Careful with that table saw Eugene!

[GoingMobile]

Almost finished with the buildout of my Ford Transit cargo van. Using a table saw to finish a few pieces of trim for the upper cabinet doors. Only trimming about 1/2" off of long strips, my left hand holding the piece went into the saw blade and sliced through my index finger like a split hot dog. Thanks to the ER doctor for stitching it all back together. Didn't hit the bone and I'm told it should eventually heal okay.

In hindsight, I should have clamped a piece of wood to the top to hold the piece being cut in place while using the stick to push it forward. Don't be in too much of a hurry as I was and please be deliberate thoughtful and careful with your power tools. I'm lucky it wasn't worse.

Put my project on hold for a bit. I'll post pictures when I get back to it.

 

[kklowell]

Wow, you're lucky that wasn't a whole lot worse! I hope it heals quickly for you!

 

[Freelander]

I have a little finger with the tip missing, you got lucky!!!

 

[Ripper238]

Thankfully it was not an Ax.

Hope it heals quick!

 

[John in Montreal]

Circular saw with a straight edge makes nice cuts and safer.

 

[mudbunny]

Been there done that. Maybe not as bad as yours, only 8 stitches and a missing finger nail. Taught both of my boys carpentry and it was hell to pay when they found out.

 

[MGfromBC]

My Dad was a real advocate for safety with power tools. I've adopted his practices. One of his rules was to never have a switch on a table saw. If it's unplugged it's off. Anyway, he was 72 when he stuck his left thumb in the table saw blade. It doesn't even take a second.

MG

 

[GoingMobile]

My Dad was a real advocate for safety with power tools. I've adopted his practices. One of his rules was to never have a switch on a table saw. If it's unplugged it's off. Anyway, he was 72 when he stuck his left thumb in the table saw blade. It doesn't even take a second.

MG

Yeah, it happened in an instant. I didn't really notice how much damage had been done until a couple of minutes had passed. Just felt a stinging in my thumb, which was the less damaged digit. I got too cavalier about using it after using it all the time this year.

 

[user 423]

Ouch!

 

[VernContra]

Yes, it is a good idea to be careful around the table saw. My name is Eugene and this is what happened to my hand in 1987. It broke the middle finger-2nd joint also.
I hope it heals well for you. Good luck!

 

[GoingMobile]

Yes, it is a good idea to be careful around the table saw. My name is Eugene and this is what happened to my hand in 1987. It broke the middle finger-2nd joint also.
I hope it heals well for you. Good luck!

Thanks Eugene, I realize I've been fortunate not to lose the end of my finger so far. Came close. I was referencing an early Pink Floyd song titled; "Careful with that Axe Eugene" in my original post. It was written in the early 1970s.

 

[NctryBen]

Welcome to club hard knocks and chopped fingers. Yes it happens fast...
Hope ya heal fast and well. Took me a while to be able to tie my fishing line for a few years. The finger they saved didn’t have feeling for a long time. The one I lopped the end off still feels like it’s all still there. But I’m getting used to it! Even with precautions people make mistakes...

 

[gizmotron]

I was referencing an early Pink Floyd song titled; "Careful with that Axe Eugene" in my original post. It was written in the early 1970s.

I got that. I saw them play that live in a concert for just 400 people back in the 60's. BTW, been a carpenter since the early 70's. Only one close call with a skill saw. I hade the guard wedged back so I could work faster. I forgot to turn the spinning blade away from me as the blade was winding down as I went to set it down and it caught my jeans down low above my ankles and shot right up my leg leaving teeth marks in my jeans almost all the way up to my waist. Then the saw flew out of my hand and missed my fingers on the way. I never wedged the safety guard back ever since. And I still have all my fingers almost 50 years later.

 

[gsfish]

You did better than a friend of mine back in the 80's.

He was on his first day at a woodworking shop and they had him running wood through a table saw that was cutting a 3/4" wide groove with a DADO blade. As he explained to me later from his hospital bed it was very difficult to push the wood through against the blade and then he had the great idea that if he ran the wood through from the other direction it would PULL itself through!

Of course it DID pull it through, like a bullet, raking his left hand across the blade. It made his dream of making a living with his guitar much more challenging but not impossible.

Ummagumma!

Guy