I should have gotten the special table saw.....

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McBryde

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Joined
Jan 13, 2010
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686
Location
Humnoke, Arkansas
that automatically stops when your finger hits the blade! Lost the end of my thumb today, and could have payed for that expensive table saw by far I'm sure after the trip to the emergency room on Easter!

E
 
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Sorry to hear about this. It seems that every time someone posts an injury here it gets peoples buts in gear to head to safety when using power tools. Who is going to be the first to say no pictures it didn't happen?
Hope you get well soon.
 
I'll pass on the pictures. If you say it happened, IT HAPPENED! Hope you get better soon!
 
I would have gotten pics, but was too busy pumping blood onto the driveway! All the pics now would just be of a bandage with a hint of blood showing through. It is pretty rough though. I cut off about 2/3 of my nail, and down to the bone, as well as a little more on the right side of my right thumb.

E
 
I put my left thumb through the saw about a year ago. It wasnt as bad as your wound I have almost all mine still attached. Its gonna throb tonight.
 
Ouch. Please know I will keep you in my prayers for a complete and quick recovery
 
Sorry to hear about your mishap... the Sawstop was my best investment. I thank my wife for letting me spend the $3k every time I hear a story like this.
 
I got my thumb caught my saw last year. I was reaching to remove a piece of wood, I know, Stupid, and I Think what happened was my finger nail caught the backside of the blade and that it pushed my hand away from the blade instead of into it. The thumb split, nail tore off, spent 4 hours New Years Eve in the ER :frown: Fortunately missed the bone and it healed better than I hope and I do have feeling it. There is a tiny little dip in the tip but the nail covers it and unless you look really close you can't tell that my momentary lack of concentration/stupidity almost cost me my thumb.

I looked as a stopsaw, but unfortunately can't afford one.
Hope you heal as good or better than I did and you get back to doing what you enjoy soon.
 
Could you tell us what stupid thing you did to have this occur. And could you paint the entire senerio for us as to no guard, no splitter, no pushstick, or whatever may have contributed to this. What would you have done differently??? Maybe we all can learn from it.
 
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Well, The scenario:

First thing that I think was a major factor was I had been cutting on the saw for about 2.5 hours. I think that had a big impact because I got careless after working that long on it, thought I had it all figured out. I had been ripping logs down into manageable sized pieces. My saw has no guard on it, but I was using a push stick. I was cutting 7/8 inch blanks, using a push stick, and what I think happened was that the push stick broke, and the force from me pushing on it, pushed my finger into the blade, or the saw blade hit the push stick and it pulled my hand in with it. It all happened so fast I can honestly tell you I don't know exactly what happened. Blood started pumping out imediately though. And when I got to the ER, I about ripped the arm off of the bed when he started giving me shots to deaden it. Those hurt worse than the rabies shots I had to have a few years ago. It hurts like hell this morning, but Lord willing I'll survive.

E
 
McBryde said:
Well, The scenario:

First thing that I think was a major factor was I had been cutting on the saw for about 2.5 hours. I think that had a big impact because I got careless after working that long on it, thought I had it all figured out. I had been ripping logs down into manageable sized pieces. My saw has no guard on it, but I was using a push stick. I was cutting 7/8 inch blanks, using a push stick, and what I think happened was that the push stick broke, and the force from me pushing on it, pushed my finger into the blade, or the saw blade hit the push stick and it pulled my hand in with it. It all happened so fast I can honestly tell you I don't know exactly what happened. Blood started pumping out imediately though. And when I got to the ER, I about ripped the arm off of the bed when he started giving me shots to deaden it. Those hurt worse than the rabies shots I had to have a few years ago. It hurts like hell this morning, but Lord willing I'll survive.

E
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First off were these round logs and you were cutting them on a tablesaw???? Hope not. What did you learn from the experience other than the obvious. What are you willing to pass on as a do or don't to avoid this situation in case someone else wants to try their luck. Thanks. I am not being a wise a-- just whenever I read about injurys people talk about the mishap but do not go into details about what caused this. I work in the construction industry and we deal with injurys all the time and believe me I can tell horror stories that make a sliced finger feel like a walk in the park. The first thing OSHA does is gets a recount of what happened. They get the other people on the job and talk about how this can be prevented in the future. Now alot does not sink in but just in case someone may subconsciously remember something to prevent this from happening to them. The one factor that always comes up on the job site is speed. There is always a timetable that has to be met and then you have some young bucks that want to make impressions and push the envelope so accidents happen.

