Chisel Safety

[Gary Hodgin]

Hope this is not terribly off topic, but I just saw a story on MSNBC about a 3 year old boy who may have saved his dad's life by making a 911 call. His dad had accidentally (no suicide attempt) severed an artery with a wood chisel and apparently was in a lot of trouble.

I think one big advantage hand tools have over power tools is safety. I can stop when I see blood before much damage (maybe a few stitches but not much more). I guess we'd better watch out for where the business end of our chisels might go.

[Gary Hodgin]

If interested, here's a link to the story.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/41337107#41337107

[John Coloccia]

I chiseled myself into several stitches last year also. Now I'm better about keeping my fingers out of the line of fire!

[Russell Sansom]

I'm sure there will be dozens of stories here about how badly people have hurt themselves. After the 3rd or 4th multi-stich bad one early in my woodworking, I decided that it absolutely had to end. It was a firm conscious decision. Once in a while I get a nick from nowhere ( the rabbet plane got me ), and then I sit and think about it, giving it the heavy thoughtful weight it deserves.
And mine: I sharpened a top-quality large kitchen knife on the Tormek. In the kitchen, i gently bumped against it with the outside of the ball of my left thumb. Cost 18 stitches from a plastic surgeon ( my luck he was on rotation at the emergency ward ). I learned that I couldn't expose my family to this danger, so we no longer have straight razor knives in the kitchen.

[Chris Fournier]

Oddly enough its the handtools that have drawn almost all the blood in my shop aside from one glorified "paper cut" type injury on the bandsaw. Handtools likely won't kill you but they will certainly send you out for stitches if you aren't careful.

My worst cut was with a sharp carpet knife, I still cringe about those stitches, I mean with all those beautiful chisels in my bench - a carpet knife? Really?

The oddest cut I've had was with a plane blade that I was sharpening. It was from a LN 102. It was covered in slurry and I held it up to the light to take a peak and fumbled it. Naturally I tried to catch it as it headed for concrete. Well I almost caught it with both hands but I ended up driving it into my left wrist with my right hand. I buried one corner pretty deep and I had a pumper. My first thought was that they'd think it was suicide; that commission was going a bit poorly at the time and they would have been half right! I look at that scar to this day and remind myself that somethings are best left to fall. Lucky me.

[george wilson]

The chisel is the most dangerous hand tool. Its narrow cutting edge can go in deep,severing nerves and arteries. Keep your other hand away from the projected path of a chisel should it slip.

I've been good at shaving a potato chip off my thumb at times. Being a guitar maker,I have held small,odd shaped blocks of wood I couldn't clamp in a vise,and planed myself!!

[Jim Koepke]

I cringe when I see videos of people doing things in ways that are unsafe.

One recently was on the Woodwright's shop about holding your pin and tail boards with your elbow while clearing waste. YIKES! That is fraught with chances to cause problems.

Having trained myself to sharpen a blade to the level of being able to shave with it, it is also a necessity to train oneself to be careful when using such tools.

One can not allow the mind to drift when using such tools.

If the thought comes that "this should be clamped, but just this once… " Don't do it!

Sure, many times it will work fine. It is the one time that it doesn't that hurts.

Keep your mind constantly aware of what happens if something slips.

Keep safe,

jtk

[John Coloccia]

The chisel is the most dangerous hand tool. Its narrow cutting edge can go in deep,severing nerves and arteries. Keep your other hand away from the projected path of a chisel should it slip.

I've been good at shaving a potato chip off my thumb at times. Being a guitar maker,I have held small,odd shaped blocks of wood I couldn't clamp in a vise,and planed myself!!

The one that got me was when cleaning up a binding ledge on a headstock. The ledge gave way and and my finger ended up right in the path. There's something to the notion of "what would happen if the wood suddenly disappeared?" because that's exactly what happened. I was a good boy, though. The first thing I did was wrap a paper towel around it to keep from making a huge mess, and then I cleaned the blood off my chisel and oiled it. LOL. I know from experience that blood will cause a rust spot in the time it take to go upstairs and pop on a bandaid. THEN I cleaned it out, and then I went to the hospital.

[Jonathan McCullough]

Electricians learn to do work with their left hand in their pocket. That way they can't inadvertently make a circuit between hands that makes a path through the heart. After a couple of close calls with a chisel, which I think is easily the most dangerous thing in the shop, I never use a chisel unless both hands are behind the edge. Another simple/stupid thing is "Don't whittle *toward* you, son!"

Hammers are bad. Ask my thumb. Got a Cheney type hammer after that, which allows you to load a nail in the back portion, start the nail, swing the hammer around and finish pounding. Otherwise, you can use pliers for small stuff.

