On Sunday, I ran my left hand into a mortise chisel hanging from a benchtop mortiser while reaching for the hold down on the mitre saw. Two deep parallel slashes on the index finger, one on the middle finger. Almost bad enough to head for the ER for some stitches.
Reconstructing this accident to learn a lesson from it, it became apparent that I had created an accident waiting to happen. My mortiser lived for years on a bench along a garage wall. When I redid that wall in my shop improvement project, I put a sliding mitre saw next to it on the right with the tables at the same height. Works great!
But, I have always left the last chisel I used in the mortiser when done. While Cutting some 30″ boards, I used my right hand to set the cut mark even with the blade edge, then brought my left hand over to operate the hold down. Right through the same space occupied by the business end of the square chisel. My sharpening was proven good!
Now, I will remove all bits from drill presses and the mortiser. When done band sawing wide boards, I will put the guard back down.
Those sharp edges just hanging in space just disappear when you’re focusing on something else. And, they can do serious damage.
I’m just amazed, looking at the setup, that the accident took almost a year to happen. I hope that reading this prompts some other woodworkers to remove the bits and chisels that hang out of their machines.
Replies
Ouch! Back O' the Knuckle stuff is the worst
Perhaps you could make a UHMW or wood "guard" that was a snug fit over the chisel or had a velcro or bungy strap to keep it on?
Mike,
Hope your fingers are healing well. I know what you mean about accidents waiting to happen. I always try to unplug everything and put hand tools away at the end of the night. Sometimes it just doesn't happen from weariness. When I come down to my shop the next day I see the tablesaw still plugged in and the blade above the table 2 inches! Geesh, what was I thinking! I become flush and sweaty thinking of what my 3 year old might have gotten into.
Scott
Scott,
As I was reading your post, I was thinking, "big deal". Then I got to your last sentence.
Just a thought here - might want to curb that 3 year old at the door somehow.
jdg
Edited 1/31/2003 10:37:16 AM ET by jdg
Mike,
I have done the same thing but also another caught me. I have a work table with a shelf underneath for tools and I wired electrical boxes just under the bench top. I used stainless steel box covers with 90 degree corners that look great when they are mounted flush against a wall, but on my bench there is space behind the edges of the covers. (looked good on my bench too). Anyway, when reaching for a tool, I caught my hand on the plate cover corner and it sliced me so that I did need 4 stitches. The plates are incredibly sharp and it never occured to me at the time I installed them. Anyway, I do have rounded ones now, but it took a couple of cuts for me to figure it out.
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