feeling really stupid now...

[frank shic]

spent an hour yesterday building a mortise jig for some butt hinges i was installing on some plantation shutters, set it up, grabbed the trim router, flicked it on and for some unknown reason decided to reach underneath it to hold the base... and well, here are the results:

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w316/frank_shic/11eb0574.jpg (http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w316/frank_shic/11eb0574.jpg)

guess i'll turn on the router next time when it's actually positioned on the workpiece. i was thinking that on my usual routers, i'm forced to grip it with both hands but i let my guard down with the smaller trim router and thought mistakenly that it was pretty harmless because of it's size.

it took about an hour to the the ER which wasn't too bad and as soon as i got home, i picked up the router again being MUCH MORE CAREFUL and routed the mortises because i wanted to get back in the saddle ASAP.

[Richard Dragin]

I have yet to see someone have an accident and say it was a smart thing to do. We all learn through these threads to respect our tools so for that, thanks for posting. Heal fast.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Ouch!

We all do things without thinking. Some times we can learn by others experience. Thanks for the reminder!

Heal fast, well and completely!

[Sam Murdoch]

Frank Frank, Frank Frank, Frank OUCH! I hate these kind of posts. Sorry man. :(

[Van Huskey]

Sorry dude! We all do stupid things from time to time, I imagine most of the time we are all just lucky, then once in a while...we aren't. Speedy recovery!

[Andrew Pitonyak]

owe owe owe owe...... Oh my, it hurts to just look at it.

[Bob Lloyd]

OUCH!! I am sure most of us have done something similar, I know I have but with a hand held power planer. It looks like you will be OK down the road. Heal fast and thanks for the reminder.

[Rick Potter]

Frank,

You are one lucky duck. I certainly don't want to minimize your injury, but looking at that picture, my first thought was about how much worse it could have been. I am sure it will bother you for a long time.

I got nipped by a router bit once. So lightly that it only took of the very tip of a finger, not even to the nail. It hardly bled, but it was numb for years. I tend to hold a small router this way also, and am trying to break the habit. I just built an egg shaped base with handles for a trim router.

Thanks for the wake up call.

Rick Potter

[John Towns]

So sorry that you injured yourself. I have been there, different tool, somewhat comparable results. Thanks for the reminder that we need to be really careful, and thoughtful before using our tools. I try to, and have had marginal, but incremental success. After my 'incident' of ten years ago, I remember thinking that I'll never to THAT again (gee, that jointer blade spins fast, doesn't it?!!). So far, I still have 9.98 fingers.

Your post, while difficult to view, is definately worthwhile for us to remember the value of safe, careful operation of our tools. Hope it does not keep you from your projects for very long.

John

[Jordan Lane]

seems to be a trend with small routers and injuries...i will certainly pay close attention next time i use one ....i hope you heal quickly

[Rod Sheridan]

Frank, glad to hear you're doing well, it could have been much worse..........Rod.

[Russ Ambrose]

thanks for sharing....we can all use reminders from time to time about the importance of safety and attentiveness. hope you heal quickly and completely.

[Myk Rian]

OUCH!! I am sure most of us have done something similar,
Nope. Not yet anyway.
Safety, and respect for power tools and other machinery was drummed into us at work.

[Harold Burrell]

OUCH!!!

PLEASE tell me that is not the finger you pick your nose with! Your breathing might be obstructed for a while if it is...

Seriously, I do hope you get better soon. The thought of the incident makes my toes curl! :eek:

[ray hampton]

OUCH!!!

PLEASE tell me that is not the finger you pick your nose with! Your breathing might be obstructed for a while if it is...

Seriously, I do hope you get better soon. The thought of the incident makes my toes curl! :eek:

if this is his nose -picking finger, he will have to learn a new finger and keep his index finger-left hand safe, stay safe and keep the finger out of the cold

[Victor Robinson]

Ack!! Sorry my man...hope you heal up quickly and glad it wasn't worse. No need to feel stupid.

[frank shic]

OUCH!!!

PLEASE tell me that is not the finger you pick your nose with! Your breathing might be obstructed for a while if it is...

