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Dimensioning the thumb.... ouch!
By:Malcolm Schweizer
Date: 1/21/2001, 5:39 am

Hello everyone. I have been a silent reader of this bulletin board for a while now. I wanted to tell you what I did that you may say was stupid, but it could happen to you. I was ripping an 18-foot board into 1/4" strips. I had just purchased a brand new finish blade. I ALWAYS use every safety precaution when cutting- hearing & eye protection, feather boards, etc. I was using a Delta Unisaw with a Biesmeyer fence. When cutting 1/4" strips the fence hits the blade guard, so you have to raise the guard, but I let it rest on the fence so that you at least get some protection. I was using a push stick to push the board the last 6" through the blade. I think my mistake was I set the feather board (a magnetic version with plastic feather strips) a little too tight, and the wood was a little hard to push. Using the push stick up front for safety, I placed my left hand on the board BEHIND and to the left of the blade to help push it through- that way if I slipped I would not hit the blade, right???? Well, what apparently happened was that the board kicked back, and my hand shot backwards and my thumb ran across the blade. I now have about 1/4" shorter thumb, and they had to do a skin graft to repair. Can any of you say you've never gotten just slightly careless? I'm very embarassed, but I wanted to tell you that you can never be too careful. By the way, what saved me is that I never raise the blade more than just slighty above the piece I am cutting, and therefore it only got the tip of the thumb. Just FYI- Dewalt blades make a very smooth cut through thumbs... if you were wondering.

Messages In This Thread

Dimensioning the thumb.... ouch!
Malcolm Schweizer -- 1/21/2001, 5:39 am
Dimensioning Hand
Steve -- 1/25/2001, 11:48 am
Re: Power feed *Pic*
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 1/24/2001, 9:47 am
Re: Power feed
daren -- 1/24/2001, 8:31 pm
Re: Power feed
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 1/25/2001, 10:30 am
Re: Power feed
Rehd -- 1/24/2001, 9:09 pm
biscuit joiners also eat meat
Don Bowen -- 1/23/2001, 6:48 pm
Re: biscuit joiners also eat meat
daren -- 1/23/2001, 9:25 pm
new safety technology
redhush -- 1/23/2001, 11:27 pm
Re: new safety technology
Geo. Cushing -- 1/24/2001, 4:55 pm
Re: new safety technology
redhush -- 1/23/2001, 11:49 pm
Re: Look Out, it's the Wet Blanket :O
Rehd -- 1/24/2001, 1:42 am
Re: Cool Video! *NM*
Spidey -- 1/24/2001, 12:08 am
Welcome to the 9 & 7/8 club... :(
Marcelo -- 1/23/2001, 4:05 pm
Re: Dimensioning the thumb.... ouch!
Lee -- 1/22/2001, 1:04 pm
Re: Dimensioning the thumb.... ouch!
John Monfoe -- 1/22/2001, 6:27 am
Re: I feel your pain
Steve L -- 1/22/2001, 8:43 am
Re: I feel your pain
bob -- 1/22/2001, 10:01 am
Re: I feel your pain
Rob Macks -- 1/22/2001, 9:43 am
Re: I feel your pain
Ed K. -- 1/22/2001, 2:56 pm
pic link
David Hanson -- 1/22/2001, 12:06 pm
Post Pics
David Hanson -- 1/22/2001, 11:33 am
Re: Post Pics *Pic*
Rob Macks -- 1/22/2001, 1:28 pm
Re: Post Pics
David Hanson -- 1/22/2001, 3:11 pm
Re: Post Pics
Rob Macks -- 1/22/2001, 1:32 pm
Re: Dimensioning the thumb.... ouch!
Spidey -- 1/22/2001, 12:43 am
Re: Dimensioning the thumb.... ouch!
Malcolm Schweizer -- 1/21/2001, 11:07 pm
Re: Dimensioning the thumb.... ouch!
Bob Deutsch -- 1/21/2001, 10:09 pm
Re: Dimensioning the thumb.... ouch!
bob -- 1/21/2001, 10:00 pm
Re: Dimensioning the thumb.... ouch!
Russ -- 1/21/2001, 9:52 pm
Re: Safety
Ian Johnston -- 1/21/2001, 2:42 pm
Re: Safety
Rehd -- 1/21/2001, 5:02 pm
Re: Hey Stubby!
George Cushing -- 1/21/2001, 11:13 am
Re: Dimensioning the thumb.... ouch!
Johnnie -- 1/21/2001, 10:58 am