# days when you feel youre gonna get injured.



## Greedo (Apr 18, 2010)

am i the only one who occasionally has this feeling where you just know something bad will happen?
when you feel that you have trouble concentrating and that youre unevitably gonna make a mistake or get injured.
usually when i have this feeling i end up routing on the wrong side, slip with the chisel in my hand or assemble something upside down.

today was one of those days and what happened is that my hand got caught by the miter saw blade!
was making a 60 degree cut with my kapex, this only works with the saw turned right and the blade is almost facing you. i wore thin wool gloves for some reason wich i never do. i made my cut lifted the saw up a bit but not enough for the blade guard to close and let go the saw to reach with my right hand instinctively to the piece laying under the saw, and my hand got caught by the spinnning blade. it felt like reaching out your hand in the air and someone hitting it with a baseball bat.
i thought S**T! lifted up my hand to see the glove was open from the upper half of my hand to the under half, then i looked at my skin and i only had 3 verry small cuts wich hardly bled!

another lesson learned, i greased up the whole saw with silicone spray so it operates much more smoothly and goes up on it's own. but from now on i aint letting it go anymore untill the blade has stopped spinning!


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## Dcase (Jul 7, 2010)

Before I finished reading your post I was thinking of a reply advising you not to lift the arm of the saw until the blade stopped but you addressed it at the end.

My saw is the same way and when I have made cuts like that I am always a bit worried, especially if its a small piece. I always wait for the blade to stop before I lift the arm on those cuts. I have never been real worried about the blade hitting my hand but more about the blade kicking the wood at me after the cut.

As for the gloves as you all ready know you shouldn't wear them when using the power saws. My garage shop has no heat and I have caught myself a few times this winter making cuts with my gloves on. Just a few days ago I was setting up my table saw to make a few cross cuts and I turned it on and before I made the cut I stopped and remembered to take my gloves off. I heard a horror story before about a guy getting his hand pulled into the blade because of the gloves. Its hard when its so cold but you just have to keep it in mind. I would much rather have cold hands then NO hands.

Most all woodworkers on here probably know this but its good to post stuff like this to keep us all in check. We all slip up and don't think at times.


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## Dcase (Jul 7, 2010)

Before I finished reading your post I was thinking of a reply advising you not to lift the arm of the saw until the blade stopped but you addressed it at the end.

My saw is the same way and when I have made cuts like that I am always a bit worried, especially if its a small piece. I always wait for the blade to stop before I lift the arm on those cuts. I have never been real worried about the blade hitting my hand but more about the blade kicking the wood at me after the cut.

As for the gloves as you all ready know you shouldn't wear them when using the power saws. My garage shop has no heat and I have caught myself a few times this winter making cuts with my gloves on. Just a few days ago I was setting up my table saw to make a few cross cuts and I turned it on and before I made the cut I stopped and remembered to take my gloves off. I heard a horror story before about a guy getting his hand pulled into the blade because of the gloves. Its hard when its so cold but you just have to keep it in mind. I would much rather have cold hands then NO hands.

Most all woodworkers on here probably know this but its good to post stuff like this to keep us all in check. We all slip up and don't think at times.


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## childress (Sep 14, 2008)

I've learned to walk away before anything happens when I have those feelings….Take a break until you feel good, even if it's for the rest of the day.


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## HallTree (Feb 1, 2008)

*"untill the blade has stopped spinning"* 
We should all have this posted in large letters in our shops!
Thanks


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

OMG !

I'm glad you're okay. A few minor cuts … is nothing compared to what you COULD have lost !!

As I'm not shy about saying …. I've got a lot of trouble with my eyes-focusing, alignment, pain, pain meds, etc., etc., etc.

There are LOTS of days when I simply CANNOT be safe, or-at least-don't feel confident in my ability TO be safe.

There are other days, too, when … I tromp down the stairs to my basement shop, turn on all the lights, and …. after a few minutes … decide that I'm not okay. I might vacuum the shop or clean up a little, but … I always head back upstairs.