Seriously, I do hope you get better soon. The thought of the incident makes my toes curl! :eek:

harold, my wife asked me the same question last night so i started laughing while holding out my RIGHT index finger. thanks for the support guys. incidentally, i stopped by rockler's afterwards and everyone was showing off their battle scars: one guy cut his thumb down the middle with a unisaw, one of the workers got his thumb split open by a machine operated pneumatic clamp, another guy burned himself after he forgot that his branding iron was still on...

[Jeff Duncan]

You got lucky.....an hour in the ER is almost drive through. Around here you wait a couple hours before they even look at you!

Anyway doesn't look too bad so good to hear your back at it already. I almost took the top of my thumb off some years ago with a much bigger router and a much bigger bit. I was lucky in that it missed the bone by a fraction of an inch. Only needed about 6 stitches and I was good to go. One thing is for sure, when you get nicked.....you don't forget it;)

good luck,
JeffD

[Bill White]

WAHHHHHH!
I don't wanna do THAT!
Get well.
Oh, how much did that cost? A new Lei Nielson? (Did I spell that correctly?)
Bill

[Sid Matheny]

We all screw up every now and then but I hate seeing it come to the point of bleeding. Hope it heals fast.

Sid

[Chris Tsutsui]

Ouch Frank,

According to the Bureau of labor statistics report there are more than 300,000 disabling hand injuries each year.

Good to see you still have the finger.

I always put the router in a position so that it is about to make the cut it's going to make (IE, bit is 2" away from work piece). One hand is on the router while the other hand is ALSO on the router unless that hand is turning the router ON or OFF. I try my best to be patient and let the router bit come to a complete stop before putting it down.

I recall one incident where my friend had extremely off balance bit in a hand held 3.25HP PC router which then caused the router to form an off balance gyroscope and it could not be held still because it wanted to wander all over the place. The operator was screaming for help because he didn't want to let go of the router and a nearby worker unplugged the router for him.

What's next??? a sawstop router with an electronic brake that stops the router bit? :)

[frank shic]

i'd spring for a SS-style brake router!

[Jim Matthews]

I'm horrified at your injury, but impressed by your approach to recovery.

I'm sure your doc mentioned it, but keep it clean and take your antibiotics.
Infection of something like this is all too common.

Best of luck,
jim
wpt, ma

[Brian Kent]

Isn't it amazing how many nerve endings are packed into one finger!

[ray hampton]

Isn't it amazing how many nerve endings are packed into one finger!

YOU GOT NO IDEA, when my son was only about 6 or 7 , I went into the bathroom and was closing the door when the son kick the door, pinching the index finger, pulling the skin off of the tip no pain until I stuck it into cold water, ONE THING THAT I AM GOOD AT ARE SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF MY VOICE

[Rod Sheridan]

, another guy burned himself after he forgot that his branding iron was still on...

OK, here goes a similar tale.

A long time ago in High School, a few days before Christmas, I was trying to unsolder a wire from something, using the soldering iron to heat and pry at the same time.

Anyone see where this story is going?

Yup, the wire came off, the soldering iron landed smack on my nose, and I was Rod, the Red Nosed Geek....................Yup pretty funny now, then...................Rod.

[Jeff Miller]

That's called a dumb ass attack...........I have had some too:D




JEFF:)

[Paul McGaha]

I'm glad it isn't any worse of a cut Frank.

Heal well.

PHM

[Peter Quinn]

Thats gotta hurt Frank. That doesn't make you stupid, it makes you human. I pray a speedy recovery for you, and salute your fortitude in moving forward.

[frank shic]

thanks again, everyone, for the support. i hear ringo starr singing somewhere in the background, "i get by with a little help from my friends!" on the plus side, i think i've finally figured out how to spray latex paint on plantation shutters using an airless!

[John A langley]

Frank - I'm sure glad you didn't make it to the Stumpy Club. I've been a member now for about 16 years. I took the ends off my middle finger to my little finger. Now the only problem have, if you can imagine this, is when I have a handful of small screws, and I turn my fingers toward the floor, they fall out. It hurts like hell now, but you hand will get better. And at least you retained your great sense of humor.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Frank,
Good thing about being the mayor of Stupidville is that it's a real short term.. ;).
Sooner rather than later, someone else comes along and takes over the office.

Most of us have held that office - some like myself have had several terms!

[frank shic]

hear that, everyone??? just kidding... hope no one injures themselves any time soon!

[Jeff Monson]

Glad it wasn't worse Frank, good thing you got right back to it. Lets see those shutters when you get them done!