Official Luthiers Forum!

"So what was the thought in your head when the chisel slipt?"

Well, let me tell you....

on second thought, this is a family friendly board, so I'll let pictures do the talking:




As you can guess, I wasn't happy about it. So I guess this is a public service announcement too

I was using my chisel to relieve some of the wood from around the mating face, to make it easier to fit. I don't know why, but I wasn't paying attention to the orientation of the chisel and the fact that i was going into end grain, so the chisel slipt thru the meat of my left index finger (heavy callouses, thankfully) and out thru my nail on the other side.

Anyway, it closed up OK with a tight bandage, and with some tramadol I dont feel any pain. But I am probably out of commission for a week or so.

So, let me ask you: "What is the thought in your head BEFORE the chisel slips??"

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"Everyone wants to BE something, but nobody wants to BECOME something" - William Cumpiano

Oops i think i meant Padma. Me sorry.

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"Everyone wants to BE something, but nobody wants to BECOME something" - William Cumpiano

Ouch!!

I layed the web of my left hand open with a 3/4" chisel while mortising a hinge some years back -- the door blank just was never the same with the 'cherry' stain splashed across it. The good thing about a sharp chisel is that the hurt doesn't happen right away!

Seems to me that I fell into logger talk with that episode. Bummer about the heal of the neck also. Hope you and the guitar get to feeling better!

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Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

It happened something similar to me last week... I just working with chisel on a piece of african mahogany (craving arch of marimba lamel..). So i was trying to in the sens of th grain... but the grain of that piece has any orientation, i swear, it was really disgusting piece lol. Anyways, the chisel slipt, and I scraped one finger on the wood piece... so now, i've got a "bloody" mahogany marimba lamel...

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

I remember a similar discussion some years ago on "the Porch", an old listserv devoted to using/making/finding/rehabilitating hand tools for woodworking. One thing that a lot - A LOT - of woodworkers reported thinking just before their tool slipped was "I shouldn't be doing it this way, it's kinda dangerous..."

Considering that I'd had identical thoughts just before an incident or two myself, I've been paying close attention whenever I hear that little voice, ever since...

Gee, sorry abouts your finger.

Oh and if you really wanna get the name right, its "the Padma"...you know ...sorta like "El" Salvador or "Los" Angeles.

blessings
and heal fast
the
Padma

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.

Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


.

Check ebay for 'woodcarvers glove', but make sure it has rubber on it for grip.

My latest was using a handplane upside down, because that little nub of a blade cant cut too deep if anything did happen. Half the fingernail deep.

But the basic rule with chisels is never put your hand in front of it in the first place, of course. If it can slip, it will!

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Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I

That'll buff out.

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The member formerly known as erikbojerik....

I feel for you, Adam.
Same thing happened to me while carving the heel on the 12 string I`m in the process of repairing about 4 weeks ago. No loss of life fluids, but it surely brought me back to the reality of paying attention (I was watching TV at the same time) .
It was easily glued back in place, but boy was my face red when it happened.
I hope you`ll recover quickly and be able to put it back in place.
Coe

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Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

LOL thanks I needed that!!!

Actually, the chip came out very cleanly and glued back in almost invisibly. Should be able to sand it out and restain/refinish and be back up and running.

thanks "The Padma" for setting me straight on your name, mods can you change the title?

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"Everyone wants to BE something, but nobody wants to BECOME something" - William Cumpiano

good luck with your finger and the guitar.
Thats a nice color stain in the second picture

Right .. that'll buff out .. or you could use Bondo

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

I'll second the recommendation on carving gloves. The only catch is that they don't protect against stab/puncture too well...they are made for slice protection. I recall learning that the hard way! LOL

Kinda like the time I wasn't paying attention, and tried to adjust a block that a sheet of ply was sitting on. While the circular saw was still running! Very, Very lucky that I can still play guitar after grabbing a handful of moving carbide blade! And yeah...that little voice was screaming 'dude...bad idea' just before I did it.

-Matthew

Been there Got a pointy finger to prove it

Now THAT'S a divot!

FORE!!!!!!

Do heal soon and do not repeat. I really don't like the sight of blood.

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Hank Mauel

Sorry to hear about the accident. My first reaction is usually a short cuss word – take your pick just before the pain sits in. I still remember a situation that occurred with another student when taking my ukulele building school. This guy was wearing shorts and sitting on a stool while working on his ukulele. He had the instrument held between his legs as he was carving on it with a chisel. I immediately explained that even a small slip could do some severe damage to his body. Once he realized what he was doing he woke up pretty quick and thank goodness he didn’t do it again.

I’m glad the broken piece glued in so well. Currently, I’m working on setting a dove tail neck and have had issues. It seems I may have removed to much wood from the heal and have a gap between the sides and the neck. Added wood to the tenon and am starting over. If I still have a gap then I will put a binding around the front of the neck so I can mate the surface. I figured that if I need to do this than it will match the guitar binding.

Philip

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aka konacat

If you think my playing is bad you should hear me sing!
Practice breeds confidence and confidence breeds competence. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in practice.

Chainmail mitons. They really do make them for this purpose.

Mike (good luck on the heal)

Well the heel repair is going well... got the chip glued back in, filed and sanded down, restained and a sealer coat on... looks well-nigh invisible, besides the obvious transition from glossy to flat, but that is just temporary. I am thinking of posting a little log of the repair process, if there's interest. Would that go in the tutorial section? Would a power point be OK, or should I do a video montage? I would like someone somewhere to benefit from my mistake some day.

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"Everyone wants to BE something, but nobody wants to BECOME something" - William Cumpiano

Well, as promised, and mostly for penance as well as a chance to analyze the process and force myself to slow down and not have this happen again, I put together a video documenting what happened and the resulting repairs, to the best of my amateur ability.

I think it turned out well, and hopefully will be an apt safety reminder for some and an encouragement to others who may have just chipped out a months worth of hard work.



Enjoy and let me know what you think

adam

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"Everyone wants to BE something, but nobody wants to BECOME something" - William Cumpiano

My one and hopefully only encounter with a chisel caused an hour or two wait in the ER.
The doctor was home watching the super bowl.

My Dr the following Tuesday said I probably should have, but a little superglue and it was stitched up in no time and I didn't have to waste half a day in the ER

On the nail side, i cut off all my other nails and built a little nail overlay and superglued it to the top. Worked quite well, and kept me from having to buy a set of Lee press-ons.

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"Everyone wants to BE something, but nobody wants to BECOME something" - William Cumpiano