Share your tool accidents or near misses

[skeeter]

Reading post people made when I told about my thumb accident, and now JimM having one makes me curious about how many people have had an accident or close call and how it happened.

I talked to Chris (Kalai) yesterday and he told me he was cutting some Koi wood up for pen blanks when the wood kicked back and into his upper lip. He has a hole in the upper lip which required 8 stitches and had some of the Koi embedded in his upper gum. OUCH!!!

The intent of this thread is to give us all a safety jolt.

[JimmyC]

I've had metal and wood bouncing off safety glasses alot but no eye problems. Most of my accident have been caused by the tablesaw and kick backs. I once had a piece of plywood kick back so hard that when the bruise developed it was 23/32nds of an inch wide and about three inches long and I swear that you could see all seven ply's in it .

The funny thing is how these things have occurred, because it's always at the end of the day when I need just...one....more...cut. There's always a moment where time freezes and you realize that you are in the process of screwing up and there's no way out and then BAM!...it's over. I have had the same thing happen when I've fallen off a ladder, it's only one second or so long but it plays out in slow motion.

[skeeter]

" The funny thing is how these things have occurred, because it's always at the end of the day when I need just...one....more...cut. There's always a moment where time freezes and you realize that you are in the process of screwing up and there's no way out and then BAM!...it's over. I have had the same thing happen when I've fallen off a ladder, it's only one second or so long but it plays out in slow motion. "
__________________
Jimmy

I've got to amen this one. Seems like its always on the last cut, or at the end of the day.

[Don Sorensen]

The day after I aced (scored 100 out of 100) on the tablesaw safety quiz in high-school wood shop - Dad said I couldn't use the tools without taking shop classes first.
Had a four by four block of wood 12-14 inches long I was going to resaw into 1/4 inch panels. Mistake number 1 - no zero clearance insert. Very first piece cut ended up resting on the end of the blade arbor shaft. (fresh from shop class "turn the saw off and step away") - Mistake #2 I started thinking - there was a good length of the wood sticking up above the blade - "It could throw that at me while I'm reaching for the switch - I think I can grab it!" About the time I grabbed the board, the blade grabbed it too, and sucked everthing downward. That cut was a "clean" line from the base of my middle fingernail toward the knuckle on my index finger. Unfortunately, I opened my grip to let go of the board - way too slowly to do any good - so it got the tip of my index finger, but off- center. Turns out the tip bone of your finger is shaped like an arrowhead - mine broke off at the knuckle, one side was shattered, and it was spun around in place (luckily it didn't go flying)

43 stitches and a small skin graft later - I still have 95 % of my index finger with a very odd fingernail (and it still works like it's supposed to, which surprised the doctor) and an odd scar down my middle finger.
Fortunately this was all on my left hand and I'm right-handed.

I still grit my teeth when the saw blade comes to stop and it's still ringing.

We've moved since that accident, but still have teh table saw accessories cabinet Dad built with a line of brown dots across it.

I've lost track of the number of times I've opened up a thumb with a utility knife, like Bas says.

And the one time I got a metal fragment in my eye while drilling - I was wearing my safety glasses with the side shields.

[bpeck]

College wood shop in the 70s. I was ripping a long piece of oak on one of those very old monster table saws colleges and high schools had back then (not many safety features as I recall). Wasn't paying attention and the 1 inch square by 4 foot piece I had been ripping off kicked back and hit me in the lower abdomin. A couple of more inches to the left and they would have heard me all over town and then some . Left a nice inch square bruise that lasted for what seemed like months.

Other than that I once drove a palm chisel about 3/4 inch into my palm, apparently missed all the vital tendons and nerves. Didn't even need stitches.

[Tarhead]

Don't fire a gas powered framing nailer inside a stud cavity at less than a 45 degree angle. It'll kick!

[DavidF]

Drilling a 3mm hole in a round bar with a cordless drill that was running too slow for the drill size so was making a meal of it. Grabbed the bar to support it and when the drill finally broke through with my full weight behind it it went straight into my finger that was directly behind the hole. Almost drilled right through my finger! blood everywhere. Still very conscious of where my other hand is when I am doing anything that requires two hands, that includes table saws and bandsaws.

[Mike Wilkins]

You know the scenario. Late at night, last thing to do before turning off the lights and going to the house, long tiring day. Trying my hand at using hand tools to cut tenons on the end of a rail. Workpiece in the vice, pushing with a chisel with the right hand; left hand was close by watching the action, when Mr. Chisel decided to exit the wood and introduce himself to my middle finger on the left hand. You know the finger. The one you use to give people the finger. Half the night in the emergency(a real adventure in itself), 7 stitches, and some real fine medical staff persons in the Pitt Country Memorial Hospital, and all is well. This happened in mid-August and I still have some soreness, but healing nicely.
Please folks; watch those fingers. I still have 10(barely).

[Travis Porter]

Originally Posted by skeeter

" The funny thing is how these things have occurred, because it's always at the end of the day when I need just...one....more...cut. There's always a moment where time freezes and you realize that you are in the process of screwing up and there's no way out and then BAM!...it's over. I have had the same thing happen when I've fallen off a ladder, it's only one second or so long but it plays out in slow motion. "
__________________
Jimmy

I've got to amen this one. Seems like its always on the last cut, or at the end of the day.

+ 1, especially time freezing.....

[steelwheel1999]

CNC boring machine at furniture plant 3/16 lead bit through little finger still has a hole in it tip of finger wiggles a bit. My faule boring between fingers (stupid ME)
Thanks MArk

[adowden]

The curse of the babyback ribs - as my children refer to it.

