OUCH !!

[DonE911]

Well sometimes you can't be safe enough!!

Yesterday I was doing same cutting on my table saw.... ended up loosing the end of my left thumb.

No I didn't stick it in the blade... I was using a push stick and was well clear of the blade...

Seems the blade kicked back a chunk of wood and it caught my thumb cut right and ripped it off... took everything off, to just above the bone .... left about a 1/4 of the thumbnail.....

I wasn't wearing gloves, but I thought I was being as safe of possible... 

It's hard to tie your shoes and button your pants without a thumb

[beenthere]

Sorry to hear that!  Ouch is right.  Gloves may have helped however I was witness of a carpenter who was wearing leather gloves while operating a table saw, and the glove pulled his whole hand into the saw blade when he touched it. He messed up more than his thumb, and never regained full use of his hand.  So gloves are suggested to not to be worn, but a 'catch 22' deal. All depends.

Over guards of course would have helped, but they are usually in the way and removed for any serious table saw work.

Did you get some replacement skin tacked back on from somewhere else?  I'm sure you will find a lot of things not very handy without the use of the thumb for awhile. I will have it in mind when I use my table saw next time, and thereafter. Also, it will remind me to put the safety glasses on now.

[asy]

Something similar happend to Andy's dad about 3 years ago...

He was pushing a piece of wood through a table saw using a sticker, and it kicked back and took a huge chunk out of his arm, tearing a V-shaped flap into his forearm.

I was lying down on the couch (recovering from pneumonia) when I heard the loudest banging ever from andy running up the back stairs, he ran in, yelled "Dad's had an accident" and locked the front door. I sprang from the couch, grabbed my bag and keys, and ran out to my car, which was parked out front of the house. We all jumped in and made double-quick time to the emergency room (thankfully only about 2 minutes away). Andy's mum being an ex-nurse, she'd stopped the bleeding, and we got him there pretty fast.

He's already 2 fingers down, we didn't know how bad this was, but didn't want to lose any more bits of him!

The doc's had a look, and it was amazing, they stretched the muscle and bit of skin back over the cut, and sewed it down, seems he hadn't lost anything, but had torn the muscle and it had contracted and made it look like a huge hole.

After some looking after, and a severe telling off from a very scared wife, he was fine.

Point of the story is, those stickers can be kickers. :(

I'm sure sorry to hear about your thumb Don, I know you'll get used to it in time (fatherinlaw is proof there :( ), but am really glad to hear you weren't injured worse.

Hope it heals fast, without complications, and that you're back in the shop soon,

asy :D

[Fla._Deadheader]

OH NO    That don't sound good AT ALL.  : I have nicked knuckles and such with saw blades, but, still have all parts complete.

  Glad it wasn't worse, Don 

[rebocardo]

Don,

That makes me cringe just thinking about it. I have to assume you could not get the missing piece sewed back on  :'(

Gloves can be a curse with a router or table saw if they are not very tight fitting because they can get caught and suck you right in. If the wood tore off the thumb I doubt a glove would have made it much better unless you were using double palm/thick gloves and those can get caught easily. I use to wear the red Mechanic gloves for splinter protection using my router.

I _HATE_ table saws and try to avoid them like the plague. I have seen enough "results" when working in the construction trade.

I guess I have to ask, were you in line with the kerf or were you standing perpendicular (90 degree to the blade kerf) to the blade?

Sometimes these things just happen, though I have learned to be careful using a router (upside down in a table)  on Home Depot wood because the ends have a tendency to fracture off in triangles when you first push the wood into the bit. So, I use to lop off the first 2-3 inches on every stick when using the wood to make windows and such.

[DonE911]

90 Degrees to the kerf?  To be honest I think I was .. .or at least I know to be in that position, but I may have just loaded another peice to cut when it happened,....   I can't recall ... but I do remember hearing a big "bang" when it happened... until Asy mentioned it I had forgotten about it....  wood must have climbed up the blade against the fence and kicked down and out... made that banging noise.

