Don't try this at home..! (warning - it's a bit gruesome)

[Iancd]

Here's a trick to avoid:
Release power switch on belt sander (a powerful Makita 4"), flip the sander onto its side while the belt's still moving, but slowing down, and change the belt...
Speeds things up a tad and works fine maybe a dozen times, THEN

Slight pressure of finger on the belt re-engages it with the power roller, belt pulls finger against guard, and in turn machine against left finger which is still against the power switch and switches sander back on, pulling middle finger of right hand into the limited space between guard and now fast-moving belt, necessitating me yanking finger hard out of the sander against the motion of the belt. OUCH..!!

Result: loss of nail, nearly all the nail bed and broke off a small fragment of bone in tip of finger...

I've worked out since that this must have been pretty much what happened. Bloody stupid. It's been repaired in surgery since, and is now healing.
Hopefully a timely reminder never to take any shortcuts with safety and to always be alert, mindful and concentrate on the task in hand.

I thought I was doing OK in that respect, but obviously not. Second stupid accident in two years... and would I keep forgetting where I put things if I was really concentrating and paying attention...?!! #-o

Ian

 

[RobinBHM]

Ouch, sorry to hear that, I hope all heals up soon.

Belt sanders seem quite innocuous as they dont have any revolving blades, but they can bite too!

I once got my trouser sucked into an elu belt sander, luckily no injury but took a lot of effort to get them out again!

 

[blackrodd]

Ouch, sorry to hear that, I hope all heals up soon.

Belt sanders seem quite innocuous as they dont have any revolving blades, but they can bite too!

I once got my trouser sucked into an elu belt sander, luckily no injury but took a lot of effort to get them out again!

Sounds like you were lucky there Robin, Could have damaged you're wallet and really Make you're eyes really water!
Rodders

 

[Racers]

Ouch! get well soon.

Pictures just to warn others would be good.

Pete

 

[Iancd]

Thanks Robin, Pete
I think this machine is particularly powerful... I had the power to it cut out from the mains once. When I restored the power I forgot that I'd left the switch on the machine held on... it flew off the kitchen worktop I'd been sanding, jammed under a cupboard, and cut a sizeable groove in a Blue Lyas flagstone. Testament to the build quality of the machine that it suffered no damage other than a scratch on top...
I do seem to be a bit careless, eh..?!
Must work out how to cure myself of that before I lose a finger.

Pete: you think I should post a pic of my finger...?!!
Ian

 

[Racers]

Yep its been done before it makes people more aware of just what can go wrong.

Pete

 

[DiscoStu]

No pictures - didn't happen!

I'm note sure I need to see pictures in reality but I think the shock factor can be a useful reminder to us all about being careful.

 

[WellsWood]

Pictures just to warn others would be good.

Pete

Actually, can we not? The description was quite enough. 8-[

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It wouldn't work with a sander, but I've the answer on my mains drill and angle grinder - I tape and cable tie the key/C spanner to the lead at the plug end. No excuse then not to switch off or disconnect. (and I've not lost one in 30 years )

 

[david123]

We have all been there, (not unplugging things and taking shortcuts in general) and usually get away with it....until !!!
Thanks for the timely reminder.
Hope things get back to Normal soon.

 

[dickm]

Ouch - at least the mess of my right hand was done by a surgeon and under anaesthetic . Maybe we should have a sticky of blooded hands at the top of the forum to remind people?

But +1 for the mass and power of the Makita BS - don't the Yanks run sander races?

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I like that....the "gruesome chat room"

A sub forum populated with mawkish snaps of flesh and blood ripped out by tool accidents as a reminder to keep safe

 

[CHJ]

I like that....the "gruesome chat room"

A sub forum populated with mawkish snaps of flesh and blood ripped out by tool accidents as a reminder to keep safe

You're warped!!

On a slightly different tack,

Last weekend at my Daughters and all day today at home I've been using one of my more useful tools in the overgrown hedge and tree bashing arsenal, a very effective Hitachi Reciprocating Saw.
The cost cutting individuals who produced this particular version decided to leave the provided moulding for the safety trigger button blank and avoid the cost of the additional little plunger and spring.
Even after some four plus years of reasonably regular use it still takes an inordinate amount of concentration when picking the darn thing up not to fire it up when you take the weight on the conveniently shaped hand grip housing the trigger.

Just hope I never have that obvious accident waiting to happen.

 

[Benchwayze]

Ooo! Ooooh! Mr Peebley! Mr Peebley!

I know that hurts., but I was luckier than you. Just lost a few mms of skin, right down to the epidermis!
One of the reasons I chucked out all sanders.

