim router....................NO HANDLES!

[Mike OMelia]

Thanks for the reminder (even though it sadly cost you). Hope you are back at it soon.

A RouterStop. That would be amusing... The stopping torque alone would prolly cause it to fly out of your hands and across the shop. But better that then what you went through.

Mike

[Bryan Berguson]

Thanks for posting this George and I'm glad it wasn't worse. Reminders like this are good for everyone. Hope you heal quickly!

Bryan

[Matt Roth]

Outstanding wound closure! Whoever sutured that really made something out of nothing. Thanks for sharing, this kind of thing always makes me triple think about safety.

[Mike Heidrick]

Get well soon. OUCH!!

[Jesse Espe]

Routers scare the hell out of me. This is why.

Closest call I ever had was when I was trying to rout flush some trim on the side of a cabinet. Didn't have nearly enough stability that I should have, and sure enough, I lost control of the router. Damaged the workpiece, but I was intact, only by Grace alone.

Thanks for sharing your lesson learned. Lots of value to the rest of us.

Cheers,
Jesse

[Mike OMelia]

Sometimes when I read threads like this, I think SMC should have a special forum dedicated to the subject. Only mods can promote subjects to this area (for obvious reasons, I think). It always serves other users well to be reminded that power tools can ruin your day, even when you are doing your best.

Mike (again, heal up soon!)

[Mark Grotenhuis]

Tis' a mere flesh wound! Congrats on not getting yourself worse. Been there done that. You'll be back woodworking in no time.

[keith micinski]

Oh great, now Sawstop will come out with Routerstop and I'll have to buy that too! Just kidding hope your hand is better real soon.


Loren

I am glad I was not the only one thinking this.

[Norman Pyles]

Hope you heal soon!!!!

[Milind Patil]

Gee ! I have to make sure my wife does not see these pictures. Or my woodworking hobby will be permanently closed and my tools will be on craiglist or ebay ! Take care bro. Hope this will prevent something much worse that was in pipeline.

[Jim Riseborough]

Not to worry, its only a flesh wound

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Ouch ouch ouch...

Good reminder to always make sure everything is clamped down as it should be.

[Tom Rick]

Thanks, a good heads up for all of us.

I always try to keep in mind where the tool will travel if it grips the work and runs, and also where the work will move it it gets grabbed by the cutters.
In both cases the movement happens too fast to dodge and avoid injury.
The third kind of danger is simply keeping ones body parts out of cutters on saws and machines.
Decent set up will save you in the first two cases, decent guards and paying attention in the last.
I will not forget having to pick fingers out of the dust under a table saw for one of my guys.
Keep safe.

[Mike Cruz]

Jim, but he is the Black Knight, he is INVINCIBLE!!!!!!

Seriously though, glad to see it stitched up nicely.

And I wonder how many that said "Oh, I didn't need to see that" are also in the "no pics, didn't happen" school... :rolleyes:

[Lori Kleinberg]

Glad it wasn't any worse. Heal quickly. Thanks for sharing because we all need these graphic reminders :eek: on occasion so we don't get lazy in our safety precautions.

[George Konis]

George, the small tools are the most dangerours.
Not enough space for material support, fences and safety devices.
A small tablesaw or a circular saw cuts as good as a cabinet saw.
From the pictures looks like you are very lucky.

Can you post a picture of the setup going wrong for me and others
to understand what may go wrong in similar work?

thanks.

Konis? roots of the name?

Dino its actually Konidaris, (greek) ;)

Thank you guys, i ll post some pics of the setup. I left the piece intact.

[Clint Schlosser]

If I am using a router table I wont make the cut unless I can use both hands to hold the piece. The opposite is true for a hand held router both hands on the router or I won't make the cut.

[Chris Tsutsui]

That is the most gnarly picture I've seen on SMC.

That's a fine sewing job though, and I hope your hand is doing well.

[Jack Wilson]

YIKES!!, is right. Still makes my skin crawl. I hate getting hurt, and don't like to watch others get hurt either. NO FUN:(

[Dino Makropoulos]

Dino its actually Konidaris, (greek) ;)

Thank you guys, i ll post some pics of the setup. I left the piece intact.

You can't hide the roots.:D

The damage was min. Very lucky.

thanks for posting the photo.

[Louie Ballis]

Real lucky there. If you escaped that with no deficets the woodworking gods were looking out for you. Nice job with the stiching as well.

Nothing scares me more in my shop than the router. There is no other power tool in which your hands are in such close proximity to the cutting surface. In fact I got on line tonight to see if anyone knew whwere I could get a table saw moulder (looks like they are not made any more---wonder why?).


