My jointer injury

[Jason White]

Hi, everybody. Here's a video I just made that explains how I lost part of a finger on my jointer what I'm doing to prevent similar accidents from happening in the future. I hope it can help somebody else.

https://youtu.be/xGbyT11sNnY

Stay safe out there!

Jason White

[George Yetka]

Ouch.

Looks like a good recovery though. Stay vigilante

[Jason White]

Yes, indeed. I got very lucky. Still quite a bit of healing left to do.

Ouch.

Looks like a good recovery though. Stay vigilante

[Erik Loza]

My dad was an industrial arts/woodshop teacher for many years and described almost the EXACT same injury to one of his students. Glad it wasn't worse and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Erik

[Christopher Wellington]

Thanks for sharing. I especially appreciate your to-the-point presentation and focus on explaining what (you think) happened and how to prevent it from ever happening again. Stories about shop injuries sometimes focus on gruesome pictures and (understandably) the emotional toll. I don't find that helpful as it just leaves me shaken and not wanting to spend time in the shop rather than teaching a valuable lesson or two.

Dragging right-hand fingers across the cutter head while edge jointing seems like an easy mistake to make. The position of that hand is not a natural thing to be aware of, the guard doesn't help, and the injury happens at the end of the cut right when you may think you're in the clear.

[Jason White]

Thanks, Erik!

My dad was an industrial arts/woodshop teacher for many years and described almost the EXACT same injury to one of his students. Glad it wasn't worse and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Erik

[Jacques Gagnon]

Jason:

Thanks for sharing and taking the time to produce the video. It is so easy to "drop our guard" when working with familiar machines - your efforts at raising awareness will help viewers to remain focused on the task and, hopefully, avoid injuries.

I wish you well in the next few weeks towards full recovery.

Regards,

Jacques

[Richard Hart]

You are very fortunate for sure... glad you didn't lose fingers!

I know for myself when doing anything with power tools, I won't use them if I'm tired, crabby, overhungry or preoccupied. Especially overhungry when blood sugar takes a nosedive. Get interrupted? I shut off whatever I'm using at the time. (drill, circular, whatever) I read and watch videos like this so I learn what not to do. I guess the older I get, the more careful I get.

First project for me is gonna be a push stick.

Rich

[Nick Sorenson]

It only takes a second and could happen to any of us!

One thing a pro woodworker taught me for table saws, but also applies here... hook as many fingers over the fence as possible and just push with a thumb (far from the blade). That way if you slip, you're still anchored to something that isn't moving. I like his idea.

[Warren Lake]

Two people I know have lost fingers on the jointer. One I never understood how the other made sense. Ive said and others a few times that pork chops in some positions do nothing, that is how one friend had the accident and was distracted by some other difficult stuff that happened that day plus not proper support as well for what as going over the machine.

What I see looking is you stand very far back and then stretch out. Unless that is just for the camera I dont see that as comfortable. Id have to tape myself as I dont really know but im pretty sure id be more forward and a bit sideways to the fence.

Im no fan of gizmos. If you work in a shop and have them then end up working somewhere else and dont have gizmos then what? Hope you heal well and thanks for posting to help others.

[Rod Sheridan]

Jason, sorry to hear of your injury, glad to hear that you were fortunate and have healed well.

I just had a saw accident and was lucky also…..Regards, Rod

[Jason White]

I'm standing where I am so you can see what I'm talking about on camera. I don't normally stand this way. I also agree that gizmos are no replacement for good safety practices. This just seems like a good solution for me; it's probably not the right one for everybody.

Two people I know have lost fingers on the jointer. One I never understood how the other made sense. Ive said and others a few times that pork chops in some positions do nothing, that is how one friend had the accident and was distracted by some other difficult stuff that happened that day plus not proper support as well for what as going over the machine.

What I see looking is you stand very far back and then stretch out. Unless that is just for the camera I dont see that as comfortable. Id have to tape myself as I dont really know but im pretty sure id be more forward and a bit sideways to the fence.

Im no fan of gizmos. If you work in a shop and have them then end up working somewhere else and dont have gizmos then what? Hope you heal well and thanks for posting to help others.

[Jason White]

Here's another interesting doohickey I might try at some point. Popular Woodworking has a measured drawing for it on their website. Just do a search for "jointer featherboards". featherboards_5F00_51.jpg

Hi, everybody. Here's a video I just made that explains how I lost part of a finger on my jointer what I'm doing to prevent similar accidents from happening in the future. I hope it can help somebody else.

https://youtu.be/xGbyT11sNnY

Stay safe out there!

Jason White

[Alan Lightstone]

My technique is very similar to what Jason suggests. Been doing it for years, although with two Magswitch Dual Roller Guide Attachments. When I brought it up on a thread here, people were criticizing it. Bad advice from them, as it's a safe, effective way of producing good results and keeping your fingers out of harms way.

Thanks for sharing the video, Jason. Sorry to hear of your injury.

Your MagSwitch featherboards will exert more pressure than the Dual Roller Guides, at the expense of a little more friction. Might be a better approach. Not sure if it matters. Both are good techniques in my book.

[Jason White]

Hi, Alan. Do you find the dual roller guides keep the stock tight enough to the fence? I'd be willing to experiment with those a little, too, if they're easier to use.

JW

My technique is very similar to what Jason suggests. Been doing it for years, although with two Magswitch Dual Roller Guide Attachments. When I brought it up on a thread here, people were criticizing it. Bad advice from them, as it's a safe, effective way of producing good results and keeping your fingers out of harms way.

Thanks for sharing the video, Jason. Sorry to hear of your injury.

Your MagSwitch featherboards will exert more pressure than the Dual Roller Guides, at the expense of a little more friction. Might be a better approach. Not sure if it matters. Both are good techniques in my book.