All,
A recent experience last week reminded me how important it is to practice good safety habits in the work shop no matter how new or how experienced the woodworker. I will describe the incident along with where in my opinion the contributing factors are.
After a full day at my “paying” job I decided to head to the shop to tinker a round, pull stome scrap stock for a small project and plan for the weekend. After having pulled enough cherry off cuts to start milling I decided I would go ahead and start cutting the pieces to width.
All went fine until I decided to rip a 2″ square piece of 25″ long 2×2 cherry to 1 3/4 x 1 3/4. I raised the blade so the gullets cleared the workpiece and set the fence. I then started the saw and started feeding the stock through pushing and guiding with my right hand. As I got close to the end I drew my left hand over to pull/push the stock to keep it from drifing from the fence. I then positioned my right hand to the rear of the piece using primarily my thumb and middle finger. Thumb to push and middle finger to guide. As I reached the blade there was an almighty ping from the blade and a dull ache from my middle finger. I drew back covering my hand with my left thing this is not good, turned the saw off with my knee and viewed the damage. Where my finger nail had been was now a mangled scooped out mess. I quickly looked for bits and pieces and finding none walked quickly to the house for a ride to the emergency room.
In the 1/2 mile trip to the hospital I wnet into shock and had to be wheel chaired into the emergency room where I waited patiently sweating and shaking until I was checked out. (No more than 1/2 hour has elapsed) The intern on duty looked at the finger, injected it with anesthetic and went looking for someone to review and repair the damage. I got lucky. The orthopedic surgeon was in between surgeries and was able to check me out in the emergency ward. I had indeed lost most of my finger tip from the second joint up. So, after clipping away the bone fragments he then pulled what was left of the finger tip pad over and sewed it up. With prescriptions in hand I left the hospital to ponder what happened. Total time from accident to return home around 3 1/2 hours. I am blessed that most of my finger survived.
So, what does this teach me?
1/ No matter how experienced we are, starting work with heavy duty cutting machines should only be performed with a clear and focused mind and not tired.
2/ Ripping narrow stock using my hand and fingers as a push block (it’s worked for 15 years) is the wrong way to go – I have a Grrr Ripper system on the way.
3/ For some reason the blade was higher than I normally would have it – There was no need to as I was trimming and not ripping through so dust ejection was not an issue.
4/ Although I am the Team Lead for a department Safety Culture Grass Roots team at work I was not engaged at all in any kind of culture, least of all safety.
5/ Tablesaws don’t leave much left. When I got home I looked for fragments/pieces. Found a tiny bit of finger nail on the fence and a fine blood spray on the cherry.
6/ The pain was nothing like I thought it would be.
In conclusion, when I am able to get my hand back to it’s disfigured best I;
Will wear safety glasses
Will use push sticks
Will rig a knee board for the stop button on my saw
Will maintain a Safety Culture in my shop
Will not work in the shop distracted and tired with no plan
Will not used my hands as push sticks
Will no longer scare my family
May invest in a SawStop.
This can happen to anybody. I always figured you had to be a complete idiot to damage yourself. Idiocy is in us all, it knows no boundries. Sorry to ramble but I needed to share.
Regards, Earl
Replies
Thanks for your post.
It is from reading about events such as your that I have 'upgraded' my personal safety practices: safety glasses, Shark Guard, constant (well almost constant) awareness of safety issues.
Thank you again and a wish for a very swift and complete recovery.
Frosty
"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922
Glad to hear you came out of the ordeal ok. You put tired at the top of the list and I totally agree with that. All others contribute, but when your not on your A game, it can turn out bad. Have a speedy recovery dude.
If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it.
