PDA

View Full Version : Injury...please be careful!



Tony Kent
04-30-2008, 5:15 AM
Hello all,
In my haste to get my Delta lathe set up I hurt myself rather badly. I was moving the headstock off the lathe(it's the 16" steel bed) when it got a bit jammed up right near the end of the bed, so i moved my hands so i could push it to the end and then put my hands back to get a good grip on it since I knew I was taking it off. Well,,, because I moved my hands and in my haste my hands were positioned in the wrong place, as the headstock came off the lathe it naturally dropped down a bit catching my left little finger between the headsock and steel bed...OUCH I said! I thought I lost the nail, but when I looked at it the tip of my finger was pointing a bit left. Scared the hooey out of me! So I went into the house and called my friends to come and get me.
I broke the tip of my finger in two and dang near lost the tip of my finger from the laceration. It was an awful accident and shouldn't have happened, however there is a lesson with injuries.....pay attention always! I broke one of my rules and have paid for it. If i am tired, distracted or not feeling well i shouldn't be out there, but because i was impatient I ended up a patient at the ER. all i was going to do was get the thing set up so i can begin turning some olive wood that i will be getting shortly. There is a 50/50 chance that I can still loose the tip of my finger, but the Doc said on Tuesday(this happened on sunday) that it's looking good and there is no infection so far.
I have a new rule now......because i have a bad back i will either set up a pully system or ask someone to lift and move my heavy machines.
I hope that someone here get's something out of this and comes to know that our machines do not have to be running to bite us.
Thanks all and hope all is well with ya, see you soon Tony

Ron Ainge
04-30-2008, 6:48 AM
Tony

you will never know how many people that you have helped with your story. I had an accident with my bandsaw a few years ago and I am very lucky that I still have all ten fingers. You learn a new respect for your tool after an accident of any kind. Best wishes and I hope that you do not loose the end of it.

Sean Troy
04-30-2008, 8:21 AM
Sorry to hear about your injury. I hope it heals up completly.

robert hainstock
04-30-2008, 9:29 AM
Tony, I am so sory to hear your bad news. I am praying for a speedy recovery for you. I play saxophone, and I need all my fingers for that. Two years ago I sold my table saw, and try to be extra careful around any rotating machinery. But crunched fingers can happen any where. And I know that those kinds of accidents are the result of a moments thought-
lessness and will continue to happen because we're guys and sometimes we realy don't think much about how to safely mivee something, but instead just "DO IT" Heal rapidly friend. :eek::eek::)
Bob

Glenn Hodges
04-30-2008, 10:09 AM
Sorry about that Tony. With an accident like that it sounds like we might have simular DNA.

Bernie Weishapl
04-30-2008, 11:02 AM
Sorry to hear about the accident. I hope you heal fast and everything will be fine. Messages like this are good for us all.

Steve Schlumpf
04-30-2008, 12:31 PM
Thanks for posting Tony - I hope everything heals 100% and you have no further problems with the finger!

Tony Kent
05-10-2008, 5:14 PM
Hello all
Thank you so much for all the well wishes...good news! So far I am keeping the tip of my finger and have had the stitches taken out. This has been a huge lesson for me to pay more attention.
Thanks again for all the good wishes,
Tony

Ken Fitzgerald
05-10-2008, 5:39 PM
Tony....Glad things are going well for you! Thanks for the warning and the latest report!

Ron McKinley
05-10-2008, 7:54 PM
Sorry Tony. Hope it heals—intact! I almost lost the tips of both thumbs—one to a tablesaw and the other to a bandsaw. Both are a little numb but still functioning. Both were due to trying to make cuts when my mind was on fluff mode! .......Ron

Stephen Henderson
05-13-2008, 1:42 PM
Hello Ron,

I was reading this thread and saw you said you had an injury with a bandsaw. I just bought a new bandsaw to replace my old Craftsman, and was wondering if you could share what happened so I don't repeat it and get blood on the new green finish to the saw.

Thanks.

Stephen