Two years later and I still barely feel the tip of my right thumb.
I was milling a table leg for an entryway table — but I wasn’t thinking about the 28 carbide blades spinning at 5000 RPMs.
My mind was elsewhere (on dovetail jigs, of all things). And before I knew it, my thumb made contact with the cutterhead of my jointer.
I’m no stranger to shop injuries. Cuts, knicks, slices. I single handedly prop up the Band-Aid industry. And I’ve had enough stitches to hold together Frankenstein’s monster.
But this was different. My brain turned off. I froze. Just a breathing, bleeding hunk of meat standing alone in my shop.
J Scott Bell
December 12, 2022
A good friend of mine far more experienced than me and has his own wood trim company got in a bit of a hurry on his planer and lost two joints off a right finger last year. Just a finger tip caught the cutter head but grabbed and pulled his finger down into gap on the in feed side. Get the shuddering Heebee Jeebies just thinking about it and never use my hands or fingers without the safety equipment. We are also both guitar players although I play mostly bass guitar so I need all fingers on both hands. Thanks for the reminder!