# A New Member - but an Old Soul - Introduction



## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

On Sept. 3rd, I was cutting a piece of cherry wood on my table saw, a blank for a hand mallet,
about 2"x2"x6". not big wood, but heavy. 
I don't know what happened, but, it somehow got wracked between the fence and the blade 
and it kicked back into my face….... 
I have had many saw kickbacks in my lifetime but they always hit the mid torso with little or no damage 
to the ole bod…... I usually stand off to the side of direct line of fire to avoid such injuries.
anyway, as luck would have it, it hit me flat sided and vertical right across the left side of my face 
with the force of a line drive from a major league slugger.
well . . . it dropped me half conscious to the floor right then and there !!! like having a #9 wood 
swung by Arnold Palmer right across the left cheek and nose …... dang it HURT !!! I sat there dumbfounded 
for a few minutes dripping blood down between my feet in a big puddle.
anyway, I pulled off my tshirt and got the bleeding under control, staggered to the bathroom 
to check the damage - - - whoooooaaaaaa NOT GOOD !!!! No bueno at ALL.
got my wallet, phone and a clean tshirt to take with me and dialed 911. it took quite awhile for the ambulance medic to get the bleeding under control and the trauma surgeon in the ER put me to sleep right away to reset 
my broken nose and sew it up (32 stitches) and then run me through the CT scanner. 
The scan showed I had a "slight" concussion and fluid on the brain as well as several facial fractures, 
4 loose teeth and a broken jaw. Spent the next 3 days in the ICU with tubes and hoses coming out of all
parts of my body. 
then following that with 4 days in "elevated care" until the swelling went down and I was somewhat 
mobile on my own.
my left eye looked like an over ripe plum for a few days but is very okay now. all the swelling is gone and my vision (by the Grace of God) is back to "somewhat" normal.
4 weeks later, the plastic surgeon did his thing to repair the fractures with a handful of screws and pins….. (another day and night in the hospital).

My wife was at work when this fiasco happened and I could not get in touch with her…... 
she came home and found the house unlocked, my car there and me gone….
then she saw huge puddle of blood at the table saw and panicked - she went to the neighbor - 
he calmed her down and went to find me, he saw the table saw, blood and me gone . . . . Then HE panicked . . . 
He called the ER and found me, he took my wife to the hospital and all was okay once she knew I wasn't dead or missing a hand or two. (or worse).
I asked the nurse to snap me a few pics to document what NOT TO DO with a power tool !!!!
I can't find my safety glasses around the table saw - I can't remember if I even had them on or not.
I have a vague blurry memory of wrapping them up in my bloody tshirt but that was tossed at the ER.

my overall vision is fairly good now with about 50% in the left eye, but, I get headaches from too much glare from a computer screen or TV and floaters the size of a fishhook in the left eye when I stand up too fast.
the fluid on the brain is gone and the concussion did not cause any permnt - pertmen - parmnte - premant - permanent drain bamage (LOL).
no matter how experienced you "think" you are with power tools, and how many safety parameters you have in place - - - accidents DO HAPPEN !!

Looking back over the accident, I think I finally figured out what happened.
I was using the dado blade which I had to remove all guards and riving knife. The next day, I was getting the cherry lathe blank ready to turn and noticed that it was a tad out of square so I ran it through the table saw 
(I had previously put the 10" regular blade back on - just not the safety guards).
Just that one nano-second of a lapse in judgment sent me almost into a coma.
I know the photos are tough to see, but, this is what can and does happen even to the professional skilled craftsmen in the blink of an eye.
The bills are still coming in and so far this little fiasco has cost me over $92,000.00 in medical bills. Wow - thank GOD I have the best insurance available.
Thank you for the warm welcome in some of my posts and I hope that I can be a positive contributor to the forum. Please try to overlook my misspellings and poor grammar. I am usually on top of my game when it comes to communicating but recently, I am not thinking as clearly as I normally do.
at 70 years old, we don't bounce back as quickly as we used to !!! going on 4 months after the accident,
the numbness on the left side of my face is 95% gone but the right eye orbit and cheek is starting to hurt.
the doctor said it is "transitional" or "migratory" pain from the initial injury compacting the bones over
toward the other side of my face….... he said it usually takes 6 months to a year to see significant recovery.
my plastic surgeon is retired USAF which spent his last 10 years at the Walter Reed US Army Hospital patching
up our wounded military veterans. So I feel that I am very Blessed to have him in my corner.
Thank you for your warm welcomes and for taking the time out of your day to read this lengthy intro.

