I got a scare over the weekend!

C Craft

Well-Known Member
I have been desperately trying to get my shop organized for knife making. After building a new work bench I decided to take an old cabinet I had and totally rework it for storage to set on top of the bench at the back.

While making drawer bottoms I ran a piece of 1/4" plywood thru the table saw and that is when it happened. The piece I was ripping down produced a small sliver as a cut off, approx. 3/8" wide and 12" long. As the piece went thru the saw I had large rip under my right hand and against the fence. The small piece started to vibrate back into the blade. The small pieces get caught up and shatter and can be kind of rough and dangerous on the operator. I reached with my left hand to catch the small piece before it got tangled in the blade and missed it. (I am getting slow in my old age):biggrin: When I reached the second time the piece still between the blade and the fence, which I thought I had under control of........ Well let’s say it either backed up or I twisted it slightly and I felt it snag the blade. Immediately I knew what was going to happen and was powerless to stop it. I couldn't get to the switch in time to shut it down, the piece now begins to bind and turn back into the blade, (a classic kickback)!:what!:

The blade shot it out and it hit my left hand that had been reaching for the small piece with such force it cut three fingers and crushed the nail of the thumb. However that was probably a good thing as it turned the piece fully so that when the saw tossed it hit me in the belly completely on the end. Had it not have turned as it did the corner may have stuck it in my belly. As it is the piece hit with all that force and just knocked the wind out of me and left a nice little 1/4" mark about 10" long on my belly. (And no I am not showing pics of my fat belly.:1:

To sum it all up it could have been worse than a red mark and bruise and a very sore thumb and the elapsed time for this accident. Well it seemed like an eternity but about 2 seconds is a close estimate.
I have been doing this kind of work since I was about 14 years of age. My point "you can never be to safe in the shop area" !!!!!!!:13:
 
First, I'm glad to hear that you survived something that could have ended up a lot worse. Second, YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO SAFE IN THE SHOP AREA.
 
First, I'm glad to hear that you survived something that could have ended up a lot worse. Second, YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO SAFE IN THE SHOP AREA.

That's one reason I posted this. In all those years that is the closest I ever come to get hurt bad on a tablesaw but like Denny said, "YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO SAFE IN THE SHOP AREA". It only takes that one moment of distraction. The ironic thing about it I had been looking for something on tablesaw last weekend and watched a video of a fellow demonstrating such a kickback with a piece of styrofoam. Believe me a piece of 1/4" plywood packs enough wallup to take the breath out you and it happened just like the video I watched.
 
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I was walking through the shop one day when I happened to think I needed to de-burr the finger choil on a knife. Without glasses on I grabbed the knife and the Dremel with a sanding band on it and hit the blade at 30,000 rpms. Went fine for about 30 seconds until a piece of burr came flying into my left eye. Two things came to mind instantly - I can't afford an ER bill and I can't leave this steel in my eye. Luckily, I had a pen-type scribe with a magnet on one end that removed the chip from my eye. Carelessness on my part could have ended up a lot worse and a whole lot more expensive.
 
I had the same thing happen quite a few years ago and the little block that was vibrating against the blade pulled my fingers through the blade, I got cut up pretty good but didn't loose fingers, I have used the table saw daily for 28 years and I will tell you it has never happened again. I will never grab a piece from the table again lesson learned.
 
My father lost the end of two fingers, all three of my brother have war wound from working around power tools. I so far can still count to ten without using my feet. I get a little paranoid around power tools, my brother kid me when I shut them down when they come into my shop... I don't care, I'm un scared and I plan on staying that way for life. NEVER UNDER ESTIMATE THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF YOUR SHOP TOOLS ON YOU!
 
Glad you didnt get hurt to bad, my Father and his older brother have had mishaps with table saws Dad split his index finger to the first joint and Uncle Bob lost 3 fingers.
So I am real carefull around my saw.
Michael
 
I understand the dangers, after a near miss resulting in just a minor cut from a saw blade I looked for something better.

I bought a Festool plunge style circular saw with slide track guide for our sign business. Now the shopsmith table saw and the radial arm saw don't get used at all. We feel so much safer with the Festool and all the dust is gets captured by the shopvac attached to it. We clamp the guide to the plywood getting cut and just push the saw down the track.

ernie
balchsigns.com
 
I had my 10" table saw kick back a 3' x 3' x 3/4" plywood at me. Got a good bruise on my belly. About 2 months later a co worker showed me the same bruise on his belly, I said "Let me guess...."

I had a safety fanatical shop teacher in jr. high. One of the many things he said "Don't stand directly behind the line of the blade when ripping off thin pieces. If the blade catches it, it will kick it out and you will be singing the high soprano." In the same class, I saw a good size piece get kicked out the back door of the shop by the table saw (12" Rockwell). It probably sailed a good 30 feet.

I usually keep an extra push stick handy catch the slivers and clear them from drifting back into the blade after a cut.

I was cutting the tongue and groove off some flooring so I could use the wood for some other projects. The saw would catch the strips and kick them out... aimed at the front of my wife's car. I put a piece of plywood in front of the radiator just in case it caught one really good, fortunately none got kicked out that far. Another good thing to remember is to make sure that people and pets aren't in harms way when you are making the cut.

Glad you didn't get seriously hurt. Thank you for sharing, I hope that it prevents someone from getting hurt.


Ric
 
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