I have spent the last few days cutting up my Ash lumber into useable pieces, and checking for insect infestation. Getting rid of bad parts and putting a straight edge and one jointed surface on the keepers.
I took the guard off my Mini Max CU300 combo's jointer because much of the wood is about 12" wide and it would just be in the way. On one board that was 11" wide 2" thick and 4' long, I had just finished jointing the 11 inch width, and flipped it on edge to do one straight edge. After a couple passes, I felt my middle finger vibrate violently. Jumped and pulled my hand back thinking I just lost a finger. I was wearing those thin mechanics gloves to avoid splinters, and there was absolutely no damage to see, glove or finger. My first words were a blurted "THANK YOU LORD", Then I shut down the machine and calmed down.
Turns out the gloves had stretched past my fingertips about 1/2" or so, and the finger of the glove hit the cutter and vibrated, but did not catch in the cutter and pull my hand in, like it seems it should have. I have the Tersa cutter, and I wonder if a helix would have grabbed the glove.
You may have a differing opinion, but I am calling this one another miracle. I have been blessed all my life, don't know why, but this is one of at least a dozen times in various ways. Just one example...I was a fireman for 35 years. Way back in 1965 at Ontario International Airport, a DC 8 (?) was warming up it's four engines and hooked to a tug. They didn't chock the wheels and the plane crept forward while they were running up the engines. It moved till it struck the tug with a propeller, which bent the prop which then proceeded to cut open the wing which is also a gas tank, and a fire ensued. When my rig arrived one other guy and I were pulling a fire hose over to the now burning plane, and a large O2 tank used to pressurize the cabin blew it's top and went through the side of the plane. We were 6' apart, pulling the hose and the tank went between us and ended up a quarter mile away. Neither of us even saw it, but others did.
Like I said, blessed. Sorry for the length.