John


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## GR8HUNTER (Jun 13, 2016)

be well my friend :<((


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Wow John….I read your story completely, and although you were severely injured, you are one lucky soul to be writing this tale of woe…!!! I certainly know about kickbacks on the table saw….About a year ago (the day before Thanksgiving, I too was running a piece of plywood on the saw, and a guy walked in the shop, and it startled me for an instance….I looked up, and didn't get the ply completely through the blade, and it grabbed the ply, and slung in into my left hand, then in to my belly….It broke all the fingers, cut 3 of them to the bone, and ripped off the index finger nail….It hit me in the gut, and knocked the wind out of me….I dripped blood all the way to the paper towel rack, wrapped up the hand, after gaining my composer, headed to the E.R. That was about 10:30 that morning, and I had to have a sonogram to check for internal injuries, which luckily I had none….My wife, too, was at work, and she knew nothing about it…I got home from the hospital about 4:00, after getting all stitched up, and guards put on my fingers…But no numbness, the fingernail grew back, and I can use all my fingers…..I know I wasn't near hurt as bad as you, but like you, I wanted to relate my story to shop accidents, and especially the tablesaw….When we take our mind off of what we're doing, disaster can strike in an instant….Hope you are doing so much better now, and be safe in the shop….!!!


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## socrbent (Mar 9, 2012)

Welcome to Lumber Jocks. Thanks for sharing your story. Glad you are still with us.


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## redlee (Apr 11, 2016)

Wow! God it could have been worse if thats any consolation. 
Kudos to you for showing the rest of us how easily you can maim yourself.
Hope you get back in the shop and make some stuff.


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

WOW, talk about a bad day in the shop!!! Hope you get to feeling better.

Welcome to Lumberjocks.


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## robscastle (May 13, 2012)

What this no pictures of the saw or the wood?
Just some handsome looking dude!

They breed them tough in the Navy!
Your Air force guy did a great job

Stay safe and well! ...enjoy Christmas!


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Hi John Welcome to LJs
Thanks for sharing your story it could help someone to avoid the same problem in the future.
So sorry you had this terrible accident I'm glad your on the road to recovery.
Have a Merry Christmas


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## Ripper70 (Nov 30, 2015)

> - John Smith


That's one handsome LumberJock! Glad you're well on your way to recovery. Hope you'll be making sawdust with a newfound appreciation for the craft.

Welcome, John.


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## HerbC (Jul 28, 2010)

John,

Thanks for sharing your tale.

Kickbacks can be bad news, obviously you know that NOW…

Take care.

Herb


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

Wow, scary indeed. Hoping for a speedy recovery!


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## gargey (Apr 11, 2016)

That stinks. It looks like they did not have to wire your jaw shut?


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## Knockonit (Nov 5, 2017)

dang, lucky soul you are,

had a fella get stuck with a huge sliver in the shop once, whilst i'd never seen anyone stuck with a spear, he did. 
Ole boy was 68 years old and had never had a shop accident, goes to show you, just a matter of time before it catches up with you.

glad yer on the mend, me thinks i'd be working on my bobbing and weaving, lol, just kidding at my age it left a long time ago.
merry Christmas
Rj in az


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## wood2woodknot (Dec 30, 2012)

I never thought much about it before but John's and Rick's stories made me realize how valuable it is to have your cell phone with you in the shop instead of trying to get yourself into the house to get to a land line. That time dfferential can be critical … if you can get there at all.

As a former victim I only lost a nail, some blood, and an eighth inch of kerf cut to a finger tip, so I realize how really lucky I was and can't imagine what John went through. Just fractions of an inch can turn a "minor" accident into something deadly.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Glad you're still with us Johnny and thanks for the PSA. Accidents do happen, even to the best and most experienced. Keep those guards on and that riving knife in place buddy! Welcome to LumberJocks!


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## mudflap4869 (May 28, 2014)

Well, now you are almost as purty as me. Between losing boxing matches and fights with tools, both my face and hands look like a disaster area. I am almost 70 and blind in my right eye. Can't read a tape measure any longer(or shorter) and scared of my power tools. Be careful in that shop, it can be a death trap, and happy sawdust making.


