Replies

1. 
   keith1947 | Jul 12, 2004 10:54pm | #1

   sorry to hear of your accident and I wish you a speedy recovery ,I would try scraping the (by now) dry blood off the surface, then a light sand around the affected area.

                     regards Teabag

             ps.thats the wooden area not the fleshy bits.

2. 
   jackplane | Jul 12, 2004 11:22pm | #2

   sorry about the mishap- I'd use a two part hydrogen peroxide wood bleach,then sand. Oak can be an uneven surface and needs more than just mechanical scraping or sanding.

1. 
   mitch | Jul 13, 2004 02:11am | #3

   your own saliva will work wonders.  ask any quilter.

   m

1. 
   Tao | Jul 13, 2004 02:56am | #4

   Saliva is a good suggestion for smaller spots -- lots of good enzymes that break down proteins.

   For larger stains, cool water with a little salt in it is the first line of approach.  Don't use hot water; it will set the proteins in a bloodstain similar to the way heat sets an egg white.

   If that doesn't work, most laundry detergents and presprays do a pretty good job on blood.  A few drops in a glass of water is plenty.  The 'enzyme" cleaners should work pretty well.

   Blood is just a protein stain and is usually pretty easy to get out.  An old toothbrush will help get down into the grain.

   If those don't work, I've got half a dozen more techniques.

   Michael R

1. 
   yotonyb | Jul 13, 2004 05:50am | #5

   Or...just leave it! Then your motto can be the same as mine...

   "A little of my blood in every piece,

   And a lot of my blood on one."

   tony b.

   Edited 7/12/2004 10:52 pm ET by YOTONYB

1. 
   fredb | Jul 13, 2004 04:38pm | #6

   Hi All,

   Great motto Tony -- *but* -- I hope you aren't bleeding "that" often!

   Thanks to all for the input regarding the removal of the blood spots on my cabinet. I'm going to try to clean it up as soon as I'm up to the task (right now I still have to keep the hand elevated).

   Best regards - Fred

2. 
   tallcorn | Jul 13, 2004 05:22pm | #7

   If you don't mind, I would like to hear more about what you were doing when the router jumped.  What could/should have been done to prevent the accident?

   Scott

3. 
   fredb | Jul 13, 2004 08:13pm | #10

   Hi Scott (and all others),

   Sure thing, but please keep in mind however that it happened SO FAST (literally in an instant) that I can only give you my best honest possible recollection.

   The cabinet was laying on its back on some 3" risers blocks I use for clamping - making the height around 20" or so off the floor. I was routing a 1/8" 45° chamfer on the face frame. The router is an old B&D mounted to a Wood Haven base. The rig was removed from the extension table of my TS to rout the face frame. I figured that the extra size of the base would help keep the router flat, which it did. Knowing the right-hand-rule, I was being careful to avoid a climb cut. Outside is one direction - inside the other direction.

   Here's what I best recall: I was about to finish routing the last inside face frame members (yep - four chamfers left from two cabinet's worth). I put my left down on the face frame as I lowered the router towards the work (THAT was my big mistake - not keeping BOTH hands on the router handles while the bit was spinning). The bit hit the work piece unexpectedly as I was positioning the router where I wanted to begin the cut. This caused the router to be yanked out of my right hand and thrown towards my left hand. Somehow, the bit contacted my finger (the palm side - or bottom). With all of the router's plastic housing, its large base, gravity and the distance my left was from the router (about a foot away) I'm still amazed the bit connected with my finger the way it did!

   (WARNING) THE GRAPHIC PART: The damage was done. About an 1/8th" to 1/4" down from the tip was a cut and received two stitches. From that point to about another 1-1/4" or so down towards the palm most of the skin was removed (nothing to stitch). Luckily, where the skin was removed is wasn't bone deep and I thank God that I didn't loose any permanent mobility of the finger. In fact, I was born missing a finger on this hand to begin with (which actually opened up a window of opportunity for some comedy as the paramedics were about to survey the damage to my finger).  That said, this finger is extremely important to me.

   I visited the doctor this morning and after the nurse was finally able to get the initial bandages off (ouchy again) he told me the healing outlook is good. I should have all or most of the feeling back in the areas that were damaged.

   Thanks to all that prayed. Perhaps we should have a prayer section in KNOTS.

   In closing, I’d like to share with anyone following this thread that I realized just how much woodworking means to me as a result of this accident. Yes - it's a hobby of mine, but it's something I'm very passionate about. At first thought after the accident, I wondered if I'd be "OK" around the shop and high speed carbide bits spinning. But my second though was that I realized I must still be in shock thinking like that! I'm careful in the shop! Push sticks, push blocks, jigs, eye and ear protection, dust and chemical masks -- and on an on...  If an accident weren't an accident, it would be called a "purpose"! Perhaps this accident could have been avoided -- it wasn't and I'll tote the scar to remind me.

