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Thread: Jointer injury

  1. 07-09-2021, 9:31 AM #1
    Jason White's Avatar
    Jason White
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    Jointer injury

    Well, it finally happened. I lost part of my right ring finger to the jointer. This could’ve been avoided, but I was rushing and not paying close enough attention to what I was doing and where my hands were while jointing the edge of a 5” wide board. The guard was also not retracting all the way and needed repair, which I knew about. “Just a couple of quick cuts,” I thought. Not looking for sympathy; nobody to blame but myself. Please learn from my mistake and take some time to review safety practices in your shop. Stay safe out there!
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  3. 07-09-2021, 9:48 AM #2
    Stewart Lang
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    Happened to me. My pinkie was too low jointing the edge of the board and I jointed the top of my pinkie off.. Luckily it healed up and now I can use it as a reference surface..

    Hope the injury isn't too bad and you can continue on with woodworking!
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  4. 07-09-2021, 9:48 AM #3
    Aaron Rosenthal
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    Jason I hope you have a speedy recovery.
    I know how easy it is to have an accident, and you’ve just warned us that experience is no insurance against a mishap.
    Young enough to remember doing it;
    Old enough to wish I could do it again.
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  5. 07-09-2021, 9:57 AM #4
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    Jason White
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    Thanks. I’ll be ok. Very lucky it’s not worse.

    Quote Originally Posted by Stewart Lang View Post
    Happened to me. My pinkie was too low jointing the edge of the board and I jointed the top of my pinkie off.. Luckily it healed up and now I can use it as a reference surface..

    Hope the injury isn't too bad and you can continue on with woodworking!
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  6. 07-09-2021, 10:02 AM #5
    Matt Day
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    Very sorry to hear this Jason.

    Curious how exactly it happened? 5” wide board, assuming 4/4 or so and a few feet long? If so, it seems hard to have your right ring finger come close to the cutterhead since the board would be against the fence right?
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  7. 07-09-2021, 10:05 AM #6
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    glenn bradley
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    Really sorry that happened. Thanks for posting about it. We all need frequent wake up calls on safety.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler
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  8. 07-09-2021, 10:09 AM #7
    Mel Fulks
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    Jason, Thanks for the ringing reminder as you deal with the throbbing reminder. Rigorous non - deviating habit is the best safety device.
    Ruminate slowly and heal quickly.
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  9. 07-09-2021, 11:52 AM #8
    Derek Arita
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    I think about that every time I use the jointer, but much appreciate the exclamation point. I hope you heal up quickly. Makes my knees weak just thinking about it!
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  10. 07-09-2021, 12:19 PM #9
    Paul Wunder
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    Jason, sorry to hear about your injury and I hope that your healing is speedy and uneventful.
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  11. 07-09-2021, 12:23 PM #10
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    Jason White
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    Really hard to say exactly how it happened, because it happened so fast. Board was about 20” long and 1” thick. I think I dropped my hand and brushed the cutterhead at the very end of the cut, cutting three fingers and partially amputating one of them. A fully working guard would’ve probably saved me, but in the future I’ll be looking for ways to keep my hands much farther away from the cutterhead at all times. I’m also considering buying a jointer with a European style guard on it. They appear much safer to me.

    Quote Originally Posted by Matt Day View Post
    Very sorry to hear this Jason.

    Curious how exactly it happened? 5” wide board, assuming 4/4 or so and a few feet long? If so, it seems hard to have your right ring finger come close to the cutterhead since the board would be against the fence right?
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  12. 07-09-2021, 12:53 PM #11
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    Charlie Jones
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    Sorry to hear you were injured. I escaped a kickback today. It is so easy to lose attention and get hurt. You post will certainly help me pay attention. I’m wish you a full and speedy recovery.
    Charlie Jones
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  13. 07-09-2021, 12:53 PM #12
    lowell holmes
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    I use push sticks when using my table saw or jointer.

    https://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=m...de+push+sticks
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  14. 07-09-2021, 1:28 PM #13
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    Lisa Starr
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    Thank you for the reminder and best wishes to you for a speedy recovery. I once read that accidents/errors are much more likely to occur when you're tired or rushed. Since I deal with fatigue, I try to always keep that in mind and stop working the minute I start feeling tired. It is hard not to "just finish" whatever operation I'm performing, but I'm getting better at it.
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  15. 07-09-2021, 3:44 PM #14
    Patrick Kane
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    Because of these stories, i always think about my trailing hand's fingers and where they are when face/edge jointing. I can think of atleast 3 youtubers and other folks on forums that took off a piece of their pinky at the jointer. I would guess jointers and table saws are closer than one might imagine when it comes to the injury count. Hoping for a speedy recovery.
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  16. 07-09-2021, 3:56 PM #15
    Randall J Cox
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    Jason, so sorry to hear about your injury. I'm in my mid 70s and find myself making dumb mistakes that I wouldn't have done in my earlier years. So I try to be extra careful, knowing I'm not as sharp as I used to be. You posting is another reminder. Thanks for the reminder to all.... Hope you heal with no serious complications. Randy
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