And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
Ouch. Hope you heal well. The couple of accidents I've had with a TS have been cutting small or narrow pieces. Both times I was using push sticks and guards, but a flying piece of wood can damage your fingertips almost as much as a blade. I went to the GRRripper also (2 for long pieces) and feel much safer as a result. It seems counterintuitive to remove the guards and pass your hand over the blade, but it works for me. You still have to be wide awake, check your blade height and maintain pressure, but if you do miscalculate you're more likely to destroy a piece of plastic/rubber than yourself. For really short pieces, though, that you can't see properly under the Grr.., I hand cut. A Zona saw and miterbox is cheap and accurate.
Thanks for sharing,
Jim
One more thing to add to your list, NEVER put your hand past the blade to hold your work against the fence ! The last time I picked fingers off the shop floor, that was the cause. If the wood kicks back, the friction of the fingers against the wood drag the hand back into the blade, and nothing can be done to stop it. The trauma to my friend, the necessity for dealing with tourniquets and a medivac, and lastly the grisley job of cleaning up later, are things I would rather not have experienced, but will never be able to forget. So like Earl said, work safe !
Dear Earl,
I am glad that you injuries were not as severe as they could of been. Although I may have garnered a bit of a reputation for being a nut (Deservedly so) I have some definite reservations about the table saw. I am a contractor and I work with these things every day and I never reach over the blade, nor do I use a push stick. Part of my technique is from out of the building trades, but it has served me well over the years. I also have lost about 60 % or so feeling from my dominant hand so I do not trust my fine motor skills. My technique for ripping anything but sheet goods is to run them about halfway through and then using the front edge of the saw as a fulcrum, lift the material out of the blade, flip it and then continue the cut. I have caught some flak on this forum for lifting the material out, but I can tell you that it works. It keeps my hands off of the table, it keeps me back and off to the side of the material should anything get ugly. I don't rip short pieces on the tablesaw and anything that feels a bit freaky gets done on the bandsaw.
Good Luck,
John
A good, shopmade pushstick (really much more than a 'stick') is much more advisable than a new tablesaw! I use one EVERYTIME I rip stock under 3-4". I wince whenever I see or hear anyone not using one for narrow rips. Sorry this happened to you!
Brian
Thank you for sharing your experience. As a newcomer to woodworking, I appreciate folks who relate scary and painfull mistakes. Sometimes, reading about an error can help the rest of us avoid it.
fred
Earl,
Thank you for sharing. Hoping for a speedy recovery to your finger. This forum is a constant reminder for me to work safely in the shop. I see folks like Sarge and Frosty with their cool guards and it makes me realize that one can always brush up on their shop safety.
Earl--
Sorry to read about your incident; I, too, made a mindless mistake, but with a drill press. Hand surgeons are good (and expensive) guys to know! It's amazing how fast things can happen!
Why don't you invest in Board Buddies or some similar device? When ripping, I can let go of the workpiece (with the saw running) and walk to the rear of the saw to pull the piece through.
Edited 8/4/2008 10:09 pm ET by kreuzie
Earl, hang in there. I know just how you feel. In January, I sliced about an eighth of an inch from the tip of my left ring finger at the tablesaw. As with you, it was late, I was tired, I had done thousands of safe rips before, etc., etc. Eight months later I still can't believe how quickly it happened and how stupid I was. I'm still embarrassed, but nowadays I remember the incident before I turn on any a power tool. It's an awful way to learn a lesson . . . Anyway, hand surgeons are wonderful, and the healing power of the body is nothing short of miraculous. You'd have to look really closely at my hand to see any damage now.Best of luck on your recovery.Norman
Edited 8/5/2008 2:46 pm ET by nboucher
I read these threads about people using bare hands to push stock through a tablesaw and the only thing that comes to mind is that Darwin was right.
Sometimes you just have to step back and marvel while Nature takes its course.
Edited 8/5/2008 2:49 pm ET by BossCrunk
Yea, kind of like a Knots thread. If you let a thread take it's course there will always be someone who writes a totally non value added posting.
As long as those of us who survive from our lapses of reason learn from them, adjust our methods of work, and stop watching the numerous woodworking shows where the presenters rip stock with their bear hands I think we can live to work another day.
Thanks to all who contributed to this thread and wished me well.
