Ouch!!!!

[Tom Ruflin]

Thanks everyone for the concern and sharing experiences. The bad part is I did think about what I was doing and the safety but did the cut anyway. The next time I will not do the cut (I hope). The shots of novicane were the most painful part, but rolling over on my hand in the middle of the night was pretty exciting also. It's not to painful this afternoon and will baby it for the rest of the week. Stiches will come out next Monday if all heals well.

[Jay Knoll]

Tom

Glad you're recovering, not a nice thing to do something like that. Another story about a similar situation.............

A couple of years ago I took a two week class at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine. The first day Peter Korn the Director and instructor for the workshop was going over safety and first aid rules. If there were an accident, we were to call 911, put pressure on any bleeding and wait for the professionals. In no event were we to try to take anyone to the hospital in our cars.

He told us that at one session when everybody was working at their benches with their newly sharpened tools the shop got strangly quiet. He looked up and saw one student with a chisel sticking in the side of his cheek.

Peter said that he immediately violated all the rules he had told us about. Instead he bundled the student in his car and took him to the hospital. So, he said he learned a lesson about panic that day and didn't want us to repeat his mistake.

He went on to say that the next day the student was back at the school working away. Peter said he was sorry that the student had injured himself, and hoped that he was feeling OK.

The student assured him that he was, and not to worry about it. Peter said the student was from the Middle East. You see, the student told Peter, in my culture, facial scars are considered very sexy!

[Craig Walls]

Man, I feel your pain. When my wife and I built our house and shop I hit myself so many times that every time I picked up my hammer my left hand would shake!

Seriously, I guess you were lucky and the "good" thing about your story is that it's a reminder to all of us to be as careful as we can. Tahnks for your bravery.

[Ted Miller]

Since we are all on the subject of blood and guts, when I was young and in wood shop we had this teacher who was a huge guy, 6' 6" and maybe 300 lbs, if he heard that you used a machine wrong or not wearing your safty gear he would thrash you in a second. Well one day we got a huge Oliver table saw I think a 14 or 16" and he hooked it up after 10 of us moved the thing into the proper place, he fired up the motor and began to show us how to rip a piece of stock and always he would remind of us "fingers", and with in a second he cut off his right index finger. As it happened he did not yell, we all just stood there is amazement while he bled pretty good, and me being me all I thought about was all that blood dripping into the throat plate...

[David Rose]

Ted,

Did it hurt the saw?

D

Since we are all on the subject of blood and guts, when I was young and in wood shop we had this teacher who was a huge guy, 6' 6" and maybe 300 lbs, if he heard that you used a machine wrong or not wearing your safty gear he would thrash you in a second. Well one day we got a huge Oliver table saw I think a 14 or 16" and he hooked it up after 10 of us moved the thing into the proper place, he fired up the motor and began to show us how to rip a piece of stock and always he would remind of us "fingers", and with in a second he cut off his right index finger. As it happened he did not yell, we all just stood there is amazement while he bleed pretty good, and me being me all I thought about was all that blood dripping into the throat plate...

[Jay Kilpatrick]

Man, I feel your pain. When my wife and I built our house and shop I hit myself so many times that every time I picked up my hammer my left hand would shake!

Craig! I nearly wizzed in my shorts on that one! I've got a real hum dinger on my left index finger at this very moment about the diameter of a sweet pea cross-section. I'm almost done with the new shed...

[Al Willits]

Glad to see I'm not the only one that belives in blood letting, even if unplanned...

Seems most of my little boo boo's are from being in a hurry and just trying to get it done quick, holding that little piece of tubing while attacking it and my finger with the tin snips was my favorite, no stiches, but johnson and Johnson got mighty low on knuckle bandaids before I got the bleeding to stop.

The best bleeder was probably assembling the jointer I bought, was wiping the grease off the bed, and did have the blades turned so they weren't showing, seems the first swipe moved the blades, the second cut though the paper towels and took the two fingers and made a nice flap on both them...once gain no stiches, but it took 4 kunckle band aids, two paper towels and about 2 foot of electrial tape to get the worst one to quick bleeding.

Did make aware of how terbbily sharp them darn blades are though, and to pay attenion when working with new tools...

Al....who wonders why the wife always walks in just after you cut yourself????

[Mike Spanbauer]

Man, I feel your pain. When my wife and I built our house and shop I hit myself so many times that every time I picked up my hammer my left hand would shake!

One of my most painful memories was swinging a 28oz estwing (waffle head had polished from so much use) for concrete form assembly. I was capable of driving a 16 penny in 1 stroke back then. Well... unfortunately, the nail bent as I struck and the glancing blow drove the head right into my left thumb nail.

It took 7 years for the nail to grow back into a single piece... it was a 'split' nail for a very, very long time.

Oh, hurt like mad too. After that, I swapped out waffle heads every 6 months and gave away or sold my old ones.

mike

[Greg Salata]

I may as well join in.
The first time I used my hollow chisel mortiser. Using it was fine..................reaching under the chisel and filleting the palm of my hand was not what I had in mind