A Cautionary Tale Re: Safety, FWIW

redsquid2

redsquid2

Rockabilly Interim Pardon Viscount
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
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Tonight I stumbled upon an old thread, about how and why people get started in knifemaking:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/337537-getting-started

These words really caught my attention: "biggest thing to keep in mind is have fun and dont get too frustrated, thats how fingers get burns,cuts, or they get ground off completely." -- elvenbladesmith07

Recently, I was drilling a hole in a wooden knife handle, for a hidden tang knife. I was holdingthe wood in my left hand while operating a cordless drill with my right. My right hand slipped, and I pierced my left index finger with the paddle bit. The result was an infected tendon.

Long story short: I spent 10 hours in an emergency waiting room-- the triage nurse had no idea what she was looking at, followed by a procedure called "tendon sheath irrigation." This involved surgery, a 36-hour hospital stay, morphine, vicodin, and screams of pain. I have been on antibiotics for two weeks now, since being released from the hospital. Range of motion in the injured finger is limited, and I am undergoing physical therapy twice a week.

Now I start dealing with insurance claims, etc.

"biggest thing to keep in mind is have fun and dont get too frustrated, thats how fingers get burns,cuts, or they get ground off completely." -- elvenbladesmith07
 
I mean no disrespect nor to make light of what happened to you but, I can say with all honesty I prefer being able to learn from other people's mistakes. Thank you for the reminder to slow down take a breath, and be aware. I hope your recovery in quick and complete.
 
12345678910 said:
After all that, clamps, vise and a drill press would seem pretty cheap.
Click to expand...

:eek: PLUS ONE!!

Hope you heal up okay and get back to working on your stuff soon. Sorry to hear it.

I believe, when at all possible, the best way to work is whatever way keeps your hands the farthest away from the workpiece and moving machinery parts. Your hand shouldn't be anywhere near the hole that is being drilled when drilling. I don't mean to preach to you, you've been through enough, but I hope that anyone who reads this thread will remember to work safely, clamp whenever possible, and like numbers said.......the tools required to work safely are not all that pricey when compared to hospital bills! Hope some folks learn from your mishap. Heal up quick!!:thumbup:
 
I am sorry to hear that. I hope you get better soon.

I am really grateful that I have had a lifelong respect of machinary instilled to me. I have been aroudn everything from hacksaws to bush hogs, and it is pretty amazing to see what they can do.
 
Thank you for posting this.
I hope you heal up well.

Now, When I post about a potential safety risk, or a procedure that may have a problem in it, and someone posts,
"Oh, Fooey, I do that all the time and never had a problem." .....just re-read this thread.
 
We all do or have done things that in hind sight were completely wrong, unfortunately we never think of it as being wrong until we either experience the results first hand or someone does it for us:o I was taught to never drill anything that isn't fully secured by a mechanical device when my Uncle sliced through his hand when a piece of steel slipped out of his grip. I was about 8 years old when it happened and it stuck with me.

Hope you get through the recovery fast and with no ill effects.
 
Safety-related threads pop up periodically, and that's a good thing, because obviously too many people never took shop class and don't read the safety sticky thread.

Think about it gentlemen, the tools we use routinely cut, grind and make holes in STEEL. Think your fingers or eyeballs stand a chance against that kind of power? Seems like a no-brainer but we all need to be reminded.
 
I read the safety sticky recently and it seems as though it never really got finished. The info in it is great, but it seems like just the beginning. This thread is a great reminder though, and eye opening.
 
When I got the knifemaking bug a few months ago, I was like a racehorse out of the gate. Go go go!!!!!!!!!!! In the last couple weeks, since my hospital visit, I have slowed down to "read the instructions," as they say.

Re-habbing houses in the past, I was accustomed to handling plywood, drywall, studs -- bigger stuff. Just brace the materials with one hand and cut or drill or fasten it with the other. Knifemaking, OTOH, involves fine work on a much smaller scale. I recently went back and looked at the sticky threads more carefully, then I ordered a book, "How to make knives," by Richard Barney and Robert Loveless. It just arrived in the mail today. I'm excited. I also ordered a knife-making vise and I intend to get a swivel vise.

No more "hold with left hand, drill with right." :D

Thanks to everybody for your replies and get well wishes.
 
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