Don't try to catch falling tools, and if they're falling get your foot out of the way. Put foamy stuff on the floor around the workbench so you don't care if a chisel gets chipped. Also saves cast iron plane bodies. Once had a freshly sharpened rip saw fall and hit my hand--pretty gruesome. Another good habit to get into is to wear eye protection, even if any particular operation isn't going to require it. Inevitably, you'll soon perform an unforeseen operation that does require it, and you'll do that without even thinking about putting eye protection on. Ever had hot solder splatter on your eyeball? Not that I would know . . . .

[Adam Cherubini]

The chisel is the most dangerous hand tool.
Maybe in YOUR shop it is, George. In my shop I fear my ship adz most and my hewing hatchet second. Everything else pales in comparison to something that's as sharp as a kitchen knife that you swing toward yourself! I've seen injuries from broad hatchets and the word "medieval" is what comes to mind.

When people talk about shop safety and say things like "I've cut myself with my hand tools far more frequently than my machines" I think they are misleading folks (unknowingly I'm sure). Machine tools cripple thousands and thousands of people every year. The injuries they cause aren't even in the same league as the worst hand tool accidents. Even in home shops, the eye and hand injuries caused by machines are crazy. The numbers have been debated elsewhere, but I think table saws alone cause 3000 amputations in the USA every year. The same source estimates 30,000 trips to the emergency room each year due to TS accidents alone. I hate to think about chop saw accidents. I had a friend that tried cutting some tiny piece and did a number on his thumb. He said it looked like a butterflied shrimp. I saw it stitched. Can't see how you could do anything like that with a chisel.

Adam

[george wilson]

Most of the woodworkers don't have ship adzes or hatchets as common tools in their shops. I do,but I got well into traditional woodworking methods for many years being in Williamsburg. I used my lipped adze to hew the bottom plate for the large cider press,and the top jaw. Every one has chisels,though.

In the 18th.C.,adze men used their bare toes as chip breakers when they worked. How's that for dangerous? I nipped the soles of my shoes several times making the cider press,on the lips of my adz,but it is the only one I had. Still have it. If you want to get into early woodworking,broad axes or goose wing axes used for hewing logs square can be pretty threatening to the knees,too.

I'm having trouble keeping words straight. I think its my eye surgery bothering me. Keep getting dizzy if I get around too much.

[John Sanford]

I saw one similar to that on Rough Cut yesterday, I think it was while they were making the octagonal lazy susan. Hold a square of wood up, holding the top edge with one hand and trapping the other top corner against the shoulder, and then drill into it using the other hand. Gee, drill bit comes through the wood and you now have a risk of either drilling into your own arm, or snagging a sleeve. It was one of those things that looks cool, and looks dumb at the same time.

[george wilson]

Well,old Roy usually has a bandaid or some red looking areas on his fingers,doesn't he?

[Niels Cosman]

It's funny the timing of this thread. Last night I decided to make a little wooden sheath for my 1/2 paring chisel. Also ironic that in the process of making the sheath I knicked my forearm on a cranked neck paring gouge that was hanging on the wall right next next to the paring chisel.

180560180559

The worst hand tool injury I have had was when i was 8-9 years old widdling a little wooden knife. I remember very clearly making a cut toward myself as my father's words of warning echoed in my head. I remember thinking, "this is probably dangerous" just as the blade slipped and cut into my left thumb. I was sitting there holding the injured finger applying as much pressure as i could muster, thinking: "i hope this isn't bad, and i hope my parents dont take away my tools". As I release the pressure from the pressure to inspect the damage two things struck me: 1. it's an odd sensation feeling your skin separate 2. bone really is white.
I was incredibly lucky, I missed anything that of any importance, muscles, tendons, veins there was barely any blood. The amazing thing was that in spite of just having seen my bone for the first time, I remember being more concerned about losing my carving tools. I was home alone at the time so I cleaned the cut, closed it with steri-strips, wrapped it up with some gauze and covered it all with some bandaids. The cut healed surprisingly quickly, probably due to the cleanliness of the cut. I gained a healthy respect for edged tools that day.

[john brenton]

Got myself a nice gouge on two fingers a few months ago, but nothing compared to close calls I've had. Could have lost an eye or severely gouged my head when a fly landed on face while I was holding an edged tool. Just barely missed my wrist while I was scooping out some waste with a curved gouge on hardwood. It doesn't take much.

Carpet knife guy, don't feel bad, a friend of mine who was a very good tile guy severed a tendon witha trowel.

Thanks for the story, I can't imagine what that would have been like to have your boy find you bleeding to death.

[Pat Barry]

Be careful out there folks! Speed kills! Look before you leap! Does that about sum it up?? Seriously - keep your tools sharp. I bet more serious injuries occur from forcing things than letting the tools do the work.

