Popular Post treeslayer Posted July 1, 2022 Popular Post Report Share Posted July 1, 2022 So i debated for a while on posting this because it shows my stupidity, but decided to go ahead as a public service bulletin for those that think that it can't happen to them. checking for square after the blade was tilted over, rip fence, scrap piece of wood pushed thru with my thumb and first finger other fingers on the rip fence, everything happened so fast, i believe the piece kicked back at the end of the cut taking my thumb with it, cut thru the fingerprint side cutting flesh then the bone and finally exiting the thumbnail, it was bad and fully expecting the ER Dr. to say it had to be amputated but he said he could sew it back together and many stitches later he did, strong pain meds for 3 days, large doses of antibiotic 4 times a day, 10 days later the stitches came out with great pain then a trip to the wound clinic to remove much dead skin and flesh and clean the wound i can't tell you how much pain that was, more pain meds then they decide to send me to the University of Iowa hospital ( 70 miles away) to an orthopedic specialist because of the bone damage, meds have cleared up the infection that occurred and now change the bandage twice a day with another appointment in two weeks to check progress the Dr at UIHC says i will get to keep the thumb, no woodworking for 2 months and a year to fully heal. So after 50 years of standing in front of the TS I'm sitting on by behind doing hardly anything, it was as they say i was making a cut I've made thousands of times but this time things went bad, hindsight says yes i could have used a push block and this wouldn't have happened but 20/20 hindsight is just that, could have should have, i am lucky that it didn't get any fingers, so i'll be taking a break and watching from the sidelines for a while, things like this happen in the blink of an eye, don't get too comfortable ever with your process of cutting wood. Dave 3 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post gee-dub Posted July 1, 2022 Popular Post Report Share Posted July 1, 2022 First off, glad that wasn't worse and heal quick. Secondly, thanks for being brave enough to post about this. None of us wants to think it can happen to us. Those of us that come forward help make it clear that we are all susceptible to accidents. I too feel confident when I have my other fingers riding the fence. I have push sticks and blocks galore and have no excuse for not using them. Thanks for the reality reset. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnG Posted July 1, 2022 Report Share Posted July 1, 2022 I hate that this happened to you, but glad that it wasn’t worse. My wife works in the ER and has seen many TS/BS injuries. Every single one she has seen has said they had 30, 40, 50+ years of experience with the tools. Just one moment of lost focus is all it takes sometimes. Thanks for sharing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post legenddc Posted July 1, 2022 Popular Post Report Share Posted July 1, 2022 Best of luck with your recovery! Glad it wasn't worse. Anytime I see stories like this it makes me want to buy a Sawstop sooner rather than later. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted July 1, 2022 Report Share Posted July 1, 2022 Glad your doing okay. Been there, done that. I have a finger that points around the corner and will never be of much use. Take the break that you've earned the hard way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted July 1, 2022 Report Share Posted July 1, 2022 Man, Dave that is really tough to hear but I am glad things seem to be going it the right direction as far as the healing process goes. When I upgraded to a cabinet saw an number of years back something like this is what drove me to get the one that I did. The more you do something the greater the odds get of something going wrong and having been a meat cutter for 32 years I figured I had doubled my odds. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronn W Posted July 1, 2022 Report Share Posted July 1, 2022 On 7/1/2022 at 10:51 AM, treeslayer said: I'm sitting on by behind doing hardly anything I was passing through and stopped in to see Dave a couple of weeks ago weeks ago to help him with this. He was in good spirits. We had a little "feet up" time. I really enjoyed our visit. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted July 1, 2022 Report Share Posted July 1, 2022 Oh Dave! This makes me so sad to hear. Like others have said I am glad it wasn't worse, but, to be honest, it looks bad enough. I hope for a quick and maximum recovery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted July 1, 2022 Report Share Posted July 1, 2022 Sorry you got hurt!! Hope it heals quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonPacific Posted July 1, 2022 Report Share Posted July 1, 2022 Sorry to hear about the injury, but also happy it wasn't worse. Often comfortable is the most dangerous thing you can become. