Table saw injury :(

sorry to hear about this. I’m glad to see it wasn’t any worse than this.
take care of yourself.

-- www.darrylmasterson.com ~ www.darrylmasterson.etsy.com

Good news is that you are okay, nothing permanent but the scar and ingrained memory of the incident.
It is an experience I am sure you won’t repeat again. I know I don’t make the same mistake after my accident.

-- "You get what you inspect, not what you expect"

Hope you’re OK. Thanks for posting this, it’s a good reminder to the rest of us. Be thankful it didn’t get that eye!

I’m sorry, but the contest for a knot in your work is over,your entry is too late. It is a nice one though…..
good thing it wasn’t down a little lower. I like face shield myself…......good reminder though…..........yoda

Sorry you got hurt. I do think it’s helpful to post these types of incidents though. I gives us all one more wake up call and maybe will make a little more attentive when we go in our shop. So thanks for sharing. I hope they did a good stitch job and you won’t have much of a scar. If you do, you might want to grow out some hippie hair to cover it up!—sorry couldn’t pass that one up. :-)

Seriously though – glad you are OK.

-- You can't get a hug from Facebook.

Get well…and thanks for the reminder…many of us are dealing with sharp and powerful tools…there is nothing funny about injury…nothing entertaining can be said of it…safety must be our primary concern…conscious, awake, aware safety. There are times for all of us when we do something we’ve done over and over that there is a kind of somnambulism that takes over…we can’t let it. Be awake and aware at all times and think about what is being done…and all the possibilities. And thank you Rob for this sobering reminder…

-- /\/\/\ BarryW /\/\/\ Stay so busy you don't have time to die.

The most important thing is that you’re still here. Now you and all the rest can learn from the mistake and hopefully avoid it. Haste is the enemy of quality and safety.

What was your insert made of?

JB

-- If I can't fix it, it wern't broke in the first place!

I agree with Barry, thanks for posting.

-- All bleeding will eventually stop.

thanks for the post…a very good reminder for when we get a little to easy going with our tools…..

thanks again….
Nine Fingers Tood

-- Todd, Oak Ridge, TN, Hello my name is Todd and I'm a Toolholic, I bought my last tool 10 days, no 4 days, oh heck I bought a tool on the way here! †

Wow…good thing it missed your eye. It seems almost every time I hear a story about a table saw accident the word “quickly” or “fast” is always involved. Thanks for posting this. It always helps everyone slow down and think about safety when we see the reality of what could happen

-- David, South Windsor, CT "I love the smell of sawdust in the morning"

Glad you made it through. It makes us all think about it more and that’s important. We really try not to take the tools for granted especially tools with circular saw blades. Because of your post I will continue to stop and think “OK Dan, pay attention” every time I flip that switch. So you did some good here.

BTW, this really isn’t a laps in your attention. It’s actually sort of a piece of faulty equipment that caused it which is a doubled edge sword. Yes you were paying attention, but even though you did, something still went wrong. It could happen then to even the most careful person. I’ve often pondered getting one of those polycarbonate full face shields. Maybe this is the impetus for me to jump on that one.

-- The smell of wood, coffee in the cup, the wife let's me do my thing, the lake is peaceful. http://web.me.com/deceiver6/Deceiver/Craftsman_on_the_lake/Craftsman_on_the_lake.html

Rob, this is a bummer. I am just so glad that you were not hurt any worse! I agree with the common thread that we tend to get complacent with our tools. Reminders, such as this post, help increase our awareness of the need to be cautious when using them.

Hope you get back to making some sawdust soon.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

You’re lucky thats all that happen. Be careful and think about what can happen before you turn on any power tool. Take the advice from someone that doesn’t always live by on what he preaches

Dang I bet that smarts! When we say use your noggin, we didn’t mean like that! I had something like this happen to me last year. I went out and bought the Grr-Ripper as a result.

-- //FC - Round Rock, TX - "Experience is what you get just after you need it"

Respecting your tools has been my motto and tagline since my September accident that tried to claim my thumb. I only recently regained a decent grip, because I was careless.

-- Respect your shop tools and they will respect you - Ric

There was just an ad during the Superbowl where a bystander was hit by kickback from a saw. I had a kickback once and was hit in the gut by the wood. I had an apron on which helped. The wood bounced of my gut and broke a window. I noticed later it had also broke a tooth off my blade..don’t know where it ended up..scary!