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

thanks for the well wishes, guys…..
this story is only HALF the story !!! more to follow once ya'll digest this one.
the appointment for the plastic surgeon was 4 weeks after the incident to allow
the swelling to go down to minimize the risk of something being out of place.
the initial plan was to wire my jaws shut during the procedure as the left bottom jaw
was about a 1/4" off (out of plumb?? LOL) so I gathered up a new blender,
all kinds of energy drinks, soft soups, etc. in preparation for the 6 week liquid diet routine.
while I was asleep during the "repairs", my jaw snapped into place by itself when
pressure was relieved from it and it stayed that way….... wow !!
so the Doc waited until I was fully conscious to discuss the wiring project.
he said if I could tolerate an Ace Bandage wrapped around the head for a few weeks
instead of wires thru the teeth, we could try that less painful route. HECK YEAH!!!
all in all, the Doc did a fantastic job cosmetically…. but the pain of a handful of
screws and pins in the face was more painful than the initial injury. and coming up
on 4 months now, there are still areas that hurt off and on …. but considering the alternatives,
I am NOT complaining!!
the first kickback that I ever saw was in wood shop class in high school around 1960.
guards?? what guards?? LOL I saw a piece of wood fly through the shop. then we were all
gathered around the table saw for a very serious "saw safety 101" chat. which I never forgot.
I have been in the woodcrafting industry for over 5 decades and have experienced many "self inflicted" 
injuries.  some sent me to the ER, most were minor with some bandages and time to heal.
I am resurrecting a vintage Sears 10" table saw with a cast iron top. I will have sleds and all kinds
of safety features in place before I ever get back to serious wood working.
in the meantime, I guess I can start a blog and get some projects posted.
I hate to ramble on like this - but I am pretty much homebound and can't play with my TOYS 
like I want to and it's really hard on the mind to go from a Buzzy Bee to a SLUG !!!

*USE THE RIVING KNIFE !! IT IS THERE FOR A REASON !!*

short Edit: I have been out of the "hobby" for about 6 years or so while renovating my old homestead
home getting it ready for sale. (it took 5 years). and my pony tail hair was down to my belt in the back
and the beard was just below my belly button.
so when I got me another lathe, it was only common sense to cut something back LOL LOL.
I have the bad habit of getting right down to the 4 jaw chuck doing intricate work and could very easily
get some scalp or chin-skin pulled off by a whirring, gnarley hunk of steel spinning at 5k rpms.

okay - back to work !!

.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

In nearly 35 years of woodworking, I've only had 2 kickbacks on the saw…...Both of them on the same left hand, and both times it broke fingers…..Be very careful out there, John….Those machines do bite…!!!


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## dday (Jun 27, 2014)

This just goes to show you that the vast number of woodworking/handyman injuries don't involve losing a finger or getting cut by a blade. How many of us haven't been bruised by a piece of wood, turned an ankle or busted our head because of a cluttered shop or burnt ourselves from a cut off piece of metal or something we just had the torch on? 
Be careful out there LJs


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

thanks for telling your story john i dont think we as wood workers can be reminded too often about the dangers in the shop.all it it takes is a split second for tragedy to strike.so maintain your equipment and keep your shop clean and organized,you cant have any fun in the er!welcome to lumber jocks john.hopefully your next story is about a great project youve built.


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## diverlloyd (Apr 25, 2013)

Welcome to the forums and lucky it was cherry and not some hard maple.


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## d38 (Sep 6, 2017)

Glad you're recovering well John. 
It is amazing how things go from good to ugly in a fraction of a second with power tools. 
I installed a Shark Guard a few weeks ago, and I'll make sure it stays on when at all possible, and also lower those pesky anti kickback pawls that have been in the "parked" position. 
Wishing you the best in 2018 with a complete recovery, and getting back to your woodworking projects.


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

Welcome to Lumberjocks

Glad you made it through


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

You know, for some reason I feel a whole lot better about converting to only hand tools. I am glad your on the mend and welcome to the funny farm. Also thanks for sharing the cautionary tail, we need these periodically to stay sharp.


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## WalkerR (Feb 8, 2017)

Welcome John! I just read through this whole thread. I often use my dado blade and have been lazy about putting the riving knife back in. I hope you gain a little bit of solace knowing that sharing your story has reminded me to be smarter and safer from now on.

