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This evening I got bitten by my router to the tune of three stitches just below my thumb. I got lucky, it could have been much worse. Here's how it happened - don't make the same mistake.

When I was previously using the router I had it hooked up through a speed controller and that's how I was turning it off and on. When I packed it up I inadvertently left the switch on the handle in the locked on position. Tonight when I plugged it in directly, i.e. no speed controller, naturally the router started up. The torque from starting up made it start to fall off my bench and I reached out to grab it without even thinking. It all happened very fast. So the lessen is to always check that your tools are off before you plug them in.

Cheers,
Pat

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There are three kinds of people:

Those that make things happen,
those that watch things happen,
and those that wondered what happened.

Dang Pat......Sorry to hear that. Hope you'll be okay.
Thanks for sharing the warning.

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Say what you do, Do what you say.

That's a really easy mistake to make, glad you're okay. I've done this a number of times, thankfully without injury. Reminds me of tools with trigger locks, always a good idea to pull the trigger a couple times before you plug it in.

Ouch! Sorry to hear that Pat, It is amazing how instinct and reflex's just jump into action isn't it?

Hope you heal quickly. Next time you will probably just watch your $200 tool drop to the floor and self destruct...

Bob

Glad it was not too serious.. A friend of mine once said the hand is quicker than the mind.. he said that after quickly grabbing a fine crystal glass that was falling and having it crush in his hand....

Kerry

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My Website http://klw-strings.com
My Luthier's Blog...http://klwstrings.blogspot.com

Have had a few hand injuries myself, it's a good reminder to all to be very careful with power tools AND hand tools. You can do just as much damage with a sharp chisel in a 1/10 of a second. Also very good idea to be awake and aware in the morning and very important to realize when you are getting tired, and stop using power tools, maybe even quit for the day.
Hope you heal fast.

I'm glad your lesson wasn't too severe Pat. I use the router speed control for on/off as well. I've been lucky, so far, but after your mishap, I'm going to get a red Sharpie and mark my routers as a reminder.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Ryobi rtr switch on my rtr table has a button that was intermittent.Rewired it straight into an on/off switch directly to the rtr table just for the reason that Pat mentioned . Stay safe pat , hope you get well.soon Romanillos says that rtrs scare the hell out of him.They scare me too.Safety first.

Thanks guys. Funny, it hurts more this morning than it did last night. However, the thumb still works just fine so there's no real damage. I've got a dental appointment this morning and I know I've got a couple of sensitive spots that always make me jump when my teeth are being cleaned. That will get my mind off my hand for a while.

Pat

_________________
There are three kinds of people:

Those that make things happen,
those that watch things happen,
and those that wondered what happened.

Thanks for the heads up Pat, glad to hear you'll be fine,
Mike

Sorry to hear about this Pat, but please let me share the other lesson that should be learned here, as taught to me by a cabinetmaker friend.
When dealing with sharp tools or power tools that can do damage, you should train yourself to react by getting out of the way if they drop, rather than reaching for it.

Let them hit the floor!

You can replace a tool, but you only have one pair of hands, and one pair of feet, etc. It's not worth the risk to try to catch something.
Learn to react by getting out of the way.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Good advice Don. I have also done that on a few occasions but clearly more training is required.

Pat

_________________
There are three kinds of people:

Those that make things happen,
those that watch things happen,
and those that wondered what happened.

your comment about how quickly these things happens really rings true. I had a 2 inch cove bit fly out of a router table, like you I luckily ended up
with relatively minor injuries. It really shook my confidence, or cockiness around my power tools.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Also, be very careful with hand tools as well. I was reading the other day (I've been looking at some Japanese chisel reviews) how one fellow stuck a chisel in his thumb -- it was a small wound except he could no longer move his thumb -- he had severed the tendon. Small accident, small wound, about 1 year of expensive surgeries and physical therapy.

Stay safe out there!!!

It's always good to post these happenings. It's not good that they happen. But I do find myself thinking before acting more than usual after reading them. Pat, heal up.

Mike

Agreed! Thanks for posting!

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Brad

The lessons continue. I just got back from the hospital again because my wound wouldn't stop bleeding in one spot. The doctor admonished me, saying that she could tell I was using the hand too much because one stitch had basically disappeared on one side. I couldn't deny it. So she taped me closed with "Steri-strips" and gave me strict instructions not to use the hand or get it wet for at least 48 hours. Like Tiger Woods, I've got to get out of the game for a bit to allow myself time to heal.

Pat

_________________
There are three kinds of people:

Those that make things happen,
those that watch things happen,
and those that wondered what happened.

This is one of my wake-up calls as a reminder to play safe.


Alex


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

I once saw a coworker reach for a falling belt sander! His palm was pinched between the belt and the infeed of the wheel! We spent the rest of the day in the emergency room, lots of stitches! Thanks for posting ,we all need to hear stories like that!


May your sails be full & your glass never be empty!

I have a friend who hangs a mannequin hand (one finger missing) over his table saw, just enough to bump the top of his head. Still, he's managed to remove small parts of two fingers. He's a goofy, funny guy. I'm guessing that's part of the problem.

I left the blood on the wall as a reminder, after an incident with the table saw. I am ready if we ever have a gross picture thread.

I got the stitches out the morning. The doctor said to give it a few more days before swinging a golf club.

Pat

_________________
There are three kinds of people:

Those that make things happen,
those that watch things happen,
and those that wondered what happened.

Ouch. Speed controllers for routers are so common I'm surprised they don't have some interlock system for it.....but I guess we would just find a way to cheat it anyway
Hope the stitches heal fast!

Pat, I hope the stitches heal up real fast ... that is a genuine "accident" .., one reacts instinctively ... sometimes there are no ill-effects ...other times there are severe consequences. You can't legislate for "instinct " ...

I got some flak on this forum years ago when a member posted a sympathy-seeking thread about how he had cut his thumb when carrying out a totally unsafe table saw operation.

Nobody apart from me pointed out that he had brought the "accident" on himself by failing to observe basic safety protocols.

Pat's misfortune was a genuine "accident" .

Most so-called "accidents " are the result of disregard of basic safety protocols.

Pat,
I avoided looking at this for a day, just because I feared there would be gruesome photos. Man, I am so sorry you had the accident, but glad it was fixed by a few stitches. The thumb is the absolute WORST finger you could injure! Blessings and prayers for a "good as new" thumb in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, everyone else take heed of this.

Patrick

PS: Alex.... GREAT WARNING SIGN