Sharp things bite sometimes!

[Jeff Nicol]

Well it has been a good and bad start to the year so far. Lots of snow, wood and some tools too. That is the good, but then the bad starts with things breaking down and making my tool/fishing/hunting fund dwindle when I have to buy parts to fix things from my tractor to my milling machine to the brides vacuum cleaner. But then last night I was out cleaning up some things in the shop cutting some blanks up and sealing them. I was peeling some loose bark off of a small Bitternut Hickory log with a very sharp draw knife when "POP, BUMP, BANG and SLICE! The log got loose in the vise and slipped and I moved and well it took 7 stitches to keep all that precious red stuff from running on the floor!

Just goes to show no matter how good the intentions and how safe we all think things are accidents still happen!

Watch out for the sharp things,

Jeff

[Mike Stephens]

Sorry to hear about your injury Jeff. I am a cabinet maker by trade. I know all about good intentions. It only takes a split second.

[Peter Lamb]

Sorry Jeff, especially since I believe you are always safety consious
Peter

[Steve Campbell]

Sorry to hear about your bad luck. Hope you heal quickly.

Steve

[tom martin]

Ouch!
Get well soon Jeff. Hope it doesn't keep you from doing what needs to be done.
Tom

[Bernie Weishapl]

Wow that is a ouchy as my grandson would say. Heal quickly.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Jeff,
That will be a great battle scar but we need to fabricate a heroic story to tell how it happened. Oh, I know the log slipped in the vise. That's the truth but we can do better. How about this; A 20 pound chunck got loose in the lathe and you made a leaping grab. You caught it just inches before it would have hit the cat in the head. Oh never mind the truth is better. I hope it heals quickly. Keep it clean and protected from the shop dirt because I am sure you won't let it slow you down.
faust

[John Keeton]

Jeff, I have a very similar scar on my left thumb, but from a much earlier encounter with an old double edge razor blade - that will tell you how old I am!! Looks like the ol' Doc did pretty good on the stitching - nice even work! Keep it clean - that is the big thing!

[John Coloccia]

Hey Jeff, your pictures would look more professional if you used a photo tent...
...
...
:D

Glad a few stitches was all it took. Get better soon.

[Jim Burr]

My only, last, once, never again, with a table saw took 65 stitches, 3 surgeries and a bone graft. Speedy healing to you Jeff! And yes...keep it clean!

[David DeCristoforo]

Ooo... I hate it when people post pictures like that! Ouch! But I'm glad it wasn't worse. You still got the body part so that's something to be grateful for!

[Sean Hughto]

Heal up fast! I had a similar encounter with a chisel many years ago - I learned not to use your my left hand as a workhold. ;-)

[Steve Schlumpf]

Wow - sorry to hear of the accident and I do hope you heal quickly and totally! Have to say - your photo made me think of Frankenthumb! A little late for Halloween - but scary just the same!

[Matt Ranum]

Think of it this way Jeff......keeps your mind off all the other parts that hurt.:p

[Jim Underwood]

Heal up fast! I had a similar encounter with a chisel many years ago - I learned not to use your my left hand as a workhold. ;-)

I got one a those.... It's never been the same.

Hope you heal fast and well Jeff. May you regain any lost feeling and range of movement.

[Cathy Schaewe]

Boy, Jeff, you don't need any more disabled body parts! Take care of yourself - we here at the Creek wouldn't know what to do without your wonderful tools and wood! You have to keep in shape to build more -;)

[Baxter Smith]

Ouch! Things sure can happen fast and when you least expect it. Take it easy on the hand for a few days. Or at least clean and covered!

[Pierce Davidson]

Well, it looks like it's all been said already. That is except for THANKS for the PICTURE! Gotta appreciate a guy that shares pics of wounds.

[Michael James]

Man that had to hurt, but glad everything is still attached!

[Jeff Nicol]

Thanks all for the kind and caring words, so far so good it is stiff but does not hurt unless I bump it. The doc that sewed me up was very nice and had very gentle hands. I told her that I set my goal at 100 stitches before I go to the big woodshop in the sky, she put at 72 for my life so far, but she hoped she would not see me again anytime soon! But as soon as I told them I was a turner they bent my ear for a while and wanted to know what I made and where they could see it and you all know how it goes, so maybe some future customers.

Well I am ready for bed and the stitches come out in 9 days then I will know the full deal with the recovery. I don't think I have any nerve issues so that is good.

Thanks again,

Jeff

[Aaron Wingert]

Nice little injury there Jeff. Glad you're ok and didn't do nerve damage or anything.

Last time I got stitches was when the drill bound while drilling overhead and an 18volt cordless drill battery split my eyebrow open. In the ER waiting room there were two other guys waiting for stitches. One asked me what happened to me and I said it was too embarrassing to say. He said he was doing dishes and cut his hand. I laughed and told my story, which he said was much more manly. Then the other guy piped up and sheepishly said he cut himself while cutting a piece of chocolate to bake with. We all got a good laugh, and all three of our wives rolled their eyes.

[Doug W Swanson]

Jeff,

Sorry to hear about your injury but glad everything is ok.

Does this mean my steady rest is going to be delayed?:rolleyes:

j/k! Don't worry about me and worry about getting your thumb healed!

It was nice talking to you yesterday. Take care!

[Dan Forman]

Jeff---Sorry about your mishap, hope there is no lasting damage an that it heals quickly.


Dan

[bob svoboda]

Sorry to see that, Jeff. Even the most safety conscious among us can have an accident-only takes the blink of an eye. Hope you have a speedy recovery.

[Michael MacDonald]

good stitches. do them yourself?

sounds like you were trying to be safe and just got unlucky. I did a stupid over the holidays with a cordless drill and a driver bit--but I deserved it and have learned my lesson.

[Reed Gray]

From an Aussie woodworker,

Anything with sharp teeth eats meat.
Woodworking tools have sharp teeth.
People are made out of meat.

robo hippy

[steven carter]

Jeff,

Sorry about the bum thumb, I hope it heals quickly and completely. Do enough stuff and things are bound to happen, no way around it except quit doing stuff, and we both know that's not going to happen. Hang in there!

Steve

[James Combs]

Sorry to see that Jeff. Hope it heals quickly. I have a similar size scar on the same thumb on the opposite side courtesy of my 10" Rikon band-saw last summer. I am sawing away doing just exactly what everyone says not to do, pushing with my thumb, and in the next instant I am bleeding all over the shop.

[Rich Aldrich]

Sorry to hear about your accident. Hopefully you will recover fast. My family is in logging and I have had some experience with a draw knife.

In 1976, a guy that grew up with my dad and uncle bought 40 red pine logs to build a log cabin to use as a deer camp. I think they were 40 ft long and had to hire a pole company to haul them. They put them in the field by my uncles house and paid us $8 per hour to peal them. Then the logs sat there to "season" for 4 years off the ground on some sacrifical logs. Then we had to peel them again, only this time we had to peel a layer of wood off. That was one tough job! We had not accidents, but it could have easily.

We helped him build the cabin a little later that summer. It really turned out nice.