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Your momentary loss of concentration can cost you!

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Ken Fitzgerald

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Earlier this week I began constructing a wood storage rack that requires quite a few dados on 8' 2x4s.

Early this afternoon, I was cutting those dados with pattern bit....turned off my plunge router.....I didn't wait for the bit to spin down. I flipped it over to adjust the base to adjust it to cut another 1/4". My mind was elsewhere and my wrist made contact with the still spinning bit.

As the PA said as she sewed it up.....it's like sewing up a puzzle...luckily I put some together with my kids at Christmas.

14 stitches later, I'm home.

Don't let anything distract you!
 
Wow that hits close to home. I don't know how many times I've turned off my router and almost cut myself on the spinning bit because of carelessness.

Thanks for the slap to the back of the head Ken.

Sorry about the stitches. Sure glad for you that it wasn't worse.
 
Owww is right! Thanks for the reminder, and I'm truly sorry you are in the position to be giving it to us. Heal up quickly, Ken. :thumb:
 
larry merlau said:
well ken,, you got lucky agian.. glad you came out well as you did.. heal up soon and have a scottish ale tonight to settle the nerves..
Click to expand...

Actually I had 3 Dos Equis Amber ales when we took the neighbors out to supper. They provided the ambulance service as Sharon was having lunch with some friends at the time.
 
Ouch, that could have been really bad. Glad to hear you're ok.

I feel more justified about my paranoia about the router and being extra careful with it (but yeah a momentary blurr!! it happens).
 
The wrist is a very bad spot to cut (as you know) -- heal quickly and no more Suicide cuts to the wrist!

Paul G
 
Paul....while it's starting to get very sore now.....I was more worried about tendon and nerve damage.....Luckily I had neither!
 
Hope the pain isn't too much - recover soon!

Do any routers have an auto brake when turned off? Probably wouldn't hurt to have one on a table saw, bandsaw, etc.
 
Glad it wasn't worse and you will heal.
Reminds me of comments my son, the ER physician, said to me first time he saw my shop. He said he gets at least three or four guys in my age group a month who have amputated fingers, or worse, in a ww shop. And, he says they all say the same thing......."I never do it that way, but just this once.........". :eek: Yes, stay concentrated.
Even more scarier.....in my church is a member who is in his 80s and has a parkinson-like condition. He almost always spills his coffee. He shakes constantly. But, he has a ww shop and loves to make things. He made a steeple for our church and climbed the roof to install it himself. Talk about scary.
 
Ken I am very glad to hear you came out of this ok. Thanks for sharing it, it keeps us all alert to the fact that these things can happen to any us any time.

Distraction is my biggest safety concern. Sometimes its hard to mitage especially when other parties are involved. I have tried to tell family not to sneek up on me in the shop or to quietly come in and stand to wait to speak to me about something. The often startle me and that is a recipe for accidents.

I am beginning to think i might make up a graphic poster and hang it in the shop for them to get the message and remind myself about safety. I dont have a good statistical track record on personal safety, so far nothing in the shop, but leave it to me to do myself injury in all other life situations. :)

Posts like yours have often echoed in my head and had me reach for a safety device when i was simply going to wing it without it. Thanks. Now i will touch wood to hope it dont come my way.
 
Yikes! :eek: Glad you're OK. I know its obvious but, unplunge your router after the cut; that's what they do ;-) These things happen quick. thanks for posting a reminder that no matter how strong or quick we think we are in our mind, our tools are stronger and quicker than we think . . . and sharp too. Heal quick!
 
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