accidents/stiches poll

how many injuries that should have been sutured


  • Total voters
    97

tod evans

Member
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ozarks
most if not all of us have injured ourselves wrestling with boards so i thought it would be interesting to hold a poll to see to what extent the majority has been injured.
let`s narrow it down somewhat to where splinters (no matter the size) and smashed fingers-n-toes don`t add to the equation.
many of us don`t get stiches when we really should so how about we catorgize the injuries as "ones that should have or did get sewn up"


myself, the majority of my injuries have come from edge tools, and the majority of those i either super glue or butterfly bandage. i have been bit by kickbacks out of saws,planers,shapers and moulders and several have required stiches so i`ll start the poll with a number that seems logical to me and work down in groups of 5.
 
The only woodworking accident I have had, other than very minor scratches, was from a table saw kick back. Right to the solar plexus. Was down and out about 15 minutes. Stand to the side now.
 
I have never needed or thought that I needed stitches. Most of my punctures/scratches are minor (but fairly frequent:eek:). I always believe that the most dangerous component of any tool is its energy rather than its cutting edge.

I once got winded to the point of falling over and passing out by doing something really dumb on a belt linisher. I was lucky that I was wearing a back support belt externally, otherwise I could well have been wearing a big chunk of Oak internally. Now I use a disk sander to do that job.:thumb: That way the force goes vertical rather than horizontal so all I have to remember is not to get above it or below it - much easier.

My other "worst" injury was a kickback of sorts but from a wide belt sander. I was gang feeding some material into the sander and one of the components got clear of the hold-down and came out the way it went in but much quicker. Managed to hit me on the first knuckle of my thumb. Hurt like anything. Took me two weeks to admit that I needed to get it looked at by which time I was told the crack in the bone was already healing. Ho Hum.
 
Worst one was nailing my thumb to a top plate with a framing gun. It didn't hurt until I pried it off with my hammer. :eek: No insurance at the time so just gauze and duct tape and back to work. Was sent home when boss noticed blood on his nail gun. He ended up paying for me to get the stiches out of his pocket. Still a nice looking scar from that one.

I'm just glad Tod didn't ask about non ww "stupid" reasons for stiches. To many to count. :D
 
I have never had any injuries due to woodworking or to carpentry. :) And I am working hard and smart to keep it that way. Of course, I have have many splinters and knikcs but none that have left a scar. I have also had my breath knocked out of me a couple of times and have fallen off ladders (as late as of last week) but I seem to know how to fall without incuring injuries.

I did set myself on fire once, :eek: but I was not doing woodworking or carpentry at the time.
 
Two cuts that probably should have been stitched. Oddly enough, neither were from working wood at all. They were shop projects, though, and that revolves around wood :p

First was cutting 2" long pieces of 1" angle aluminum for an outfeed table. I wanted two pieces EXACTLY the same size and instead of putting a stop on the miter saw, I held the two together with my THUMB. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. :doh: :doh: :doh: Well the cut went fine. If i'd have waited for the blade to spin down before lifting it up I woulda been fine. But no, i picked that puppy up at full tilt and BLAM! The noise startled me and then I felt my thumb throbbing - the aluminum was nowhere to be found. The blade took it and spun it around, like a kick back, and the corner of the aluminum sliced my thumb pretty good - at least 1/8" deep. I duct taped it up with a kleenex after changing my shorts. I thought for sure the blade got me, but luck was on my side that day. I lost my thumb print for a good 4 months - it took a LONG time to heal.

Second one was while making a sheet metal dust port for my table saw. I was always cautious with the project, too. Wearing gloves everytime the tin snips came out and everything. Until that morning ... I just needed two narrow strips ... nah, i'll just clip 'em quick ... First one was fine. Second one cut just fine, but when I finished the last snip of that piece, it came loose and my hand lurched forward. The nuckle of my index finger was right in the path of that freshly cut 26ga edge. I think I hit bone, but I can't say for sure. Took forever to start bleeding, though. I had time to curse myself, put the stuff down, look into the wound a bit and decide a bandage would be wise. I had time to calmly walk over and shut off the AC and fan. Flipped the lights off, casually opened the door, turned and took the key out of the lock. Walked into the house, to the bathroom (aka ER) and run it under some water. By that time, i had one single drop of blood accumulating on my knuckle. 3 minutes later I was woosy and had to sit down, but then I was okay after that. I still dunno why that happened. :shrug:

Anywho - that one healed real quick - like a week, maybe. And it was pretty dang deep. There's still a soft lump underneath it and if i bump the nuckle just right it hurts like crazy for a few seconds. This is why I suspect I hit bone, something's ticked off at me under there.

So far, nothing has left spots on my floor! :D
 
i gotta know frank?
Ok Tod. About 20 years ago at Pellow’s Camp I walked close to a bonfire holding an open can of gasoline. :eek: :eek: :eek: Fumes from the can caught on fire causing the can to explode. Although I was very very stupid :eek: to do such a thing I redeemed myself somewhat by knowing that the right thing to do was to drop down and roll to put out the flames.

