You'd THINK a 63 year old would be smarter that this!

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Been reading about all the lathe mishaps and thankin' my lucky stars that I "still have all ten" and they all work.

Can't say that today. Friday afternoon I decided to rough out a couple of bowls on my new lathe and I got BIT! No cutoffs, but the end of my right ring fingers looks like W.C. Fields nose after twenty years of hard drinkin' . bulbous and purple with a cut down the side.

How did it happen? Actually, it happened SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO fast that I don't remember exactly what happened. One minute, I'm cleaning off bark and loose - rotted wood from the area where I want to put a tennon on it. The next, I was lookin' at the finger bleeding and hurting like H E double toothpicks. Luckily, I sat down and did some slow breathing, as I got pale and was sweating - apparently from shock.

BTW, I DID have on my face shield.

Nothing broken, so I'm VERY LUCKY!

The only thing I can think of that caused this was inattention to what I was doing. I lost respect for the tool and it got me!

Just another reminder that spinning wood can be dangerous.

Bruce:o :( :mad:

[Chris Barton]

So sorry to hear you got hurt Bruce! We all have to be mindful of safety. Thanks for reminding us!

[Scott Donley]

Glad to hear you still have all ten. There is a bright side, the rest of the year can only get better :) Don't think being 63 has anything to do with it, must have been the wood's fault :)

[Bill Stevener]

I can't say glad your ok, because your not. But it could have been worse and I'm glad it wasn't. Hope you feel better soon. Guess that kinda oweee can happen at any time to any one. On an accident report, how would you describe a way to prevent it?

Just a question, did you have a ring on the finger?

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[John Hart]

Geez Bruce! A loose piece must have come at you since you didn't see it. Glad it wasn't worse. Get well!:)

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

I know it wasn't a loose piece, John, as I do remember yanking my finger out from between the wood and tool rest.

Bill, all I can say is KEEP YOUR fingers clear of the work. No ring on that hand. Left hand has one, but I wear turning gloves, so that's not a problem.

Bruce

[Keith Burns]

Bruce, I too must say that I'm glad you were not hurt to bad and that all 10 are still there. It truely concerns me that we seem to have a rash of injuries going around(No pun intended). For this reason I must make a plea to everyone:
LET'S SLOW DOWN AND BE CAREFUL OUT THERE !!!!!!!!

[Bill Stevener]

I know it wasn't a loose piece, John, as I do remember yanking my finger out from between the wood and tool rest.

Bill, all I can say is KEEP YOUR fingers clear of the work. No ring on that hand. Left hand has one, but I wear turning gloves, so that's not a problem.

Bruce

Did you have a glove on each hand?
Bill.

[Robert Watsek]

Glad to hear you still have all of all 10 Bruce.

No matter how old one gets to be you still think it wont happen to me and about that time you find out that just aint so ........... we all seem to go down that road some just sooner than others :o

Get well, heal quickly my friend. :)

_________________

Bob <<<<<<< who lost a tip and the glove didnt help

[Mike Forsman]

Bruce,

Sorry to hear about your mishap. I am it wasn't any worse than it was. Heal quick.

[Andy Hoyt]

Someone here has (or had) a signature that read "No pain - no gain".

I'm almost tempted to think that was you, Bruce.

Nonetheless, your gain is that you'll be much more conscious of the relationship between the spinning stuff and the smooshable stuff from now on.

Take two motrins and call Doc Barton in the morning. He says he still needs to practice his doctoring.

[John Hart]

Maybe you should enter this story in the Gloves Thread Bruce. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=28416

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Yup...................They only go down to the first knuckle, so that they won't get caught in the work.

Bruce

[Pat Salter]

My son took some pictures of me turning last weekend and when we were looking at the pictures he said, "Dad, where did that scar come from?" . I had to laugh cause I couldn't remember when or how. After working in the "industry" (construction) for the last 40 years my hands are scarred in several places. As a matter of fact, my left thumb is short (tablesaw '80) down to the first knuckle.
This is a dangerous business, be it flatwork or round. There are going to be time when we will get nicked, bumped, scratched, bruised, cut, scraped, strained, sprained and drained. And yes, there may even be a loss of some part. I count these all (including all the stories like this one) as reminders,

BE CAREFUL!

But even with all that, and tomorrow being a day off from work for me, guess what I'm going to do tomorrow morning. I'm going out to my shop, setting my lathe on it's slowest speed, mount a 20 lb chuck of Pine between centers, set the tool rest as close as possible, hand turn the piece to make sure it can rotate without hitting the rest, put on my smock, put on my face shield, step to the left a little, take a deep breath, say a prayer, flip the swith on and make sure the piece isn't too off balance, if so correct it, gently but firmly lay my roughing gouge on the tool rest away from the spinning piece, slowly (with both hands holding with a firm grip) feed the edge of the gouge till it begins to take chips off, watch those chips fly, see the shape of the piece slowly change and........smile :D

Oh, by the way, Happy New Year!

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Disclamer: second picture not the prettiest one I've posted, but not as bad as the fingers with stitches!




Well folks, I figured out what happened. When I let the fellow have my Rikon for his wife's Christmas present, I had to wait for another one to come in. When it came in, they (Those overseas fellows) forgot to include the Tool Rest. The Banjo was there, and I had a small tool rest, so I thought.................(First BIG mistake) I'll just mount it and turn with it. The problem is that I was trying to round up the piece shown in the first picture. I got hurt with the tool rest and wood in the location shown.

The tool slipped off the right side of the rest and somehow my finger, which was helping hold the roughing gouge, got caught by the wood and driven into the tool rest and between the tool rest and the wood. Impulsive reaction caused me to pull back, thus saving me from more damage.

That piece of wood will have to wait till the long rest comes in this week.

So, if nothing else, I learned in 2005 that you don't try and work BIG wood with a little tool rest.:rolleyes:

Bruce;)

[Bill Stevener]

So, if nothing else, I learned in 2005 that you don't try and work BIG wood with a little tool rest.

Bruce

It's either that Bruce, or you have to learn to take shorter strokes.:D

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Carole Valentine]

Sorry about your mishap, Bruce but glad it wan't any worse than it was. I came close to getting my finger caught between the wood and rest one day by doing something so stupid I couldn't believe it. Some shavings had built up on the rest and were caught between the rest and the spinning wood. On impulse and without even thinking, I reached to brush them away with one finger with the wood still spinning. As it was, I was lucky...just got an "owie". I don't do that any more!

[Ernie Nyvall]

Ouch... OUCH. Sorry to hear about this Bruce. Hope you heal fast.

Ernie