A Cautionary Tale

tonyturley · Dec 2, 2018

I made possibly the dumbest mistake of my woodworking life yesterday just after 1200 local. I had spent the morning rough cutting blanks for my guitar body mold, and the first of the blanks was attached to my template. (Same process I'm following for my uke build) My router unexpectedly didn't turn on, so I moved the flush cut bit to my Shopsmith. I stupidly set the table up without a guard, and you can guess the rest. While feeding the piece, the bit grabbed the MDF and pulled the piece - and my index finger - into the whirling flush cut blades. It only took a split second for me to pull my hand away, but the chunk torn from my finger was deep, the pain excruciating, and the blood instantaneous. I pushed the flap of flesh back into place and held a compress on it. I ran down to my basement shop and flooded the gash with CA. After about 15 minutes, I was able to remove the compress and switch to a gauze bandage.

I'm always careful in the shop, but it took just an instant of poor judgement to inflict a considerable amount of pain. I'm hoping the tip of my finger heals OK, but at any rate, I won't be fingerpicking any time soon. A very painful lesson learned. No infection or swelling today, but the tip is plenty sore. I am very fortunate the cutters missed the fingernail and bone. Be careful out there!

<Gory pic deleted>

sequoia · Dec 3, 2018

See Forum Sticky about posting pictures of your injuries. A quote from UU staff:

Hi guys, I know its part of the woodworking culture but please don't post images of your cut and stitched fingers on the forum.

Plus it just creeps me out.

Sharpshin · Dec 3, 2018

So sorry that happened to you and glad it was not worse, and perhaps ended your fingerpicking. Heal well!

tonyturley · Dec 3, 2018

sequoia said:
See Forum Sticky about posting pictures of your injuries. A quote from UU staff:

Hi guys, I know its part of the woodworking culture but please don't post images of your cut and stitched fingers on the forum.

Plus it just creeps me out.

My mistake. I missed that admonition. Creepy pic deleted.

tonyturley · Dec 3, 2018

Sharpshin said:
So sorry that happened to you and glad it was not worse, and perhaps ended your fingerpicking. Heal well!

Thanks Sharpshin.

Graham Greenbag · Dec 3, 2018

tonyturley said:
I made possibly the dumbest mistake of my woodworking life yesterday just after 1200 local. I had spent the morning rough cutting blanks for my guitar body mold, and the first of the blanks was attached to my template. (Same process I'm following for my uke build) My router unexpectedly didn't turn on, so I moved the flush cut bit to my Shopsmith. I stupidly set the table up without a guard, and you can guess the rest. While feeding the piece, the bit grabbed the MDF and pulled the piece - and my index finger - into the whirling flush cut blades. It only took a split second for me to pull my hand away, but the chunk torn from my finger was deep, the pain excruciating, and the blood instantaneous. I pushed the flap of flesh back into place and held a compress on it. I ran down to my basement shop and flooded the gash with CA. After about 15 minutes, I was able to remove the compress and switch to a gauze bandage.

I'm always careful in the shop, but it took just an instant of poor judgement to inflict a considerable amount of pain. I'm hoping the tip of my finger heals OK, but at any rate, I won't be fingerpicking any time soon. A very painful lesson learned. No infection or swelling today, but the tip is plenty sore. I am very fortunate the cutters missed the fingernail and bone. Be careful out there!

<Gory pic deleted>

I didn’t see the picture but am glad that you had the courage and public spirit to share your experience with us. We live in a health and safety culture now, sometimes we don’t do things because we well overestimate the hazards and othertimes we misjudge the other way. What is true is that it takes but a fraction of a second for things to go badly wrong.

I have a small scar from an accident. Whilst cutting firewood the hatchet blade drifted, fortunately I was wearing gloves but the blade still cut through them. Had the blade drift a little further then who knows where that would all have led. I still split kindling with a hatchet but the scar reminds me to look even more closely at how I do what I do.

A Cautionary Tale

tonyturley

Well-known member

sequoia

Well-known member

Sharpshin

UU VIP

tonyturley

Well-known member

tonyturley

Well-known member

Graham Greenbag

Well-known member

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