Stupid!! Got bit by the bandsaw.

Jeff Horton

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Just one of those posts to remind everyone To be careful out there! If you were a Hill Street Blues fan you will remember that line. Here I was resawing some small 3x3 blocks to get them a little thinner. I would feed one through and use another as a push block. I was sawing on the rough (unplanned side) when suddenly the blade cut through before I expected because there was a taper in the wood. Well, it seems the push block was just about the width I was cutting and next thing I know my finger hits the blade. :eek: :eek:

After the adrenalin rush was over I dared to release my grip on said finger. Must admit I was expecting something bad since I didn't feel any pain but it was just a very minor cut with just a drop of blood. That was probably forced out by the adrenalin feed grip I had on it.:rolleyes:

I was doing something stupid, I admit that. Being self taught I didn't realize it but I do now! NEVER push with your finger inline with the blade!! :doh: :doh:

No lectures please. :eek: I feel stupid enough. I have always felt the bandsaw was more likely to get me than the table saw, guess I was right! Praise God I learned my lesson with a stinging cut and not bloody stump!
 
Thanks for the safety reminder and I am glad that the damage was negligable.

It's good for me to get a reminder like this every month or so. And I hope that it will continue to be others who give me such reminders. Not that I wish anyone any harm, but better you than me. :D
 
Jeff

Sorry for the "ding" glad it wasn't a big deal. Amazing that you can type with all that adrenaline running through your system. Three cups of coffee and I'm all over the keyboard

Take care

Jay
 
Thanks for the safety reminder Jeff. I alway try to use a push stick on the band saw, ever since I was in high school, where I almost had a similar mistake of feeding into the blade.

I say try, because like you, it will sometimes cut on the band saw and not remember to use a push stick.

One good thing about the band saw, in comparison to the table saw, is that if you stop feeding, there's nothing to bind. Opposed to the table saw where the presence of kickback is always there, and most woodworkers don't like to leave a piece of wood being rip'd just laying there between a spinning blade and the fence.

If that happens on the band saw, all the force is going down and there's nothing to bind to. It's also easy to have a large portion of the blade exposed on the bandsaw, and one needs to be careful, of course. I will often just cut the push stick to make sure the stock has passed the teeth.

Good that this was a minor incident, good to remind one to be more careful.
 
I'm glad nothing serious happend to you. Even a tool as safe as the BS can get you. I bet now you will be at high alert when turning on that saw, at least for a while.
 
glad you`re okay jeff!
myself, i`ve found that the bandsaw kinda hypnotizes me......the constant downward motion of the teeth:eek: .......i gotta really be on my toes using them...i`ve caught myself leaning my head against the blade guard more than once:eek: .......i can just see the scar (in my minds eye) right down the middle of my forehead from when the guard gave way...... be careful man! tod
 
When I see Big Blue slice through a big chunk of wood, like a hot knife through butter, it kind of scares, me, OK, it REALLY makes me respect that blade! :eek:

A motorcycle buddy has a saying, he says that we all have a "Magic Bag of Luck" and that when we are young and stupid the bag is fairly full, but as we get older we use it up. You have to arrive at a point when you stop doing stupid things, and still have some of that luck left in the bag, looks like your bag is not empty yet, which is a good thing!

:thumb:

Cheers!
 
Stu, when I was posting I was thinking of Big Blue and decided that if it had happened on Big Blue you would have had to call me 11 fingers. :rofl: :rofl:

OK, back the Lab. I think I am going to cut out some push sticks on the bandsaw. Ironic isn't it?
 
...OK, back the Lab. I think I am going to cut out some push sticks on the bandsaw. Ironic isn't it?
Sort of a chicken before the egg thing, huh?

Glad to see is was only a nick and not something much worse. I still have the mark on my forearm where I brushed it against a moving bandsaw blade a few months ago. I had turned off the saw, and was vacuuming up the sawdust from the table, but I didn't wait for the blade to stop moving. Dummy me. I touched the back of the blade and got a friction burn that only bled a little bit. Had I touched the toothed side of the blade, it would have been much worse. (Of course I now have a policy of not cleaning off the table until the blade has completely stopped moving.)
 
Nasty word fire!!!! That had to hurt. There is something about the bandsaw that makes me respect it too, don't really know what other than I've seen meat bandsaws make steaks out of a cows butt faster than you can say jack rabbit. If they'll do that a finger ain't nothing to that speeding band. Glad it was only a knick:doh: :soapbox:
 
Great news Jeff,
I try to drive more slowly and more cautious because of all the accidents I was involved in as a youth. Fotunately, we both have more wisdom now than we had prior to our last accident, and fortunately we have been spared for whatever reason. Thanks for sharing and I am so glad you are ok.
Shaz
P.S. Do not exert forward pressure in line with the blade.;)
 
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