# Why its called Scary Sharp... Ouch!



## Dcase (Jul 7, 2010)

I am a bit embarrassed and very upset with myself but its just another one of those cases where an injury happens due to someone just not paying close enough attention. I figured I would share my story just to help others keep safety in mind even when doing the most basic stuff.

So this past weekend I was sharpening my planer/jointer knifes using the scary sharp method. I had 3 blades to hone and I only used a couple grits of very fine micro film with some baby oil on the film. After I finished honing the blade on each grit I would wipe the oil off the blade with some paper towel.

Well I had just finished on my last grit with my last blade and when I went to wipe the blade off with the paper towel I made the dumbest most stupid mistake I could have made and I wiped the blade off along the sharp side with the sharp side facing me. I could feel the blade slice right through two of my fingers. As soon as I felt it I let out a yell not just because of the pain but because I realized exactly what happened and I couldn't believe I made that mistake. Everyone knows when you whipe a blade or knife you do it with the sharp edge facing away from you. I guess with 3 blades I just lost my focus and I was not even thinking when I wiped the last one off.

My hands and fingers are no strangers to cuts but this one takes the award as being the worst. The blade cut the very tip of both my middle and ring fingers. In fact had the cut been just a little higher on my middle finger it would have sliced the very tip of my finger off above the nail. I kept pressure on it for a few min but I couldn't get it to stop bleeding so I grabbed the super glue and poured it over the cuts. The next morning I peeled the glue off and cleaned them up well.

Just thinking about the sharp blade slicing through my fingers gives me chills. Its just such an awful feeling when it cuts that deep. I have learned my lesson though. I will never be making that mistake again. Again it just goes to show that you always have to keep that stuff in mind.

I do have pictures but was not sure if they would be to graphic or not so I just decided not to post them.


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## dlmckirdy (Oct 27, 2009)

On friday, I was hanging some new interior doors. While morticing out for the hinges, the door started to slip. I instinctively changed my grip on the door to where I was holding it "downrange" of the Scary Sharp chisel…

I am now sporting a VERY clean 1/2" cut fully through the skin and fat layer on the web between my thumb and fore finger. I did not penetrate into the muscle nor any nerves, etc. I washed it out with clear running water for a minute, then applied direct pressure for about ten minutes - very little blood now, so I had time to put a couple surgical strips on to close the wound. I finished hanging the door, then went back and properly cleaned the wound and placed new strips and a waterproof cover tape so that I could continue working.

You are right about that stupid feeling when youu do something like this when you know better!

Take care, hope you heal quickly.


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

Egads.

Heal quickly.

I am NOT going to use this thread to admit that the same thing has happened to me. Maybe not as bad, but … a nice slice, while finishing off honing a blade.

And … neither is anybody else LOL !


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## donjohn24 (Oct 15, 2010)

At one time I had a fancy for using a cut-throat razor after a barber-shop shave for a special occasion proved so effective.

Once I got the hang of where the handle went, it was fine, although a bit scary at first.

It was OK as long as I used the blade 'up-and-down', but if I ever moved it 'sideways' it sliced into me very efficiently. The strange thing was that I 'knew' I was about to cut myself whenever I made that wrong movement, but I did it anyway ????

Nowadays I use one of those multi-blade razors, but as I have a beard, it is only for keeping sides and neck tidy.


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## Dcase (Jul 7, 2010)

Not to sound gross but I am going to leave all the little drops of blood that dripped on the piece of MDF that I use to hold the glass sheet. That will always be a reminder to myself to be more careful.


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## reggiek (Jun 12, 2009)

Ouch. Just wanted to add my been there done that. I have some nice scars to prove it.

Interesting that this happens when you lose focus. I try force myself to take more breaks and to be sure I am ready to focus when I go out to the shop. There is just too many things out there that can get me….even the small stuff.

Heal quickly….and be thankful that the lesson was not worse (I remind myself this littany when I feel so stupid for doing something I should know better not too). Safety is what we all need to practice every time we are in the shop….remember it is not "cool" to work without safety and protection….just dumb.


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

aaauuuch what a boomer ….heal quickly….becourse if you cuold feel the knife cutting thrugh the skin
it wasn´t sharp enoff :-(

*Remember to care out there *

best thoughts
Dennis


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

sorry to hear that Dan. you are right tho. we all have to stay focused on what we do, and how we do it. one split second, well. I hope you heal quickly. you've got a lot to build for me and others to look at..  have a good one, and, be careful (my "brain-cramp" didn't happen in the shop, but, I put my hand into the spinning end of a weedwhacker….........dont ask why, but, luckily, I didn't get cut or maimed) more embarrasing then ever.


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## Dcase (Jul 7, 2010)

Dennis- I didn't feel the pain at first, all I felt was the pressure of the blade cutting through. It stung right after it was cut. It had to have been sharp enough to go through my fingers like a knife through hot butter.