Earl
Earl,
I hope you heal up well. The times I have scared myself the most are cutting small things. FWW aught to do an article on how to do this.
Frank
I know, I know. A likable fellow in a plaid shirt could play Russian Roulette on Public Television and there would be a whole lot of people willing to follow suit.
Just more Darwin...
What's more amazing is that people need these little 'horror' stories to remind them to be safe. As if the spinning, carbide tipped blade right there in one's own shop weren't enough?
Still shaking my head in wonderment...
People who hand feed lumber into woodworking machines must have some sort of deep seated grudge against their own hands.
Edited 8/5/2008 8:10 pm ET by BossCrunk
BossCrunk,
Thanks for reminding me of how stupid I am. 3 years ago I lost most of my right pinky finger while ripping a small piece of hard maple. Although I WAS using a push stick! When the piece kicked back from a knot in the board my stick went sideways and I barely nicked the knuckle of my finger. Unfortunately as we all know, the 1/8" kerf of my Forrest woodworker II is no match against a finger and the decision was made not to save it in the hospital due to the extensive damage to the joint. This incident ranks in the top three worst days of my life right after the deaths of my Father and Mother. All I can hope for is that my lack of infinite brilliance such as yours will allow me to survive a while longer. And if not, I will still survive by the faith of one thing- KARMA.
Guard in place? Blade exposure? If your hand went sideways ("my stick went sideways" is what you said) into the blade the standard US guard would have saved you. Did your hand slip under the front of the guard? If that happened then the piece must have kicked back very early in the cut - was the knot on the very end of the board? That's a no-no unless you like knots flying around your shop at 200 mph.
Without the stick the damage probably would have been worse.
You need two things when ripping - featherboards and a push stick/shoe.
If you had been using a push-shoe with enough height, something like this:
http://www.vermontamerican.com/Products/productdetail.htm?G=190912&GRP=190912&I=70515 (you can make one of these yourself and make it even longer to get more downward thrust on a narrow workpiece) and had the blade exposure set right and the guard in place you would not have been hurt.
A stick is better than nothing, but it doesn't push down enough - it pushes too much from behind and this is accentuated when ripping light, narrow workpieces. A stick will let a narrow workpiece lift and chatter in the front. A featherboard (Board Buddies, etc.) would have helped prevent this. So would a shoe instead of a stick.
Secondly, the best way to process stock to yield a narrow workpiece is to rip it off a much wider workpiece. If you must rip down a very narrow piece to make an even narrower piece then consider just edge jointing it to width on your jointer which IMO is a much safer practice than ripping very narrow stock on a tablesaw.
Or you could have marked the narrow piece and handplaned it to your mark.
Processing narrow stock with knots on a tablesaw is an invitation to an eye injury as these workpieces explode because there is not enough meat on either side of the knot.
Sounds like you made a lot of mistakes the day you lost your finger and you probably got off lightly.
It wasn't the push-stick's fault.
P.S. all of this is in the manual that came with your saw.
Edited 8/6/2008 1:49 pm ET by BossCrunk
"Thanks for reminding me of how stupid I am. 3 years ago I lost most of my right pinky finger while ripping a small piece of hard maple. Although I WAS using a push stick!"Interesting, that. Was the crown guard in place and properly positioned (i.e. with no more than about 1/2in gap beneath it above the material)? Also, what kind of push stick were you using? I was taught never to use a push stick which allows your hand to get nearer than 12in from the blade - to the rear or the side - so I don't trust these "whizzy" push sticks which allow your hand to get right alongside the blade.Scrit
People who need a narrow workpiece and start with a narrow workpiece have initiated the cascasding series of events that can result in a serious injury.
If you need a narrow workpiece, please rip it off a WIDER piece.
To rip an already really narrow workpiece on a US made saw, the guard has to come off. I'm quite sure than Moon's guard could not have been in place based on his description of what happened. But of course only he can verify. I also suspect the blade projection was too high. He needed the downward force of a high blade since I don't think he was using featherboards. Featherboards make it possible to keep the blade projection low.
