"Warning, graphic photos!" Handheld router accident (Stupid)

[michael case]

Wow Spooky,

Last night while I was working on a bed and I had to mortise access holes for the bed bolt nuts in the rails. The last time I did this I used a router and bushing. The template slipped and it was a real close call. I almost tried it again. But I was still a little uncomfortable with this method so I set up the bed rails under my hollow chisel mortiser instead. This was a bit awkward and slow, and required a fair amount of hand chisel clean up, but now I'm glad I did it this way. There is something definitely more dangerous about the small fussy stuff and power tools. Looks like the docs did a great job with the hand! Feel better soon.

[Van Huskey]

Wow Spooky,

Last night while I was working on a bed and I had to mortise access holes for the bed bolt nuts in the rails. The last time I did this I used a router and bushing. The template slipped and it was a real close call. I almost tried it again. But I was still a little uncomfortable with this method so I set up the bed rails under my hollow chisel mortiser instead. This was a bit awkward and slow, and required a fair amount of hand chisel clean up, but now I'm glad I did it this way. There is something definitely more dangerous about the small fussy stuff and power tools. Looks like the docs did a great job with the hand! Feel better soon.

Small stock and power tools is always a good recipe for problems, a few extra minutes thinking can prevent a lot of pain.

[Clarence Miller]

Hi ,

Glad to hear that you are alright. I sit on the safety team of the factory that I work at and we use the PC trim routers a lot. Could I have you permission to use these photos in a router safety presentation that I am putting together? Most of our safety seem to focus on our big equipment, such as degloving your hand in a glue spreader (you really don't want to see that I still get chills when I think of that day, luckily she has made a full recovery of range of motion). I am trying to put together a presentation of the smaller, more common, tools that can inflict serious injury as well.

[Ramsey Ramco]

EEWWWWWW! good thing it will be ok. That scar will always be an unfortunate reminder of that day.

[Michael Schwartz]

glad it wasn't as bad as it could have been and they were able to get you patched up. Hope that heals up well without any complications.

[James Carmichael]

OUCH!

Glad there's no nerve damage, and hope your healing well.

That's painful to look at, but thanks posting. It's good to have an occasional, graphic reminder of what our beloved tools can do if we're not careful.

I've been blessed to have had only 2 accidents in 6 years of WW requiring 1 ER visit:
Dropped a bench chisel on my sandaled toe (ER trip, 6 stitches)

Cutting tennons on the TS, dropped a 3' x 1 1/2" rail when taking it out of the jig and onto the spinning blade. The spear caught me right at the belt line. My first thought after impact was "OMG, I've impaled myself!", but when I looked down, there was no board protruding from my midsection, just a HUGE, painful bruise and knot. This made me thankful for 2 things: My table saw is only 1 1/2 HP, and I'm not taller

[Dino Makropoulos]

Hi ,

Glad to hear that you are alright. I sit on the safety team of the factory that I work at and we use the PC trim routers a lot. Could I have you permission to use these photos in a router safety presentation that I am putting together? Most of our safety seem to focus on our big equipment, such as degloving your hand in a glue spreader (you really don't want to see that I still get chills when I think of that day, luckily she has made a full recovery of range of motion). I am trying to put together a presentation of the smaller, more common, tools that can inflict serious injury as well.

Clarence,
Many ways to minimize and even eliminate the accidents.
What tools do you have in the factory?

This is a sad story in a machine shop across my shop.
A young kid, lost 4 fingers by stepping on a big metal bender.
The sad story is that the kid was visiting the machine shop
and he was just looking around...
The insurance "forced" the machine shop to install a guard on the food pedal.
But the damage was done.

Preventive accidents takes little time and big dedication.
The small tools are the most dangerous and require
more skill and awareness.