[Scott F.]

Dave,

You're right, kick backs can be a bitch  I learned years ago, never stand directly behind the piece of wood you are feeding through a table saw. I routinely stand off to the side when I'm feeding a piece through. I've had several kick and come flying backwards, hit the wall in my wood shop and explode into little splinters.

This one was no different. I NEVER get my fingers within 6" of the blade. When I was about 10 years old, I was helping my dad rip some lumber and I saw him cut the tip of his thumb off by getting complacent and I vowed that would never happen to me. Well, I made it almost 50 years without a major incident. This time, I was feeding cherry into a wide open dado gouging a channel out. I was standing off to the side and I was using a pair of push blocks on top of the cherry I was routing.

I made one major mistake. As I was feeding it, my hand was getting too close to the blade and I went to re-adjust the front push block backwards. When I did, the piece of cherry lifted slightly, got caught on the dado blade and shot backwards taking my middle finger and the nail on my index finger with it.

From that experience, I now have installed a deadmans switch on the saw. If I need to make any adjustments, I lift my foot, let the saw stop, then I make the adjustment and re-feed the material. Also, many of the the pieces I was feeding were too small to be done with push blocks. They should have been done with a sled, which at the time, I didn't have installed. Well, now I do.

It only takes one lapse in judgement to have one of these machines eat part of you up, regardless of how safe you are. As I said, I went 45 years without major injury. And the local guys who have seen me work in the shop can attest, I'm pretty respectful of the power tools. I know too many guys, now like me, missing digits or blind in one eye (from power nailers).

If you are interested, this is what I was building. The pics are in reverse order so you'll have to start at the bottom of the page.

https://flic.kr/s/aHskUSFmev

(I hope the link works)

[ctsooner]

I learned on a Sawstop and it was in class.  As all have said, we were taught to stand to the side a bit and to use push sticks (one of the first projects we made on the band saw) and we have every other safety device you can think of.  If any of you read Fine Woodworking, but main teacher is Bob Van Dyke who does many articles as well as Mike Peckovich who is the art director and local here in CT. I'm blessed to learn from all these guys as they are safety first.  Yes, accidents happen of course no matter what you do, but reading the posts here, nearly all of us are brutally careful.  Glad you posted as it will make me think an extra time the next times I"m working in the shop.  Wish you didn't have to deal with this.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Sorry to hear Ed, I can't imagine how anxious you are to get back into the workshop.
You don't seem like the "sit on the couch kinda guy".

Knowing Scott F and his general "M.O." in life, I knew he wasn't doing anything "wrong" when he hurt himself. He's not a halfway type of personality.
So when he told me what had happened, I knew that if a guy like that can hurt himself, my days are certainly numbered.
Before I used my table saw again, I had bought and built a host of safety items, including some sleds.
(yes... "technically", I had to use the table saw to build the sleds.... but what's a guy to do).

Be safe fellas.

[DaveC113]

I like the idea of the deadman's switch and sled with clamp. I also see a Sawstop in my future, the price is high but it seems well worth it.

[EdRo]

Update on the Frankenthumb...this is taking it's sweet time to heal. It's looking very nasty. Luckly I'm going to the hand specialist tomorrow. I've tried wearing a tight nomex glove on my right hand, but if I try to pick up anything, the bone trys to push through the gash. Putting a hard surface on the face of my thumb doesn't help. I guess the cuts just too deep. I almost think I'd be better off if I'd wacked the dang thing off!!!

[Nick77]

Sorry, Lord help!

[WGH]

The Sawmill Run Restaurant in Summerhaven, up on the top of Mt. Lemmon above Tucson have t-shirts for sale. Years ago the restaurant owner had a sawmill accident, hence the t-shirt design.
The hand design also means "4 more beers for the boys from the sawmill".


   

[EdRo]

Thanks Nick!

[GentleBender]

Sorry to hear of your accident. That looks painful in more than one way. Hard to build your dreams with only one hand.  You'll be glad to have that thumb still, but it may take some time before it does much more than hurt.

[Scott F.]

Ed,

Though the healing process may take some time before you can put pressure on the thumb, be grateful you didn't loose it....trust me, even loosing a fingertip is a PITA as times.   

That typed, it's fascinating to see human nature at work. When I'm with people that have never seen someone with a missing digit, it's hilarious to wag my finger out where they can't avoid staring at it. For some people it's like a laser dot with a cat, they just can't stop following it. With others, you can see there head following my finger, and the whole time there eyes are rolling up to act like they aren't staring. Then there are the people who aren't phased at all. They're no fun at all, so I stop.

I'll also pull the old standby, when someone asks me if I want something, I'll reply, holding my fingers up and saying, "sure, I'll take 3....that's 3, not 2 1/2". It usually gets a laugh. 

Kinda funny, or at least I get a chuckle out of it. Besides, I'd much rather make fun of my stupidity than play the injured victim.

Hope the healing process goes quick for you

[DaveC113]

Have patience... a friend did something very similar to his index finger about 6 months ago and he says it's still very painful.

Injuries suck, patience seems like the only way to deal... I badly injured my shoulder mt biking 8 months ago and it's going to be a good bit longer until I'm fully symmetrical again.

[EdRo]

I want to thank everyone thats added their past experiences and wisdom to this thread. I was getting worried. I'm used to healing up quickly, and this split thumb was really looking bad. When I was getting depressed someone would add a thought and give me encouragement. My hand specialist says my thumb is looking better, and I won't be loosing any more tissue. It'll be awhile before I'm tossing 120lb sheet goods around in the shop, but when I do, I'll have a full length thumb to work with. Thanks again guys. This forum is the best!!!

[Bob in St. Louis]

[I.Greyhound Fan]

In my 25 years of working as an emergency medicine physician, I have seen and repaired countless table saw injuries along with severe injuries from routers.  I have since retired to working in an urgent care and I still see occasional power tool injuries and usually send them to the ER although one night in the Urgent Care it was very slow and I repaired a chain saw injury to the lower leg.

Glad to hear that your thumb is going to be OK.

[Brettio]

I hate this tread!!    For the last two weekends, and the upcoming one, I've been using my Bosch portable table saw to rip a bunch of lumber.  Over the last decade I very rarely thought about saw accidents but since this thread started I have to focus on not thinking about them!
 

[WGH]

I think about accidents every time I turn on a power tool, which has been almost every day for the last 42 years. It's my day job.
If you are not a little scared every time you flip the switch it's time to change hobbies. If one part of your brain tells you this is dangerous and stupid and the other part says you won't get hurt - guess which one is right.

And remember, if you drink, don't drill

[EdRo]

Well, my latest progress report is good. I still can't pick up anything of any weight, (like 1" thick sheet goods) so I've been working out prodution methods for my cabs. A friend also has a beautifully refurbished Garrand turntable that I'm designing and building a layered corian plinth for. And the shop is nearly spotless!!!






Looks better, right? Frankenthumb indeed!!!

[Phil A]

Looking better.  Have you talked to the MD about things like - https://humanlimbregeneration.com/man-regrows-finger-tip-with-pigs-bladder

[otto802]

Looking better.  Have you talked to the MD about things like - https://humanlimbregeneration.com/man-regrows-finger-tip-with-pigs-bladder

Any extra pig parts go directly in the smoker at Ed's house!

[Phil A]

Any extra pig parts go directly in the smoker at Ed's house!

Not exactly what I had in mind but St. Louis is know for its BBQ