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

I didn´t meen to upset you or tease you
it s just an old saying here in Denmark if the pain start while cutting then the knife ain´t sharp enoff

best thoughts
Dennis


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## Dcase (Jul 7, 2010)

No I know what you meant, you didn't upset me at all. A little while after it happened I actually said to my wife "Well on the bright side I know the blades are sharp"


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

LoL .. now that ain´t bad spoken using black humor is one of the best healer hear and now 

Dennis


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## swirt (Apr 6, 2010)

OOoooof. Sorry to hear this Dan.


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## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

I cringed reading this.. and to all you guys, they make these things called stitches  No need to bleed out on your shop floor when a quick trip to the ER or even one of those nice, cheap, intermediate care places could stitch you up.


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## dlmckirdy (Oct 27, 2009)

Superstretch, a couple of years ago when I lost an encounter with a table saw (nothing severed or severely damaged - I got lucky), it cost me $3000 for the ER and $1300 for the ER doctor to clean up my thumb and place 13 stitches! This incident cost about $8 for a box of surgical strips and a roll of tape, and I have leftovers for next time. Dan got off cheaper, as he had the super glue standing by.


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## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

When I was about 10, my paternal grand father was teaching me to sharpen a skinning knife. I was running my mouth and slipped and cut a nice big gash in my left hand. He just smiled at me and said, "If you're gonna be dumb, then you better be tough." Believe me I've had to get tough. lol


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

My wife's good at sewing, and … a Nurse Practitioner.

I'm hoping that … if my time comes … she'll throw in a couple of stitches-maybe some fancy ones, that spell out my name, or something


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

Ugh. As soon as I read that you were sharpening your planer/jointer knives, I felt the chill. I was once cleaning up an extra set of jointer knives to take some pictures to sell them when I sliced a finger. It sounds like you cut even deeper, but it was indeed an awful feeling that has stuck with me. It was very cold in my shop when I did this. Once I got into the warm house, the bleeding really started.

I hope that you heal quickly.


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## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

*Doug* I hear yeah. If health ins. won't cover it, Intermediate Care facilities do the same work for about 1/4 of the price.


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## Dcase (Jul 7, 2010)

Superstretch - A number of years ago I got a bad cut on my forehead that was just pouring blood. I went to the local med center to get stitched up and to my surprise the Dr pulled out a little bottle of "Surgical Glue" and glued the cut up. He told me that a clean cut like one from a blade would actually heal better if they glued where a more ridged cut would require stitches. And just like Doug I was also left with a pretty large bill when all they did was glue me.

Since then I have used super glue a few times and it works good. You can also buy the special "Surgical Glue" but its the same thing.

I don't advise doing the whole glue thing on any and every cut but on a clean straight blade cut it works well in my opinion.


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## dlmckirdy (Oct 27, 2009)

An added advantage to super glue is that it make a waterproof air tight seal, excluding bacteria (if you get the wound very clean first. I haven't tried it, but I've been told that superglue will seal through flowing blood.


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## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

Very interesting.. Thanks for the info!


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

I got the willies just reading that description. There's something particularly creepy about a deep slow cut with an exceptionally sharp blade.


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## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

Dennis - I know what you are saying and sadly, it is true. I have cut myself with a blade and not felt the pain until I had the cut cleaned out. It is a real wake up call. The worst part is that a cut that is that clean takes the longest to heal. Scalpels are technically saw blades and do not cut cleanly - heals faster.


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

yep deffently a wake up call when you realise you have bleed over five minuts 
and have to clean it your self …. :-( realy messy job 
maybee it wuold be better to go back to stone tools ….LOL

take care
Dennis


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## rlb1961 (Mar 9, 2011)

I went through something similar about 2 weeks ago. I am working on a headboard for our bed. I am trying to use mortise and tenon joinery for the rails, and so I was hand cutting the tenons on the rails. One cut didn't quite release the chip on the shoulder of the tenon, so I grabbed a chisel to break it loose. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of applying the force toward the middle of the rail, where my other hand was bracing it. The chip came loose, the chisel slipped, and I had a nice 1-1/2" slice in the back of my hand. Fortunately, my chisel was nice and sharp, so it was a clean cut, but it went down to the muscle and required 4 stitches. Also fortunately, it missed any nerves or tendons, so other than a nice little scar, I have no permanent damage. But as you said, it was just a case of not paying attention and getting in a hurry. It would have taken all of 5 seconds to move the board so that I was applying force away from me, or using a clamp so my hand was out of the way.

By the way, what's the best way to get blood stains out of red oak? ;-)


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

One of the big dangers in a molding plant grinding room is handling the heads when you are placing them into and tacking them out of the grinder when the head is on the arbor. The same danger is there when setting up the molders. The reason is because some of the heads are very heavy and many of the profiles have sharp pointed corners and the knives are very sharp. So, if you accidentally loose your hold on the head or arbor, and drop it on your leg or foot then it will cut you very seriously. For example, the 12 inch long heads for our big molder are 5 or 6 inches in dia and I'm sure they weigh at least 60 or 70 pounds if not more. So far we've never had it happen but they have had a few cuts on the fingers. With five molders in our plant our grinding man and setup men handle a lot of knives in a week.

