workshop accident

[godsmacker]

Earlier today I was changing my planer knives. While tightening the nuts that hold the knives in place, the wrench slipped and my index finger went straight into the knife. The cut was deep, blood was gushing, and went for a trip to the emergency room.

I try my best to be a very safe woodworker and treat my tools with respect. The irony is being injured with the planer off. Which was a definate wake up call for me. I learned a valuable lesson. Tools deserve safety respect whether they are on or off.

[BadgerDave]

Here's hoping you mend quickly. It's a shame it had to be at your expense but reminding people of these types of incidents hopefully will keep someone else from getting hurt. Was it just stitches or something a little more serious?

[godsmacker]

stiches. I never would have thought that their would be blood over that part of the planer.

[imported_CWSmith]

Ouch! I saw that "accident" headline, and immediately winced. :eek:

Very sorry to hear, but thank God, it wasn't from a running machine! Unfortunately, working with sharpened steel, whether it be in the form of new cutting blades, chisels, or carving knives is dangerous business and we all get bit from time to time. Just emphasizes the need to be very careful.

I hope you heal quickly and that your pain is minimal.

CWS

[hewood]

Ouch! Sorry to hear about it, but thanks for posting. It's always a good reminder. I much prefer to me reminded by lesser accidents than by posts about amputations. Hope your healed soon! smile.gif

[woodslayer]

Godsmacker

Sorry to hear about your accident and hope you mend quickly. I had a similar incident with the wrench slipping the first time I changed my blades but I was fortunate enough that it slipped in a direction away from the blades, but I recall thinking that could have hurt had I jammed my hand into the blade. I put a pair of gloves on to finish the task.

On a side note, inquiring minds want to know about your profile name, does it stem from some context of smacking god around? No offense intended and I am not attempting to highjack the thread and turn it into a religious discussion, I’m just curious.

Woodslayer

[daveferg]

Hope you heal up fast----that was sure a 4-star wincer. :eek: :eek: Have done similar things working on my jointer---thankfully, nothing a bandaid couldn't fix.

Your post reminds me I've been thinking of getting a pair of Kevlar gloves for just this work---no---you don't want to use them with anything in operation (more dangerous than not) but they're great for this type of thing.

[godsmacker]

i am a big alice in chains, godsmack(first album) fan. and i couldn't think of anything better.

I really like the kevlar glove idea for changing blades. I am going to go and buy a pair.

back in the shop the same day. I am working on a plant stand for the wife(she has deadlines!)

[paulgrandy]

Tools are dangerous things. I put a utility knife into my thigh once. Pissed me off. Didn't hurt too much so I just slapped duct tape over it. Worked pretty good. Needed stitches but the local pharmacist wouldn't sell sutures to me even though they aren't prescription items. I did find some butterfly closures on the aisle and bought them. Them, gauze and more duct tape and I was good to go. I went on line the next day and ordered a compact surgery kit for the future. Not too much of a scar either and saved me the $100 Emergency Room fee. Sutures are easy. Just unload a tube of Anbesol Gel around the edges to deaden the nerves.

I've wrapped myself around a Jet 920 Lathe trying to sand some round tube. Figured I'd just put on a welding glove and grip down with a piece of 40 grit. Glove snagged. Only thing that saved me was that the belt on the lathe slipped.

There was a link on that online machinist site about accidents. Serious stuff. Guys getting killed. Funny thing is that after reading them I was laughing like hell. Comedy of errors.

Perverse.