Well, it’s not the whole thumb, just the tip. I have often heard of people losing digits, or more, on the jointer and I’ve always thought, “What kind of dumb a$$ runs his hand through jointer blades”. Well count me amongst the dumb a$$es!
I was running twenty 6′ boards of salvaged 10/4 beech through the machine. The wood was salvaged off a barn and was severely warped and twisted. I was admittedly tired of running these boards through over and over and I was on my last board. I always face joint with push blocks and edge joint by hand. I was doing the edge jointing and I’m not even sure what happended. I got too comfortable I guess.
Drove myself to the hospital, which took 35 minutes. Nothing to stich obviously.
Not sure why I’m posting this other than hopefully some people may keep this in mind while they’re tired and not using the best safety practices. I’ll never forget that sound and feel when my thumb hit the blades. Be careful!
Replies
Glad you were only nicked, Js. It will be sore for a while. The majority of injuries occur when not following basic rules, reaching over a saw, hand in the wrong place, inattention, unsupported work, no safety glasses, not unplugging the machine, etc. 50 year veterans are just as susceptible as first timers. Your post will remind us to stay awake. Usually, you are an instant genius about what happened. I've been one a few times.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Thanks. I lost about 3/8" of my thumb. I guess it pulled it in. I really do feel fortunate that I was able to pull it out! They anticipated that all I will need is skin graft.
Edited 6/24/2008 11:44 am by JsHerbel
Similar thing... where a loose shirt sleeve went up the DC faster than I knew what was going on. Luckily for me the shirt cuff ripped off rather than pulling my hand into the jointer blades.
I'm sporting 9-2/3 fingers thanks to tiredness and poor judgement. Something told me not to do what I was about to do, but I did it anyway. It's a shame it takes something like that to be a wake up call. Maybe this post will save someone else. Only upside is that I quit smoking because I couldn't hold a cigarette because the end of my forefinger was gone.
Quit smoking because of it! I was probably thinking about my nicotine gum when this happended. Now because of my thumb, I can't get the damn little packages of Nicorette open as fast as I need to which is adding to my frustration level!
http://www.ithacawoodworker.com
I quit for two years and started again after (what I like to tell myself) a stressful time at work, but I know you can do it. Use your will power and quit for good!!!
My wife saw your original post and was quite scared. I was able to reassure her though, and its good having a reminder of the dangers posed so kudos on your bravery to write us all about it!
thanks,
ChaimMake your own mistakes not someone elses, this is a good way to be original !
Were you trying to open the little packages of Nicotine gum on the jointer? Quick little snip and it so much easier to get to.... Sorry to hear about you accident, and thank you for posting. I need a daily reminder about Stupid, I seem to do that enough as is, and I am old enough to learn from others mistakes.
I am with Frosty, I quit when I am tired and get a beer and read Knots....
AZMO <!----><!----><!---->
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-------(*)/ (*) http://www.EarthArtLandscape.com
There is no sound like flesh and bone hitting high spped cutters. Never done it, knock on wood, but have have had to patch several up and send them to the hospital. Glad ur ok. I read here, count to ten at the end of the day. be careful yall!!!
Glad to hear it wasn't any worse (the title made me gulp!). What's scary to me, though, is that you don't know what happened. You must have been really tired.
Thanks for the post! The regular appearance of "consequences of mistakes" has caused me to purchase new safety items and become more aware of the dangers of our passion.
I'm really sorry about your 'hurt' - it's amazing how many nerve endings we have at the tips of our digits. Don't ask me how I know.
Nowadays, if I feel tired, even a LITTLE BIT TIRED, I quit - right in the middle of any process. Machine off; lights out - and I'm gone until I'm rested.
Heal quickly.
Frosty
"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922
Hope it heals quickly!
That kind of thing is one reason why I've never thought about "production" work of any kind. I have a couple of rules that I never break:
1. Tired--quit
2. First beer--ok--Second beer--no more power tools
Thanks for the post, it's just the thing that could save someone a similar accident.
Regards,
Mack
"Close enough for government work=measured with a micrometer, marked with chalk and cut with an axe"
If the hands never pass over the cutterhead then it is likely they will enter that area of destruction. When using a jointer one should use both hands starting with them on the infeed table and then as the board moves to the outfeed table then move one hand to the outfeed table and one hand on the infeed table side. As the cutterhead is near the end of the board then move both hands to the outfeed table.
First beer--ok--Second beer--no more power tools
I sometimes like to reserve about a half hour after the end of working to enjoy a couple of frosties. I didn't get to endulge after the boo boo. I never drink while working and I guess that's one of the reasons why it's taken so many years to have a serious accident. The very smug physician who treated me implied that I might have been drinking since it happended at about 1:30 a.m. which added to my distaste of the ER visit.
http://www.ithacawoodworker.com
They can make a lot of assumptions; not really surprising with all that they witness.
Hope you heal up fast!
Regards,
Mack
"Close enough for government work=measured with a micrometer, marked with chalk and cut with an axe"
Thanks to all that made me feel better with your comments and own stories. I'm feeling a little like a pantywaste today for posting this, but since a child, one of my biggest fears has always been some sort of amputation. Probably because of the farming background I come from where it semed that growing up about 20% of the men over 40 had some sort of missing body part!
I really do hope that this story, coming from someone that has done this day in and day out for several years, will allow people to remember to never get too comfortable with the slicinators most of us work with.
http://www.ithacawoodworker.com
p.s. the little thumb that comes up next to this thread of "high interest" seems like a kick in the teeth :)
Edited 6/25/2008 2:23 pm by JsHerbel
Edited 6/25/2008 2:25 pm by JsHerbel
Mebbe ya shoulda tol him you quit smokin and was lookin for yur Nicorettes when it happened. At least ye didn't get the smokin lecture they usually dispense with.
I think you're right about posts like yours, gives a wake up to all of us, unfortunately at the expense of the OP sometimes. Appreciate your help.
OH, and that there thumb is courtesy of some smug doctor but don't know where he's at.
:-)
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I'm so sorry about your injury and I hope you heal fast. Specifically because of posts like yours here at knots, I knock off in the shop when I feel tired. There's always more to do in the shop--I never seem to get it all done, so I tell myself better to finish this part tomorrow healthy than with a sore or worse, missing digit. I hope you are doing well. Tom
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