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post treeslayer Posted July 1, 2022 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted July 1, 2022 Thanks for the well wishes guys I really appreciate it, getting comfortable is definitely not the thing to do around power equipment, this happened on the 7th of June but I didn’t want to post anything until I was on the back side of this, had a great visit with @Ronn Wshortly after this happened, I hope to be back in the shop sooner than later but that depends on what the Dr says 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted July 2, 2022 Report Share Posted July 2, 2022 Hey Dave, I bet one of the more graphic pics would really send the message home. Ehhh, maybe not. Glad you are doing better now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeslayer Posted July 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2022 I did take a couple of pictures right after it was sewed up in the ER but they are just not for public view, trust me nobody wants to see them 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlyoak Posted July 2, 2022 Report Share Posted July 2, 2022 Best wishes! Something that is always on my mind. 2 weeks ago I had a lapse of clear thought and found myself in a vulnerable spot. No blood. But I let myself be exposed. I knew it was stupid and I had a long talk with myself. By you brining this mishap to us is a favor. It adds to my thinking. I have decades of experience too. Cant let the guard down. Glad you are on the back side of this. This is a double take for most. Thanks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted July 2, 2022 Report Share Posted July 2, 2022 Take it easy till it heals. I think I was off two months.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted July 2, 2022 Report Share Posted July 2, 2022 Dave so sorry this happened and wishing you the best on your recovery!! Having said that I am so glad you shared this I think it is a really important reminder to all of us that it only takes a split second so be safe my friends!! BTW many of us have been there and I personally can recall a couple times sitting in the emergency room in my 58 years going ya know if I had done this this would not have happened. These reminders help us all remember to think about these things before we turn the machine on. Also a shout out to any ER doctors they are the best! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post treeslayer Posted July 2, 2022 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted July 2, 2022 Thanks @pkinneband @curlyoak if this injury makes anyone think a little more about what can happen I’ll be glad, I thought as stupid as I was I had to post it in hopes that it helps someone else be safe 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted July 2, 2022 Report Share Posted July 2, 2022 Dave, I went out yesterday after reading this and made some new push sticks (the William Ng style push stick). I had some that were past their use by date. I had been meaning to do it for a while now but it's one of those things you tend to put off. Thanks for the kick in the seat to get it done. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeslayer Posted July 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2022 Good to hear @Chet that’s one of the things I plan to make as soon as I am back in the shop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted July 3, 2022 Report Share Posted July 3, 2022 I dont use too many push blocks/sticks. I think I've got two I've had for 25+ years. One thing I've learned sinse I got hurt in 85. If you dont need be there, dont. I've been around a lot of accidents at multiple ships. Most arent a lack of skill, but a percentage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted July 3, 2022 Report Share Posted July 3, 2022 Dave thanks for sharing this. This us a reminder that is sobering to read. I've made that cut a few times a after reading this I'm going to stop doing that. I really hope that your recovery goes well and that it doesn't negatively impact the use of your hand long term. I'd take the time off you relax and reflect. Heading back to anything after a major injury takes the right mental space. I hope you do return though. Your work is always a joy to see. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post treeslayer Posted August 4, 2022 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 So i thought i would post an epilogue and close this out in case some of you were wondering how this came out, well after 2 trips to the hand surgeon and one more to go i get to keep the thumb , its still beat up and healing slowly and a bandage change twice a day, but the good news is i'm back in the shop ! it does not have a lot of feeling in it and the Dr says it will take a year to look like a thumb again, it looks like a thumb now just with an 1/8" kerf in it that hurts when i bump/hit it wrong and yes the first thing i made were a lot of push sticks. looking back i think my biggest mistake was that i got too comfortable around that saw, that and not using a push stick for a cut i've made thousands of times, there is a little PTSD if that's the right word, i look at that saw running and think how in the &^*$ did i stick my thumb in that running blade ? it has made me think more when making cuts, even and especially ones that i've made many, many times. if this helps even one of you think a little more about saw safety i'll be glad, and yes i've gotten some flack from my friends that own Saw Stop table saws and when this saw wears out i will consider it at the top, one because this would not have happened and two i think its a good saw 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted August 5, 2022 Report Share Posted August 5, 2022 Well at least you're healing up as well as can be hoped. I couldn't exactly call it a happy ending, so let's just say an ending of reduced badness . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronn W Posted August 10, 2022 Report Share Posted August 10, 2022 Great epilogue. Glad to hear your back in the shop and your thumb is there with you. Take care -- no seriously --take care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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