Since I’ve been getting a little antsy, I decided to take advantage of nice weather in our area last week and over the weekend, so I broke out the table saw and other tools again. As my signature says… “Respect your tools, and they will respect you”, was the pep talk I gave myself, before I scrubbed the saw up, and got back to work.
I’d first like to say that I should have known the day was gonna be bad, when I stopped by and picked up breakfast at, well, a place that has a mascot with a big round head and pointy yellow hat, and looked at the O.J. carton… Look closely at the best by date… hehehe
Less than an hour later, I was on the way to the hospital to wait and wait and wait, before the Doctor at the hospital had me transported to another hospital, because he didn’t feel confident stitching my thumb back together. By the end of the night, roughly 12 hours after I sliced the thumb on the table saw, my hand was wrapped up and had a partial cast that looked like this…
Now, 4 weeks to the day since the accident, I’m glad to say that my thumb is healing nicely and I have (thankfully) mostly full use of my right hand, which is good since that’s my writing hand. It still tingles and occasionally itches like crazy, and isn’t the prettiest site in the world (no not gonna show pics at this point), but the Doc I saw a few weeks ago, said I should be as good as before my accident, within about 6 months. At the rate I’m going, I don’t think it’ll take so long, but you never know.
It only takes a momentary lapse of reason as they say, not paying as much attention as you think you are, to find yourself in a position like mine, if not FAR worse. Be safe, work safe and pay attention.
-- Respect your shop tools and they will respect you - Ric
13 comments so far
SCOTSMAN
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2244 posts in 481 days
posted 422 days ago
the carton was not from CHINA was it anything goes there. Sorry about your pinky digit er thumb hope it will heal soon Alistair.
-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease
oldskoolmodder
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707 posts in 576 days
posted 422 days ago
hahaha, no, not as far as I know Alistair. I’m posting projects right now that I was able to work on this past week and weekend. So I’m doing as fine as I can.
-- Respect your shop tools and they will respect you - Ric
Scott Bryan
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20707 posts in 718 days
posted 422 days ago
I wish you nothing but the best. Your accident is a sobering reminder that this is one of the hazards that all of us who pursue this hobby/profession face. Hopefully your cautionary reminder will help someone else avoid this type of accident. I hope that you are “back in the saddle” soon.
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
HokieMojo
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1142 posts in 624 days
posted 422 days ago
Hope you heal quickly and fully. follow the daoctors orders to a T!
WoodMosaics
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99 posts in 428 days
posted 422 days ago
The tool was respecting you, it didn’t take your whole hand, and it was just giving you a nudge to remind you.
-- It’s not so much what we know that causes the trouble, it’s what we know that’s not so.
Rustic
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1250 posts in 492 days
posted 422 days ago
Take care of the hand and it looks like you may have grounds for a law suit with the O.J.
-- There is no such thing as a mistake. Its called a design modification Rick Kruse, Grand Rapids, MI
oldskoolmodder
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707 posts in 576 days
posted 422 days ago
Thanks Guys…
Nah, no lawsuit, because it’s a Coca-Cola Product, If it was a Pepsi product, well, then… I just get a lot of humor thinking about that day, when I see that Pic. Thought it would bring a laugh that the date was SO wrong.
-- Respect your shop tools and they will respect you - Ric
MsDebbieP
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14159 posts in 1056 days
posted 422 days ago
yah, you should have just gone back to bed at the site of that date, Rip Van Winkle.
sorry about the accident and I hope recovery is fast and effective.
-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
teenagewoodworker
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2482 posts in 664 days
posted 422 days ago
hope you make a quick and full recovery so you can get back to making some sawdust ….. carefully :)
3fingerpat
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909 posts in 563 days
posted 422 days ago
I feel your pain brother, hope you recover as well as I have or better.
-- "You get what you inspect, not what you expect"
RDS1
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26 posts in 507 days
posted 422 days ago
Welcome to the CutFinger Club! I’m a charter member. Hope your thumb doesn’t tingle every time it’s hit for the rest of your life like mine :)
-- Bob Schilke
oldskoolmodder
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707 posts in 576 days
posted 421 days ago
Thanks folks, the thumb is doing as well as it can after such a short time. It’s at the tingles a lot stage, and not so easy as you can imagine, to grasp like I’d like to. Being a righty, it’s hard to write sometimes, but then I find that other times, I write even better with my new found “grip”. I’ve got lots of projects in mind and a few that actually pay as well, coming up. Yeah, hitting the tip where a majority of the stitches are/were, still makes me mad at myself.
-- Respect your shop tools and they will respect you - Ric
rikkor
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11335 posts in 770 days
posted 421 days ago
I am passing my sincere wishes for a complete recovery. The rest of us must learn from your misfortune, or we are doomed to suffer as you.