   I'm open ANY and ALL safety ideas too if anyone cares to share.Kind regards - Fred

4. 
   Elcoholic | Jul 14, 2004 11:30pm | #16

   One handing a full-size router with is, as you know, a dangerous proposition.  I do my edge roundovers, chamfering and flush trimming pegs with the little PC #310 (?) laminate trimmer that looks like a baby router.  Works like a champ and is easily controlled with one hand.  It got a favorible review as a mini-router in the current issue of FWW.

   I'm gonna take a leap of faith and guess your a Christian based on your prayer request.  Since you mentioned you're missing a digit can you name one of the greatest 9 fingered guitar players that happens to be a Christian and could pass for the fifth Beatle?

   John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   The more things change ...

   We trained hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganized.  I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.

   Petronious Arbiter, 210 BC

   Edited 7/14/2004 4:35 pm ET by ELCOHOLIC

5. 
   fredb | Jul 15, 2004 05:03pm | #17

   Hi John,

   So we're shooting off topic but OK! Yes - I am a Christian. That said - I'll also state that prayer has already helped me and my family a great deal. In the midst of the unknown (the outcome of the accident), there was still peace with the pain. :)

   Now that I'm baited into your question John - you'll need to let me (and everyone) know this gutar player's name. BTW - I'm a drummer for over 30 years. As a young kid, I couldn't get a guitar teacher to teach me to play left-handed (I'm right-handed but would have played guitar as a lefty for the obvious reasons).

   Kind regards - Fred

6. 
   Elcoholic | Jul 16, 2004 04:06pm | #18

   Drum Roll ...........

   .... and the answer is Phil Keaggy.  I recommend Crimson and Blue.

   John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   The more things change ...

   We trained hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganized.  I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.

   Petronious Arbiter, 210 BC

3. 
   mlbfreestyle | Jul 13, 2004 07:16pm | #8

   I would try a combination of the approaches suggested here.  I would start by using a scraper to remove anything left on the surface.  It would not make sense to dissolve the blood that is sitting on the surface and thus let it soak into the wood.  After I had gotten off all I could with the scraper, I would then lean towards the chemical/enzyme processes suggested.

4. 
   Pondfish | Jul 13, 2004 08:06pm | #9

   A good source for an enzyme that will digest the proteins in the blood stain is meat tenderizer.  Look for one that contains any kind of extract from papayas--it will have papain, a good protease (what we biochemists call enzymes that digest protein).

1. 
   fredb | Jul 14, 2004 07:34pm | #11

   Hi Paul,

   I found and purchased some meat tenderizer. Would I dilute some in water and use a toothbrush to work out the stain after scraping?

   What dilution do you recommend? And - since there's salt, there wouldn't be any harm to the wood  would there?

   Thanks in advance!Kind regards - Fred

1. 
   Pondfish | Jul 14, 2004 09:12pm | #12

   I'd suggest you dampen the wood with warm water and sprinkle on the tenderizer, making a paste.  (You should use unseasoned meat tenderizer to avoid staining the wood with the spices in the tenderizer.  Sorry, I should have mentioned it earlier!).  Keep the paste on the stained area--don't have a lare excess spread over the wood.

   Cover the paste with a damp paper towel and leave for 4-12 hours.  Keep it in a warm spot if you can (warmth will speed the reaction, but don't use hot water, it will kill the enzymes).

   Wipe or rinse off the paste, and repeat if needed.

   That's how I would do it.  You can try a Google on meat tenderizer blood stains to see what others might do.

2. 
   AlanWS | Jul 14, 2004 09:34pm | #13

   Make sure you test whatever you are using on a scrap of the same wood used in your cabinet, to make sure that stains from the cleaner are not worse that what you started with. Another possible thing to try is a laundry detergent with enzymes in it. Those enzymes are pretty similar to meat tenderizer, and the detergent can help, as long as you rinse it off afterwards. Scraping is a good idea in general, but if it's plywood, be very careful since the hardwood veneer can be very thin. I'd scrape through the veneer on a scrap just to see how much you have to work with.

5. 
   Sphere | Jul 14, 2004 09:36pm | #14

   peroxide, or oxyclean...btdt

    

   Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

   Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

1. 
   fredb | Jul 14, 2004 10:53pm | #15

   Wow...

   Thanks again to all of you for you help and ideas!

   I will test some ideas on a piece that will likely be covered with books or tapes or equipment (as far as the oak ply goes. The face frame solid oak will have to be tested in plae (no blood on scraps). I did scrape one spot on the face frame and the blood doesn't seem to have soaked in deep. I suppose the density of the wood helped me here.

   Paul: FYI - I didn't buy the "seasoned" meat tenerizer. I trusted myself on that one! -- Thanks though!Kind regards - Fred