[Russell Sansom]

Not to debate what's the most dangerous, but if we were to, I'd have to nominate the concave knife. I have one from my grandfather. It has, maybe a 2-foot radius. Not much, but if it hits a finger it just digs in all the deeper, it doesn't bounce off the bone. Carpet knives are in this category, but usually aren't sharpened all that much along their lengths. The concave knife I use to cut cardboard, paper and string. Because of the horrible danger I've considered regrinding it flat, but I so love that concave action I live with the danger. Probably my very worst workshop cut. Alway makes me think of the scimitar and why it's the scariest of the life-threatening swords.

[Mike Wilkins]

Been there, but not into an artery. Fimiliar story; late Friday night, tired, last trim cut on some tenons, and then quit for the night. Left hand in the wrong place at the wrong time. Right hand pushing the chisel taking a light cut. And into the left middle finger. Late night at the emergency room (a real treat itself), several stitches and a little blood-letting.
But the real kicker was when I got back to the shop a couple of days later. The part that I was working on was too short and had to be made over. A forehead-slapping occasion. Live and learn.

[john brenton]

Not to harp on it either, but the most dangerous tool, IMO, is the one you're holding when you're not respecting the edge. I use a straight razor, have all my knives sharpened to a keen edge, and have all of the irons and chisels with razor sharpness. I think we just get used to handling sharp objects so much that we forget what we're holding. I was cleaning my chisels when I gouged my fingers...I was vigorously buffing with a piece of steel wool and filleted my knuckles down to the gristle. I just had a lapse of judgment.

[Jim Koepke]

It's funny the timing of this thread. Last night I decided to make a little wooden sheath for my 1/2 paring chisel. Also ironic that in the process of making the sheath I knicked my forearm on a cranked neck paring gouge that was hanging on the wall right next next to the paring chisel.



I am curious as to how you made the sheath.

It doesn't look like it is made of glued together pieces.

jtk

[Niels Cosman]

Hey Jim,
I started with a scrap of ash about 3/8" thick. I ripped about 1/8" off on the bandsaw. I marked the width of the blade with deep marking gauge cuts for a stopped dado the depth of the thickness of the blade. I chiseled out the last ~3/4"-1" and enough that could saw out the sides with a saw. Then i chopped out the majority of the waste with a chisel and cleaned out the bottom with a small router plane. Then I glued the 1/8" piece back on being careful to realign the pieces. The blade has a very slight taper in thickness which just engages the wall of the sheath and that friction is enough to keep the sheath firmly in place.

It was a fun and very practical little diversion from the actual work that I had to do.

[Ron Williams]

On 11/20/10 I had a major brain freeze and ran a freshly sharpened 3/8" chisel into my wrist a severed an artery. fortunately I kept my cool and tied things off well enough to survive until the EMS GUYS got to me. At that time My blood pressure was 75 over 84 a little more time and It would have been to late. If it happens to you or someone around you STOP THE BlOOD Then call for help

[Jonathan Spool]

The beauty of sharp hand tools over power tools when you injure yourself, is that the pieces go back together so well!

[Joshua Byrd]

At least most of you guys have been injured by decent tools (sorry, Carpet Knife Guy!) When we were building our house a couple of years ago, my wife and I did a lot of the work ourselves, such as painting, tile work, laying the engineered flooring, etc. Helping the electrician was another one of the things that I did. One beautiful Saturday, we were boring holes and running lines. He had a monster of a DeWalt that nearly broke my hand on several occasions by slamming it against nearby studs upon startup. My little Black and Decker 18V cordless was, by comparison, a puny featherweight that wasn't good for much. However, I had it holstered on my tool belt all the same in one of those u-shaped jobs that folds back against your hip when the drill isn't in it. It was chucked with a 5/8s Irwin Blue Groove spade bit, for use whenever the electrician was using the DeWalt. I must have dropped something, because I remember stooping down and then standing back up. On the ascent, the tip of the bit got snagged on my shorts, lifting the drill free from the holster. On its very rapid descent to the floor, the tip caught me just above my ankle, opening up a 3" gash as quickly as a zipper. Since his truck was filled with all sorts of junk, we made the 20 minute ride to the ER in my Miata. Two big, sweaty, filthy guys cruising up to the hospital with the top down was probably a hilarious sight. I was just thankful that the interior is black.

I've got pics in my Photobucket account for the gorehounds out there. I made sure to take plenty, since I'd never had stitches prior to that.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r100/jossimbyr/PIC-0070.jpg
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r100/jossimbyr/PIC-0071.jpg

[Gary Herrmann]

Two years ago, I was sketching something my son and I were going to make for one of his school projects. The night before I had sharpened a couple of my millwright chisels. The one in question is a Union 1 incher. 16" long, has to weigh around a pound. I really like Union chisels. It was still sitting on my bench while I was sketching. My dogs were in the shop with me. Good black dog calmly laying near me. Crazy yellow dog running around like a maniac. Yellow dog slams into the workbench, and I noticed something a few seconds later rolling off the edge of the bench above my black dog.

