Replies

1. 
   patricks13 | Sep 02, 2003 10:38am | #1

   Hopster, as far as what to do to reduce the odds of cutting yourself again in a instinctual reaction I think you have already done it. You probably told yourself "next time let the sharp object fall". At least that is what I would tell myself because my shop floor is wood.

    

   I remember seeing my dad easily catching something that my mom knocked off the table. At first I was surprised he could do it. Then I thought if he can do it, so can I. I told myself the next time something drops, catch it. Sure enough I soon had the same reactions my dad had.

    

   So tell yourself with convection next time let a sharp object fall, if you have a wood floor.
2. 
   eddiefromAustralia | Sep 02, 2003 11:53am | #2

   It just comes with time and experience.

   Whenever I drop something sharp, my instinct now is to jump back and let it fall - I don't care what it hits, providing that whatever it hits doesn't bleed.

   Cheers,

   eddie

3. 
   ian | Sep 02, 2003 03:37pm | #3

   tongue in cheek ...  how about chain mail gloves?

4. 
   forestgirl | Sep 02, 2003 07:09pm | #4

   I agree with the others.  It (usually) only takes once to learn this lesson and have it wired in the brain.  To decrease the possibility of dropping an iron again, try to train yourself, even when you're alone, to always put a sharp or delicate object well back from the edge anytime you have to put it down.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

5. 
   BrianF | Sep 02, 2003 07:20pm | #5

   Don't feel too bad. The worst accident I've had in the shop ws an instinctual grab. The bad part was it was an older router with a toggle switch and when I plugged it in it started, spun and fell off the bench. I caught it base down with the spinning bit between my middle and ring finger. 15 stiches later I will never grab another falling tool. I think you have learned as well.

6. 
   RoyinMD | Sep 02, 2003 07:47pm | #6

   Yeah, I learned that lesson in the kitchen once. Now I just let it drop. Plenty of workspace helps. Since putting down so much interlocking anti-fatique floor tiles in the shop I don't even think twice about drops, but, pull back the feet, quickly.

   Enjoy, Roy

7. 
   Steinmetz | Sep 02, 2003 08:10pm | #7

   Hopster, TSK, TSK, did you damage the blade? (Just funnin')

   Whenever I use my meat cleaver and other sharp knives,I always clean and dry them and place'em back in the knife rack as soon as I finish slicing and dicing .

   I generally prepare breakfast while still in my bare feet, but now that you've jolted my survival instinct, I'll  wear shoes from now on.

   Your post has probably scared a few other Forum Folks into being carefull now too.

   Stein.

1. 
   Hopster | Sep 02, 2003 10:03pm | #8

   Thanks so much for all of your helpful advice. Just a week ago I installed those interlocking floor mats in my shop. My new philosophy: "Let It Fall!"

   Cheers

1. 
   GregGibson | Sep 03, 2003 08:13pm | #9

   I've got a little different slant on this.  My children know better than to speak to me, touch me, sneak up on me, when I'm absorbed with something in the shop.  If the table saw is running, they stay at the door until I stop and turn the machine off.  If they really need to get my attention, the order is to flick the light on and off, ( or off and on )  This may seem extreme, but I have no doubt that it's saved us some pain !

   Greg.

1. 
   BrianF | Sep 04, 2003 02:42am | #10

   Here I thought that I was the only one who was jumpy like that. I hate it when someone walks in to the shop and starts talking to me while I'm concentrating on a chisel or something. Even worse sometimes my wife will walk in late at night and just stand in the doorway, when I look up and see her I jump something aweful

2. 
   forestgirl | Sep 04, 2003 08:25am | #11

   Greg, I think you're right -- it's very important to have rules about approaching a woodworker in his/her shop.  My very first scare in this department was when my sweetie stood about 8 feet behind me with his infant grandson in his arms while I was operating a little bench-top saw, which co-incidentally had no splitter or guard.  I gave him a firm lecture on danger zones around saws.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   billyg83440 | Sep 04, 2003 07:14pm | #12

   My 6 year old daughter got an earful once.

   I was doing some hand routering and she came up behind me and yelled at me so I could hear her over the router.

   Scared the crud out of me. You only talk to daddy after he shuts the tool off. Jeese

2. 
   AlanTurner | Sep 05, 2003 12:02am | #13

   I hate my cement floor, but it is what it is.  And, I hate to drop an edge tool.  So, I was chiseling one fine day, and a 3/4" chisel rolled off the bench.  Like a jerk, I reached out my foot to break its fall.  In a docksider, I now have a very crisp 3/4" cut, clear through, but the sock and foot were uninjured.  This dropsiness has happened since, and I have jumped to do the foot trick again, but pulled it back in time.  Just barely.  Did I mention how fond I am of cement?