It's like my motorcycle, or my car: if I don't feel like I'm at MY 100% ... I won't risk my health or anybody else's.

Heal quickly !


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## arevee (Jan 11, 2011)

Sometimes no matter how safe you think you are being STUFF HAPPENS yesterday I was able to take my profile picture after a pc of quarter inch plywood came flying back at me. the gaurds were all in place and I still got it.


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## flyingoak (Nov 21, 2009)

When I get the feeling I walk away. I have really bad luck in general and dont like tempting fate. I also listen to that little voice in my head that says "...... if you do this that way you will get hurt…...."


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## TheWoodsman (Jun 21, 2010)

I am always very "aware" when I use saws. However, last Wednesday, for whatever reason, I caught my left middle finger under my Castle machines pneumatic hold down. The obvious reaction was to yank my hand out from under the hundreds of pounds of force of the hold down. This immediately removed the entire finger nail. The first look at the finger tip - totally flattened, folded forward and split apart at the front - made me feel very queasy. The blood started flowing in a hurry as I went to my first aid kit and wrapped it up. I pushed it all back together and wrapped it. The next day, I put a fresh wrap on it, slipped my hand into one of those knit gloves with latex rubber grippy stuff and went back to work in order to finish a job which needed to be delivered on Friday. By the end of the day, the blood escaping from the capillaries under the finger nail had completely soaked the inside of the glove . . . but never stained any wood I was working on. In addition, the glove did a great job holding the finger tip together and allowing it to start healing in the correct shape. I should've gotten a few stitches but, being self-employed with a $2500 deductible, seeing a doctor would've just been an expensive inconvenience. After a week, it is healing nicely although there are some very tender nerves exposed where it split apart on the end which hurt like heck when they get bumped.


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## HerbC (Jul 28, 2010)

I'm probably the guy Dan's thinking about who got hurt because of wearing gloves while using a table saw. I told my story in my first blog post.

I'm glad to hear that you weren't seriously injured this time. Hopefully there will not be a next time. If you feel that something might go wrong, stop, turn off the machine, take a break, think about what your doing and be certain you're ready to totally concentrate on doing the task safely before you resume.

Be Careful!


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## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)

Sometimes I get that tired and disconnected feeling when working in the shop. I feel tired and struggle to concentrate. Its like the vibes are off. Nothing seems to go right. I used to get this feeling sometimes in sports (tournament tennis) and I would attempt to force myself to concentrate and pay attention. In sports that was OK, because if I wasnt successfull I just lost. In the shop when this happens, I walk away and try it again another day. Its just too dangerous and isnt worth an accident.


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## bubbyboy (Jan 10, 2011)

Spent the better part of my day sitting in the shop just talking with my buddy because I just knew something was going to happen. So….. I never turned on a machine. I finally decided to go home when the feeling would not go away and I was not going to take any chances. Pulled into my driveway and promptly ran my truck into the garage door trying to get just a little bit closer. Sometimes, its better just to stay in the lazy boy but today I would probrably have fallen out of that, Stay safe and be extra careful when you have those hunches.


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## Dobler (Sep 12, 2010)

I'm amazed that there are so many of use that have or have had the same feelings about working in the wood shop. I'm glad I read this and it just reinforces, if you have that gut feeling, walk away. I was at one time an industrial electrician and would get that sensation. No room for error!
Thanks!!


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## canadianchips (Mar 12, 2010)

I have those days. I always tell people I have to be in the mood. (They think I am crazy when I say it BUT) I have learned to just quit working that day and do something else ! Trying to continue just makes things worse. (Cut the pieces wrong, drill holes right through, etc,etc,) Next day I go back and do the same job and its like everything just falls into place, without any effort.


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## rivergirl (Aug 18, 2010)

Ditto to Mtnwild. Somedays nothng just works.


