Safety Reminder - Power Tools and Being Tired Don't Mix

[rcflyer23]

Guys/Gals,

Just wanted to remind everyone to be safe and respect your tools. I got bit last night by my bandsaw. It was my fault I was doing something I really shouldn't have been. Being tired didn't help and honestly impaired my judgement.

Thankfully my thumb is still in one piece and it will heal, it didn't require a doctor visit since I was able to stop the bleeding and get everything under control.

It happened in a split second and left a pretty gruesome trail on my thumb. Remember it only takes a second for things to go really bad.

I'll refrain from posting the pics as I'm sure most people don't want to see that. :rotflm:

Just please be safe and think about everything you do in the shop. I know I am going to be even more careful from this point forward.

 

[jdulaney]

Superglue is your friend.

I've not had any bad accidents, but I have sliced a finger open to the bone on a modeler's table saw (three inch diameter by a few thousandths thick blade). I still have the extremely thin scar.

 

[CarvedTones]

Several years ago I was working on a "boat" (quoted because for the race it was to be in, it had to be made from materials not generally used for watercraft) for my oldest daughter's 3rd year Y tribe. I was cutting a big fiber tube (concrete form) at an angle to make a kicker for the pontoons we were using on our boat. I was using a Japanese hand saw. My daughter came out to the garage and told me it was getting too late and I was too tired and should stop. I waved her off, ended up in the emergency room getting stitches and to this day she hasn't let me live it down...

 

[Mike Camp]

Thanks for the reminder, Kevin. From all my reading of injuries it seems like they mostly happen when someone is tired and/or it is that "one last cut" before doing something else.

 

[rcflyer23]

Superglue is your friend.

I've not had any bad accidents, but I have sliced a finger open to the bone on a modeler's table saw (three inch diameter by a few thousandths thick blade). I still have the extremely thin scar.

Would you believe I was fresh out of superglue. It's seems to be holding together itself just gotta keep an eye on it.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Sorry to hear about your thumb, Kevin, but glad it wasn't worse. There are two common themes in your accident: "It happened so fast," and "I was tired." The other one that I've been guilty of is, "I was in a hurry."

I'd like to think I've gotten smarter as I've aged, but probably not. :no: At least now I know to take a break when I start making little / dumb mistakes, before I make a really big one.

Safety First!

Bill

 

[rcflyer23]

Several years ago I was working on a "boat" (quoted because for the race it was to be in, it had to be made from materials not generally used for watercraft) for my oldest daughter's 3rd year Y tribe. I was cutting a big fiber tube (concrete form) at an angle to make a kicker for the pontoons we were using on our boat. I was using a Japanese hand saw. My daughter came out to the garage and told me it was getting too late and I was too tired and should stop. I waved her off, ended up in the emergency room getting stitches and to this day she hasn't let me live it down...

Andy,

I'm sure I'm not going to live this one down for a while. I have been officially grounded from the shop by SWMBO.

 

[rcflyer23]

Sorry to hear about your thumb, Kevin, but glad it wasn't worse. There are two common themes in your accident: "It happened so fast," and "I was tired." The other one that I've been guilty of is, "I was in a hurry."

I'd like to think I've gotten smarter as I've aged, but probably not. :no: At least now I know to take a break when I start making little / dumb mistakes, before I make a really big one.

Safety First!

Bill

Yeah. I've been given a shop curfew now. I can't be out there after 10pm if using power tools. In all reality it's probably a good rule to follow.

 

[WadeP]

Very good advice, even a bit that I know.... but didn't follow myself! Today I'm typing using the old hunt and peck method since YESTERDAY I let the TS nibble at the end of my left index finger. Not too much, mostly nail and a few grooves in the flesh. Luckily I had turned the saw off and the blade had all but stopped. Yup, hot, tired and trying to finsh something so I could join the family for supper.:BangHead:

 

[rcflyer23]

Very good advice, even a bit that I know.... but didn't follow myself! Today I'm typing using the old hunt and peck method since YESTERDAY I let the TS nibble at the end of my left index finger. Not too much, mostly nail and a few grooves in the flesh. Luckily I had turned the saw off and the blade had all but stopped. Yup, hot, tired and trying to finsh something so I could join the family for supper.:BangHead:

Sorry to hear about your accident Wade. Yeah I learned a good lesson and will be on my toes even more so now. I'll be glad to get back at it but I'm going to give this a few days to heal.

