Stupid ways I've hurt myself making knives

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wordsmith

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Apr 17, 2009
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I've posted this elsewhere, but thought my fellow knifemakers might enjoy this or learn from it. It's confession time. I've almost finished my 34th knife, and though I've escaped the making of a few completely intact, usually I do something dumb that calls for bandaids. On average, I think I've got 5 or 6 bloodless knives to go before I can say that I'm ahead. Here are some of the dumb things I've done to loose skin and blood in the knife shop:

-Hitting my finger with a hammer while tapping in pins (today)
-holding on to a blade barehanded or without clamps on the drill press (I won't mention how many times...)
-holding on to a piece of guard material barehanded or without clamps on the drill press (detecting a theme?)
-drilling my finger while holding something while using the drill press
-slicing myself on metal curls from 304 stainless on the drill press
-impaling my finger with drill bit shards from a bit eaten by 304 stainless on the drill press
-grinding my knuckles on a moving belt
-grinding my arm on a moving belt
-cutting fingertips on the side of a moving belt
-slicing my finger with the tip of a blade while hand polishing
-catching my hand on a blade that was clamped in the vise (that one could have used stitches)
-hitting my finger with a hammer while peening pins
-rolling my finger under a bolster I was lapping flat on my granite plate and abrading it with 80 grit sandpaper
-skimming my fingernails on a belt and cutting into the quick
-burns from sparks of all kinds from various sources
-picking up hot tongs with bare hands
-large metal shavings in bare feet
-popping blisters acquired while drawing out some wrought iron

That's all I can think of at the moment. Oddly, cutting myself with a sharp knife is not on the list, and after composing this, it seems my drill press is my most dangerous tool. Anyone else got a list like mine?
 
No flash fire burns from over-heated quench oil? I thought that was one of the classics. At any rate I have a knuckle or two growing over and a mostly hairless arm;)
 
Anybody drive their fingertips and subsequently their knuckles full force into a 50 belt on the flat platen when the blade you're grinding 'disappears'. How long does it take a maker to learn to pay attention to how he holds the blade while grinding on the flat platen? About 0.002 seconds. :)
 
I got a heat blister on my thumb from forging with a welding glove. The steel was a little too hot. But I continued anyway.

-Zech
 
i set fire to my hair from a flash fire when quenching a blade. It was NASTY my whole forehead blistered, but i learned my lesson- use longer tongs :D
 
-Getting hit in the face with a glowing orange piece of steel because it popped out of the vise grips used to hold it while forging. (note to self: get some real tongs)

-Hand sanding and slipping off the tip and cutting/stabbing my fingers. Seems like every blade I've made has cut me at some point in the making.

-Grinding knuckle skin and finger tips off on the grinder of course.

That's all I can think of right now but, I'm sure there's more..
 
skilldust said:
Don't ware Crocs with no socks, while grinding!
Click to expand...

Yeah, I all summer I ground in flip flops and now I can walk on crushed glass barefoot no problem. Talk about the price of laziness :P

Dropping hammers/bar stock off the bench onto feet (I really should start wearing boots or something)

Burning myself on the heater I have running in the shop right now

Angle grinder discs shattering

Holding a blade bare handed while heating it to push pins through

getting burned by oil from the quench tank after dropping things into it (everything from hot tongs to hot pins to a hot burrito on one particularly unfortunate occasion).
 
DustinHall said:
-Getting hit in the face with a glowing orange piece of steel because it popped out of the vise grips used to hold it while forging. (note to self: get some real tongs)

-Hand sanding and slipping off the tip and cutting/stabbing my fingers. Seems like every blade I've made has cut me at some point in the making.

-Grinding knuckle skin and finger tips off on the grinder of course.

That's all I can think of right now but, I'm sure there's more..
Click to expand...

I had the same thing happen to me. It flew up and hit me right between the eyes. I wear safety glasses now when using the vice grips.

-Zech
 
My worst and dumbest is catching acetone on fire and getting it out of the garage before the explosion

2nd degree burns from finger tips to elbow might even have a picture.........
 
Its not really worth meantioning, but about the only times I injured myself so far was when my hand slipped during drawfiling. Just ripped some skin off, what's stupid about this is..I made the same mistake twice, second time; ofc, ripping the scab off.

I take my time now though:)
 
White Rabbit said:
Yeah, I all summer I ground in flip flops and now I can walk on crushed glass barefoot no problem. Talk about the price of laziness :P

Dropping hammers/bar stock off the bench onto feet (I really should start wearing boots or something)

Burning myself on the heater I have running in the shop right now

Angle grinder discs shattering

Holding a blade bare handed while heating it to push pins through

getting burned by oil from the quench tank after dropping things into it (everything from hot tongs to hot pins to a hot burrito on one particularly unfortunate occasion).
Click to expand...

It gets so hot in my garage during the summer I work in flippie floppies too. Drill press shards from drill bits suck, but shards from 1/8" end mills suck even more. Those require the wife and tweezers. She hates it cause the feet are always sweaty (refer to beginning of post).



I cut my finger on the side of a 60 grit belt ONCE. I have ground my fingernail down to the quick ONCE. I have ground my knuckle on a belt till it bled ONCE. Oh, and stabbed my palm while handrubbing ONCE.
 
Ryan Minchew said:
My worst and dumbest is catching acetone on fire and getting it out of the garage before the explosion

2nd degree burns from finger tips to elbow might even have a picture.........
Click to expand...


Dang Ryan. I remember that. I still cringe too...

I bruise my leg on the bandsaw material stops. Frequently.

I wrenched my back lifting a heavy servo motor a few months ago. Probably only 60 lbs, but my back isn't worth a hoot.

About 15 years ago I caught the oiled canvas coat I was wearing on fire while welding. That was exciting.

I get little metal splinters from time to time. But, nope - no real blood loss that I can think of in my shop in over a year. I guess I need to try harder.
 
Forgetting to countersink a screw hole on a bolster and attempting to do so after dovetailing the end at 45 degrees and then failing to bolt it down and trying to hold it by hand as I countersink it on the drill press.

Did you know that a 1 hp motor with a semi sharpened piece of steel in it spinning at 190 rpm will cause extensive cursing and blood loss. Who would have thought.
 
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This is a Great thread , ive done most of those thing s you mentioned but since I hung a LUCKY RABBITS FOOT in my shop Ive yet to say owe. ROFLMAO thats true kellyw
 
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