It's not just table saws that can bite you

[Ole Anderson]

Any of you following the Perkins Builder Brothers construction YouTube channel know of brother Jaime's encounter with his shop jointer three years ago. He has a whole playlist of his accident and recovery. Four fingers on his left hand were affected. Amazing is the prosthetic he has that allows him to continue to work building houses with his brother and crew. https://www.youtube.com/@PerkinsBuil...query=accident

Sorry I don't post any pictures, but ever since my PayPal account got hacked (this site was the only with PayPal activity) I have been reluctant to continue my financial support, therefore no pictures, at least for now.

[mike stenson]

jointers are probably the most dangerous machine in the shop.

Accidents are not as common as others, but the results are always really bad.

[Lee Schierer]

Sorry I don't post any pictures, but ever since my PayPal account got hacked (this site was the only with PayPal activity) I have been reluctant to continue my financial support, therefore no pictures, at least for now.

SMC can accept cash, money orders or checks.....

[Warren Lake]

Do know two people that lost fingers on jointers and its relevant based on how I run. Both that I know were excellent craftsman and have continued on the same. Dont have time to look at this till later but will see the story later. With all accidents its good for all of us to know what happened if people want to share it. I know the story of one of the two and what happened.

For SMC they also accept payment in Walnut and Birdseye maple.

[Brian Holcombe]

That’s a terrible thing that Jamie Perkins went through, glad to see him making a strong recovery and working.

[Rod Sheridan]

Thanks Ole for posting this.

In the summer of 1980 I was working in an industrial shop that made moulding by the truckload, we had a big, old jointer, about 16”.

It had a wood swing away guard, I presume the original metal one had died, sometimes it was slow closing.

One of the guys dropped his trailing hand in, and it took all his fingers.

Paramedics wanted his fingers and they didn’t believe they were gone so we went to the jointer, red spray inside the ducting was the best way to describe it.


After sticking my arm up the hose as far as I could all I came back with was mush, I’m not embarrassed to admit I vomited.

I’m really glad to own a jointer with a bridge guard, even better would be a motorized one like a Suva.

Jamie seems to be doing well, a tribute to his fortitude and hard work.

Regards, Rod

[Rich Engelhardt]

When I took shop 101 we had access to all the machines except the jointer.
We weren't allowed to use it until we were 2nd year students.
Our teacher Mr. Anderson let me as a first year student use it for a special project, but, I could only use it when there wasn't anyone else in the shop but he and I.

[Andrew Hughes]

I don’t think jointers are dangerous at all.
Keep the knives sharp so the cut is effortless that’s the key. Unless my boards are long I sit in a chair and face my boards just the weight of a board is usually enough.
The most dangerous wood cutting apparatus I have is a Chainsaw. I bet people are cut more with electric ones then gas powered. Something about a loud screaming motor that commands respect.
Good Luck

[Ron Citerone]

My Uncle lost the first digit on his middle finger on a jointer.

[Patty Hann]

SMC can accept cash, money orders or checks.....

Also kidneys, first-born male child..... ;-D

[Brian Runau]

Ouch, woodworking can be a dangerous hobby. My habit is to turn off the machine, unplug it so I can see the cord when done with the operation even if I know I am coming back later. Brian

[Warren Lake]

okay Andrew we aren't friends anymore I think a chainsaw is safer than a table saw and my arborist could not even respond when I said that just a blank stare. My view it has a throttle if it loads i can let off, table saw you either get out or it stays full throttle. All good, I've done lots of chainsaw work, i love a sharp chain and doing even fine work with a light touch its like a surgical level tool. Chainsaw give me lots of warning sound and feel wise. My worst accident so far was the other day I pulled the cord and felt a wet leg. Im not that old yet. The gas cap was not on properly so leg got soaked but at least i didn't blow up. thats a first after a lifetime of using them. Stihl the oil one has always been a pain to put back on but we discussed it on the other section and glad others had the same issue and its well known and on the net.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I watched as a PA put 13 stitches in my right wrist and then she said "I don't like that number!" and then found a place to put the 14th stitch. This caused by a router that had been turned off, flipped over, unlocked and plunged to a new depth as I looked across the room remembering a phone call I had just answered stating that a female family member had just come through her 3rd successful surgery in a year. The pattern bit was still turning fast enough to bite into my wrist. The only negative was it had hit near a nerve bundle leaving a temporary numbness between my thumb and forefinger that eventually healed.

The table saw isn't the only dangerous tool in our shops!

[Ron Citerone]

WE need saw stop routers!!!

I watched as a PA put 13 stitches in my right wrist and then she said "I don't like that number!" and then found a place to put the 14th stitch. This caused by a router that had been turned off, flipped over, unlocked and plunged to a new depth as I looked across the room remembering a phone call I had just answered stating that a female family member had just come through her 3rd successful surgery in a year. The pattern bit was still turning fast enough to bite into my wrist. The only negative was it had hit near a nerve bundle leaving a temporary numbness between my thumb and forefinger that eventually healed.

The table saw isn't the only dangerous tool in our shops!

[Andrew Hughes]

okay Andrew we aren't friends anymore I think a chainsaw is safer than a table saw and my arborist could not even respond when I said that just a blank stare. My view it has a throttle if it loads i can let off, table saw you either get out or it stays full throttle. All good, I've done lots of chainsaw work, i love a sharp chain and doing even fine work with a light touch its like a surgical level tool. Chainsaw give me lots of warning sound and feel wise. My worst accident so far was the other day I pulled the cord and felt a wet leg. Im not that old yet. The gas cap was not on properly so leg got soaked but at least i didn't blow up. thats a first after a lifetime of using them. Stihl the oil one has always been a pain to put back on but we discussed it on the other section and glad others had the same issue and its well known and on the net.

How about a pressure washer? I never really knew how bad ass a good pressure washer can be. I cut through my shoe with mine when I first got it. Nothing clean out the smoker like a pressure wash.
I left the gas cap off my small Stihi and mouse put a peanut in the tank with a shell on it. Took me a week to figure out why it wouldn’t run right.
I just can’t accuse my table saw of being dangerous it’s just too nice. Really lucky to have it.
Good day sir.