A dangerous state of mind

[Dan Sheehan]

So I finally went to the emergency room for treatment related to Neanderthal woodworking.

Completely wound-up about some personal issues, I retreated to my basement shop to blow off some steam and practise some joinery. Frustrated with my inadequate workbench and annoyed by the por lighting, I adopted some "unorthodox" work holding techniques to speed things up a bit. Then I sliced open my left forearm with a newly sharpened 1/4 inch chisel that left a museum quality 1 1/2" gash.

I hardly felt a thing but the blood and gore were hard to ignore. The ER staff admired both the straight clean cut and my duct-tape first aid. Two hours and four stiches later I am here to tell you, the woodworker's state of mind is as important and anything else in the shop.

The good news is that it could easily have been much worse, and I'll be the wiser from now on: It doesn't matter what you know... matters what you do.

But you already knew this. So did I....

[Jim Koepke]

Good to hear you are Okay and that you see this as an experience to increase your wisdom.

jtk

[John Coloccia]

It's funny....I've ended up in the ER due to chisel slips too. The staff always mentions how clean the cut it. "It looks like a scalpel incision. What did you cut yourself with??" And I beam with pride....as they stitch me up.

It is a sickness.

[Chris Griggs]

It's funny....I've ended up in the ER due to chisel slips too. The staff always mentions how clean the cut it. "It looks like a scalpel incision. What did you cut yourself with??" And I beam with pride....as they stitch me up.

It is a sickness.

Too funny John! We Neander woodworkers are some sick folks.

[Jim Belair]

Thanks for the reminder Dan. Hope you heal quickly.

[Zach Dillinger]

Ayup, sharp things will bite you if your mind is somewhere else, no matter if they are electron powered or alcohol powered. Hope you heal quickly and get back down in the shop. You did clean the blood off the chisel, right? Blood will rust that sucker right quick.

[Derek Gilmer]

At least you know your sharpening technique is up to snuff.

[george wilson]

Chisels are the MOST dangerous of hand tools. They can cut nerves so easily. And,I have cut myself several times with HAND tools,but only once with a table saw when I was 21. Got away with it,too,luckily!!(no permanent damage!) Since your hands are in much more intimate contact with hand tools,it is easier to cut yourself. Plus,you are not in as guarded a state of mind with hand tools.

[John Coloccia]

Speak of the devil. Guess where I'm sitting right now. Razor blade took be out this time. :::sigh:::

[Derek Gilmer]

Speak of the devil. Guess where I'm sitting right now. Razor blade took be out this time. :::sigh:::

You've earned a pair of:
glove1.jpg

[Dale Cruea]

After numerous cuts to various parts of my body with hand tools of various types. I have developed a mantra that I try to pass on the my youngest son that is getting into woodworking.
"Always keep body parts behind the cutting edge".

Dan, Glad to hear you are OK.
I understand the importance of mental frame of mind in the work shop.
If I am not thinking of woodworking I play Solitaire for a while.

[Jim Neeley]

Boy, Dan.. I'm glad to hear that you are OK.

I had a much smaller wake-up call about a year ago, right after I'd received my set of Shapton glass stones and a new cocobolo L-N #8. As a test I decided to test out the stones by giving the new blade "one heckuva sharpening". I know it was gross overkill but just because that plane was so purdy and I wanted to, I spent a couple of evenings honing the back couple of inches and the full bevel from 1,000 through 30,000. I know many of you could do far better and far faster but I wanted to see what it'd feel like to plane with such a blade.

Anyway, while removing the blade from my MK II and installing it in the plane I managed to get not one, but two, small cuts. The blade was so sharp I didn't even know I'd received the cuts until the blood started appearing on the sides of the blade. I thought I was being incredibly careful but obviously not... and they bled and bled and bled. Small cuts but deceptively deep.

It really drove home an old saying that I first heard from Rob Cosman: "If you keep yourself behind the blade and slip, you may need a stitch. If you permit yourself to be in front of the blade and slip, you may need flowers."

Lest any jump on the "haven't you heard of microbevels?", yes I have and use them regularly. This was a test... this was only a test.

Jim

[Jim Koepke]

I have developed a mantra...

I constantly think, "where are my fingers" or "what can happen if this cut slips?"

It is always when I am not being careful that a blade gets me. Fortunately for me this has been getting less often.

Maybe we should start a safety thread and see if it can reach the level of becoming a Sticky.

jtk

[Dave Anderson NH]

Heal quickly Dan. You have given all of us a needed reminder that hand tools can do damage too. It is also important to point out that a first aid kit belongs in every shop whether hand or electric powered. I'm not talking about a few baind aids here, but rather a full first aid kit. Mine includes military "battle dressings" which are pressure dressings and in sizes up to 6" x 12" with built in ties. I hope never to use them, but they are good insurance. Remember that if you really klutz out badly and hit a major artery you can bleed out very quickly.

[Martin Shupe]

I am glad you were not seriously hurt.

Kelly Mehler has always said that chisels are one of the most dangeroust tools in the shop.

He tells a story of a fellow woodworking who sliced up a few tendons in his hand, and was lucky to have the use of his fingers.

Kelly's rule is one that I try to follow: "always keep TWO hands on the chisel". If two hands are behind the chisel blade, then there isn't anything in front to get hurt.