But a good warning to all from the novice to the most expericaned wood worker. Thanks for posting these.

[John Maus]

George,

Thanks for the post. We all need an occasional reminder how our hobby/profession can take a quick turn for the worse. I'm glad they were able to do you up right. Speedy recovery.

[Tony Shea]

I'd say that thing hit the best possible spot on your hand. There are so many nerves in your hands that you somehow missed them all...lucky man. I took a razor blade across the top of my hand in front of one finger and got a nerve. Finger will never work right and is always in my way. Imagine to lose the use of your thumb if it was a bit lower...I wouldn't know what to do without a thumb. Anyways, thanks for the reminder and hope you healed up well. And nice stitch job, where did he find all that skin?

[Larry Edgerton]

So much for that hand modeling job.........;)

[michael case]

Wow Spooky,

Last night while I was working on a bed and I had to mortise access holes for the bed bolt nuts in the rails. The last time I did this I used a router and bushing. The template slipped and it was a real close call. I almost tried it again. But I was still a little uncomfortable with this method so I set up the bed rails under my hollow chisel mortiser instead. This was a bit awkward and slow, and required a fair amount of hand chisel clean up, but now I'm glad I did it this way. There is something definitely more dangerous about the small fussy stuff and power tools. Looks like the docs did a great job with the hand! Feel better soon.

[Van Huskey]

Wow Spooky,

Last night while I was working on a bed and I had to mortise access holes for the bed bolt nuts in the rails. The last time I did this I used a router and bushing. The template slipped and it was a real close call. I almost tried it again. But I was still a little uncomfortable with this method so I set up the bed rails under my hollow chisel mortiser instead. This was a bit awkward and slow, and required a fair amount of hand chisel clean up, but now I'm glad I did it this way. There is something definitely more dangerous about the small fussy stuff and power tools. Looks like the docs did a great job with the hand! Feel better soon.

Small stock and power tools is always a good recipe for problems, a few extra minutes thinking can prevent a lot of pain.

[Clarence Miller]

Hi ,

Glad to hear that you are alright. I sit on the safety team of the factory that I work at and we use the PC trim routers a lot. Could I have you permission to use these photos in a router safety presentation that I am putting together? Most of our safety seem to focus on our big equipment, such as degloving your hand in a glue spreader (you really don't want to see that I still get chills when I think of that day, luckily she has made a full recovery of range of motion). I am trying to put together a presentation of the smaller, more common, tools that can inflict serious injury as well.

[Ramsey Ramco]

EEWWWWWW! good thing it will be ok. That scar will always be an unfortunate reminder of that day.

[Michael Schwartz]

glad it wasn't as bad as it could have been and they were able to get you patched up. Hope that heals up well without any complications.

[James Carmichael]

OUCH!

Glad there's no nerve damage, and hope your healing well.

That's painful to look at, but thanks posting. It's good to have an occasional, graphic reminder of what our beloved tools can do if we're not careful.

I've been blessed to have had only 2 accidents in 6 years of WW requiring 1 ER visit:
Dropped a bench chisel on my sandaled toe (ER trip, 6 stitches)

Cutting tennons on the TS, dropped a 3' x 1 1/2" rail when taking it out of the jig and onto the spinning blade. The spear caught me right at the belt line. My first thought after impact was "OMG, I've impaled myself!", but when I looked down, there was no board protruding from my midsection, just a HUGE, painful bruise and knot. This made me thankful for 2 things: My table saw is only 1 1/2 HP, and I'm not taller:rolleyes:

[Dino Makropoulos]

Hi ,

Glad to hear that you are alright. I sit on the safety team of the factory that I work at and we use the PC trim routers a lot. Could I have you permission to use these photos in a router safety presentation that I am putting together? Most of our safety seem to focus on our big equipment, such as degloving your hand in a glue spreader (you really don't want to see that I still get chills when I think of that day, luckily she has made a full recovery of range of motion). I am trying to put together a presentation of the smaller, more common, tools that can inflict serious injury as well.

Clarence,
Many ways to minimize and even eliminate the accidents.
What tools do you have in the factory?

This is a sad story in a machine shop across my shop.
A young kid, lost 4 fingers by stepping on a big metal bender.
The sad story is that the kid was visiting the machine shop
and he was just looking around...
The insurance "forced" the machine shop to install a guard on the food pedal.
But the damage was done.

Preventive accidents takes little time and big dedication.
The small tools are the most dangerous and require
more skill and awareness.