 

[Bryan S]

Thanks for the reminder Kevin. We often forget how big of a role fatigue plays in our judgment and abilities. Glad to hear it was no worse than it was.

 

[JCraig]

Nothing quite like getting a call at 8:30 AM this morning and hearing the voice on the other end say "Hey" My reply. Hey, how are you son? You okay? What's going on? You just don't call this early for no reason. "Well dad, I just wanted to let you know that the new band saw blade we bought yesterday works just fine." Yeah..........And? "Well.......It worked really good on my thumb also. " And then the small talk, "How bad?" After I found out that it was not bad and it had stopped bleeding fairly quickly......... and of course I got the pictures........OUCH! I'm very thankful to the man upstairs that it was not worse. RCFlyer23 is my son. Now we are a member of the same club. I don't think either of us want to attend another meeting:wsmile:

 

[rcflyer23]

Nothing quite like getting a call at 8:30 AM this morning and hearing the voice on the other end say "Hey" My reply. Hey, how are you son? You okay? What's going on? You just don't call this early for no reason. "Well dad, I just wanted to let you know that the new band saw blade we bought yesterday works just fine." Yeah..........And? "Well.......It worked really good on my thumb also. " And then the small talk, "How bad?" After I found out that it was not bad and it had stopped bleeding fairly quickly......... and of course I got the pictures........OUCH! I'm very thankful to the man upstairs that it was not worse. RCFlyer23 is my son. Now we are a member of the same club. I don't think either of us want to attend another meeting:wsmile:

Everyone always said we looked alike growing up. Guess I just tried to keep that going. Yeah I hope to never attend another club meeting like that again. :wconfused:

 

[ashley_phil]

unfortunately i've been there and done that.

hope you continue to heal quickly.

 

[richlife]

Yeah. I've been given a shop curfew now. I can't be out there after 10pm if using power tools. In all reality it's probably a good rule to follow.

Another "thanks", Kevin. Over time we all become sure we've learned our lesson. It's good to be reminded that re-learning is no fun.

And let me say that "power" tools may be fast and potentially more destructive, but hand tools are very capable of doing real and permanent damage. A gouge that slips can plunge through a finger or hand. It easily cuts through tendons and blood vessels. It takes only a momentary lapse for even a plane to leave a terribly painful path where you don't want it. Knives, scissors and other blades have a bad habit of ending up in the wrong place when fatigue or boredom take over. Ever use coarse sandpaper on your knuckles? How about tightening a clamp or vise or similar aid with an appendage or a lump of skin secured in it?

I agree I'd rather take my chances with a hand tool than a power tool, but I have had all of the above occur when I was too tired or too distracted to be working.

Rich

 

[rcflyer23]

Oh yeah I totally agree. I actually had taken a nice chunk our of this same thumb 2 years ago with a carving tool. It slipped on me and I had my hand in the wrong place.

 

[TracyP]

Glad it wasn't any worse than it was. Could have been tragic.....

 

[Will Bradbury]

I got too close for comfort last week with a 10" miter saw. Cutting toe molding and had to hold it in an awkward position. I realized my mistake at the same time the blade actually made contact with my little finger causing a superficial cut. That one scared me. You could look at the angle of the laceration and actually tell I was cutting a 45 degree angle at the time. I wasn't tired necessarily but in a hurry. Thought I would add my 2 cents. Bradbury

 

[mckenziedrums]

Power tools... hand tools... heck if it's sharp and you're putting any kind of force on something... you can hurt yourself.

I managed to put an exacto knife into the base of my thumb while trying to pry some veneer off of a drum shell I had botched. Was losing patience with it and getting sloppy and at one point the blade slipped and I pretty much just stabbed myself as hard as I could. Knew I was in trouble when I yanked back and the blade pulled out of the handle but stayed in my hand. *OUCH* Took 3 tries to pull the blade out... by the 3rd time I was losing my nerve. I believe I've picked up on the term fairly quick but yea SWMBO forbid me to go back out into the shop that day. Which I end up defying her on because heck, it barely bled any. Of course my thumb was sore for several weeks afterward and there was a tetanus shot involved since I had clearly sunk the blade into my bone.

Glad yours wasn't permanent! I keep telling the wife I want a SawStop in the garage, just in case.

 

[smallboat]

In this weather its worth remembering to drink lots of water.
Over the years I've found myself getting dull witted and impatient for no obvious reason.
A little break and some H2O will set things straight.

Remembered a little too late a couple weeks back.
Good thing I had that nice sharp chisel to remind me!
nuthin a little superglue couldn't handle.