accidents/stiches poll

how many injuries that should have been sutured


  • Total voters
    97
Well, I've been watching as folks share the gruesome details of various mishaps, and figured I might as well join in.

About 10 years ago, I was ripping some 8/4 Walnut on (gasp) my ShopSmith. I was in a hurry since I was working on a long list of xmas gifts, and it was November. I hit a knot on the underside of the board (that I didn't notice was there). The board kicked back and started heading directly towards my face. Instinctively, my left hand went up to block the board and shove it away. Well, I guess I shoved a little hard, since that hand landed smack on top of the spinning sawblade.

About 5 or 6 microsurgeries, including a few metal pins to brace the middle phalanges that I had cut through, a ligament transplant for the one I destroyed, and about 110 stitches if I recall correctly, and I'm now almost as good as new! :rofl:

Then of course, there are untold gashes that superglue and duct closed nicely...that Denise would have had me rush to the hospital for 'proper' care. But heck, what difference does a few more scars make? :dunno:

I may seem like I'm making a joke of this all, but I'm not. I'm pretty darn careful, but I've had my moments where I was rushed and/or plain stupid. And even at my most careul, IT happens! :doh:

Still counting to 10...well maybe 9.875...on my fingers...
- Marty -
 
Well, I'm one of the 10 or more contributors, but I gotta say that when I read about some of the accidents posted here, I'm totally outclassed. I've heard a few times that most stitches given to people are more for cosmetic reasons than from medical necessity (life or limb saving). Based on that "need", I'm a ten+. If you take the cosmetics out of it, I'm a zero, as there isn't really a cut that I've got from working with wood (or anything else for that matter)that couldn't/wouldn't have been just fine if a good cleaning and taping had been done. The only one that I'm glad I got stitched for cosmetic reasons was a 5-stitcher on my right forehead caused by a youthful indiscretion, a big mouth and too much wobbly-pop. You can't even see the mark anymore.

cheers eh?
 
Dang, Steve... You gotta quit drinkin' and hangin' out with Larry!:doh:

:rofl::rofl:

Those were all before I met Larry, and not a drop of ale involved in any of them.

Must be the brewski and the company have halted my visits to the E.R.

One comment.....when I cut my wrist, the nurse asked me how I did it. I (being a smart aleck) said I failed at committing suicide....ya know what?...they don't find that kind of talk at all amusing.:huh:
 
Up until mid July of this year, I had only had minor cuts, scrapes, and bruises from doing woodworking. As a result, I had been stitches free from accidents/stupidity. It was then that I got a little careless with, of all things, a utility knife. It was Sunday afternoon and my planned shop time had not occurred that weekend like I had wanted. Got a few minutes to work on a shelf unit I was building for LOML. So I started trimming the edge banding. A couple of careless minutes and then slipped. Cut a nasty gash in my left thumb. The family had planned to out to dinner so, I stopped the bleeding and cleaned it good enough to determine that it was going to require stitches. I spent the evening in the ER while the family went to dinner. Took 6 stitches to close things up. Makes me feel stupid all over again when I think about it. It has been two months now, and while the wound has healed, it is still sensitive to apply too much pressure to.
 
Never had an injury, so I'm very lucky.
But I always avoid to work with dangerous machinery, like circular saws, etc.
One time I was really very lucky, glued segmented rings, and was not patient enough to wait till .......)))), and yep, the segments got airborne, lucky for me they don't hit me, so this was a lesson for me. ;)
 
I took the tip off the middle finger of my left hand on a table saw many years ago - it healed OK but my guitar playing was never the same again!

Then last year I did exactly the same thing to the same finger on my jointer.

Ouch!

My biggest injury however, was when blowing the harp with my blues band! During a solo I was striding from table-top to table-top in a crowded bar when a table gave way. I went down in a pile of broken beer glasses. In true show-biz style I didn't miss a beat and jumped back up on a table.

The band stopped playing when they realised I was spraying blood around the room!

That one took 35 stitches and secured my name in local folklore!
 
...My biggest injury however, was when blowing the harp with my blues band! During a solo I was striding from table-top to table-top in a crowded bar when a table gave way. I went down in a pile of broken beer glasses. In true show-biz style I didn't miss a beat and jumped back up on a table.

The band stopped playing when they realised I was spraying blood around the room!

That one took 35 stitches and secured my name in local folklore!
Ouch!

Not nearly as bloody, but my entry into the local rock and roll folklore of my hometown was knocking myself unconscious by hitting my head on a low bar stage ceiling at the end of 'Won't Get Fooled Again". Doing my best Pete Townsend scissor kick, I jumped as high as I could. Unfortunately, it was only about 8 inches. I landed on the proper "A" chord to end the third set. I'm told I played the fourth set that night, but I don't remember doing it.

:guitar: :headbang: :bonkers:
 
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm

None?

And I desparately hope to keep it that way!

Jay

And what did they say about the 60's, something like if you can remember it you weren't there? :rofl:
 
Worst injury actually working with wood? Sliced a finger open with a razor blade cutting parts for a balsa model airplane, age 11 or so. Mom was at work, the neighbor lady fainted when I went next door for help. No stitches, but took quite a while to heal.

Lately, most painful incident was hauling wood home from the store: had two 8' pieces of 8/4 oak stuck through the ski-hole, back ends in the trunk, front ends resting on the console. Some idiot cut me off, I found out how good the brakes are, and my wrist just barely kept the wood from slamming into the stereo. Was digging big splinters out of that wound for most of the next week: I'm getting pretty good at DIY exacto-knife surgery. :eek:
 
Twice, once when I was young with an ax, chopped the top of three fingers off, second was with a chisel several years ago, still have the scar, and these postings are causing it to hurt again.
 
Top