Then last week, I go and cut myself to the bone, trying to open a jar of pickled onions, with a stout knife, struggling against the 'Health and Safety' seal, because I can't grip stuff any more! 8)

Yes I bought one of those plastic jar-openers. Works a treat!

Hope the injury heals okay Ian.

Cheers

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Ooo! Ooooh! Mr Peebley! Mr Peebley!

I know that hurts., but I was luckier than you. Just lost a few mms of skin, right down to the epidermis!
One of the reasons I chucked out all sanders.

Then last week, I go and cut myself to the bone, trying to open a jar of pickled onions, with a stout knife, struggling against the 'Health and Safety' seal, because I can't grip stuff any more! 8)

Yes I bought one of those plastic jar-openers. Works a treat!

Hope the injury heals okay Ian.

Cheers

=D> =D> =D>

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I like that....the "gruesome chat room"

A sub forum populated with mawkish snaps of flesh and blood ripped out by tool accidents as a reminder to keep safe

You're warped!!

On a slightly different tack,

Last weekend at my Daughters and all day today at home I've been using one of my more useful tools in the overgrown hedge and tree bashing arsenal, a very effective Hitachi Reciprocating Saw.
The cost cutting individuals who produced this particular version decided to leave the provided moulding for the safety trigger button blank and avoid the cost of the additional little plunger and spring.
Even after some four plus years of reasonably regular use it still takes an inordinate amount of concentration when picking the darn thing up not to fire it up when you take the weight on the conveniently shaped hand grip housing the trigger.

Just hope I never have that obvious accident waiting to happen.

I've got the Makita version, very handy for sawing the Xmas tree into manageable chunks at the end of festivities. Because it's long it has a real tendency to swing downwards when you pick it up so imagine where that blade might end up!!!!! Remembering those saws are what the fire brigade use to open up car roves to get people out in accidents!! (The Makita does have the safety stop but was just thinking of yours and indeed the security of your manhood!!)

 

[Iancd]

I like that....the "gruesome chat room"

A sub forum populated with mawkish snaps of flesh and blood ripped out by tool accidents as a reminder to keep safe

You're warped!!

...I've been using one of my more useful tools in the overgrown hedge and tree bashing arsenal, a very effective Hitachi Reciprocating Saw...

...Remembering those saws are what the fire brigade use to open up car roves to get people out in accidents!!

Actually, my son, a retained fireman, told me a while back that they pretty much always use hydraulic cutting gear - like this: http://www.fireproductsearch.com/products/rescue-tools/cutters/
---------------------------------------------------------------
I e-mailed Medical Photography last Thursday (they took some photos of my finger when I went in to Plastics Trauma and had the nail bed repaired) - the website indicates I should be able to get copies of the photos on CD for a fee. They used a Nikon D800, so we could be looking at some very high resolution (36Mp..!) gore soon... On the other hand (noo noooo..! :wink: ) maybe not, as they haven't replied yet

Thanks for all the kind wishes, folks. My finger's healing up, is no longer painful, and I've started working on the sarking boards for the porch roof again this week - sanding oak boards with that belt sander. Very carefully..!!
Ian

 

[Racers]

36.3 Mega-pixels to be pedantic :wink:

Pete (D800 oner)

 

[yetloh]

I can really relate to this incident. I regard myself as pretty safety conscious but had my own event with a hand held router which resulted in my losing the ends of three fingers when they got draggeed into the cutter. No point in trying to relate it in detail but there are two important points to make. First, despite my focus on safety, in this case I simply failed to recognise the risk invvolved in what I was doing, having already peerformed the same operatio several times with no problems. That's very hard to counter except by actively considering operations before performing them which takes some self discipline. Second, it is highly likely that your severely injured finger will not recover its normal sense of feeling. In my case it was the index finger on my non-dominant hand, so it could have been worse. If you are givem exercises to normalise feeling as the finger heals do make sure you do them assiduously because an impaired sense of touch in an important finger is a significant long term nuisance.

Jim

 

[Iancd]

Thanks Jim: good points... Although it's probably too soon to tell, it feels like the nerves on the front, tip and sides of the finger are OK. Not been given any exercises and I'll be very grateful if that is the case ~ I cut into the tip of my left middle finger with a circular saw (!) two years ago and the nerves are still healing, though almost recovered full sensitivity there now.
Sorry to hear about your accident with the router - sounds horrible and must have been really painful. This lark is bloody dangerous..!

Pete: I'm jealous...!! ;-) (Nikon D7000 myself...)