Please Consider These to be PSA's

[peter halle]

1.  If your brain tells you that what you are doing is not s good idea - stop doing it.
2.  Carvex blades are sharp.
3.  Carvex blades are sharper when they are in motion.
4.  Carvex blades don't care if multiple fingers are involved.
5.  Festool first aid kits are easy to spot in the office when they are in a stack of limited edition dark systainers.
6.  Wives can operate the latches on systainers.
7.  The bandaids in the kit are well sealed in their protective wrappers and can not be opened with one hand.
8.  The bandaids absorb well.
9.  The roll of tape tears easily and helps to contain the blood that gets by the bandaids.
10.  The Festool first aid system works hand in hand with the Kapex, the MFT/3, and the Carvex to prevent blood stains on newly installed trim.

Nothing serious on my end but definitely a reminder - thus my reminder to all of you!

Work safely and do have a first aid kit around just in case.

Peter

 

[rst]

Aw, its my personal opinion that it is good to bleed on a regular occasion so your body knows what to do in a real accident.  I actually told an ER Lifeflight nurse that after cutting a 5" gash in my forearm loading scrap glass in my van.  She did not think it was very scientific but I'm stickn with my opinion.  Besides glass cuts heal very quickly, especially with a dozen or so stitches.  [embarassed]

 

[wkearney99]

I used to say it's not a real job until somebody bleeds on it.

 

[Sparktrician]

Pain and blood are Mother Nature's way of saying, "STOP DOING THAT, DUMMY!!!". 

[big grin]

 

[TelcoRandy]

Peter, multiple fingers?  [eek]

Got any pictures?

 

[wrightwoodwork]

Hope your fingers aren't too bad and you don't need any surgery. I did mine a couple of months back, after I did it I thought why the heck did I do that same as you properly thought. Hope you have speedy recovery

 

[peter halle]

When I came here and then later I became a moderator I swore to myself that I was all about passing info on.

My instincts were good enough to prevent something worse.  I won't post images because I really just want others here to pay attention to what they are doing rather than my fingers.

Peter

 

[rst]

Don't forget to charge 15% extra for blood!

 

[mo siopa]

Glad you are ok Peter.  I think we should all appreciate the minor injuries we acquire as wake-up calls.  We just get too comfortable and let our guard down.  I've been a salesman in this industry for the past 20 years and I have shaken hundreds of 3-fingered and short-thumbed hands, and a few converted lefties.

Also, you might add: A 10" saw blade can create enough "wind" to draw a 1/8x4x6 offal into itself and thereupon propel it at what appeared to be light speed.  At such speed, said offal can strike the hand of an oblivious operator with enough force to render the operator into a prelinguistic state.

 

[Michael1960]

Thanks Peter.  This got me thinking... I have huge respect for the dangers of table saws, routers, bandsaws, angle grinders etc.  But for some reason the jigsaw doesn't command the same level of caution.  This I know is madness.  I am trying to improve my attitude. In particular - Remember to switch off the power before touching the blade!

 

[charley1968]

Sage advice, Peter. That said: let it bleed, at least for a while. In most cases, when you cut yourself,the blood flow will clean the wound of debris.. If it pulsates, though: put pressure on the wound.

 

[rmwarren]

Peter, glad it was not worse. Around here we call that "springing a leak"...

My father was a carpenter so he regularly sprung leaks, his solution was (1) paper towels (2) whatever tape was handy, and (3) going back to work. He seemed to think that the real purpose was to prevent blood from getting on the lumber or tools.

Joking aside, when I got sloppy and tried to bandsaw a thumb off (via the little artery we apparently have in our thumbs) late one night I got Dad's tourniquet in place within 30 seconds and was dialing 911 moments later. Lesson I learned was to always keep my phone handy while in the shop.

Heal fast.

RMW

And PS - those Carvex blades scare me!  [scared]

 

[Tayler_mann]

Be thankful it wasn't when you were freehanding with your 2200 and a profile bit. I've never done that but you can't put back what is no longer there.

 

[peter halle]

I am fine.  The finger that took the brunt was the one that I had cut the tip off until it was dangling back in 2001.  But that incident was caused by a drill - Bosch.  I had scar tissue built up and that is where the blade sampled my finger.

Someone earlier posted that they had never really thought about a jigsaw being a tool to be cautious about.  Festool has a blade for the jigsaws that is used to cut foam that reminds me of the blade on an electric knife.  Long and scary.  Most jigsaws blades only protrude a few inches below the board, the long blades can cause significant damage below the surface.

Check out the blade and you'll understand.

Peter

 

[Phil Beckley]

.........and always remove the battery.
rg
Phil

 

[roblg3]

[attachimg=2]
$20. push stick+ lack of attention= saved fingers

 

[greg mann]

The Aleut master kayak builders used to stain their sinew with blood. History doesn't tell us whose blood but I am sure that sometimes it was their own. They were master craftsmen so consider yourself in good company, Peter.

 

[peter halle]

The Aleut master kayak builders used to stain their sinew with blood. History doesn't tell us whose blood but I am sure that sometimes it was their own. They were master craftsmen so consider yourself in good company, Peter.

Greg, thank you for that!  [thumbs up]  Now as I am installing bamboo flooring in my house and picking splinters out of my fingers you can find something equally inspiring?  [popcorn]

Peter

 

[joiner1970]

Until I had and accident back in 2010 and nearly chopped a finger off I never really appreciated all the inner workings of a hand. I cut through the nerves and tendons on the finger and had to have surgery. It works now but is still numb 5 years later nearly.

That was when I came out to Disney and you arranged to have that panel lifter sent to my resort cheers @Peter Halle. It was very handy when I went back to work.

Hope your injury isn't bad

 

[tiralie]

I am fine.  The finger that took the brunt was the one that I had cut the tip off until it was dangling back in 2001. 

What exactly were you doing?
Can you describe where your fingers were and what blade etc. The reason I ask is I often cut small pieces of wood with the jigsaw and my fingers are close to the blade, but the jigsaw is always on the underside and my fingers are within view of the travelling blade with my thumb resting on or against the jigsaw shoe. Not to say that the blade won't ever hit a soft spot and veer off and hit my fingers...
While I appreciate the message, and rereading this thread several times I am struggling to figure out how you cut yourself. Yes I know where and what you did it with, but exactly how you did it i.e. where your fingers were and where the saw was etc. would help me to visualize this error and hopefully avoid it.
Thanks again.
Tim