"Warning" The 5 stitches in my thumb

[DJ’s Timber]

Well here it is, my bandsaw savaged thumb from when I was cutting up my Sheoak (http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=47197)

[HappyHammer]

:o Tell us what you did wrong...nice shade of blue BTW

HH.

[Kaiser Soze]

Bang goes any more hitch hiking !!

[silentC]

I know exactly what he did wrong because I've thought about it many times. Pushing a bit of timber through with your thumb and wondering what would happen if it suddenly slipped. Now we know. Will it stop us from doing it though?

Where's that pushstick!

[goodwoody]

I like the blue!!!!!! I suppose we can learn from this. If you have a sharp b/saw blade see what can happen!!!!!!

[Wood Borer]

Push sticks are OK but there is always that small quick little job and for millions of reasons you choose not to find the push stick or haven't got time to make a suitable one.:-

When I find myself in these situations I rest my hand on the table of the bandsaw in such a way so that if the timber splits or slips sideways my thumb cannot reach the blade. It works for me - touch wood so far anyway.

Thanks for drawing our attention to such an important safety issue. Bandsaws being such safe machines can easily lull us into a false sense of security.

[BobL]

30 years ago I did an advanced driver training course to become a driving instructor. The instructors teaching us also taught ambulance and police drivers. They showed us a technique called something like "talking it through", which was talking aloud about what you were thinking while driving. The idea behind this was to clearly demonstrate to the instructor that you had your mind on the job and that you were making a continual risk assessment of hazards as they arose. EG "Truck at 100m approaching and signaling to turn across my path, . . .. truck at 50m still signalling, off accelerator cover break, watching truck driver, eye contact established, risk reduced, proceed"

I've often wondered how that would work with operating WW machines. eg "extra force seems to be required to mainting cut, this saw must be getting blunt, proceeding with additional caution. . . . . . crikey I'm having to push hard, likelihood of slippage high, hands way too close . . . . ABORT ABORT".

I supposed it's easy to say after the fact. Wouldn't mind hearing about what teachers and trainers do in this space these days.

[Waldo]

G'day Djstimber,

:o

I bet there was a bit of :censored2: :censored2: being heard around the shed when that happened, you race around the shed looking for that greasy rag sitting on the other side of the shed (and it's the cleanest you can find at the time) then you showed SWMBO as the blood drips on the kitchen floor, she asks what do you want her to do about it?

That's got to hurt! My pointer finger l/h still hurts from the scary sharp chisel incident. :C

A 3tpi blade does a bit of damage. Nasty things.

[Barry_White]

Bad move. It looks like the doc dropped a couple of stitchs one end in the second pic. Hope it gets better quick.

[AlexS]

Ouch!

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Yowsers!

Hasn't anyone told you to turn the BS off before testing the blade for sharpness? :wink:

[Bleedin Thumb]

Jeez DJ :oo: ,didn't you touch wood after boasting about your SO score.

[black1]

Ouch!



wot he said :bandaid: :bandaid: :bandaid: :bandaid: :bandaid:

[rrich]

I know exactly what he did wrong because I've thought about it many times. Pushing a bit of timber through with your thumb and wondering what would happen if it suddenly slipped. Now we know. Will it stop us from doing it though?

Where's that pushstick!

I've always wondered why there seems to be so many woodworkers getting cut on the band saw. Your analysis is so logical.

I've always practiced the 'Shaka' rule. (The Hawaiian hand signal for excellent or great.) If one hand is on the saw and the other using the Shaka can touch the hand and the blade (or is in the path of the blade), the hand is too close.

[HappyHammer]

(The Hawaiian hand signal for excellent or great.)
Need picture please...

HH.

[martrix]

Need picture please...

HH.

dude.....

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Gesture_raised_fist_with_thumb_and_pinky_lifted.jpg/200px-Gesture_raised_fist_with_thumb_and_pinky_lifted.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Gesture_raised_fist_with_thumb_and_pinky_lifted.jpg)

[BobL]

Not in the same league as DJ's but still a PITA. This evening I was taking an old chainsaw apart and up to my elbows in black aged chainsaw oil/grease/petrol/sawdust etc I'm taking off the clutch and the ring spanner cracks the tight clutch nut and my thumb swipes past a exposed 1/4" stud which punctures a ragged 1/4" hole in the side of the thumb. My hands are completely black and I'm bleeding like a stuck pig - washing ones hands and arms in this case is not easy. Anyone have any tricks in this situation?

Anyway it stopped bleeding after 5 mins and complete with 6 bandaids, GLOVES and a stubby I'm going back in. . . . come to think of it, maybe I'll hold the stubby till I stop.