Edited 8/10/2008 7:22 am ET by BossCrunk
"People who need a narrow workpiece and start with a narrow workpiece have initiated the cascasding series of events that can result in a serious injury."
I agree with you there. Wherever possible narrow strips should always be ripped off a larger piece"To rip an already really narrow workpiece on a US made saw, the guard has to come off."
That's what I suspected. I've been using saws for more than 3 decades and for most of the time it's been saws with a high-low sliding plate rip fence (i.e. what you guys call a Euro saw), although I was taught to bolt a low fence onto the face of the rip fence in my first job. That meant you could move the rip fence right in snug to the blade without the need to remove the crown guard. Never really used featherboards that much - but they often seem to be used as a sort of sticking plaster to try to make the unsafe safer rather than working safely to start withPart of my interest in this is because I'm currently writing a series of training notes and we have people over here (hobby woodworkers) who watch "the Norm" doing stuff then copy slavishly without understanding why the trained guys here won't do what they do. So the more I learn about why accidents happen on American spec. saws the better. I'm not immune, either, done both my thumbs in industrial pin router accidents (22 lacerations, 13 stitches in one, reconstructive surgery on the tother). These days i don't work if tired and the cell phone goes off when I go in the shopEdited 8/14/2008 11:52 am by Scrit Edited 8/14/2008 11:55 am by Scrit
Edited 8/14/2008 11:58 am by Scrit
On a saw spec'd for the US market once the guard comes off then as far as I'm concerned one deserves whatever accident comes along. No guard plus hand feeding stock is a recipe for disaster. Add narrow workpieces into the mix and it's even worse.
Not familiar with Board Buddies, but just want to make sure you know that pulling stock through is never as safe as pushing it through with a proper push stick. The idea is to never have yourself uphill of the blade, where a kickback will pull you into the blade. If you are a long way uphill it's okay, but usually not very accurate or convenient compared to a push stick and outfeed support. It's not rocket surgury. I, too, can sympathize. But I think it's important to do more than that.Brian
Brian--
Not to worry. I only do this with longer boards and use a push stick for the short ones. It comes in handy in a one-man shop, when you're working with a long board.
Board Buddies (or similar products) have one-way wheels which are spring-loaded and ride on top of the work. You can also angle them slightly to hold the work to the fence.
Check them out.
Hope you have a speedy recovery and then, back to the shop- a little safer this time. Just to echo some of the previous posters, and yourself, MY cardinal rule is I don't touch power tools when I'm tired. I have a high stress regular job (trial attorney) and am beat when I get home. As much as I want to hit the shop (and I don't think I'm all that disciplined a person), I simply won't go to the shop after work. So that leaves weekends and days off to work in the shop. Just the way it is.
And for good measure, about 4 mos. ago I finally invested in a sawstop. Great saw and it gives me peace of mind, plus I almost never take the blade guard off. Good luck. If you have the extra money, spring for the sawstop. You will never be sorry. pmm
Earl,
Thanks for sharing your story. Though I am sorry for your mishap, I think it is helpful to the community in general that you were kind enough to share it. I'm glad it wasn't worse, and wish you a speedy recovery.
I had my own in February, shared it here, and got a lot of good advise.
There is a lot of talk about proper technique and there will always be debate over that and what safety devises are good/bad. It seems to me that equipment and technique aside, these accidents always share one or more of these three elements:
1.) We are too tired or too fatigued to be working with power tools safely.
2.) We didn't take the time to properly prepare or set-up for the operation before we started the cut. (Not wanting to go get and set up a featherboard for one little cut or not taking the time to think things through.)
3.) A moment of indecision or carelessness. Sometimes because we forget that this 'routine' move is no less dangerous just because it is 'routine."
