bandsaws WILL cut more than wood! fingers too!

[curtis rosche]

so i was cutting the reclaimed lumber i have into round blanks. well i was trying to touch up a line and the blade slipped off the wood and guess what? it cuts pinky fingers really well. all the way through the bone only skin holding it on. so after notifying the woodshop teacher that a bandaid would NOT work for this one, i ended up on a strecther on the way to the hospital. it didnt hurt much, it only feals like i hit it with a hammer but the pain wont go away. the only thing that grossed me out was when they cleaned it before sowing it. the guy just flipped my finger tip back as if it was a zippo lighter. i cut right through the top on the finger nail on an angle. i wish i couldve gotten a picture before they sown it up. 9 stitches in all. i guess no lathe work for a while since its on my left hand, meaning it would be the closest to the spinning wood. bummer!

[Todd Burch]

ouch !!!

[Jason Clark2]

Curtis, Sorry to hear that. I also had a near amputation of my left pinky just over a year ago. In fact it looks like you posted in my original thread.

http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.p...ght=left+pinky

2 surgeries to repair a severed tendon and a severed nerve and 6+ months of physical therapy and I've got about 90% of my function and about 75% of the feeling.

Jason

[alex carey]

YOWWWWZA, sure is scary, just another reason to be careful while working in the woodshop, you always gotta stay on your toes. You probably shouldn't be having your fingers anywhere near the blade. Stay safe and it's good to hear you are ok.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Curtis - sorry to hear of your mishap! What is the prognosis for recovery?

[Todd Burch]

I got a buddy that took woodshop in school (I did too). He was so stoned in school one day, that, with a fret saw (a small version of a coping saw) he cut about 1/2" down into his thumb (top middle, straight down into his nail) before he realized it. He said he was talking to a hot chick at the time, and that's why we wasn't paying attention - just sawing away.

Todd

[Brian McInturff]

Bummer. Sounds like you are in good spirits about it. Of course wait until the medicine and pain killers wear off. OUCH!! This would be some good time to get some of that reading done on different techniques you were thinking about trying out. Hope the recovery goes well!

[Alan Zenreich]

I'm sorry about your accident, I hope you heal quickly.

Perhaps one day the SawStop technology will reach bandsaws, as demo'd in the video on this link:

http://www.sawstopreview.com/sawstop...pes-in-action/

[Gary Herrmann]

9 stitches. I would have thought it'd be more than that. Follow the directions given to you by the doc. Use it too much and it will get ugly quick.

[curtis rosche]

its only my little my little finger, theres not room for more than 9 stitches. my finger wasnt near the blade. i had it backaway, like 6 inches or more. but the blade didnt bit into the wood at the angle i had it. so when i pushed the peice of wood, it just slid along the blade till my finger hit it. the blade looked like it was going to cut the wood so i was pushing it a little hard and then when it suddenly slipped it just went.
sorry no pictures, i couldnt get my step dad to take any before it was stitched

[Ron Crosby]

Well, I don't think we need to see a pic of a finger before it's stitched anyhow.
People just gotta be careful around blades. But what I don't understand is why a stretcher was needed for 9 stitches on a finger.
Couldn't you walk or something? I've seen many people walk into emergency themselves with a body part wrapped up requiring the same as you.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Sorry about the mishap Curtis. Do what the doctor tells you and hope you heal quickly.

[Marc Himes]

Sorry to hear about your injury Curtis, but thanks for posting . It reminds us all to be safe. Accidents happen in a split second and we may not get a "do over". I hope you heal well and fast.

Marc Himes

[phil harold]

no pictures?

then it did not happen






but just the thought reminds me of my 4 stiches in my index finger from dad's bandsaw
*cringe*

also remember mind over matter

if you dont mind
it dont matter

if your finger hurts to much
give a concrete wall a swift kick with you bare toes, you will forget about the finger for a minute...


heal fast

[Jim Underwood]

One of the things I constantly do while running the bandsaw is think "what if" thoughts, and so far think it's paid off (knock on wood).

"What if... that wood splits?"

"What if... that piece pivots quickly?"

"What if... that rolls?"

"What if... it cuts faster?"

"What if... I push harder?"

"What if... I push my hand straight toward the blade?"


I'm sure there are more, but my past experience busting knuckles as a mechanic has given me a little instinct to protect my hands while pushing on something... It only takes a couple of times and you start looking ahead to what might happen if the wrench slips or your bolt came loose suddenly.

(Although I did slip up with a chisel a couple years ago and split a tendon in my thumb.)


Hope you heal fast, and begin listening to those little voices that tell you something might happen.