I'm also going to have a conversation with the wife about the potential dangers. I don't think she has any idea about it and I'm often working when she is not home.


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## Blackie_ (Jul 10, 2011)

Welcome to Lumberjocks, and what an indroduction. Hope for a speedy recovery.


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## alanealane (Oct 1, 2007)

Thanks for posting this and welcome! I'm going to favorite this post so I can warn coworkers and friends about the reality of not using a splitter. Best wishes John!


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

Welcome! I've seen you posting some good information around. I am able to visit here more now that the list of stuff I had to do that was postponed until I retired (3 YA) got worked down. So, I'm just finding this post.


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## duckmilk (Oct 10, 2014)

Thanks for the reminder John! I'm glad to hear you are on the mend! Welcome and have a great and safe new year.


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## ruger (Feb 20, 2018)

thanks john . i don't want to forget this post. retired after 40 years turning wrenches in a ford dealership with all my fingers. woodworking is some what new to me, 4 years as a hobby. as much time and fun i have had cleaning up and some what restoring my used unisaw . i keep tellling myself when i use it , it is not my friend.


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## UncleBuck (Mar 7, 2018)

glad you are on the mend thanks for the story


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

*update:* it has been 8 months since the fiasco.
my left eye is not healing well, after all these months.
it waters constantly like I am crying (try to picture an old crying out of one eye)
and the vision is like there is a piece of scotch tape over the outside half of the eye.
the left cheek area is still a little numb. the bonk on the head is only one of many 
I have sustained over the years and now I am having some balance issues 
that my doctor thinks it is all related to this head injury.
when I make a post here, I have to review it like half a dozen times
to make sure it makes sense, grammar and spelling issues, etc.
even after I push the "publish" button, I am paranoid that something
is wrong with it. not a good place to be in (mentally).

trust me Boys n Girls - safety devices are on your equipment for a REASON.
if you tamper with them or modify them in any way or remove them,
you could very well end up in a very, very bad situation that could affect your whole family.
have fun - work safe !!

,

,


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

Yeesh. As we get older we heal much more slowly. I got hit on the head with a driveshaft a few years ago. I dropped it, it hit me, I flinched and hit my head on the driveway, and just kind of laid there for awhile. I was a space cadet for almost a year, and I didn't even bleed from the hits. Here's hoping you get better, and just realize that it may take a little more time.


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## Noskcaj (Aug 16, 2017)

John. As a recent victim of carelessness in my shop. (Not nearly as bad though) I feel your pain and disbelief that it happened to me. I still have no feeling in my finger tips. But what I really want to say to you is I am putting the guard back on my saws. I never considered what could happen on the scale as what happened to you. You know, I guess it's pride for me thinking I'm to careful for that to happen to me. 
I hope you make a full recovery and thank you so much for sharing this with us. And thank you to lumberjocks for giving us a place to share these stories. 
Rick j


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## Crashcup (Feb 11, 2015)

Just saw this post for the first time… dang! That's a heckuva kickback. Sorry to hear about your injuries. But you seem to have a good attitude about it, being thankful for your doctor(s) and good insurance. We can always say "things could be worse", or we can complain about things not being better… you seem to be in the former camp. Life is much better being optimistic.

I've only had one serious kickback - cutting some 1/8 hardboard, and it slipped under the rip fence a bit at the front edge, rotating with respect to the blade. That's all it took for the blade to grab it and throw it back into my gut. Anyway, not a lot of incidents in the shop, so I can certainly use a reminder to be safe!

Best of luck with your continued recovery. Hope your eyesight continues to get better.

Oh, and I wouldn't worry too much about your posts here… you're a good writer. The knock to the head doesn't seem to have affected that. You've got that going for you, not to mention being 70 and having all your hair!

Keith


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

thanks again for everyone's kind words.
yeah, I still have my own hair @ 70 LOL.
I am the only one in my family history since my great, great grandfather that
has facial hair and kept their head hair past the age of 35. my two younger brothers
lost all their hair in their late 20s. I often grow my pony tail down to my belt
then cut it off and grow another one. same with the beard. 
I made a photo of me in the same setting as Popcorn Sutton and we are pretty much twins LOL.










that's me on the left

.

.


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