What's the DOWNSIDE to a good sharp chisel???

[tim0625]

End grain SLIPS!!!

[Jfitz]

Yikes! Nasty. Any stiches? Keep an eye on it...make sure there are no foreign particles still in there (DAMHIKT).

[MansFineFurn]

a sharp chisel leaves cuts more like paper cuts, tend to heal cleanly, and less likely to mis-cut and slip on wood (and into hand) than a dull chisel. heal quickly!

[tim0625]

I needed a couple stiches...too busy that night....not worth $1200 to go to the ER...Neosporin and wrap it. It will eventually heal.

[Boatworks Today]

I'm reminded of an old saying, "if you think a sharp chisel is dangerous, try working with a dull one..." For the most part I believe this, BUT there was one time when I was working on a boat and a bee came flying in my face; had a brain fart and swatted at him with both hands (one holding a newly sharpened 3/4" chisel that was scary sharp and my other hand ended up becoming a dead blow for the wrong end of the chisel Long story short I ended up crucifying myself damn near all the way through my palm.. <ouch>.. But, on the upside it did heal very quickly and the scar blends in with the rest of the wrinkles in my hand

Had the chisel been dull; probably just would have bruised my ego. I think I would have been better off getting stung

[Screamer777]

Ouch. It looks like it went in deep. It must be painful. In my experience it will heal eventually. But check that it does not get infected. Clean it regularly with an antiseptic solution and apply an ointment.

The changes are good it will get infected in some degree, but will heal over time.

Keep us updated on your condition. And do not hesitate to see a doctor if it get worse.

After all, it is your finger and maybe your hand that is in jeopardy.

[jhl.verona]

Clearly the Neaderthals need some sort of SawStop technology for chisels, and saws (especially Japanese saws with teeth on both edges - DAMHIKT).

I haven't 'baptised' my chisels yet, but I've managed to stab several innocent pieces of wood close to the piece I was working on.

I have managed to wear a painful groove into my finger on the side bevel though. Gleefully working the chisel forth and back, using my index finger as a guide. Little red spots on the wood, hmm. Hurt like hell though, and being at the point where the finger bends, took a while to heal.

Hope your finger heals quickly, but it could have been worse - you could have nicked the chisel edge too!

John

[Onboard]

Tim, you could try these, or maybe these.

[Jonathryn]

I think the chisel is arguably the most dangerous tool in the shop. After having an accident or two, I've taken a particular approach to chisels. In electronics practice, particularly high-voltage vacuum tube electronics repair, you learn to keep your left hand in your back pocket at all times. That prevents you from closing a circuit around your chest and through your heart. With chisels, I've learned to (as a right-handed person) do the following:

1. Always secure the work in a vise. No exceptions.

2. Always grab the chisel in the left hand, sharp point toward the outside of the hand, handle on the thumb side. Like you're going to stab something with the chisel. No exceptions.

3. Always provide paring or malleting motion from the right hand. It's always a two-handed operation.

4. Always keep the chisel atom-splitting sharp. Unless it's a mortise chisel.

5. Move the work or yourself if necessary. Don't turn the chisel toward yourself.

Although these precautions may seem too elementary to write down, they'll probably save you from 99 percent of chisel accidents.

Most accidents happen when someone picks up the work with the left hand, and tries to pare something with a dull chisel in the right hand. Since it's dull, s/he'll force it, then the wood will give, and zing goes a dull chisel gash into the left hand. If the work is secured, with the left hand guiding a sharp chisel, you'll get the work done, and if the wood gives unexpectedly, the left hand is *behind* the chisel edge. Another thing is that with the chisel oriented like that, it's physically awkward to turn the chisel toward yourself in the heat of the moment.

[Don Z.]

...Neosporin and wrap it. It will eventually heal.

Superglue...

[MTC]

A lot of great info! - here are my Five rules :

ALWAYS Use the sharpest chisel you can.

ALWAYS secure the work piece

NEVER walk around with a chisel - and if you have to, hold it at arms length at the side of your leg - Blade Down with index finger running down the back of the blade - close to the tip (this way if you trip the blade is well away from vital body parts)

NEVER put your non dominant hand in front of the chisel blade EVEN if there is a chunk of wood between the blade and your non dominant hand

NEVER place a chisel on a bench with blade facing you - its all to easy to forget it's there and reach for something - slicing into the blade

I learned these when I was 14 (from a wonderful woodwork teacher) and they have served me in good stead!

[Texfire]

I had a "V" shaped mark in the side of my finger from my V-parting chisel. Learned a good lesson about the value of taking time to clamp the work to a surface instead of holding it with the other hand.

[nateswoodworks]

Not the Christmas present you were hoping for was it. Hope you heal quick man.

Nate

[tim0625]

Not the Christmas present you were hoping for was it. Hope you heal quick man.

Nate

Thanks guys...a lot of good advice....not as bad as LAST Christmas though....Dec 18, 2010, I was restoring my father in laws wood lathe that had been in a shop fire. I had the 9" grinder and was grinding a bolt head off...the wheel caught a brace and the grinder ATTACKED ME!!! the body of the grinder hit me in the face. 11 stiches later......I was healing. All in all, I'll take a finger needing a couple stiches. Last year, Dec 18....this year....Dec 19...gotta wear more protection in December!!

[Dynablue]

While superglue will certainly work to bond skin together (who hasn't done this at least once...) there is a product called Dermabond which is less irritating to the tissue and is a modified CA. Just don't use the CA inside the wound it's really more effect to bond the surface together. And with deep cuts you should always perform some function checks ie, range of motion, strength, distal sensation and capillary refill before just slappin' on the glue and continuing to work. Doctors can be needed! Deep cuts can hit deep structures that tend to be important to future finger functioning. In general the tops and bottoms of fingers contain tendons which control flexing and extending of your fingers and the sides of fingers contain the bigger blood vessels and the nerves which make fingers so warm and 'touchy-feely'. Your milage may vary but that's kinda the basic anatomy.

Just the 23 years of Navy medicine coming back out....

[tim0625]

While superglue will certainly work to bond skin together (who hasn't done this at least once...) there is a product called Dermabond which is less irritating to the tissue and is a modified CA. Just don't use the CA inside the wound it's really more effect to bond the surface together. And with deep cuts you should always perform some function checks ie, range of motion, strength, distal sensation and capillary refill before just slappin' on the glue and continuing to work. Doctors can be needed! Deep cuts can hit deep structures that tend to be important to future finger functioning. In general the tops and bottoms of fingers contain tendons which control flexing and extending of your fingers and the sides of fingers contain the bigger blood vessels and the nerves which make fingers so warm and 'touchy-feely'. Your milage may vary but that's kinda the basic anatomy.

Just the 23 years of Navy medicine coming back out....

Good info Dynablue...thanks...the glue was suggested i think here and at work but I kind of pulled it back together and band aided it....the glue would have helped. Now it's healing ok but has a little bit of a gap where it's pulled apart some. I wish I had of had a suture kit.