I had the guard on the saw, which I thought would have stoped this from happening... just a freak thing I guess.. there is no damage to the saw... I checked it over real good yesterday. I finished up what I was cutting while I was at it.

No... didn't sew anything back on... I couldn't find the torn off part...  still can't.. 

I have to go see the Orthopedic in the morning to have it unwrapped and more closely inspected....  they may have to cut off some of the bone and make a flap to sew over the top....  not sure until the swelling goes down. 

[rebocardo]

So sorry to hear about your thumb, still can't believe it happened to you. I hope it heals up well without more trama.

Though on the bright side of things, it did not hit you in the face and take out an eye.

[beenthere]

Yeah. I wouldn't want to be hit in the face by a thumb either, especially my own.

[Fla._Deadheader]

 Gives a new meaning to the phrase, "stick a finger (thumb) in yer eye".  :    smiley_horserider smiley_horserider

[pigman]

there is no damage to the saw... I checked it over real good yesterday.

DonE, you are  an addicted wood worker. Just lost part of your finger and you are concerned about the tablesaw.

[Max sawdust]

Don,
Thankjs for sharing that with us.  Glad it was not worse.  I feel sharing these stories makes us all more aware of the crazy things that can happen, which in turn makes us more safe
max

[DonE911]

UPDATE

went to see the orthopedic today.... 

He says that there is not enough left to pull the pad (of the thumb) over to cover it over.

He says the options are leave it alone and see how it heals...  or ....  skin graft over the top which may or may bnot take on the first try ..... go ahead and take it off at the first knuckle and it'll heal alot faster....  He also mentioned that taking it off at the knuckle is not recommended unless I don't want to put up with one of the other two options.

I went for the leave it alone and see how it heals on its own....  I may have to go back in a few months and go for one of the other options, but at least I can go on about my business for now.   So ... I'll have it inspected in a couple of weeks...   

[beenthere]

DonE911
Sounds like a plan for now, but think I'd look at the grafting. Losing the end of the thumb would be very inconvenient, I would think. Having it sore and sensitive would as well if the healing or the grafting doesn't work.  Any possibility of a prosthesis that would slip over the thumb and give you comfort and ability to squeeze things? 
Praying that it will heal okay for you.

[Weekend_Sawyer]

I'm have sympathetic pains,

I am sitting here reading this with my face screwed up holding my thumb.

I'm the sensitive sort you know.

I hope it heals soon.
Jon

[PawNature]

I Hurt for you bro.

[asy]

Good to hear it's not infected or such, Don.

Seems your hitch-hiking days are over, but other than that it'll be OK eventually.

Keep us updated, and let us know how it goes, but I'm hoping it'll be OK now.

asy :D

[Don K]

Sorry to hear about your thumb. Thank God that it wasn't worse. I'll be praying for your recovery.

[DonE911]

Thanks for all the  well wishes from everyone.....

I am learning how to grasp things with the big balll of blue medical tape wrapped around it.  Works fairly well considering its about twice the size of a thumb ;D ;D ;D  I thought about one of those rubber thumb covers that I used to see bill counters and book keepers wear
to help turn the pages/bills.  I wonder were I can get one of those things?

The worste thing is that I can't turn the sizing wheel on the Peterson with my left hand.... still a little to much pain there.  Hopefully that will go away in a few more days so I can get back to cutting....  I can do it one handed since the mill is already set up with a stack of logs, but I sure couldn't go mobile.  Probably not to safe to be trying to cut with only one hand anyway.

I'll keep everyone updated ....   at least everyone will have a good table saw story to tell  :D

[Furby]

You should be able to get those finger ends (rubber/laytex) at an office supply store.

[asy]

You should be able to get those finger ends (rubber/laytex) at an office supply store.

Yup, they are called Finger Cot's.

asy :D