Being an idiot I took a long step and caught the thing. The newly razor sharp edge went about 1/2" into my hand. Missed the nerve that allows my thumb to move by a millimeter. Cut through a lot of muscle. 50 stitches.

Every chisel goes in a roll or a drawer (haven't built my wall mounted tool rack yet) as soon as I'm done with it now.

[Brent Ring]

I apologize if this seems to hijack the thread. It kinda goes along though. In the nastily litigious society that we live in, with the potential for regulation, is anyone nervous that the contents of some of our discussions and photos of accidents with tools might get used by some over zealous politician to draft and possibly pass laws to protect us from mistakes and "learning experiences"? I appreciate the information and how some of the things occur, and the photos. Always sends a new sense of awareness. But I don't want the data used for anything like I listed above. Can the moderators comment on what can or can't be used? I suppose, because it is public, someone could come and just copy the thread info and pictures. Just thinking...

[David Weaver]

You can cut youself with anything with an edge in the shop. I have never stuck myself with a chisel, but I planted a fresh new ryoba right in my thumb gripping stock and getting a little too long in the stroke. Cut all the way into the bone in one strike. I have had my share of stitches (4 or 5 times, maybe more?), but I don't go for them now unless I have to. I hooked some of my wife's trick Silvasorb Gel to sterilize it and then glued it shut with medium CA.

There is only one tool I can think of that's killed one person in my (extended) family and almost another - a chainsaw.

I got rid of the TS a couple of months ago and want to replace it with a tracksaw for the times the mrs. demands some commodity looking hardwood ply thing with solid trim. I think that's a good trade, but I still have the large BS and use it pretty freely (in my opinion far and away the most useful and intuitive powered cutting tool) - the only thing i'm wary of is just what john said about chisels, you have to think with a BS what will happen if you're cutting a blank or something of that sort and something gives way in the wood.

I ALWAYS bring the cms down once first no matter where my hand is, before the blade is turning, and then cut after that. It only takes a second to check clearance, just like it only takes a second to cut your fingers off. No really short pieces on the CMS, either, I've seen (and been the absorber of) kickback off of both a CMS and a very strong TS.

[Joshua Byrd]

I apologize if this seems to hijack the thread. It kinda goes along though. In the nastily litigious society that we live in, with the potential for regulation, is anyone nervous that the contents of some of our discussions and photos of accidents with tools might get used by some over zealous politician to draft and possibly pass laws to protect us from mistakes and "learning experiences"? I appreciate the information and how some of the things occur, and the photos. Always sends a new sense of awareness. But I don't want the data used for anything like I listed above. Can the moderators comment on what can or can't be used? I suppose, because it is public, someone could come and just copy the thread info and pictures. Just thinking...

Ooh, I never thought about suing. Black and Decker and Cooper are very large companies who probably wouldn't mind parting with a little money... I wonder if that dude who cut up his hand on the Ryobi tablesaw could give me his lawyer's number. :D

[Dave Anderson NH]

Hi Brent, Your question probably has answers on several levels. There is nothing that prevents someone from copying what has been written here and it has happened in the past both with and without attribution. That is why the Terms of Service specifically notes that what you say is your responsibility legally and the Creek can't be held liable for libel, etc. Lawsuits have even been threatened by an equipment manufacturer against the person posting a particularly nasty complaint which turned out to be a series of distortions and lies cleverly blended together. As for data being collected, it is certainly possible, but generally injury data is collected from incidents reported to hospitals, CPSC, OSHA, MSHA, insurance companie, and similar types of organizations. Anecdotal "data" such as posted here would be suspect to most governmental agencies. While it is certainly possible for a politician or anyone else to try and use what is posted here as "evidence" to support an agenda, I suspect it is of low probability.

While I realize that paranoia is in many cases nothing more than a heightened awareness of reality, I personally refuse to worry about everything I write. YMMV

[David Weaver]

I agree with Dave. If some regulatory issues come, I think they will be a product of the courtroom or examination of worker's comp insurance and work related accident reporting, and not due to data mining or political aides reading this forum.

[David Weaver]

Every chisel goes in a roll or a drawer (haven't built my wall mounted tool rack yet) as soon as I'm done with it now.

Would I gather you were probably swooping your hand upward as you tried to catch it, too? That creates a particularly nasty result.

I reached for a chisel one time and missed - too slow, and then realized that catching it might not have been a great thing. Since then, when something rolls off my bench and I see it, I immediately jump back.

[Jim Koepke]

Niels,

Thanks for the reply. It looks nice and functional.

jtk