-- Ron,R.A.Shepard Woodworking,Massachusetts

@rshep55—I laughed at the Superbowl/Pepsi ad . . . even put it up on my blog on here just to enjoy a laugh occasionally, but kickback can be very serious. I’ve heard numerous stories of wood penetrating steel, brick, etc… I wouldn’t want to be in the way of it!

-- Bradley Miller, Blue Springs, MO - http://myoldgarage.blogspot.com

glad you are ok…
a reminder for us all to never take the tools for granted. This might be preventing a more-serious injury.

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

thanks for the post! it’s a good reminder to us all in the shop where there are sharp blades everywhere and motors that don’t know when to stop.

hope you get well soon, and good thing it wasn’t worse..

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

I am glad that it was not any worse for you.

I think that posting helps bring an understanding of how important safety first and accident avoidance is.

Thanks for sharing, I know it must have been tough.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Ouch. Your pic made my knees go weak.

Glad you are ok.

-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them

i think it doesn’t matter how many times we remind ourselfs of how dangerous our job or hobby is these things happen from time to time and sharing our accidents just brings home the old saying ANY TIME ANY PLACE ANY WHERE we will all get caught some how and i think we all hope it’s just a little bumpno matter how much our pride is hurt or cut

but say this i’m glad it’s just a bump on the head and i hope you get better soom friend…......

andy

-- cut it saw it scrap it

As a new woodworker, I have read about kickback and everyone saying just how powerful they can be. It’s a tough concept to grasp as to the power of a kickback and the potential dangers. You posting this photo is a noble thing to do. It gives me and im sure other newer woodworkers hard evidence as to the power of tools and the consequences they can have.

Thank you for posting, you have accomplished your goal. Seeing this photo has made me really rethink some of my techniques and evaluate how safe I am and things I can do to improve.

Who knows, such a simple act as posting this could very well save another life or at the very least someone from a serious injury.

Thanks Again
Jeff

sorry tp hear about that. Hope all is well besides a bruised ego. Been there done that and don’t want the t-shirt.

-- There is no such thing as a mistake. Its called a design modification Rick Kruse, Grand Rapids, MI

Hope your feeling better and thank you for taking the time to send out this safety reminder. This certainly makes me want to use more hand tools. Although, as I found out with a cut to my finger down to the bone in a chair class, hand tools can be quite dangerous as well.

-- Fred.... Poconos, PA ---- Chairwright in the making ----

Ouch!!! Well one thing is for sure, that was a heck of a shot man. Definitely an important safety item, sorry the cost was so high to remind all of us about kick back. Good luck and a speedy recovery.

-- Something that goes unnoticed will never be remembered.

I am sure all or most of have had incounters with flying objects on our shops – I cought the tip of my thumb once and paying attention to those tasks that we do over and over tend to be the most harmful – thanks for the reminder and posting this.

Wow, you guys are really politically correct on this site…...when I was working on highrise buildings, anyone with a knot on their head like that would be razzed for a week…..He’ll be telling stories and showing off his scar for years….we only get a few moments to have little fun…... We had a guy working with us who was in a portable toilet, a truck backed up and knocked it over/with him in it, door side down…...it was terrible…..but funny….
I already told him I was glad he was ok…..yoda

Glad that your are OK. (a little worse for the ware) Thanks for trying to keep us all honest and safe in our woodworking.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Holy head trauma Batman ! My brother sent me the link, I teach Building Trades at a Career Center we are going through table saw safety right now with my juniors. I put off allowing them use the table saw for as long as I could but the day is here. I will use your picture to help the students understand the dangers of a kick back. Thanks for sharing your pain !

Wow, this post is getting a lot of attention. Not exactly the way I wanted to be known but oh well. Glad to hear that most of you feel it is helpful to share this kind of thing. Thanks to all those who are wishing me a speedy recovery. The incident actually happened a couple months ago and I’m all healed up except for the scar. In response to the question about the saw insert … it was made of 1/2” borg “cabinet grade” ply. I thought ply was stable but I’ve learned otherwise from this site and my experience. I’m currently using mdf and it’s working fine. I’m going to have to find another plywood source for sure.

And to Woodyoda; don’t worry, I’ve received my share of razzing from my friends, family, and workmates but if you feel the need I can take more, my shoulders are strong like my forehead!:)

Get this thing!

Bbob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner