drill press injury

I am relieved to see that I was not the only one expecting pics. ;)

I hope you heal fast.

Thanks for sharing.

Pad
 
I have a nice scar in a perfect partial arc of a cricle on my palm where the tip of a knife spun through my skin doing exactly what you just described! I now have two lag screws in my press table that i can drop into holes for quick drills. If the blade spins, they hit the screws before they hit my hand.
 
I admit, I haven't learned my lesson about this yet. I was drilling the world's toughest piece of 5160 for my stock removal project when the bit caught the steel, whipped it around, and the wire edge from where I removed the blank from the bar sliced me neatly on my left thumb. I didn't clamp it down for the rest of the drilling, but I did make sure to hold it in my left hand only. That way, if I lost my grip, the blank would immediately hit the drill press' pillar.

A clamp would be smart, though.
 
I did exactly the same thing last weekend but got away without needing stitches. Thing is I was on my fifth and final hole and was thinking to myself "I really should have this clamped down" when it decided to teach me a lesson. I'm pretty sure I got all the fragments out with a strong rare earth magnet and it appears to be healing well. Just have to keep an eye on it for the next week for any infection.
 
I really like the idea of some lags or pegs on the press table. I usually have a vise mounted on my large press, but I think I will put a 1 1/2" wood top on my small press table and drill it for peg holes. Then use it if I "free" drill any pieces. I mostly use it for small sanding drums. Hmmm I could even make a wood top for my bigger press and have it so it easiely bolts to the bed and put it on when I take off the vise. The time between drilling and having your hand in a propellor if to fast for me!
 
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