# I don't use many power tools, I'm safer, right? No? Hello, is this thing on?



## ColonelTravis (Mar 19, 2013)

Even if you don't use much electricity in your shop, you need to think about preventing utterly stupid accidents, which is something I'm really good at not doing.

My workbench had been turning into a part-time storage table, I don't know why it took me until the other day to fix that nonsense. Oh wait, yeah I do. I'm a moron. So I put a little chisel storage rack on the back of my bench, that way I can reach over and grab a handle, not worry about poking myself with another chisel next to it, plus they won't roll off the table. Safe and practical! Today, I decided to add a shelf under the bench top to keep some things there that had been on top. While making the shelf, I was underneath the bench and lo and behold, I shifted around and banged my head straight into my largest chisel in the alleged safety storage system I'd thought was so clever. The best part - it had just been sharpened! One emergency room trip later and I had a staple in my head, thankfully it wasn't worse than one staple.

Anyway - just throwing this out there to be careful no matter what.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

Always use protection. It can prevent many types of accidents.


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## TheTurtleCarpenter (Jun 25, 2015)

Membership is Free ! unless you count bloodletting. You could have carterized it with some gunpowder and a match.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Learned a while back…you do not wear Carpenter jeans when working near a bench vise's handles. If'n the loop doesn't get caught, those little pockets down the sides of the legs will…..kind of a "Wait-a-minute!" sort of thing.

Might want to wear some steel toed shoes, though. Chisels with round handles will roll off the bench…..and head for the floor sharp end first. Least air resistance that way. Do NOT try to catch it either…...oh you will, but with a shoe.


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

Sounds like your in pretty tight with one of my best friends…Murphy!


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

I have heard chisels can roll and do some damage on your toes but never thought they can also bust your head open,sorry Colonel but we're laughing with you not at you.

If it makes you feel any better, I often bang my head on the table saw fence angle iron when I bend down to sweep under it even though I make myself aware of that stupid sharp corner beforehand but I always manage to at least hit it once.


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## GR8HUNTER (Jun 13, 2016)

that eagles fan is so correct …...LMAO


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## splatman (Jul 27, 2014)

> If it makes you feel any better, I often bang my head on the table saw fence angle iron when I bend down to sweep under it even though I make myself aware of that stupid sharp corner beforehand but I always manage to at least hit it once.
> 
> - distrbd


If that were in my shop, I would have dealt with that with an angle grinder long ago. If rounding the corner does not cut it, a foam rubber block and a dab of glue would be my Plan B.


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## onoitsmatt (Mar 7, 2015)

I've got the same setup (little chisel/handled tool holes in the back of the bench). I glued a 1×6 to the back edge as a kind of apron for the back side, this gives me clearance for *almost* all of my chisels I keep there and provides a tad more rigidity. I considered putting a bottom in it to ensure I didn't wind up with an injury like yours, but decided it would just fill with dust if I put a bottom in it. Sorry to hear about your injury. At least with hand tools, once they start cutting you, they stop right away (unlike power tools). Glad you weren't injured any worse.


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## EEngineer (Jul 4, 2008)

Always use protection.

Unless you wear a suit of armor, including gauntlets, you can't count on protection to prevent accidents (maybe!).
I defy you to work in wood like that!
/sarcasm

No, sorry, the only safety protection you really need is right between your ears!

I don't work without safety glasses, push sticks are always my friend and I spend more time creating jigs to make cuts safely than I spend on the cuts themselves. Other than that, you really need to THINK about shop safety, you can't wear enough protection to prevent all shop accidents!


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## mike02130 (Jul 23, 2016)

I've been a finish carpenter for 30 plus years and a woodworker even longer. I've done some pretty precarious moves with routers clamped upside down with a handscrew, making one inch rips with my finger as a push stick, cutting returns from the last piece of 2" scrap molding and plenty of other dumb stuff. I've never been hurt on the job site and have never hurt myself in the shop on power tools. Maybe it's because I realize that it's stupid so I'm careful.

The thing about power tool injuries is that they aren't that painful, just bloody. Hand tool injuries on the other hand, well, they can be down right painful.


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

I wish I had taken a picture of my thumb, after I was disassembling the forms for a raised perimeter foundation that I built for my previous house. I was using 2X6es for the horizontals, and 4X4s for the posts, as I had a use for them later. When I was knocking this stuff apart (with a 2 pound sledge) I hit my thumb. Eldest son (5 YO) asks, "Why are you saying those words, Daddy?", as blood drips from the thumb that is obviously going to lose the nail.

You're not a moron, you just had an accident. A moron wouldn't necessarily be able to use the equipment, after repeated careful explanation.

My favorite story of a personal injury is the time I took an oil filter off a Volvo with my bare hand. My wrist contacted the hot exhaust manifold, and I got the reverse brand of the part number of said manifold on said wrist. The only reason that it is illegible today is because other scars have obliterated it. That was 30+ YA, plenty of time for more injuries.


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

Not really funny , but I did chuckle a little. As My tee shirt says only funny till someone gets hurt, then its hilarious!


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## DirtyMike (Dec 6, 2015)

You went to the emergency room for one staple? You should change your name to President James Buchanan.


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## mike02130 (Jul 23, 2016)

I sort of chuckled over that one staple, too. Maybe he hoped for some good pills?


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