Menu
What's new

My turn * Thumb messed up

Jeff Horton

Jeff Horton

Member
Messages
4,272
Location
The Heart of Dixie
I was not going to post but might save someone dealing with this. This morning I was cutting some stingers using a sled. Cutting out knots from 5/8" stock. Cut in front of the knot. Then made a cut behind the knot and the small piece fell off on the sled. I pulled the sled back to remove the stock.

What happened then I am honestly not clear on. But apparently the cut off piece was launched by the blade into my thumb. It took the thumbnail off. Yes off! Needless to say taking some other parts of the thumb I wanted to keep with it. X-rays reveal a chipped bone. Trip to the Orthro Doc Friday. Not the morning I was hoping for!

So watch those cutoff pieces. This is the only the second time I have seen the loose piece go flying.
 
Sorry to hear about the accident Jeff.:( Glad you still have thumb. Thanks for the posting. I find these postings very valuable. Keep the safety aspect top front and center and it has certainly helped me over time. I do a lot of things very differently since all these accident posts.

One of the most recent comments that woke me up was a guy saying if he has three things go wrong in a particular time in the shop he closes up and heads inside. I have since adopted that too.

Thanks for the post. Hope it all gets better soon.:thumb:
 
Sorry to hear this news Jeff, but like Rob said, telling
about it might just save someone else the pain.
Hope things go o.k. at the doc's and you heal quickly.:thumb:
 
Thanks for post and for the reminder to be safe. Glad it wasn't worse. I have seen sleds with guards and have often thought about it. Maybe I'll stop thinking and add one. At least to my miter sled which is used for small items and therefor creates small cutoffs.
 
Hard to type so ignore typos. "I think" i know what caused this. Went to the shop to cleanup if needed and was thinking about it. Looking the sled I think I see my problem.

The cut-off falls onto the sled. When I pulled the sled back, it brings the cutoff to the blade. I am thinking that is when the blade picked up the scrap and tossed .... heck LAUNCHED it at me. My thumb was just in the trajectory path.

No sign of my thumbnail or the piece that hit me. I would love to show how small that part was. Small and light weight cedar but it did a lot of damage. Not going to show my thumb but even the ER nurse winced.
 
heal quickly jeff!
my most damaging injuries have all been "small-part" kickbacks, stay out of the line of fire!
 
Sorry to hear about that accident, and glad for not being as severe as it could have been.
I appreciate you posting it as it will act as a reminder to all of us.

Hope you heal soon:wave:
 
Must be the week for shop accidents. Here's hoping we both heal quickly. And I know what you mean about the fat thumb, only mine is my left pinky. Mine happened on the dreaded drill press. I had the piece braced against the post, so thought I was safe from the piece (metal) being grabbed....not so. And this was the second hole. I can only think that the front of the piece got thrown against the post, pinching my little finger and mashed/cut right at the inside of the first joint. Went to Doc in the Box first as that is what my insurance company tells us to do. Wasted trip and money, cause they saw it spray one time and backed off.:rofl: Didn't even hit them. :huh: Since it was an artery, the Dr. wasn't comfortable doing anything. She was afraid it would need a hand surgeon. Man, did that make me see $$$$$$. Sent me to ER. 4 hours for 5 stitches. Nice young doctor though. Almost sprayed him and the attendant that was taking notes on the portable computer for him. Boy did her eyes get big!!:D
So watch the small pieces, and never drill on the DP without clamping the item down. :thumb: Jim.
 
Ouch, Jeff. That sounds like it hurts. Dang! They say it's the really good skiiers who get hurt the worst. Guess it's true for woodworkers too. Hope things work out. How long does it take a nail to grow back?

Be well!

Thanks,

Bill
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top