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## agallant (Jul 1, 2010)

I have those feelings too. I am most comfortable with my table saw so I use it for most everything. I rarley use other tools. Table saw and jointer are what I use 90% of the time. I even cut crown molding for my house on my table saw. I do get very nervous when I use other tools though like my router. I always try to pause for a moment before I turn something on and get togeather a game plan in my hand of where my hands are going to be and how I am going to make the cut. I find when I do get hurt is when I don't pause first to get my game plan going. It took me a while to train my self to just not turn on a tool before thinking of what I am doing. Also after I am done cutting I stop to think about any close calls I may have had. The other weekend I was batch jointing on my table saw and reached over the spinning blade. I did not think much of it at the time but next time I do it I will make sure that it is in my pre-cutting pause.


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

Ive had that feeling plenty of times and when i get that feeling i usually end up bleeding. Ive been trying for the last year or so to remind myself that tomorrow is another day. The last time i had that preminition i was saying to myself … chisel in hand … "if this thing slips im gonna impale my hand with it" ... guess what happens next. Chisel slips, i got lucky and just nicked a finger.


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## devann (Jan 11, 2011)

Yes, I have those same feelings too sometimes. I see by the post here that we're not alone. Wiat until the cutter stops has gotta be one of the most important rules in the shop! I've been using woodworking power tools for many years and the one tool that lots of my peers have been injured with the most is the power mitersaw. One trick I've learned is to use a rip of MDF clamped to the saw fence. This offers two advantages, one it keeps small pieces from shooting out the back of the saw and flying around, and two, I use it has a reference to line up the stock for a cut. ( you don't need your laser so much) Clamping it to the fence instead of screwing it to the fence makes for easy removal of the MDF to change the angle for the cut. You'll get prettier cuts as this eliminates tearout on the backside of stock. 
To cut small pieces I get a scrap the same thickness has the piece to be cut, place it far enough away from workpiece to put a piece of scrap wood on top across to the workpiece to act as my finger to hold down the small piece I need to cut. This is kinda like the push stick theory with a tablesaw, It's better to cut a scrap piece of wood than your fingers! 
I'd also like to share something about how I use a tablesaw. I make, out of plywood, replacement inserts that fit around the blade. I use a different one for each angle that I need to set the sawbalde at. This keeps smaller pieces from falling onto the spinning blade and becoming little missiles shooting back at me.
And let's remember the loose clothing rule, this includes drills and routers. Be safe out there folks, and remember if you think what you're doing might not be safe then it problaly isn't. "Respect the Steel" is a phrase I use in the shop alot. Without the steel we can't work.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

When I was having very bad daily migraines, I would get premonitions about lots of things; some trivial and some not. Everything from knowing the train would be blocking the road when I got there to stock market bottoms 3 times in the dot Com Bust and 911 crash. It was just like seeing into the future but not being able to change it. One doctor who is a nationally known migraine researcher told me that is common in migraineurs.

One day I was core drilling a 2 inch hole though a 6 inch concrete wall. I started to force the drill a little. I had a premonition it was about to fall down. The drill, motor and mounting bracket weighed about 100 pounds and was mounted 8 feet in the air. I took it easy. When I was done, I pulled on the concrete anchors. They are usually set to where you have to break them off. These pulled out. There was nothing holding the saw but shear force on the anchor by the weight of the saw;-((

I was biding a job in an old historic earthquake up grade. They had an elevator shaft that was going to be converted to a duct shaft and wire chase. When I got near it, I had a horrible feeling. I have never been afraid of heights. The job schedule was delayed until it interfered with our vacation so I did not take the contract. About the time I would have been working in that elevator shaft if I had taken the contract, I fell off a ladder and was unconscious for several minutes. I was very fortunate to not be seriously injured, but concrete is quite hard and I was a bit sore for a couple weeks. Considering all the other premonitions, I am about 99% sure not taking that job may have changed fate from a fall down the elevator shaft to a fall off the ladder.


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