   Alan

3. 
   billyg83440 | Sep 05, 2003 12:11am | #14

   Yeah, my garage (well shop) is all cement.

   I did buy some of those interlocking floor mats, but I'm in the middle of rearranging all the cabinets and adding a new storage cabinet, so they're not on the floor. But that's ok, everything else is on the floor instead.

   I hope I never grab a dropping tool and cut myself. But, it's habit to catch things, or stick my foot out to break their fall. Usually a good thing to do, but. . . Caught a open untility knife once, didn't cut me, just scared the crud out of me.

4. 
   nmdan | Sep 05, 2003 05:02pm | #17

   I dropped a chisel on the top of my foot  and now I'm in a foot brace and a reatatched tendon , so watch the feet too. I wasn't even trying to stop the chisel.

   Daniel

5. 
   AlanTurner | Sep 05, 2003 05:07pm | #18

   Wow!  What a tradegy.  Now I feel especially lucky.  Best of luck on your full and fast recovery.

   Alan

6. 
   nmdan | Sep 05, 2003 05:12pm | #19

   now I have more time to play on this board :~}

   Daniel

7. 
   Danford_C_ | Sep 05, 2003 03:41pm | #16

   ...while I was operating a little bench-top saw, which co-incidentally had no splitter or guard.  I gave him a firm lecture on danger zones around saws.

   Ah, I see the blind are still leading the blind.....

   Dano"Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright

8. 
   exhibitor | Sep 05, 2003 06:12pm | #20

   Dano, welcome back!!!  Been gone too long.  Jimmy.

9. 
   RoyinMD | Sep 05, 2003 07:26pm | #22

   Wow, I had a flashback to this thread last night. I had a left hand full of flatware from the drainpan and was putting/sorting it in the drawer. A small sharp knife drops so fast I didn't even have time to move my left foot. It hit the floor, point first of course, about a 1/4" from the side of my foot, handle fell on my foot. Life was good that night.

   Slow down Roy.

   Be safe all,

   Enjoy, Roy

10. 
    Danford_C_ | Sep 06, 2003 04:43pm | #26

    Hey Jimmy, Mark, and Scott,

    Thanks for the "greetings"...Though I was just passing through; heard my name mentioned in another discussion here.  Figured that since I was here I'd bump around a tad, see if things have changed since The Move.  'Course they haven't so I doubt if I'll be sticking around.  'Bout twice a year I come in as a "guest", I see that the search engine here is still in love with "100", I assume that "support" still hasn't resolved that problem.  Guess they won't own up to the fact that most of the archieves were lost during The Move.......Hope I'm wrong on that account.

    Any who, hope all is well with you three, things here in The Basin are outstanding and my golf game is even better.....

    Maintain,

    Dano"Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright

11. 
    forestgirl | Sep 05, 2003 07:13pm | #21

    That was over 5 years ago, Dano, and the exact reason I dumped the saw and got my Jet.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

12. 
    MarkRoderick | Sep 05, 2003 08:08pm | #23

    Good to see you.

13. 
    SCFrankland | Sep 05, 2003 09:25pm | #24

    Hey Dano nice to see you back again.

    As for cuts I have been lucky so far. I use Kevlar gloves when installing blades and knives.Scott C. Frankland

    "This all could have been prevented if their parents had just used birth control"

14. 
    forestgirl | Sep 05, 2003 11:23pm | #25

    "Kevlar" -- funny story in the Sports section this morning.  Our designated hitter, Edgar Martinez, has been playing with a broken toe on his left foot.  Trainer special-ordered a protective shoe for him, it arrived -- very tough, Kevlar "would take some kind of  a Scud missle" to get through says the trainer.  Unfortunately, the company made one for his right foot.  Ooops.

    Why is it that knives always land handle up and toast lands butter down?forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

3. 
   10fingers | Sep 05, 2003 12:17am | #15

   Hello,

   Two years ago, my wife asked me a question as I was shutting my MOL's garage door(5 section rolling).  My little finger got trapped in one of the sections and the door went all the way to the ground.  I thought I had lost a finger.  It was crushed flat as a dime.   It took forever to heal, but I have full use of it, it just rotated about 30 degrees from where it should be.  My wife won't come near me if I am in my shop or near a garage door.

   Chuck