[martrix]

Not in the same league as DJ's but still a PITA. This evening I was taking an old chainsaw apart and up to my elbows in black aged chainsaw oil/grease/petrol/sawdust etc I'm taking off the clutch and the ring spanner cracks the tight clutch nut and my thumb swipes past a exposed 1/4" stud which punctures a ragged 1/4" hole in the side of the thumb. My hands are completely black and I'm bleeding like a stuck pig - washing ones hands and arms in this case is not easy. Anyone have any tricks in this situation?

Anyway it stopped bleeding after 5 mins and complete with 6 bandaids, GLOVES and a stubby I'm going back in. . . . come to think of it, maybe I'll hold the stubby till I stop.

:~ ... ouch.

Skinned my knuckles taking a starter motor off a few weeks back.:no:

Sorry Bob, don't have any tricks except to say give it a good wash with Saline solution if you have it and go to a doc if it becomes infected.

While I am working on my filthy saw, I have been using a vacuum and screwdriver to remove all the oil soaked dust as I go. Sometimes there was no other option as you couldn't even find any of the bolt/screw heads.:rolleyes:

So, you got the clutch off alright?:D

[BobL]

Vacuum sounds like a good idea, but maybe make sure there is some regular sawdust in there first to help soak up the gunk.

Yeak got the clutch off. Will post what's happening on your 076 thread although I'm still not sure why!

Cheers


:~ ... ouch.

Skinned my knuckles taking a starter motor off a few weeks back.:no:

Sorry Bob, don't have any tricks except to say give it a good wash with Saline solution if you have it and go to a doc if it becomes infected.

While I am working on my filthy saw, I have been using a vacuum and screwdriver to remove all the oil soaked dust as I go. Sometimes there was no other option as you couldn't even find any of the bolt/screw heads.:rolleyes:

So, you got the clutch off alright?:D

[DJ’s Timber]

Ouch, sorry to hear about that Bob. Have often felt the end off a bolt or stud as the hand swings pass, hurts like buggery so know what your feeling.

Must admit that when I cut my thumb, it didn't hurt at first but oh boy did I know about it later

[soundman]

Tip for bobL
clean anything filthy as you go

Sorry bob.... I'm one of those blokes that can do an oil change in a clean white shirt (well almost).

I cant stand working in filth, so I tend to clean things as I go.
I still get dirty but the filth is a bit more managable.

two things that are great are isopropil alcho swabs.... ( pre injection swabs)
these are avaialble cheap as chips by the box from good specialist first aid suppliers.
I was under a stage the other day admiring the wonderfull grain on the underside of the floor boards..... any way go one of those nasty hardwood splinters in my thumb...... hands were quite dirty.
went to first aid box & grabed pointy tweesers and alcho swab..... wiped the tips of the tweesers then the area surrounding the splinter (:o that stings) & yanked the splinter that I could now see.
Another good thing about alcho swabs is once the alchol evaporates band aids stick quite well.

On a biger scale there is a product out now called " big wipes" that are an industrial version of baby wipes..... the solvents are a bit more agressive and remove all sorts of gunk quite well...... not as good as washing your hands but quick and handy and usefull in skined knuckle situations.

once you have removed the overburden with a big wipe the alcho wipe comes into play.

cheers

[rrich]

I'm taking off the clutch and the ring spanner cracks the tight clutch nut and my thumb swipes past a exposed 1/4" stud which punctures a ragged 1/4" hole in the side of the thumb.


Oh, man I feel your pain! I had a 1m pipe on the end of a breaker bar and the socket broke. My hand slammed against frame of the car. The little finger of my right hand exploded and there was blood every where. After I washed up, there was no cut anywhere. The force of my hand hitting the frame caused the blood to be forced out through the skin. The injury took about a month to heal.

[rsser]

So how's the Sheoak DJ?

Lost much to 'redstain'? ;-}

[DJ’s Timber]

Sheoak is coming along nicely thanks Ern, was able pull the thumb out of the way quick to avoid getting the dreaded redstain on it :; but not getting the thumb in the bloody bandsaw in the first place :doh:

[keith53]

Commiserations DJS. Having been in a similar predicament the first reaction was 'what the? it didn't happen'. Of course the claret subsequently confirms the worst. I hope you can minimise the 'always bumping it' period till the soreness and swelling go away.

Cheers,
Keith

[DJ’s Timber]

Stitches came out today :2tsup:. Still have to be careful not to knock it :C but it's healing up well.

[Waldo]

G'day Djstimber,

(I was out your way, beautiful part of the world out there - real nice :2tsup: )

Anyway, glad the stiches are out. But a caution, after having gone through a similar thing myself, don't even bump your thumb it'll hurt like all get out. About 2 weeks ago I bumped my finger against a door and it opened up again in one corner, holy hell did it hurt! :o

Even now it's tender to knock.

[fred.n]

Stitches came out today :2tsup:. Still have to be careful not to knock it :C but it's healing up well.

you dont realise how much you use 'what-ever' part of the body, until you have your stiches out!................then you knock it all the time:( :(( :((