I do wish you a speedy recovery. You should have gotten some meds for the pain for the first couple days. If so do not operate machinery.:biggrin:
 
jttheclockman said:
Could you tell us what stupid thing you did to have this occur. And could you paint the entire senerio for us as to no guard, no splitter, no pushstick, or whatever may have contributed to this. What would you have done differently??? Maybe we all can learn from it.
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John, I agree, I would still have use of two fingers had I taken the time to use the guard, and anti kickback, but was in too much of a hurry, and besides it only cost a bit over 30,000 after surgery and therapy, but it made a nice pen!!!
 
McBryde said:
Well, The scenario:

First thing that I think was a major factor was I had been cutting on the saw for about 2.5 hours. I think that had a big impact because I got careless after working that long on it, thought I had it all figured out. I had been ripping logs down into manageable sized pieces. My saw has no guard on it, but I was using a push stick. I was cutting 7/8 inch blanks, using a push stick, and what I think happened was that the push stick broke, and the force from me pushing on it, pushed my finger into the blade, or the saw blade hit the push stick and it pulled my hand in with it. It all happened so fast I can honestly tell you I don't know exactly what happened. Blood started pumping out imediately though. And when I got to the ER, I about ripped the arm off of the bed when he started giving me shots to deaden it. Those hurt worse than the rabies shots I had to have a few years ago. It hurts like hell this morning, but Lord willing I'll survive.

E
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Emerson, I got it the same way, had been ripping a log down to size and left the blade all the way up, I also was using a push stick but no splitter, (not sure it would have helped)
I reached over the table to stabilize the piece after it was off the table and the saw kicked back, Bye Bye fingers , still hurt two years later.
Unfortunately we aren't all as smart as John, some times some of us can do some real dumb things, I know I can, and I have the pictures and scars to prove it.
 
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Sounds like quite a few of us have fingers/thumbs that are a tad shorter then they should be. And seems that a recurring theme is lack of attention for many different reasons. I took the end off a finger a few years ago, and the only good thing was that I was deployed at the time and had a doctors undivided attention within 10 minutes.

I had debated what table saw to buy for a while but after that little bit of fun I will be getting a Saw Stop or nothing at all. Now if I can just stop skinning myself with the old belt sander ; )

Take care and relax for a while, the hobby will wait, after all I doubt you want to dye all your projects red.

Bruce
 
Get well soon I know some one that almost took there entire thumb off. I hope that this serves as a reminder to all of us especially the new guys. I can not stress enough the importance of safety I have almost done permanant damage to my hand on my band saw. I was cutting a piece of wood and almost the same thing happened except that I missed the blade by about a millmeter or two. It served as a reminder for me.

If you have the opportunity to ever use or purchase a stopsaw do it. It is worth the investment now to only have to use a bandaid later instead of loss or a shorter finger or limb if an accident arises.
 
The interesting thing is, you can get a SawStop contractors saw, which I have and love, for $1400 when it's on sale. You don't have to buy the $3000 version to get the safety mechanism.

And the contractors saw is more saw than many of us will ever use.
 
Emerson,

Hate to hear that,I had a close call some years back while making chairs,the work was very repetitive and I wasnt paying attention.You can bet I do now,luckily for me though i didnt get hurt.Hope it heals up fast.
 
Ooooooo. My body tingled when I read this. I nicked the end of my index finger a number of years ago on a table saw. I was very lucky. To this date the the nail grows wierd. Hope the healing is quick.
 
McBryde said:
Lost the end of my thumb today.../quote]

Hey Emmerson, Thanks to you and all others who post these notes about injuries. It takes a big man to admit to the world that he screwed up, and is going to pay the price for a couple of weeks.

Everytime I go down into the dungeon, I stare at the table saw and the jointer and the bandsaw and the lathe, and think, "not today, guys... you're not getting me today..."

My only power tool injury was ten years ago -- working on a project with an electric plane. Foolishly set it on a cardboard box, while I adjusted the work, and the box started to tip over -- reached out and grabbed the plane. The drum was still revolving, and I felt a rythmic pain in the tip of my left ring finger. Thought I was getting a shock -- I wish. It chewed away all the meat right to the bone. But the human body is amazing -- to look at it now, you'd never know -- it's just pure scar tissue, and it gets cold before the rest of my fingers.

Hang in there -- you'll be back at it in no time...

Steve
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McBryde said:
that automatically stops when your finger hits the blade! Lost the end of my thumb today, and could have payed for that expensive table saw by far I'm sure after the trip to the emergency room on Easter!
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I suppose you think you're going to avoid the royalty payments. Since you kept 90% of your fingers out of the blade, you only get a 10% discount.

:tongue:
 
I have only put a chisel into my left hand, twice. Just spent the money for a Shark Guard and have been adapting it with assistance of the inventory/manufacturer, Lee, to make it work on my older Jet CS.

Here is a photo of a shark guard:

90.jpg
 
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