04-04-2022, 12:06 AM
So last Friday morning I was trimming out a slider on a split entry when things went bad. I had it basically done and weather tight on Wednesday before the rain. Thursday I finished up the retaining wall cap and stairs up to grade but was short one riser and didn't want to work late anyway. Friday would be a real short day.
I had only installed some shims and the 1 x 6 extension jambs when I noticed I had already been there an hour. Let's wrap this project up! The casing was going right in a corner so I had to either cut the existing base or cope the casing to it. Rather than going to the truck for the Fein multi-tool, I choose the latter. With the casing in a Workmate, I used my trusty Makita 5007 circular saw and with the blade up, I made the vertical cut and an acceptable cope of the top profile. Then OUCH! A scrap of wood had lodged itself in the guard and as I was in the process of setting it down on the floor the blade caught my jeans. In an instant I had opened up my leg with a tool I totally respect and have used literally, tens of thousands of times over many decades.
At the E.R., the Doc said it was mostly superficial and he'd have me on my way in no time. A few shots of Lidocaine, seven stitches, and thirty-five minutes later I was indeed on my way home. The cut was only about 3-1/2" long, but it was over 1/2" wide. That made it look much worse than it actually was. It just doesn't seem appropriate to use words like "lucky" to describe an injury like this, however I do realize how much worse it could have been.
The pain has mostly subsided. I'm still limping but I can almost walk it off. Tomorrow I have six pieces of casing and a riser to install. Short day?
I had only installed some shims and the 1 x 6 extension jambs when I noticed I had already been there an hour. Let's wrap this project up! The casing was going right in a corner so I had to either cut the existing base or cope the casing to it. Rather than going to the truck for the Fein multi-tool, I choose the latter. With the casing in a Workmate, I used my trusty Makita 5007 circular saw and with the blade up, I made the vertical cut and an acceptable cope of the top profile. Then OUCH! A scrap of wood had lodged itself in the guard and as I was in the process of setting it down on the floor the blade caught my jeans. In an instant I had opened up my leg with a tool I totally respect and have used literally, tens of thousands of times over many decades.
At the E.R., the Doc said it was mostly superficial and he'd have me on my way in no time. A few shots of Lidocaine, seven stitches, and thirty-five minutes later I was indeed on my way home. The cut was only about 3-1/2" long, but it was over 1/2" wide. That made it look much worse than it actually was. It just doesn't seem appropriate to use words like "lucky" to describe an injury like this, however I do realize how much worse it could have been.
The pain has mostly subsided. I'm still limping but I can almost walk it off. Tomorrow I have six pieces of casing and a riser to install. Short day?
Sign at N.E. Vocational School Cabinetmaking Shop 1976, "Free knowledge given daily... Bring your own container"