I suffered first second and third degree burns to my arm upper body and face and was in shock. I was very fortunate that my mum :) was at camp with me and that she was a nurse. Mum did the necessary first aid then took me by boat and car to the small hospital in Hearst. I received good care there (including skin grafts) and was soon back to normal. One month to the day of the mishap, I swam a kilometre.
 
Woodworking related - none that needed anything more than a bandaid. Had a run in with my finish nailer when tacking some drawer rails a few years ago. Missed the rail and went through the frame. Yep, half way though my finger behind the frame. I'm more careful of my holding position now. Had one TS kickback that only resulted in a bruise and knocking the wind out of me.

Non-woodworking related - still under 5 IIRC
 
wow frank, sounds like you`re lucky to have survived with all your parts!
gas isn`t anything to fool with, thanks for the reminder.
tod
 
:p Hey Tod, someone with the answer 5 cannot answer your poll. :p

i realized that after i put the options in frank:eek:.......i also said groups of 5:eek:....but i figure folks can do the best they can with an ol` hillbilly creating the poll:rolleyes:

back on track......the majority of my wounds that shoulda been sutured where carving related, all my own fault,....what kinda idiot shoves chisels-n-knifes into their body?..my most memorable powertool accident involved a piece of rock maple into my cheek via a rip blade, no safety glasses:eek:and teeth where very visable...30+ disolving stiches and a dozen or so on the surface.......a few good utility knife gashes too...no fresh ones this week, but it ain`t over yet:eek:
 
Just one - so far...

About fifteen years ago I had a workpiece drag my middle finger, left hand, into the bit after it hit an unseen knot and shattered. Took about twenty very tiny stitches to put the 'hamburgered' finger back into some semblence of right.
 
I once stabbed myself in the finger trying to separate some frozen hamburger patties, then proceeded to cook and eat the hamburgers, before I realized that I needed to go to the hospital because I managed to sever an artery.

As far as woodworking goes, no stitches yet. Due to my burger incident, and another incident where I was cutting plastic with a razor, trying to make something that I don't want to talk about here, I've been more careful not to do anything stupid. That plus I was drinking both of those times, and I don't drink while I work.

I did make one stupid kickback related WW mistake, but the injury doesn't fit into your specifications.
 
Knock on wood!!! So far the worst injury I have received in my shop was while I was sorting some wood that I had standing along the wall of the garage portion of my shop. I turned away for a second and a piece of cherry about 10 feet long and over 12" wide fell and hit me on the head. The sharp jointed edge cut my scalp like a knife and knocked me into next week.

Fortunately my wife was right outside and heard the racket. She said I was knocked out and I may very well have been. She wanted me to go to the doctor but I protested and since it quit bleeding almost immediately she did not press me to go for stitches. I have an extraordinarily high clotting factor.

I had a nice lump on my head for several days....I used that board to make a tackle box.....
 
You need a "zero" category too, don't ya think? I know, it could go in the "under five", but I'm feeling ornery. None is not the same as some. ;)

And I'm in the none. Never done much more than bark the knuckles or some other minor cuts and so on. Several times I've actually cut myself running a finger or thumb along the edge of a board. Those 90-degree corners can be as sharp as a paper-cut sometimes! (err, you know what I mean.) :doh:

Now my dad the lifelong carpenter... well he's got one finger where one of his finger joints doesn't bend anymore, thanks to a a skilsaw gone awry. And he took a chunk out of the base of his thumb (on the palm) once also. Bleah. And while he's approaching 80 healthy as a horse (rides his bike a few miles each morning) he is also showing the effect of a lifetime spent not wearing ear protection.

best,
...art
 
You need a "zero" category too, don't ya think? I know, it could go in the "under five", but I'm feeling ornery. None is not the same as some. ;)

And I'm in the none. Never done much more than bark the knuckles or some other minor cuts and so on. Several times I've actually cut myself running a finger or thumb along the edge of a board. Those 90-degree corners can be as sharp as a paper-cut sometimes! (err, you know what I mean.) :doh:

Now my dad the lifelong carpenter... well he's got one finger where one of his finger joints doesn't bend anymore, thanks to a a skilsaw gone awry. And he took a chunk out of the base of his thumb (on the palm) once also. Bleah. And while he's approaching 80 healthy as a horse (rides his bike a few miles each morning) he is also showing the effect of a lifetime spent not wearing ear protection.

best,
...art
Art has a point. I think that none would be the majority of us.
 
Haha, nice. Tod, would you be scared to fix a piece of furniture that you made a mistake on? I think that this is far less risky.:p

You gotta learn how to use the interwebs and computers just like you gotta learn how to use other tools. Just think of it this way, even if you do make an even bigger mess, at least you wont lose that finger that you use to type with.:rofl:
 
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