If you want to see why Scrit is doing it to us...

[Scrums]

SawdustJohnny wrote:

Last night I was quite shocked at the images, so decided to print out the 'nasty' one and stick it to the wall in the workshop as a reminder.

My first (out of 2) major workshop accidents was about 25 yrs ago when I deliberately put my thumb into the router cutter of a small router table to clear the chips away, so I could see what was happening - I found out what was happening of course and I left the bits and pieces of my thumb on the wall as a reminder. About 5yrs later I did exactly the same thing !

Nowadays, if I can see the cutter cutting - it's not guarded and I don't do it.

Chris.

 

[Losos]

Well Niki, Scrit, I'll admit to being too scared to look but I've read all the posts (Including Scrits) and will step up my 'Safety Awarness'

As it happens I recently noticed that on my CMS I was not letting the motor rise to the top so the guard wasn't completely covering the blade. I have to move the 'cut piece' away with my left hand so that was a danger and I made a mental note to always bring the arm to the top.

Also in my yuf I might have gone into the 'shop in the evening and used a tool but nowadays I only ever to do 'hand tool' work in the evening 'cos I find I'm tired after a full days work no matter what that is.

 

[woodshavings]

I trust that helps explain part of my somewhat zealous approach to safety and why I'm not really so jocular about it.
Scrit

Thanks Scrit, they are certainly appreciated by me.
John

 

[newt]

I have now put the nasty picture as the wallpaper on my PC, so every time I switch on its there. My son is a doctor and thinks is a great idea.

 

[seaco]

Gruesome hope he's going to be alright, as you may have seen I have locked horns with Scrit on another thread on our methods of safety but we both agree that it is a paramount importance in the workshop...

I really cannot see how your hand could get under a mitre saw unless of course your just stupid in which case anything written here won't help you I'm afraid, it is like a story I heard a while back a chap was cutting plastic tube on a mitre saw and as it got smaller he found it hard to hold so put his thumb inside the tube to get grip, well you can guess the rest...

We all at times get a bit blase with our tools and your right pictures like that really focus the mind again...

 

[Scrit]

I really cannot see how your hand could get under a mitre saw unless of course your just stupid in which case anything written here won't help you I'm afraid...

OK, well with sliding mitre compound saws like the DW708 you turn on, pull the blade out to full extension (still above the work and with the guard closed), pull down to operating height thus opening the blade guard, and then push back behind the fence. If your fingers are on top of the work in the line of cutting the blade will happily part them at the same time as it parts the wood. I know they shouldn't be, but..... Makes me think that lasers, which I'd previously thought of as gimicks, might have a purpose after all.

Scrit

 

[MikeW]

One means I have seen for someone's hands to attempt a fight with a SCMS is on angled cuts. Doesn't even take much off a 90 degree cut.

What can happen is as the saw angled off 90 degrees more and more towards the hand normally used to hold the stock, the blade can pull the stock and the hand towards the opposite side. If there isn't much room between the hand and the cut line...Oops.

I have seen this type of accident on several job sites. Often the person is just bringing the saw down to touch the surface to see if the stock needs repositioned. If the saw is raised above the stock's surface, the stock can be pulled, possibly bringing the hand with it.

Take care, Mike

 

[seaco]

Lost me now Scrit why the hell would your hands be anywhere near the line of fire I wouldn't need a laser to see my hands were to close and yes I have a DW708 and I've never had the urge to play chicken with it?

 

[Keith Smith]

I must admit it's difficult to see how he managed to cut right across his palm but thats the thing about accidents, if we could foretell and see exactly how they happen then there would be none.

I've seen some horrific accidents when I worked in industry and I think they were all due to lack of guarding.

Keith

 

[Scrit]

why the hell would your hands be anywhere near the line of fire ...

Personally I wouldn't, but I think Mike W states it well especially with regard to acute angled cut.

I wouldn't need a laser to see my hands were to close and yes I have a DW708 and I've never had the urge to play chicken with it?

I don't need a laser either, I was merely pointing out that for a less experienced user what I regard as a bit of flim-flammery (or just something else which is innaccurate and failure prone) could indeed play a safety role.

