I got bit

[TOD]

Yesterday I was ripping some 1x3 oak into some thin strips to use as a veiner on the edge of some plywood shelves. Some how the tip of my left thumb touched the blade. No stitches just tore it up pretty good. Still don't know how I did it since I was using a push stick and feather board. My neighbor couldn't believe that I took the tome to clean the blood off the saw before going to the ER.

[bench dog]

Glad it was minor!

[oldslowchevy]

heck i'm glad the saw got cleaned up!! .................................... lol just kidding hope you heal quickly!

[BadgerDave]

TOD, glad to hear that it wasn't more serious than it was.

[CWSmith]

OUCH! I'm very glad to hear it was only minor and that clean-up didn't involve looking for pieces of your thumb.

Still, just the thought took my breath away! :eek:

CWS

[Hector B]

Get well soon TOD.

[wwsmith]

Sorry to hear of your misfortune TOD. Hope to you get well soon.

Curious? Was the finger that got cut on the hand using the push stick or the other?

[TOD]

Sorry to hear of your misfortune TOD. Hope to you get well soon.

Curious? Was the finger that got cut on the hand using the push stick or the other?
Right hand was using push stick and left thumb was the one that got cut. I still can't figure out how I did it. I am not sure but it could have been kick back.

[woodslayer]

TOD

I’m glad to hear you did not suffer more serious damage. That is the kind of freak thing that would keep me up nights for a long time wondering what I did wrong and how close you came to a catastrophe. Mend quickly and let us know if you ever figure out what the heck happened.

Woodslayer

[American and Proud]

Hope your healing well my friend.

[Directorate]

Happens so fast that you really DON"T know how it happens. Question 1, you using the blade guard?

Back in the 80's..it happened to me. The culpret was:

A. Confidence in my work. I know better than to ever be confident around a power saw. Always be Scared of it. Also look at my signature line and live by it.
B. Someone changed out my good blade, I did not inspect it.
C. I was in a hurry.
D. I was tired, it was late.
E. The workspace was not tidy, lot of sawdust everywhere making certainty of what I was doing 'questionable" at best.

I ended up losing the tip of my index finger on my left hand and 1/8th inch of the middle finger. nice solid Whack to the hand. yes, left hand here as well. It was SO VERY quick..just WHACk...and the next words were "Why did this have to happen to me"

the Doctor took considerable time to smooth the bone so as to not have any tender spots on the healed fingers and I tell you..it was some SERIOUS pain. I have had pain before but fingers are truly a different level of pain. Even 20+ years later, I dont feel temperature in those fingers as I can the others.

So far, the only other misshap I have had was a small 3 inch bench grinder "slung a wheel apart"..putting tiny gravel specs into my arm.

I certainly wish you well in the future and as always..always, do be SCARED of that saw. I have a TS3650 and I treat it as a very very dangerous and threatening tool and with utmost respect.

Think of other ways to cut wood when it is that small of a rip. Put the wide side of the board to the right of the blade and take off the sliver not close to the fence. the wood between the fence and the blade IS the danger zone. A wider board is always safer. I have a policy..if it is more narrow than 5 inches between fence and blade, I leave the cut for another method.

Good luck and happy healing.

[JimDon]

Directorate,
Thank you for your thought-provoking post. No matter how old, how young, how skillful, or how quick we are, or think we are, it is good to read and contemplate this kind of thing. I agree with you completely on the need for respect and utmost safety when working with these saws. The other night I was working at a customers house with the table saw when I realized how dingy the light in the garage was and how tired I was. Unplugged the saw, locked up the garage and went home to complete project the next day.
Also, see way way too many craftsmen and pros who will slug down a beer or two on a hot day and then go back and run a table saw or miter saw. I will NOT work with people if I see this happen. This is an invitation to disaster. I am not a teetotaler at all (not by a long shot), but I will never have any kind of alcohol and then run a power tool. (Not even a welder). If you do you are stupid. Once the drinkin' starts, the work gotta stop.
Just my 2 cents worth of sermon.
Jim Don

[Bob D.]

I guess I need to go back to my old sig line;

"It's a table saw, do you know where your fingers are?"

Hope you recover and are back to work soon TOD.