Posts: 54
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2009
01-18-2019, 04:41 PM
I guess I am the unlucky one that gets to post the first tablesaw safety reminder...
12 Jan., working on a small project. Had the blade only 1/4" high in my sled, left it running while I checked a measurement. Then when I turned back to the saw, I reached across but too low and tried to rip my right ring finger in two... Don't remember what I was thinking or why I reached so low, I guess I lost that thought in the moment. Just glad now that the blade was so low!
Dr got it all stitched back together, pin comes out in 4-6 weeks.
And now that I will have spent any possible SawStop money on Dr bills, I plan to add a foot switch to my saw so it will shut off anytime I step away. Plus a way to bypass that for long rips, etc.
Posts: 5,320
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2006
Location: Sullivan County, NY
That looks pretty bad, hope you heal quickly.
Can't say I never stepped away from mesa while still running, this is a good reminder not to.
Bruce.
Posts: 8,395
Threads: 1
Joined: Mar 2000
That's painful to see; sorry it happened.
Hope you get full use back. Doc say anything about that?
Posts: 40,083
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2007
(01-18-2019, 04:41 PM)Dodis Wrote: I guess I am the unlucky one that gets to post the first tablesaw safety reminder...
12 Jan., working on a small project. Had the blade only 1/4" high in my sled, left it running while I checked a measurement. Then when I turned back to the saw, I reached across but too low and tried to rip my right ring finger in two... Don't remember what I was thinking or why I reached so low, I guess I lost that thought in the moment. Just glad now that the blade was so low!
Dr got it all stitched back together, pin comes out in 4-6 weeks.
And now that I will have spent any possible SawStop money on Dr bills, I plan to add a foot switch to my saw so it will shut off anytime I step away. Plus a way to bypass that for long rips, etc.
Well the good news is you can still share your feelings with other drivers without much confusion. Hope you heal up fast
Phydeaux said "Loving your enemy and doing good for those that hurt you does not preclude killing them if they make that necessary."
Phil Thien
women have trouble understanding Trump's MAGA theme because they had so little involvement in making America great the first time around.
Posts: 612
Threads: 1
Joined: Dec 2016
My worst fear. Glad you're OK and kept the digit. A good reminder to everyone to pay attention to their surroundings.
Posts: 3,385
Threads: 0
Joined: Jul 2007
Hope you heal up nicely. Good reminder to always shut off saw immediately after a cut.
Hard to do when you have multiple repeat cuts. But a good thing to do.
Gunners Mate, 1st Class, A long time ago...
Posts: 1,618
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Coast of Maine
Man, that looks wicked ugly. Hope you heal without issue.
g
I've only had one...in dog beers.
"You can see the stars and still not see the light"
The Eagles: Already Gone
Posts: 2,581
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2012
Hmmm - sounds familiar. I was ripping a piece of 1X2 some years ago and it started to lift off the table. I reached out to press it back to the table, but instead of reaching past the blade I laid 3 fingers on it. I jerked my hand back and looked at the nice kerf across my fingers for a second before the blood welled up and started dripping across the floor to my paper towel holder. Clipped off the nerves in those 3 fingers and a tendon at the joint of my king finger. The tendons on the back of the finger were okay so I can still give people the bird, but it doesn't want to fold down into a fist anymore so I need to be careful with that. Not much sensation in the tips of those 3 fingers so if I want to feel if something is flush I need to use my pinky or thumb.
Luckily I also only had about 1/4" of blade above the piece I was ripping or it may have been a sadder tale. To this day I can't figure out why I put my fingers on the blade. It wasn't like I didn't know it was there and was looking right at it as I did it. Not too bright sometimes.
Phil
Posts: 244
Threads: 0
Joined: Oct 2011
That second picture is lovely.
I can’t believe you are considering rigging a foot pedal with a bypass.
A 3 hp professional SawStop is only $2900.00, a contractor saw is about $1800.00, your next injury will be a lot more expensive.
Posts: 615
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: Santa Rosa Beach, FL
I would be curious - and it's certainly none of my business - what the medical costs add up to. My wife and I rationalized that the cost of my SawStop would be far less than a trip to the ER and subsequent treatment of a mangled digit, arm or other appendage.
Glad to hear that you're doing better. Hope the finger heals up good as new quickly.
Doug