Scrit

 

[ivan]

My (non sliding) mitre can jump unexpectedly when started and stopped if it's not at either extreme (hard up or down) - it's the reaction to rapid start up of motor's rotation (no soft start) or heavy braking (the electric brake). Not a good idea but easy to trigger (even tho' I'm aware of the possibility) if you are in a hurry.

 

[Routermonster]

Guys

Thanks for this thread and the warning it contains. Ironically, I have just bought a mitre saw and it's being delivered tomorrow ("Only a small one Dear" - but even small ones can be dangerous).

I steeled myself to look at the pictures ... gulp! I've had a few near misses over the years, especially with my handheld router & router table, and I've always been very wary of the circular saw. But I've never used a mitre saw before! I guess that this time I'll read the safety instructions included with the operating manual.

Shaky Les

 

[Anonymous]

I find the flippant remarks in this thread very offensive.

It is a year and 2 weeks since I went into the workshop whilst very tired. I (finally) have full movement, no strength and no feeling in two fingers. Some tools have no guards.

Let's see how flippant you are when it is your fingers - this can and does happen to anyone.

 

[dedee]

Niki,
thanks for posting.

I took a peek at the photos and immediately wish I hadn't. Then on refelection I was glad I did.

I, for one, feel I can only benefit from this kind of reminder every now and again.

Andy

 

[innesm]

Eeeuw. For those who find it hard to imagine how this happened, I remember watching a program about DIY accidents, which showed one man who managed to sever his hand and half his forearm using a mitre saw. He was using it on the floor to cut skirting board or some such thing, and slipped in mid-cut. It may be that the man in this report was using it in the same way and lost his balance.

Apparently this kind of injury is a difficult one to repair, because the saw blade doesnt slice cleanly through the bone but instead 'smashes' through it, creating a ragged cut with many splinters.

Nice, eh?

 

[Losos]

Niki, As said before, thanks for posting, I didn't look but I have read the whole thread, and I have made a mental note to keep safety as number one priority.

Tony, I have to be honest and say that all the posts in this thread seemed OK to me. To many people an off the cuff remark is a kind of natural reaction to what we all know is horrific. I am truly sorry to the people who've suffered such as yourself but I really didn't see any posts that were offensive to me.

 

[Mike.C]

Tony,



I find the flippant remarks in this thread very offensive.

It is a year and 2 weeks since I went into the workshop whilst very tired. I (finally) have full movement, no strength and no feeling in two fingers. Some tools have no guards.

Let's see how flippant you are when it is your fingers - this can and does happen to anyone.

=D> =D> =D> Well said Tony, I with you agree 100%. I don't know if you know but with just a moments distraction (and standing in the wrong place) my step dad (Woody) ended up with a piece of wood sticking out of his side.
You do not need to be a silly person to have an accident in the workshop or anywhere else for that matter, and those that have had an accident can do without being made to feel like a plonker.

"There for the grace of God go I" springs to mind.

Cheers

Mike

 

[seaco]

I find there's a fine line here between being safe with your tools and then there's being scared of them, I agree you have to take every precaution possible while that spinning thing in front is intent on removing bits of you, but if your scared of it then I guarantee you'll have more chance of an accident you do still have to be confident working... while still being safe!

 

[Mike.C]

seaco,

I find there's a fine line here between being safe with your tools and then there's being scared of them, I agree you have to take every precaution possible while that spinning thing in front is intent on removing bits of you, but if your scared of it then I guarantee you'll have more chance of an accident you do still have to be confident working... while still being safe!

Lee,

I agree that being scared and/or nervous of a machine could cause a problem, but at the same time over confidence can be just as bad. A healthy respect for your tools would be more like it.

Cheers

Mike

 

[stevel]

I agree that a healthy respect is required. On reentering the workshop after cutting only a few mm of the end of my thumb on the T/S I was so tentative about every operation that I felt more unsafe than before not safer! I now use all guarding and push sticks for all cuts (the guard was on when I had my accident) and am slowly getting going again. It has made me more aware of using hand tools where possible. SWMBO thinks its just another excuse to buy more tools though.

Steve