# Familiarity Breeds……?



## croessler (Jun 22, 2007)

It occurred to me that I should post a reminder that we should not be complacent in the workshop. I managed to Re-saw the end of my left ring finger this weekend. Boy that was loads of fun!

To save any weak stomachs I will NOT post a picture of it. I was rounding off some Cherry bowl blanks on my Jet 14" bandsaw and had my mind on other things when it happened; the blank suddenly lurched forward and my finger was in the blade.

In retrospect I know how it came about: Just about everyone in my family has been using the saw daily over the past few months and the blade has slowly but surely become dull. However, due to constant use I have not really noticed that I have been applying more & more pressure when cutting. While using it this weekend the cherry in question had a soft/punky spot in it and suddenly the piece lurched through the blade due to the pressure I had been applying.

Luckily I did not hit the bone just bisected my finger tip and approx. 1/4" of my nail. Please everyone do not be lulled into complacency.

*
The old adage is true "More people are cut by dull tools than sharp ones!"*


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## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

Never take your eyes off the blade!

Hope you're feeling better and can get back to work.


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## Blake (Oct 17, 2007)

Ouch! Glad your ok. Thanks for the reminder. I never thought of the potential for a board to lurch forward in a soft spot like that.


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## croessler (Jun 22, 2007)

Blake… It's the only thing I can attribute it to; that soft spot is a lot less dense.


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## gizmodyne (Mar 15, 2007)

Sorry about the injury. Good reminder.

I use a pushstick for resawing.


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## Pimzedd (Jan 22, 2007)

Be glad you missed the bone. I'm an old shop teacher and one thing we were warned about was healing problems when a bandsaw hits the bone. Had three or four students feed their finger into a bandsaw blade, one had healing problems.

Sharp tools are the safest tools.


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## TreeBones (May 21, 2007)

Glad it was not more serious and I hope you have a speedy recovery. Its usealy a combination of events that lead to serious problems. Familiarity can turn into complacency, add a lack of focus and dull tools…

*Safety First*


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## miles125 (Jun 8, 2007)

Good to hear youre ok. Now you get to see how digging in youre pants pocket suddenly becomes a big deal!


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## croessler (Jun 22, 2007)

Miles… I already knew that one.  When I was in the Navy my right index finger was amputated and re-attached.

Not fun what so ever! Still feels weird, kind of like when your foot falls asleep, but works fine!


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

so.. if you feel that you are doing the work instead of letting the tool do its job.. then it's time to stop.


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## Critterman (Dec 20, 2007)

Yikes! I've got plenty of friends with missing finger parts, and it scares the heck out of me. I'll admit it I'm a scardy cat around my tools everytime I use them, but like you said s*#! happens when you least expect it. Glad to hear it wasn't too bad. Be careful out there.


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## dalec (Oct 3, 2007)

Have to say a cut although not to the bone, but 1/4" into your finger nail is pretty major in my book. Glad you came out as well as you did, given the potential for a more serious injury. Take care of your self and replace that saw blade.

Dalec


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## croessler (Jun 22, 2007)

Replaced it today with a brand new Timberwolf blade!


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## rikkor (Oct 17, 2007)

I am glad you are OK. We cannot let down our guard, because the tools don't care.


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## CaptnA (Dec 17, 2007)

Whew! There but for the grace of God go I….
Could have been any one of us. Thank you for sharing the incident and posting the reality that we all need to stop, reaffirm our committment to do our work safely, and maintain our shops/tools/health.
I've had a few silent laughs when my wife has commented about hurting a bit after being in the shop a while. As 'sedentary' as it seems, working wood is work. Some physical - some mental. We can't lapse on either.
If we're lucky we may cut a piece of wood a little short. Best wishes for a rapid recovery from the injury. 
Not sure if you went to the Doctor, I know we all have an oops and don't every time. Everyone up to date on your tetanus shot??


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## croessler (Jun 22, 2007)

CaptA… funny you should mention the Tetanus shot. That's the main reason I went. We have been cutting all manner of woods on the bandsaw and I had not had a booster since leaving the service a little over ten years ago.

Actually it was between that and the depth of the cut; I wanted to make sure I had not hit the bone (it did not).


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