As a life long woodworker and currently a woodturner we should never take the use of our tools for granted, I did and I paid a healthy and painful 'stupid tax' today.

I drilled a series of holes in a piece of wood with my floor model drill press. However I decided they needed to be deeper. I positioned the wood directly under the bit, got a good grip (1st issue: no clamps), 2nd issue: my hand was far to close to the spinning bit.

As you would expect the bit caught on the lip of the first hole, and kicked the wood out, drawing my thumb directly into the spinning bit. The thumb is now split completely in half, additionally I have an open fracture and may loose the tip of my thumb.
The stitches in the second image are loose on purpose so the hand surgeon can remove them for his evaluation.

The most painful part was the pain medication injected directly into the open tissue.

Lesson: Take extreme care when using any power tool, remove any rings or bracelets and use clamps were required. And above all take your time before turning on the power switch.

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Met with the hand surgeon today and no surgery!! I will be wearing a split for a while until the bone mends. Still dealing with the cut and keeping if from becoming infected.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sig229-SAS,

Now that's an injury I feel like you just gotta moan out a bit before you can do much. Ouch, man.




Link to original video: https://youtu.be/Y9j3heYZAk8

Good God, I am so sorry for your injury! I hope it heals with minimal disablement.

Glad your okay but jesus that looks bad.

Ouch! That smarts.

Funny thing is, I've done the same thing (knowing better) so many times I can't count 'em. Just lucky I guess.

The one that I'm REALLY concerned about is my miter saw. We used to have a surgeon around these parts who cut his fingers off with his miter saw. He gave up medicine, became a lawyer, and ultimately committed suicide. Sad deal as the guy was brilliant.

Ever since then, I quadruple check to make sure that my fingers are nowhere near the blade before I pull the button. And, whenever I sense myself getting into a hurry or getting complacent, I stop and walk away for awhile.

Best of luck, and I hope you heal up well.

OUCH!! I've come so close to doing something similar with my drill press. Would a drill press vice have minimized the risk? I use my vice always but it might give me a false sense of security. I drill mostly metal.

This is a good reminder you can't be to safe. I wear my ear protection and eye protection much more now a days than ever before.

God, I hope I never do that. I feel for you.

BTDT. The right index finger into a table saw, so I know how much that sucks.

Ouch!

I hope you mend up well.

Ow!

I've had a few power tool injuries over the years, but not quite to that extent. Lost a lot of meat on my pointer finger to a table saw once.



One of the smarter things I've done lately is put a X-Y table on my drill press with T-slots.

I can either clamp directly to the table or bolt a vice to the table and clamp the work with that.

Dang, very sorry to see that. Sure hope the surgeon gives you some good news (or at least less bad news) when he examines it.

I'd also offer it is a very bad idea to try and knock an off cut piece away from the spinning blade on your table saw with your thumb. Yeah, I did that, shortly followed by a trip to the ER for stitches. Let your guard down or lose focus for even a second and bad things can happen really fast.

quote:

Lesson: Take extreme care when using any power tool

Ouch!!!
OK, you warned us, but did those photos have to be 20 times life size!

Your warning well advised... I own a table saw that has cut multiple fingers off two people. My dad and an employee. Both were life long carpenters with decades of experience.

But not just power tools. My worst injury was from a utility knife when a work piece slipped. Deep cut at base of thumb with permanent nerve damage.

Jeez-o-Pete, that’s grusome! Sorry that happened to you.

My similar experience was not so graphic. I was trying to take 1/8 inch off a 2 inch piece of trim using a table saw. I still have 10 fingers, although three have significant scar tissue, and 9 fingernails. My son showed up from his work just minutes after it happened, and he worked in a commercial furniture shop and had seen much worse. He had brought a pizza home for the family. He laid the pizza on the counter, wrote a note to his mother "Took Dad to the emergency room. Have some pizza" and calmly bandaged my fingers and drove me to the clinic. His head is screwed on much straighter than mine.
I hope at least one person reads these posts and listens, Don't try to do a quick one "just one time.". Secure your work pieces, use a push stick, no loose clothing, eye/ear/dust protection. BTW I still can't pick up change off a flat surface with my injured fingers, they are still numb at the fingertips and this happened 14 years ago in November.

Owwwwwwwwwwwwww,

I am not afraid of many things, but I am like a scared teenage girl when I get around a table saw...

Hope you get good news from the surgeon.

Oh my goodness. That is horrible. So sorry that happened to you. Praying for good news from the hand surgeon and a quick recovery.

Yikes.

[shudder] Jeepers, man!!

Having lost a relatively minor battle with a chop saw a couple of years ago, I recognize the danger in your warning.

I'm glad you were able to get it stitched up quickly, and I wish you quick healing.

I'll also thank you for posting the pictures. I keep cautioning one of my young colleagues when he's using power tools: "I don't want to be the one to have to call your mom and tell her you've had an accident." He's aware, and learning quickly, but I intend to show him your photos as a reminder.

WTF, guy. Hopefully everything will attach to where they use to attach as before. Man...

Heal fast. I bet that's hurting quite a bit.

Even being careful these things can happen to those who use power tools. I use those tools occasionally and the possibility of injury is a constant companion. Sorry you had this happen. Isn't modern medicine a miracle though?