Router 1, Ken 0

[Ken Garlock]

Yesterday afternoon I was working on some shelf brackets for some new shop shelves. They were made of out '2 by' and roughed out on the cabinet saw with the band saw giving a curve to the long edge of the triangle shape. At the router table, I had placed an MDF template on the blocks and had formed the final outline with a pattern bit. The bit was not long enough to make the form with only one pass, so made one pass on all the blocks, moving the template from block to block as I went. Then I raised the bit and and used the trimmed area as the template for trimming the remaining profile.

Well I was down to the last cut, and I got complacent. As I finished the tail of the last cut on the last block, the block slipped past the router bit, and the bit took a noticeable bite out of the outside of my right hand, just behind the little finger joint. Of course there was blood all over the place. I rushed to the house, called my wife, an LVN, and we looked it over. By that time the bleeding had slowed to a mere oozing. She asked if I wanted to go to the ER, but remembering having to set around for nearly 2 hours on one occasion, I decided on a simple application of Neosporin and bandages. The remainder of the day was spent with my arm elevated watching TV or napping. Today, it looks clean and not infected, but I must say that there is a lot of red with little that looks like epidermis showing. There is no pain, but I am toting around a large bandage wrapped in about 3 ft. of gauze.

Those Whiteside bits do a good job :eek: Now if I can only figure out how to get even with that router bit :mad:

[Byron Trantham]

Ken, I feel your pain. I am glad it's not bad enough to go to the ER. You're sure right about "the last piece". :mad: Seems like when I screw up it's at the very end of a process. Hope it heals fast for you.

[Mark Singer]

en,

Routers are dangerous! Glad you will be okay....there is a lesson there for all of us!

[Keith Burns]

I'm glad your ok as well. Just goes to show you that we are working with dangerous machines and we can't relax while using them.

[Don Baer]

Ken,
Glad it wasn't anything more serious. Those thing can be realy dangerous.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Glad you are ok. I have to remind myself every time I do a project to pay attention especially towards the end of the project. Good lesson for all of us.


Bernie

[Vaughn McMillan]

Thanks for the post Ken, and I'm very glad the damage was no worse than it was. As the result of reading posts like this, I notice that I try to pay more attention to safety issues when I'm in the shop. I tend to have that nagging "what would I tell the folks on SMC if..." feeling, which is enough to get my attention and re-think the process to look for a safer way of doing it.

- Vaughn

[Steve Clardy]

Sure hope you get healed up after that one Ken.
Knock on wood, I haven't done that trick yet!!
Steve

[Andrew Ault]

I hope that you are healing well. Glad to hear that there's no sign of infection.

I was using my router yesterday to chamfer some parts for a Mission style nightstand. Watching the oak edge just disappear in the bit's path again reminded me to be careful and to think about the movement of the tool in advance and what could go wrong. I love the ease of setup and clean edges left, but boy, there is potential for injury here.

I read your entry earlier today and have been thinking about it. Thank-you for telling about it. For me, I need to know as much as I can and think carefully about how to produce intended results and minimize danger.

[Peter Stahl]

Ken,

Glad you're ok and not missing any parts. We have a very dangerous hobby don't we!

[Bob Noles]

Ouch.... ouch and triple ouch Ken. Man I hate to read these stories. Makes me want to go back to fishing instead of woodworking except for the hooks that get embeded in the hand. Can't win for losing :(


Glad it was no worse than it was although I know it is still not a pleasant thing to happen. Hope all continues to go well..... Think I'll run out to the shop and throw my router up against the wall a few times to get even in your behalf :D

[Mike Cutler]

Ouch..... Ken.Don't try to get even with the router bit. If it doesn't bite you in the hand, it will bite you in the wallet.
Heal quick, and try not to let it bug it you too much. I'm sure that not much, other than luck has prevented others, me included, from having a similar post.
Take care and don't watch too much TV. ;)

[Corey Hallagan]

Glad to here your accident wasn't to severe and you won't be minus any digets or anything. Here is to fast healing!

Corey

[Ken Garlock]

I just want to thank all of you for your comments and sympathy. :)

As Mark said, there is a lesson here. To me the lesson reads: "Pay attention, there is not time to take notes." :eek:

I hope someone will avoid an accident after having read this post.

Thanks guys.

[Chris Padilla]

Uhm, no pics??? ;)

hehehe...glad you are healing up nicely, Ken...we are never too experienced (old) to learn something....

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Hope your hand heals fast Ken. If its looks like mine, your new scar has plenty of company!

[Alan Turner]

Glad it was not worse, Ken. With a router injury, there is nothing left to sew back together.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Wow...that hurts just reading about it...glad you are still have the finger though!

[Bruce Page]

Ken, Heal quickly, those routers can do some damage. I’m glade you are not in a lot of pain.
Of all the machines in my shop, the router, whether hand held or in the table, gets my highest respect!

[Steve Jenkins]

OWWWW. Ken not a good thing. Glad it's no worse than it is. Just gotta remember that it is FLUSH trim spelled with a u not an E.