If you work a stressful job, the shop can be a stress relief after work. But, if we're tired, we probably should not be using power tools after a long day on the job. I use the time to organize the shop, clean up, tune/sharpen/clean hand tools, etc. Then I can use my off days and weekends to get down to some serious woodworking.
I find going out there, turning on the radio, looking over my project, sketching out an idea, pulling apart a hand plane and cleaning/honing the iron, trying out a finishing process on some sample stock, etc. is all very rewarding and relaxing.
Get better, get back in the shop and work safe!
Frank
I have threatened to tie people's left hand/arm behind their back when at the table saw. There is absolutely no need to have it in use when ripping parts. I have fired people for not using/making push sticks/saddles, etc. when needed.
I must ask - at the risk of sounding insensitive - What made you think that pulling stock thru the saw at the end of the cut was proper? How did you not understand the physics involved and act accordingly?
Please don't take me wrong. I am very sorry you had an accident. No one deserves to be taught this lesson this way. But, in your "Pledge" you mention all sorts of safety rhetoric, but you omit any reference to never using your left hand to "pull" (operative word) material thru a saw. This needs to be foremost.
Dave S
No, not insensitive at all. Because I have not used a splitter in the past when I have ripped narrow stock, the piece I was working with when I wrecked my finger was tracking away from the fence so I used my left hand to pull/push the stock when it was well clear of the blade. It was a habit I had found myself falling into for some reason recently and could be attributed to laziness or merley the fact that I had gotten away with it before. Hell, I'm 54 for cryin out loud I should know I'm not indestructable. There again I do like riding motorcycles rather fast.
Earl
Thanks for sharing your lesson. I have violated your rules from time to time since I was 14 years old, knowing better- I am now 78. Through the grace of God I still have all of my digits. But I got mixed up with a metal cutting band saw when I was about 24. Like you, my pain was nothing like I thought it would be- it was a thousand times worse! Lucky I had a brother-in=law who was a doctor. One would think that I would have learned more.
While I have tempted fate too many times to enumerate, one thing did get through. Trust your intuition! I recall many times when I was starting to make a cut (or what-have-you), when a message came through, I know not from where, that said,"Stop! Something is wrong. Back off. Look for another way to do this." I would heed the advice, sometimes shaking inside, but always trusting my intuition as if it was another safety rule.
Charles
Earl, Sorry to hear of your accident. I was just wondering if you have a catch-table behind your TS?
In the absence of one, would compel any user to want to reach over to avoid having dinged corners when they hit the floor. If you don't, this might be another missing piece of safety gear. I just thought I would mention this whether you do or not, there may be others who are guilty for this reason.
I posted here recently about losing the end of my thumb on a jointer in June. Like you, I felt like a complete idiot. The feelings of idiocy were almost worse than the pain, which was relatively minimal. I don't know why you and I were compelled to post about it considering how stupid we felt. I truly hoped that someone would read it and think about it when they knew they were getting tired.
Good luck with the healing. Don't let them talk you out of the good stuff at the Dr.'s office (hydrocodone or oxycodone) as the pain increases in the following few weeks (at least for me it did).
http://www.ithacawoodworker.com
Get well soon and thanks for sharing.
A couple of days back, I was ripping narrow stock and the push stick came in touch with the blade. The groove on the push stick gave me a pause - it could have been my finger. I am leaning more towards ripping narrow stock on bandsaw instead of table saw.
Lyle
As a retired small town GP I have repaired my share of finger amputations. Certainly fatigue is an important hazard, but I'd like to add another.
There's clearly no reason to connect this problem with Earl, still it would not be uncommon after a hard day at work to down a beer or two. If the allergies are bothering one might take a Benedryl. If one has a back-ache one might take a strong pain pill, even a narcotic. One might enjoy an occasional joint.
Anything that slows mental function can be a cause of an accident. It was a rule for me to expect a cut hand or finger just before dinner time on a holiday-- the hostess will have had a few drinks before carving the roast. Father has a few drinks before trimming the Christms tree and falls off the ladder. I could tell many stories
Tom
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