The dumbist mistake I ever heard of someone making happened to a friend in our town who owned a furniture plant that produced solid oak furniture. He had about 100 to 150 employees. He had lost 3 or 4 fingers over the years mostly from running shapers which are considered to be fairly dangerous machines. The last finger that he lost was showing an employee how *not* to do something. He obviously got a little too enthusiastic in his lesson and just wasn't thinking. This man is not stupid or dumb. His plant was full of conventional woodworking machines and he was a hands on guy. He built his business up from a one man shop to a 25000 sq ft operation. Through lack of concentration, not enough rest, just not thinking about what you are doing, or getting in a hurry, serious accidents happen to people who operate woodworking machinery. We just have to be on guard and think about what we are doing all of the time and when it's time to quit working for the day or just take a break we need to do it.


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## MikeGager (Jun 15, 2009)

thats ok i stabbed myself in the stomach with a freshly sharpened chisel the other day. i was paring down on a piece and the chisel slipped and came back towards me and hit me right in the center of my belly in a downward motion. somehow the cut was only about 1/4" deep and only about 2" long. didnt really bleed much


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## cornflake (Jan 13, 2011)

hey dan another thing you could do is wipe the blades with a rag. if you fold it a couple of times you will be totally safe even if you have the blade pointing the wrong way. just my $.02


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## pete79 (Oct 20, 2009)

Just an FYI on gluing yourself back together….

Super glue is very different from derma-bond (surgical glue) in that is toxic when introduced to your bloodstream. I recall an article I read on this once before that said if done once or twice, using super glue isn't an issue, but that over time it will have a negative effect on the human body. Better to get some derma-bond if you intend to use it more often.


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

*"One of the big dangers in a molding plant grinding room".* I don't think you really have to say more than that! It's probably dangerous just to talk about


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## bubinga (Feb 5, 2011)

Years ago ,My first brand new 6 in jointer,Boy oh boy was I excited,
Cleaning the coating off the tables .I was distracted for a just second. All if a sudden right through the rag,
I found the blades where already sharp !!!!
I christened it when I cut my finger to the bone


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## Dcase (Jul 7, 2010)

I posted this about 40 days ago and at the time I did not include a picture of my damaged fingers but I am still getting new replies to this and I figured I would go ahead and post the picture… So here is the picture showing exactly why its called "Scary Sharp"


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## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

Welp… the rest of my breakfast is going to go to waste today..


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## dave_oh (Aug 24, 2009)

Glad you're OK - hope things healed up nicely.

I had a "what a dumbass move!" moment when I was putting together my new cabinet saw a few weeks ago. I was "merely" cleaning the oil off the cast-iron top with a paper towel and decided to run it along the inside of the miter slot to get the grease inside. You can guess what happened next: SLICE…right through the paper towel and deep into my pointer finger. I was moving at a pretty good clip too.

After I finished cursing myself for being so stupid, I realized it was a cheap lesson on not letting my guard down in the shop. I'll heal, but I'll never forget that I need to be even MORE paranoid when things seem safest. I went right inside and told my wife "aren't you glad you let me get a SawStop…look what I can do to myself just putting the damn thing together!"

Be safe everybody!


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## acducey (Jul 17, 2011)

I'll spare you my gory details, but I'm still trying to work out the manufacturing and marketing arrangements for my latest invention; it's called "Dull Sheet Metal."


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

The horrible thing about getting cut with something really sharp is the instant you feel it slice through your skin and you know you've done something bad, but it is so sharp that it doesn't hurt yet…my "incident" was with one of my plane irons. 
I'm not sure though what was more disturbing about this thread, reading the stories or reading how much it has cost some of you to get stitches; seriously Doug, $3000 for 13 stitches??? I'm an ER doc, but here in Canada it's all publicly funded so we don't have to charge people…good thing too, I put 45 staples into a patient's head a couple of nights ago…I can't imagine how much that would have cost her…


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

Deke, I just read this and I love your response. Dan I trust you have healed and are doing well. I am sure they tell us that the regular super glue is bad for us but I have used it also and had good results. I don't think you can buy much over the counter that is too harmful to the body. Maybe some insect repelants or herbacides. Those are made to kill. I didn't have any problems with the glue except my hand is green now….. Just kidding LOL


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## S2artDesigns (Aug 4, 2011)

Reading this made me cringe. haha. But I know the feeling. I think the worst thing that has happened to me was using a machete one time. I keep my machete super sharp and I was trimming a tree in the yard and wanted to trim a branch that was a little higher than I should be swinging that blade but I did it anyway. On one stroke I missed and it glanced off the branch and swung down directly at my stomach. A combination of quick reflexes and luck kept me from gutting myself. Safety third!


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