Injuries


amateur eric

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Luckily mine wasn't news worthy. I was ripping a 1x, not using a blade guard or push stick. I pushed it thru and was bringing it back toward me when my finger touched the blade. Fortunately my finger and the blade were moving in the same direction. An old rag and a piece of duct tape and I was back in action!

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Tablesaw vs finger at 19 years old , trying to cut halfway through a board using the miter gauge. I shut off the saw and was letting the blade slow down, the board slipped forward got kicked out and my pinky finished stopping the blade. It cut the nail in half down the center, there is still a ridge because it damaged the nail bed. Now it's a reminder to be safe and use jigs, push sticks, Grrripper blocks and always remember to wear your safety glasses !

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I keep banging my hip on this stupid extra long fence rail on my Laguna bandsaw.  The guys won't let me hack it off.  Other than that, I've been lucky aside from a few splinters and blood blisters.

 

Which "guys"?

 

 

Eric, Make a bumper out of foam pipe insulation and some duct tape that will just slide over it .

 

Great idea!

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I keep banging my hip on this stupid extra long fence rail on my Laguna bandsaw. The guys won't let me hack it off. Other than that, I've been lucky aside from a few splinters and blood blisters.

That is correct. Hacking off pieces of your Laguna is as bad as staining walnut.

And for when Mike Woodsap reads this, that goes doubly for you mister wanna-cut-my-SawStop-rails.

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Well I've been using the machine for about six months now I guess...and I still haven't encountered a time when I thought, "Ah-ha!  Sure am glad I didn't hack that off so I can do THIS...thing...I'll never need to do again."  I do, however, have a perpetual bruise on my right hip.

 

You have to remember...I have two bandsaws, so if hacking the rail off of the one screws me out of fulfilling some once-in-a-lifetime oddball need...I could just do it on the other one instead. :huh:  But I guess you guys second-guessed me into submission.

 

Okay, thread-jack...sorry!

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Had to check, you did not limit to woodworking. All but one can be attributed to rushing and frustration. This includes smashing my left hand and digits with a hammer (because I am right hand dominant.) This includes carelessly trimming part of my thumb with a razor knife. This does not include the foolish ignorance. Got my finger into a big grinder because I did not know at the time to adjust the rest in. My piece got wedged. I still have all my fingers, I came away with one warped finger nail. Lots of "could have been worse" moments...

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I've been pretty fortunate.  In the 'injury' department, I've only had minor issues - splinters, banged knuckles, small nicks on the fingers from chisels.  Nothing involving a moving blade, thankfully.  In the "close call" department, I was ripping a small piece of plywood and had some kickback.  The piece whipped right past my head and landed about 20' away.  I keep it mounted on the wall as a reminder.

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almost cut my pinky off i was cuting a block of wood on my bandsaw to use as a turning blank the blade was dull and i was trying to force the cut so i was pushing hard and when it poped through my hand jerked and i almost lost my finger. after surgery and several months of rehab i learned keep your tools sharp so you dont have to use lots of pressure and let the tool do the work dont force it.. would not have happened if my tools had been sharp.  

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Left bird finger cut off, reattached now numb for life. Right index finger end cut off sort of Frankensteined back together dead and looks stupid nail grows all the way around both on RAS. Left thumb at top knuckle cut to the bone severed tendon stuck on a planer blade machine not running. Lots of other little ones and brad blow outs stuck in fingers.

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10 yrs ago I was pattern shaping a curved rail. I was using a rub bearing and for some stupid reason wanted to take a grazing cut first then follow it up with a final clean up cut. Why? Idk. The part caught and kicked back dragging my fingers through the sticking pattern head. Main injury was it split my index finger down the middle. Finger tip bone was a perfect pickle fork in the X-ray. Crazy thing was it never hurt, just a pinch then o never had pain. It healed well but I had 2 fingernail halves that met in a ridge down the middle.

Lesson learned: must be in contact with a fence or bearing at all times. Never free hand anything, even if you're a pro like me.

Latest injury was the same finger which is now gone bye bye. It was a very unfortunate case of poor machine design. I can't disclose any other details at this point but when I can I'll share.


Steve

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Various cuts that I never can explain how they happen. Usually don't hurt, just notice occasionally a few get locally infected. A bit of antibiotic and a bandaid for a day does the trick.

 

Kick back from my table saw, bruise on my stomach. Kick back from a router, brown underpants.

 

Thankfully, nothing permanent thus far, and I'll go knock on each piece of wood to keep it that way.

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All of my injuries are related to standing in front of a perfectly good vice, and holding a work piece in one hand. 

 

Flush trim saw through my thumb

Aluminum Stomp Box turned helicopter rotary blade on my power drill

Small End Grain Oak Cutting Board in an unsafely set up jointer - became weaponized, flew just past me, and put a giant gash in a wall stud.

 

I also have a shop vac hose related injury but... um....it's better I don't talk about that one. 

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My worst one wasn't woodworking related but it was wood shop related.

I  was dusting and cleaning shop  lights and ceiling fan on a ladder (9'-6" ceiling in the shop) and when the ladder fell while I was on it, the first thing to hit the cement floor was my right hip. Broke the ball off  the tibia (have a new titanium ball now) but, was still VERY LUCKY. My head missed a VERY SOLID work bench by about 2" I would guess or I wouldn't be posting this.

Yes, poopo does occur even without sharp stuff. :)

 

Rog

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I had an employee once that was running glass bead, parting off the waste on a 5 hp power feed saw. We had told him to keep sticks feeding butt to butt and stay out of the"gun barrel" that is the front of the saw. Well this one day he was moving in low speed, probably from too much partying the night before. He didn't clear the previous stick and turned his butt toward the danger zone to pick up a work piece and BOOM!

The saw hurled the 1/2"X1/2" stick of moulding about 7 inches into his ass cheek. He look like he'd been shot with a bow and arrow.

Fortunately he was fine. It just lodged tangentially in the fat later. Good thing he wasn't facing forward. Could have pierced his belly.

Steve

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I had an employee once that was running glass bead, parting off the waste on a 5 hp power feed saw. We had told him to keep sticks feeding butt to butt and stay out of the"gun barrel" that is the front of the saw. Well this one day he was moving in low speed, probably from too much partying the night before. He didn't clear the previous stick and turned his butt toward the danger zone to pick up a work piece and BOOM!

The saw hurled the 1/2"X1/2" stick of moulding about 7 inches into his ass cheek. He look like he'd been shot with a bow and arrow.

Fortunately he was fine. It just lodged tangentially in the fat later. Good thing he wasn't facing forward. Could have pierced his belly.

Steve

 

One in a million shot, doc...

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