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Bloody guitar building
https://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=43416		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Doug Balzer [ Fri May 09, 2014 5:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Bloody guitar building
And the assailant.
Author:  johnparchem [ Fri May 09, 2014 5:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
Yikes! Lucky the tendon is still in one piece.
Author:  dzsmith [ Fri May 09, 2014 6:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
Ahhhhh!
you need some rum.
Author:  Nick Royle [ Fri May 09, 2014 6:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
Ouch. Not looking forward to the day I do myself some damage building a guitar.
Anyone tried making guitars wearing hand armour?
Author:  jshelton [ Fri May 09, 2014 6:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
I put a 2mm chisel into my palm and out the top of my hand once. I cringed when I pulled it out and amazingly it didn't even bleed. It missed everything. I was left with no pain and tiny red dot on both sides of my hand. Sometimes you're lucky and sometimes you're not.
Author:  Wayne Brown [ Fri May 09, 2014 6:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
Oh my! It hurts just looking at it! And it can happen so fast.
Author:  Alex Kleon [ Fri May 09, 2014 6:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
If it's any consolation Doug, you could have hurt yourself doing something you hate doing! ;) Glad it is a cut that goes with the grain, not across it.

Ale
Author:  James Ringelspaugh [ Fri May 09, 2014 6:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
ouch! Be careful out there people...
Author:  Terence Kennedy [ Fri May 09, 2014 11:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
Is the digital nerve OK on that side? You are lucky if it is.
Author:  Doug Balzer [ Fri May 09, 2014 11:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
Terence Kennedy wrote:
Is the digital nerve OK on that side? You are lucky if it is.

Nerve, tendon are all fine. No pain. Already back in the shop. My wife thinks I'm nuts. My bad in not using better technique with a chisel.
Author:  timoM [ Sat May 10, 2014 12:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
Glad to hear it's ok. Technique change maybe?

T
Author:  Colin North [ Sat May 10, 2014 2:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
Yup, from personal experience. hand tools deserve a lot on respect.
Thanks for posting this reminder for everyone.
In my case it was repairable with 3 hours in surgery, the tendon and nerve were fixed, and I've got 90% movement back some feeling back in my finger.......
Author:  Dan Miller [ Sat May 10, 2014 7:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
I had a similar run-in a few years back with a utility knife (I've damaged myself more with one of those than anything else so far). One digital nerve repair and a number of years have brought me back to about 90% feeling in my middle finger.

Since then, I've developed a mental mantra:

"If it slips, where's it going to go?"

I've changed many approaches once I got into the habit of doing this.
Author:  Clay S. [ Sat May 10, 2014 8:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
""If it slips, where's it going to go?"
I've changed many approaches once I got into the habit of doing this."

Me too! I do a lot less holding and a lot more clamping now.
Also when working in the shop with injuries be doubly careful. Once when nursing a minor cut on one finger and being sure to keep it out of harm's way I clipped the tip of another in the jointer. Ouch!

Glad to hear you will be O.K. [:Y:]
Author:  John Lewis [ Sat May 10, 2014 8:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
Doug-
You know you will have to have that chisel destroyed now that it has tasted human blood, right? ;)

I'm glad you are O.K. and thanks for the safety reminder. I hate to admit it but I often catch myself doing something that could end badly and have to stop and rethink it.
Author:  TonyKarol [ Sat May 10, 2014 8:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
chisels - IMO, if you cant use the chisel to do a task holding it with both hands, I usually wont even attempt it, as its bad technique. I teach my students to hold the blade of the chisel in one hand (held like making a first, chisel is inside the fist), the handle in the other - this way, you can NEVER impale yourself in the hand, as both hands are BEHIND the edge. The only time a chisel should be used one handed is if you have a mallet in the other hand ...

Glad you are going to be OK, that looks nasty ....
Author:  Pat Hawley [ Sat May 10, 2014 8:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
Ouch. I feel your pain Doug. I've still got scab over the area where I lost a flap of skin trying to catch the router.

