Got Lucky The Other Day

[Raider Nation Fisher]

First and for most let me express that I absolutely love band saws. Particularly porta bands, AKA a portable band saw that is hand held. They are one of the most versatile and useful power tools we use.

Now for me getting lucky. I had changed the blade out on one of our 28V Milwaukee saws and was trying to determine if the trigger lock was on or not. This is after I reinstalled the battery. Completely not thinking about the fact I was holding the bottom of said saw I goosed the trigger a little. Once my finger hit the trigger my brain kicked back on, and I realized what I was doing before I did it. I yanked my hand away just in the nick of time. Freaking saw did manage to catch my glove though tight at the base of my index finger and palm. It put a two inch gash through my high dexterity ,"amazing", "cut proof" Kevlar glove. That we are supposed to wear so we don't get cut. I swear it scared the crap out of me. Apparently complacency can lead to carelessness. Or just not thinking about the task you are doing can lead to carelessness.

[Jigfishn10]

You certainly were pretty lucky! I've had one or two of those wake-up calls myself through the years. Certainly makes you more aware when you do things like this again.

[*Hootie]

WHEW!! Close call. Stay alert Raider, don't want to be doing your column from a hospital bed.

Hootie

[Raul]

No more Raider but "Four Finger"  from that moment on.

 

"Scalpels are for cutting skin only", that´s what my surgery teacher said, ahh no, but you know more than the old fart don´tcha ? years later I sliced almost 2 inches of my left index finger while cutting with a scalpel something that was not skin, it seemed so easy to cut thorough the knee joint with the scalpel to amputate that I did it and ..........ouch ! &%$#=()/" !!!!!!!!!!! ( edited because this is a family place and children such not learn such words ).

[*Hootie]

No more Raider but "Four Finger" from that moment on.

"Scalpels are for cutting skin only", that´s what my surgery teacher said, ahh no, but you know more than the old fart don´tcha ? years later I sliced almost 2 inches of my left index finger while cutting with a scalpel something that was not skin, it seemed so easy to cut thorough the knee joint with the scalpel to amputate that I did it and ..........ouch ! &%$#=()/" !!!!!!!!!!! ( edited because this is a family place and children such not learn such words ).

That story gives me the heebee jeebees

Hootie

[speed craw]

I couldnt help but read the title of this thread and think thank god now maybe some of his threads will relax...... anyways now you can give people a high five instead of a 3 1\2 . Had a similar thing happen checking a water pump and fan clutch . The pump had excessive movement I had my flash light looking at the fan clutch Not to close but obviously close enough the fan blades jumped up grabbed my flash light and throught it back at my head . It missed my head by an inches ...... still makes me nervous checking out cars. My light flashing and flipping could have been a disco party...

[Sam]

Whoa.  Scary story.

 

Glad you are OK.

 

Power. You can't ever take anything powerful for granted.

 

Just like you can't take electricity and water for granted.

 

As stated above, be careful. We can't lose our Raider.

[FirstnameLastname]

My grandpa lost a couple fingers that way. Just last year I had a fishing buddy nearly cut his finger off. It was hanging on by a thread. He was trying to put a new hole in his belt with a knife and slipped. He ain't the sharpest tool in the shed but he shure can fish

 

[Raider Nation Fisher]

My grandpa lost a couple fingers that way. Just last year I had a fishing buddy nearly cut his finger off. It was hanging on by a thread. He was trying to put a new hole in his belt with a knife and slipped. He ain't the sharpest tool in the shed but he shure can fish

Sounds like his knife ain't the sharpest tool in the shed either.

I worked with a guy we called "Nub". He was lowering a pipe into place with a come along. Something slipped in the come along and two of his fingers got caught in the chain. Chain shot up and ripped the top two knuckles off those two fingers. Nasty bugger liked to tap you on the shoulder with his stumps.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

Man I know what you mean. I'll preface this with I am a professional carpenter. I work with wood a lot. I spend far more time behind a table saw in a week than most people ever will. I'll even go out on a limb and say I'm pretty darn experienced with the safe use and operation of one.

And I never was more scared a few days ago using one.

I've got a massive 3 phase Powermatic 66. It's a beast. Cuts like nothing is even being fed through it. We've had a lot of bad storms coming through here lately. Lots of lightning, etc etc. I was ripping a small piece of 1x4 stock down to thickness when we had a power surge. Normally when this happens, it's enough to trip the magnetic switch on the saw and kills the power. Not this time. I was halfway through my cut, saw blade buried in the stock when it happened. Was just enough to let the blade slow. I couldn't react that quickly and was still feeding when it turned back on full speed. Had the wood ripped out of my hand and sent flying. Came about an eighth of an inch away from losing God knows how many fingers.

I shut the shop down and locked up for the day. I was shaking afterwards. I may joke around a lot saying things like "safety third," but we do take it very seriously. Body parts don't grow back.

[frantzracing0]

I have been cutting and burning firewood for 6 years now. Use a chainsaw 75 days a year and never wear any protection such as chaps or even eyewear. Until my wife harped on me enough I broke down and got a pair of chaps. First day I needed to cut I put the chaps on reluctantly and headed to my tree pile. About 30 min later my sweaty hand slipped off the handle and the saw instantly kicked out and full force and full rph(old homelite, no chain brake) right into my thigh. I walked away with a very mild 1 inch long cut (more like a scratch) and honestly could have lost my leg without them.

[Hyrule Bass]

back in 1996 i was 17 years old and in high school. i was cutting grass with a push mower and was home alone. the grass was kinda high, i had neglected it for a couple weeks. this was after i got out of school on a friday evening, i was gonna clean up afterwards and go out to the mall and for pizza with my aunt and uncle. never made it there. the yard was in like levels. cut a level, move down the steps, cut another level, as it was in the mountains. i was cutting near the edge of the dropoff of one of the levels and i slipped on the grass that was wet near the bottom at the ground. my foot went under the lawnmower, i shoved it off my foot and went and sat on the steps, took a few seconds and built up the courage to look down(no it didnt hurt...YET). well i had cut my big toe off on my left foot. paramedics looked for it, couldnt find it, doctor said it couldnt have been reattached anyways. so yeah i got a 1 inch stub for a big toe on my left foot now. luckily i didnt lose more than that, like half a foot or something. doesnt affect my walking though, and i didnt have to go through no therapy bullcrap, i knew not to walk on the side of my foot, i just dealt with any pain i had walking on it normal. now if i stand on just my left foot i fall to the right though lol.

 

my moms husband got his hand de-gloved in a printing press about 3 years ago. he had to lose an index finger ultimately, couldve been much worse too...

[Bankbeater]

I was up on a ladder a couple of years ago trimming the bushes in the front yard with an electric hedge trimmer.  My yard is very uneven and full of small holes.  One of the ladder legs slipped, and the trimmer caught the palm of my free hand. 

 

Luckily the trimmer has a safety switch you have to hold down to operate it, and I was wearing a work glove.  The glove was shredded where the blade caught it, and I had a pretty nasty cut across my hand, but luckily that was all.