Stupid Shop Injuries

[Mike Monroe]

I tried running a 4 inch piece of clear acrylic through my 8" jointer. I was making an overarm gaurd assembly for my tablesaw.

Sometimes I look at the small scar on the back of my right thumb and wonder what the heck was I thinking that day...

-Mike

[Bill Wyko]

On x-mas eve I was frantically trying to finish a wooden hinge on a cigar carrying case and I was using a 3/8 spiral bit and tried to trim about 1/16 off and forgot the rotation of the bit. It took off like a missile and pulled my finger right into the bit. It took off 1/2 of my finger nail and all the meat as well. I thought I'd be ok but it was still bleeding the next day so I was in the emergency room for x-mas. I didn't touch the router again until about a week ago. Ultimately it healed just fine but I'll always think about rotation before I ever run a piece through the router again. I hate when that happens.

[John Durscher]

Last year about this time I was working on a project for my church's Good Friday service. I was drilling scores of holes in some pressure treated 10x10's with my drill press. I was wearing some of those tight fitting work gloves to keep from getting splinters with the pressure treated lumber.

Well, I was chugging along and was wiping the shavings off the beam when the forstner bit caught the index finger of my glove (with my hand in it). Well, the glove, and my index finger were quickly wrapped around the bit. My first and second reactions were to try to pull my hand out of the drill press. Of course the glove material was stronger than me and my finger was wrapping around the drill bit tighter and tighter in a manner that it really was not designed for. Eventually I remembered that I could shut off the drill press. The glove was destroyed and my index finger was a mess. Of course my wife was out for the evening, and I had to get the project done so I finished the drilling with the messed up finger wraped up in a rag on ice and worked the drill press with the other. She was not amuzed when she came home and noticed I had one hand in ice on top of the drill press, still drilling away.

Of course it doesn't end there. She wanted to take me to the hospital, but being stubborn and foolish I declined. The next day it really hurt so I went to the drug store and bought a splint and wore it for quite some time. For some strange reason that finger just doesn't seem to want to bend the way it used to.

John

[john dennis]

I was recently told that the two most dangerous tools in your shop are:
1 - the tool you're most afraid of
2 - the tool you fear the least
It was a long story, but that should keep you thinking for awhile.