Pat
Author:  Quine [ Sat May 10, 2014 9:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
Ouch...the classic chisel injury. Let's all keep both hands behind the sharp end folks. Clamps can hold the work and they heal much faster
Author:  patch [ Sat May 10, 2014 12:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
TonyKarol wrote:
chisels - IMO, if you cant use the chisel to do a task holding it with both hands, I usually wont even attempt it, as its bad technique. I teach my students to hold the blade of the chisel in one hand (held like making a first, chisel is inside the fist), the handle in the other - this way, you can NEVER impale yourself in the hand, as both hands are BEHIND the edge. The only time a chisel should be used one handed is if you have a mallet in the other hand ...

Glad you are going to be OK, that looks nasty ....




^^^^ exactly!
Author:  johnparchem [ Sat May 10, 2014 1:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
Thanks for posting it is good to share these wake-up calls as a reminder to the rest of us. I spent a bunch of time in a class from Rick Davis and I think he spent the entire scratch build class moving one of my hands from the front of chisels. It is amazing how fast things can go wrong.
Author:  Haans [ Sat May 10, 2014 4:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
Sorry you had to go through that, Doug. I really hope it heals up fast.
Happened to me several years ago doing a mitre, and a scary sharp 1-1/2" chisel went into the fleshy part of the left thumb below the first joint. I just called up from the basement "Maureen...hospital", and she was out the door to get the car. Fortunately, we live about 6 blocks from the hospital. Same as you, just missed everything. Still a little numb in the area, but works OK.
Yes, it's very important to keep both hands behind the tool, BUT, many times it is bad thinking that does you in. Too tired, not awake, distracted by radio, in a hurry, angry at wife (oops!), wife angry at you...you name it. It's really a potentially dangerous job. In my 42 years of woodworking, I've seen some very ugly stuff.
I'm a good morning starter, so I usually do most of the difficult tasks after the first hour in the shop. Later in the afternoon, I watch carefully to tell when I am getting a bit tired, and at that point, switch to easy tasks, plan steps for tomorrow, or just clean shop.
Hope you feel better soon.
Author:  Bri [ Sat May 10, 2014 5:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
I know that I have always considered a pair of these, but buying tools is more fun than buying safety gear. Doh!

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.a ... 45887&ap=1

Brian
Author:  Michiyuki Kubo [ Sat May 10, 2014 7:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
Thanks for sharing Doug. Get healed up fast and well :)
Author:  Alex Kleon [ Mon May 12, 2014 9:04 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
I showed Doug's injury to my wife, and she asked me if I had my cell phone in my pocket at all times when I'm in my shop. Sometimes it is on a bench, but from now on I'll keep it in my pocket or on my belt. It doesn't take much to go into shock sometimes, and if you are alone, having a phone handy is a good idea.
I keep bandaids on pushpins on the walls around my shop for booboo's, but I think I'll add a couple of boot lace tourniquets as well.

Alex
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Mon May 12, 2014 9:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bloody guitar building
I should have posted a picture of what happened to me last summer, though it wasn't shop related. Was using one of those long pole tree trimmers with the pull rope, and the serated sickle blade on top. ...Cringing yet?... It got stuck on a branch, so like an idiot, I used my stomach to steady the pole, and used two hands to pull on the rope with maximum force. ...Got one eye covered now?... Then all of a sudden, the whole thing gets away from me, and this 12 foot long pole does a complete spin about its center and that sickle blade chops into my right forearm. How my arm did not break, I'll never know. But the blood (sorry!!) gushed out so badly that it absolutely scared the hell out of me. I even entertained thoughts about how this must be what it is like to suffer a catostrophic accident and be there watching it all go down. Seriously thought shock was a possibility. Nobody home except my 10 year old son, who after helping me get it wrapped, asked that I drop him at the local pool. LOL! Then I drove myself to the Doc n Box where they told me there was nothing to do but wrap it and kep it iced. He also informed me that I was lucky the balde was serated, otherwise it could have taken my arm off. Ugh!!

Sorry, felt like sharing! [xx(]

And get well soon Doug.
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