Man vs. Machine - Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Message Board

lucky788scroller · 10-14-2007, 06:35 AM

Ok, well, I'll paint you the scene. Table mounted router, with a pattern bit. Not the correct pattern bit for the job, but one with the bearing nearest the router, but I've made do before. Pattern of hardboard double face taped to 1/2 inch BB plywood, which was scrolled close to the pattern, and only need flush trimming.Everything went so smooth. I did every piece and was really happy with them, except a little tearout, but that would be cleaned up with the roundover bit. On the last piece things didnt go as planned.The bit grabbed the wood because I am an idiot, and tried trimming using the backside of the bit, yet still feeding in the same direction.In a split second, I went from routing, to being out of comission, at least for a couple days.When it grabbed the wood somehow the left edge of my left hand got a real good taste of that spinning carbide.I turned off the router, and stood by the sink with cold running water on it, and a few moderate profanities slipping from my tongue, before twisting a towel tightly around my wrist and heading upstairs to get a driver, and of the the ER.
I was lucky, no bone and no tendon damage, but after the doc numbed it (which hurt 10 times worse then the actual injury), he had to trim off a bunch of hanging meat that he says was unsavable before he pulled the skin together and threw 7 or 8 stitches in it. I do have a few pictures of it, but it might be best to not post them on here, just picture in your mind a wad of super bloody hamburger, cuz thats about what it was.
So, man vs machine................ who won this time??? Dale ............... Oh, by the way..... the wood wasnt ruined, and only three drops of blood across the tabletop.

doodle1 · 10-14-2007, 06:56 AM

OUCH!!! Good to hear you didn't do any serious damage to your hand with any tendon damage, and better yet not ruin the wood! Hope your hand heals quickly so you can finish the project.

Old Forester · 10-14-2007, 08:08 AM

Ouch is right!!! That does sound like a serious injury even though it could have been worse. I appreciate your telling us about this, Dale. It IS a learning experience for all of us. I hope your hand heals quickly so you can be back in business. And oh....thanks for the no pictures bit!!!

Woodbutcher68 · 10-14-2007, 09:54 AM

Glad it wasn't worse!
Machines have developed a taste for human flesh over the years and it seems that faster and sharper ones have a greater appetite. (And they will win if you let them!) My rule is that if my fingers or hands will be within 3" of the moving part, it's time for a pushstick or pushblock. The only exceptions are the scrollsaw and belt sanders, then it's kick up the attention a couple notches.
On another safety note, in the Summer, I leave the garage door open when I'm working. I've got a neighbor who likes to stop by and sneak up on me. I showed him what a scrollsaw is capable of cutting and explained that him trying to scare me could cause me to get injured, which would cause HIM to get injured as well. Now he waits until I'm not running anything to try to scare me.

Marsha · 10-14-2007, 04:03 PM

Dale,
I am not gonna sugar coat this and say "Oh! poor baby, I'll bet that hurts". I am shocked and appalled at your carelessness. Do you realize how serious a tool like the router can be. You can not loose your concentration for one second, which is what you must have done, for a person with your skill, and experience would be more careful. I agree with Woodbutcher, if you're routing something and will be closer then 3" to that bit, you should make a jig.

Yes Dale, I am yelling at you, in fact, if I was standing close to you, I'd give you a wrap on the hand.

OK, I'm done yelling now

Seriously Dale!
Take care of that hand.
Marsha

PS: I just hope you have your swap ornaments done, cause you'll be out of commission for awhile
Marsha (ornament swap organizer just lookin out for our interests)

Wood Dog · 10-14-2007, 04:45 PM

Thanks for not posting pictures lucky788scroller. This time you were Lucky indeed.........sometimes I'm too lazy to get my safety glasses on, but I think you just gave me a kick in the butt. Thanks
Get well soon, and glad it wasn't worse.
WD

NMScroller · 10-14-2007, 05:15 PM

I read your story and think about several near misses I and many of us have probably had. In my old house, I had to drag my table saw to the driveway to make cuts. My 3 year old son would pop out the front door and yell "Daddy!" (mid cut every time) and several times I would look up...followed by mentally kicking myself for safety points.

It's too easy to get so comfortable with a power tool that sometimes you forget how disasterous a small change can be...especially when you've had hours of safe use on the machine.

minowevie · 10-14-2007, 08:00 PM

Ouch from me too. you sure gave me a wakeup call. I think alot of us, get cairless , at times. but we do pay the price , when it happens. I am terrafied of a router. I do use one. but ask my hubby to do it if i can. I have a tendancy to try to take off more wood than i should, He is always telling me , to take smaller bites at a time. I totaly respect the tabal saw, but the band saw is one I have to remmber, it will cut a fingure off quick . my X, cut a thum off with a skill saw. it jumped back, and took it right off. a table saw, skill saw, and chain saw, pull the wood into the blade, it doesn't know the differanse between wood, and meat. I have been hurt many times buy the wood jumping back,and trowing splenters, so. I try to always weir my safty glasses. I am sorry you got hurt, and thanks for sharing it with us, it just goes to show you, that, even a wheatherd woodworker, can get hurt, its just humon, we make mistakes, we are not mistakes.
Evie

Jediscroller · 10-14-2007, 08:24 PM

I think all of us have these little lapses and get away with it. Glad to hear you weren't hurt seriously and even more important that you didn't ruin the wood (blood stains wood like nothing else, I speak from experience here, hehehe).

lucky788scroller · 10-14-2007, 10:07 PM

Ok, Yes, let me be an example and a reminder to be careful. My safety glasses get the most use out of any tool I own. For some reason the though of blindness scares me more than anything else, to the point where I think I'd rather be dead. But anyways, obviously it was my carelessness that caused this.I went down and studied the scene last night to work it out in my mind exactly what happened. When the bit grabbed the wood, my hand was about 10 to 12 inches from the spinning bit. I do have a lot of respect for the router, but obviously not a lot of sense.It grabbed and pulled the piece so fast, my hand was slammed into the bit rather then dragged across it. There will always be a constant reminder on my hand now, and hopefully none of you will have a matching one.Years ago I nipped the tip of a couple fingers on the tablesaw, and every time i start that saw, that goes through my mind, and I'm sure my router mishap will do the same.
I could pull the old 'mcdonalds coffee" lawsuit thing, maybe blame the router bit manufacturer for selling me the bit, or bosch for making a router that spins like it should?Of maybe Menards, for selling me a defective sheet of plywood? Or, how about them damn russians, they made the plywood ? Or, I could go as far as the radio station that was on distracting me, or even Kid rock because it was a kid rock rock block the radio was playing! Or, I can just sue myself, because I cant really blame anybody else, it was all my doing!
Or, I could go visit Marsha, and get that slap I deserve!!! I will be fine, but, I've learned a lot. Just do me a favor, think everything out carefully before doing, and if you ever see anyone doing something potentially dangerous,stop them! Dale
PS : marsha, no, the ornaments werent cut yet, but they will be. I should be scrolling again in a few days. Dale