funny how complacency bites you!

OUCH! Scott, you were lucky the price wasn't the whole thumb! Ever thought about scratch building a guard?

I learned a long time ago that tools, not just power tools, are very dangerous. When I was in grade 8 I took woodworking. The teacher was introducing us to the various power tools by running a piece of scrap wood through them.,When he got to the jointer I stood at the outfeed end. He turned it on, wrapped his fingers around the end of the board while proclaiming how fast the blades were spinning and how we had to be to be careful to never place your finger on the end of the board and then ran the board through.

Without moving his fingers.

Of course, it jointed the tips of his fingers every bit as easily as it did the wood. I was splattered with the blood and bits of flesh. Needless to say I am VERY CAREFUL with power tools, and have the scars to prove it!

Yeah, I can relate ...

My drill press is ancient. Literally ancient. It's an old Sears (not Craftsman) drill press and the motor was made by Packard (I kid you not). No guards or anything around the motor or pulley. Back then they just assumed everyone would be careful with a power tool. When I start it up every light in the house dims for a few seconds.

I was using it one day and reached up to pull the operating handle down when I felt something "Thump" against my thumb and yank my hand. I just had time to think, "What the hell was that??" before the pain hit. I'm still not sure what happened, but I think I somehow managed to get my thumb under the belt and it pulled it through one of the pulleys. Luckily the belt was loose and it didn't cut my thumb off. All I know is that for a couple of weeks it hurt something terrible and I eventually did lose the thumbnail.

The bottom line, as you mentioned, is that complacency bit me. I knew the pulleys were unguarded, I knew they were close to the operating handle, and I should have been watching where my fingers were. Stupid mistake and I paid for it.