About three years ago I was ripping plywood 4" to make clamp racks - no not fine woodworking - just clamp racks. The plywood started out longer than wide, but as I ripped it, it became wider than long. I should have used the miter gauge, but it was the end of the day, one more cut ... blah, blah, blah. I had the ribs cooking on the stove for dinner. The board started coming off the rip fence so I though my hand could straighten it and I rotated my index finger into the blade. Thank goodness the blade was only 1/8" above the wood. It still looked like a CSI scene in the workshop. Five stitches and a $700 ER visit later, they fixed me up good. All I could think about is the tools that I could have bought with that money. I remember for the next two months, I got a sick feeling in my stomach and wobbling knees when I started up the tablesaw.

The next scariest accident (which didn't hurt me) was when I was ripping 1/4" strips on my new Minimax bandsaw with a brand new carbide blade that I had used for one week. A piece got stuck in the plastic insert and threw off the blade. The blade cut straight through the top two guides and left some teeth in the fence. The blade was toast, the guides were gone, and it scared the mess out of me. I still haven't made enough money to replace the carbide blade yet. The first thing I did do was make a good zero clearance insert for it.

Amy

[CarvedTones]

My first experience with turning several years ago, I bought a lathe for about $100 on eBay and a set of tools for about $10. I can't understand why anyone would pay more - they were of the finest quality:





I was not injured, but I did give up turning for a few years. My only trip to the ER was from a hand tool accident. I cut almost to the bone between the thumb and forefinger of my left hand cutting a cardboard tube (concrete form) with a Japanese saw. It was a Zeta blade, a super sharp disposable. Great little saw, but if you swing it instead of pull it, it's a ragged razor blade. I had a nasty bruise from an offcut tablesaw projectile and I have had several small cuts from carving.

[G_ville_worker]

In the beginning of August I sliced about a dime size chunk out of my left thumb. I had been making some raised panels for some exposed sides of a bottom cabinet for a corner bar in my man room. I had been at it hard for a couple of hours. It was time for me to stop and I was getting tired. I looked around and decided I would rip down some boards so they would be ready to run through the jointer and planner the next time I got in the shop. On the last board I got bit by my Freud glue line rip blade. Using push sticks and everything. Got careless with where my left hand was and boy did I get a huge surprise. I stood there for a second in shock. Then I got angry at my self. My thumb was at an angle so it sliced off a piece like you were cutting meat on the bias. I was pretty lucky. It didn't hurt much and didn't bleed a lot. There was nothing to stitch so they cauterized it and wrapped it up. I was playing a gig on saxophone in Raleigh 4 hours later. Had to lay off of the guitar for about a month though. The missing chunk grew back much better than I thought it would. It is still tender though. You don't realize how much you use your thumb until you can't use it for 2 months. Try tying your shoes with out a thumb.

Moral of the story: be careful, and when you are at the end of a session and know you should quit for the day, do. Don't make that last cut, it will be the one that gets you.

[skeeter]

"You don't realize how much you use your thumb until you can't use it for 2 months. Try tying your shoes with out a thumb."

Man, is that ever true! Even with all these accidents and close calls, we still have been very lucky. Safety first!!

[Warren]

I, too, have had my share of kickbacks on the tablesaw. Quite good bruises from all of them. However, my best was the "kickback or jerk thorugh" on the router table. I was using a panel raising bit to bevel some drawer fronts freehand. All went well until I tried to rout a 1 1 /2 x 15 inch piece. Should not do this free hand!! The bit jerked the board and my finger through the spinning bit. It only took 5 stitches to close the cut, but the fingermail was customized to never return to normal. Needless to say, I now have a number of sleds to hold small parts and keep my hands far away from the bits. Other than that, my other mistakes have not been body part modifying, just painful.

As the comedian Brother Dave Gardner once said: "I don't believe in accidents. It's simply premediated carelessness".
Warren

[bigcat4t9r]

WARNING - ADULT CONTENT

Not exactly woodworking related, but I'm far enough removed to still laugh about it.

In college, worked at Thomas Bus installing A/C condensers under the side of the bus. Pre-undercoat, so I had to spray epon before I could do the install. I sprayed with a cup-style gun (of course, in retrospect, they only supplied me with a paper mask i.e. no respirator) and the stuff was very nasty and carcinogenic for that matter. Only things that could get the drips and overspray off was naptha or thinner - always used naptha b/c it didn't burn as bad.

Had a few problems with the cup on the gun coming off and making a mess, so I had to rig it by using duct-tape.

Soooooo, one day I'm under the bus and spraying and I'm almost done and the cup plops off and lands right in my lap. I immediately roll out and pull my pants down, wearing boxers, and of course the fly had opened up - let's just say I dipped my quill in the company ink that day. Put on some coveralls and headed over to my granny's house which was nearby the plant with some naptha. Got in the tub and worked on getting everything off but was putting off taking the "top" off....suddenly started feeling a burning sensation and it wasn't 'roids, so went ahead and polished the epon off. FYI, I couldn't even pee straight.

I started burning and the pain was unbearable - burning me up. My poor granny didn't know what to do, she was giving me lotion....then broke off an aloe plant....nothing worked. It was intolerable. After ~15 minutes, my mom came from work and was getting ready to take me to the ER when she gave me Lanacane, which has a topical analgesic...AAAHHHH!!!!!!! That fixed it. I was pretty sore and after a few weeks, to put it diplomatically, my snake shed its skin. No problems after that.

Got back to the plant, and my boss said I should thank him for saving my job because the plant manager was going to fire me for leaving without punching out/asking to leave. Needless to say, I went on an expletive laced tirade. Still ****ed off that I didn't consider some sort of recourse, but my 2 boys are turning out OK.

I can joke about it now, but I affectionately refer to that as my "industrial accident". Nothing like that to motivate you to hit the books when I got back to college.