Please Follow The Rules!!!

theworx

Any of you schooled carpenters not follow the top ten rules they teach you the first day of class. I can't remember them all (without looking back at my class notes). Stuff like no booze or drugs when operating power tools, no jewellery, no loose fitting clothing, never cross cut on a table saw material that is wider than you are crosscutting (could kick back), and never cut towards yourself!!! Well I've broken many of the rules (never the booze and drug one) but for sure the crosscutting on the table saw rule many times without too many incidents.

But I have to tell you, the rule about never cutting towards yourself is a good one to follow. I'm cutting down 250 table tops for my boss with 3 mil Pvc T- mould edge right now. Yesterday I was on about my 30'th surface for the day (I've already done about 150) and was cutting the edging and my Olfa knife snapped and I drove the remainder of the blade about an inch and a half down my left index finger (lengthway). Right to the bone on the palm side. Got 6 stitches and was told I narrowly missed cutting the tendon (so I guess I was lucky that being considered).

No golf for me for a while and no playing my guitar as well. Just wanted to say (like the seargeant on NY Blue) "Be careful out there..."

Tom R

Glad to hear it wasn't too bad, worx, - - although that one's never happened to me, - - it seems to be about the most common injury/mistake . . .

Now ya better baby it for a while.

theworx

No worries Tom. I cleaned it up and covered the cut and finished my day's work (cut down 30 more tables) before I even considered the 6 hours in the waiting room at the ER. Electricians tape is a wonderful thing. I won't miss a day off work and will just have to be careful of the wound (so I don't bang it and open it up again)... Should have been that careful in the first place...

IHI

Spoken like a real feild worker!!

Nothing I despise more in life...well maybe not the top of my list, but I hate whiners that get a scrape or splinter and think they've just lost an arm I hate that!!!!!

Glad ya missed the important stuff, scars and stitches give ya character LOL!! few years ago my sazall started eating my finger when i quickly grabbed it off the floor and got the digit lodged between the blade and blade guard lil toilet paper and electrical tape, good to go the rest of the day. clean it up at home, apply some super glue to keep the gap shut and no need to ER visits either LOL!! and for the record I've been guilty of all of the above other than the drugs and drinking...at least on site, and the drugs were adolensent experimenting.

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Mike Finley

Make sure you keep it warm and in a dark place.

I heard it will heal faster.

Peladu

You and me both! There's times when one of my guys would tell me,
"Hey you know you're bleeding?"
My usual reply is, "Really, where?"

I just have figured that I have a higher pain tolerance than others.

But there are some real girlymen out there....dats fo shizzle.

Patty

Just read your post, Worx. Sorry to hear about it. Injuries,seem to come with the territory, sad to say. Take care of your wound to avoid infection and allow yourself to heal properly. And, certainly, be careful. Maybe this is God's way of giving us little reminders to be a bit more cautious and conscientious with our lives. Call it our "reality check".

Glad to hear you missed the tendon. Good aim!

theworx

Actually Patty there was no aim involved. If there was I would have missed the finger too (happened too quickly).

I think a lot of it has to do with the monotony of cutting down so many table tops in a row. The same processes over and over. Kinda dulls your mind. Like the stupid accidents you here happening to factory workers because their brain gets bored!!!

maj

That's it exactly. I am sure we have all been in the same repetitious mode on occasion and caught ourselves daydreaming. I know I have. Glad to hear you didn't take the whole finger!

I warned my wife when we got married, that because of the nature of our trade, don't be surprised if I come home with only 9 fingers some day. I know alot of carpenters & woodworkers who are missing some. To date, I still have all ten , but have had to call her once in a while to pick me up from the ER, cause they wouldn't let me drive home (drugs).

One more safety precaution to add to your list......
I don't know how many new guys I have caught trying to crosscut lumber BETWEEN the sawhorses. Not a good deal!

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theworx

Hey Maj did you phone your wife from the ER or the cop shop because of the drugs. Maybe the drugs altered your memory !!! Oh, just kidding!!!

Have you guys ever found that when you cut yourself real bad it doesn't seem to hurt as much as the little cardboard like cuts or slivers. Weired because this was a good one and right from the time it happened really hasn't caused me any pain (a little discomfort at best)???

snapper21

I did the similar in the young buck days. Cutting fire stop drywall peices for a basement. I got too good for that job and neglected the rules. Chopped the top of one finger nearly off (lifted like a lid) and ran right across the back of my thumb down to the bone. Few stitches as well. But I think it's normal protocol for them to say you were lucky not to get a tendon. Heard that from him too. Also heard it from a doc in S.C. when I was cutting line (surveying) and got too cocky sharpening my machete. Can't even see that scar. Now that's a sharp machete.

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theworx

Have lost a few fingertips too snapper. I hate when your knife jumps over the t-square because you're trying to go too fast. Those ones hurt because that area is tender (all the nerve endings) and basically it's raw until the skin regenerates. My older more experienced partner (who I no longer work with) taught me a better technique after seeing me cut myself a few times. It all comes down to "Don't cut towards yourself or your other hand"...

IHI

Worx: I agree, the big ones dont hurt a bit from the time you cut to the time it heals...the only thing I found with bad ones...since I gave up ER for stiches years ago, is that until I glue it shut the skin popping itself open and close with the bending of the finger is weird feeling, and if I think about it oo much makes me sick to my stomache for some reason LOL!! Dont why why, it just does.

I've had some hairey azz things happen to me, and other than some cus words, been no big deal and nothing to stop me from working the rest of the day....but getting a shot, IV put in, blood drawn, or being in a room where a needle is present....I'm a little girl, scared to death of them lil things, just knowing a sharp piece of steel is going to be manually inserted under my skin intentionally is too mcu for me to bear....wish they could just have somebody run past me and jab me with it when I dont expect it.

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Teetorbilt

My first experience with tablesaw injuries was when dad came home with two of his fingers in his coat pocket and a third hanging on by a piece of skin and meat. I think that I was 5, anyway it made an impression.

About 30 yrs. later I'm running a big piece (4 X 18) through a saw and it kicks back. It's the end of the cut and I'm slacking. The piece fires back and breaks my pelvis.

I have never lost respect for those machines.

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RobertCDF

I am with 100% there buddy I am that SAME WAY. I always play with my injuries because they feel funny. I also never goto the doc or hospital. And needles... AAHHHH dont even get me started... my wife makes fun of me all the time. It would be so much easier if they could just run my and jab ya while you were talking to someone or something like that.

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RobertCDF

When I was younger (16? or so) I was using a table saw and had a 12"x12" x 1/2" particle board piece kick back into my stomach/ribs... I may have cracked a rib (never went to the doc to find out though (I mean what can they do anyway?) I yellped in pain for a minute when inside the house and looked at it. Sat for a minute to calm down and went and got mad that my piece got scarred.

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theworx

5000 rpm, a ten inch blade, that sucker is coming at you at 125 MPH. No wonder you got hurt!!! Had stuff kick back but never got hit (guess I was lucky)!!! By the way that skin and meat thing hits home. I've seen friends in that situation and although I've helped them it's not easy without chucking you cookies!!! If I hurt myself it's one thing but to see someone else like that is hard to take...