!!Tablesaw kick back !!WARNING GROSS PICTURES

That is a nasty one. Like others here, I have been using tables saws for decades and have the stories to go with it. Thankfully, never been hurt very bad. Worst injury was sawing directly into my finger tip do some repetitive cuts on the radial arm saw with the blade raised about 2" (I was making a torsion box). I slide the board over and up against the fence to make the next cut, and stuck my finger into the blade.

Deep cuts on short boards is band saw work. Short of using a power feeder, there is really no way to make it safe on a table saw.

I used to use a sled for that sort of thing. I had a short block of 2" maple catch and rip the whole thing apart. The block went right through the drywall behind me. It ripped the clamps off the sled, and pulled the sled up out of the miter slots onto the blade. The sled frisbee'd off to the left and crashed into my planer putting a large dent in the gear cover. I thank a lifetime of tool using giving me the right instinct to always stand in the path of greatest resistance.

I no longer us a sled. If I need a sled to make it "safe," then I need to do it some other way. Luckily I have a professionally outfitted shop with many options, but I've been there having to make do with what I have. Glad you came through with all your parts (minus a tooth).
 
[ouch!] I feel a twinge all the way over here...

It's going to hurt a lot worse in a couple of days, when the bruises and swelling have time to develop. But keep in mind that a few inches down and you'd likely have had a crushed trachea, a few inches up would have taken out an eye, a few inches down and to the right would have got the carotid artery, and an inch to the left would have caused more dental damage.

I know it's going to be hard to feel lucky, but it could have been a *lot* worse.

Did they tell you to use ice packs to control the swelling so it doesn't pull any stitches out? Text or email them and ask if they didn't. Crushed ice in a freezer-grade ziplock works well if you lay it against the bandage. If they're leaving the wound open you'll want a sterile dressing and then a washcloth or two to help even out the pressure. You don't need a whole bag full of ice, just enough so it'll cover the wound area. More will last longer, but it's extra weight that won't be welcome.

You're going to have to keep an eye on whiskers in the incision. The follicles will do their thing even in the wound area, and you can get ingrown hairs in the healing area, which will add further discomfort and can get infected. You may need a referral to a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon.

It's also not unusual to have minor nerve damage with wounds like that. Plus you're likely to suffer some loss of mobility with your lower lip. Even if you have a 100% recovery there, "soft tissue damage" can take a long time before a full recovery. After you get your new plate you're going to have to practice your diction to compensate for the soft tissue damage, otherwise you're probably going to slur your words. If your insurance will cover it, you might want to talk to a speech therapist fairly soon. If you develop bad speech habits during your recovery, they'll be *very* hard to break later.

Here's to a fast recovery!
 
John,


Very sorry to read about your kick back incident. I sincerely hope that you are healing well and rapidly!


I only joined this forum today, and I had absolutely no intention of posting anything here (yet)…that is, until I read of your account. It reminded me of my own happy incident with my own friendly saw.


About 20 years ago I was building an oak desk. It was a Woodsmith plan. Big desk. Flat panels. Nice. I was cutting a large dado about 3/4” wide and 3/8” deep on one of the - almost fully assembled side panels. The panel probably weighed a good 500 pounds. OK at least 10. And I was of course using padded push blocks to feed the panel into the stacked dado cutter.. you know, for SAFETY!


Unfortunately, my 5 HP Powermatic didn't really care all that much about my padded push blocks. It did however, care that I stupidly chose to cut this particular dado as far away from the rip fence as it could be, instead of next to it, where it decidedly SHOULD have been.


The resulting oak panel projectile must have been moving at a large percentage of the speed of light where it then focused all of its energy directly at my testicles. I managed to get the saw turned off and duck walk - in the shape of a C clamp - back into my house. There I managed to crawl on to my bed and ask my then wife, to ever so gently remove my pants and check for broken eggs.


Fortunately the eggs remained intact and I was still able to have children. Two. So Yay.


My moral of my story. Always use anti kick back prawls when cutting a through cut and touching the rip fence. Or use a sled. Or dado close to the fence. But whatever you do…always…ALWAYS respect the saw.


All the best John. Get well soon!
 
My father always warned me (once for each new tool occasion ). I first used a
table saw when I was ten, and passed on the custom, each with a boring
Illustrative story. Tell them once, you will concentrate the effect
 
Hope the healing is going well, sorry about the dental work. As my main occupation is in the medical field, a direct blow to the throat area with that force may have had a considerably worse outcome. You are suffering, which is better than the alternative. Get better.
 
I use the splitter and kick back pawls but not the guard on my Unisaw. The accountant who designed the guard should be run over the saw multiple times. I have been using a radial arm saw for over 55 years, even as a sawyer on big construction jobs and I'm still nervous, no, scared of it.
 
Had to rip about 200 ft. Of stick dryed ash Sunday. 1 in. Thick talk about bottled up forces in wood. Some how got it done with my 30 yr old 1/2 hp craftsman .
Would have been quicker to have used a circular saw and guide.
Thanks scruffy ron
 
And after it heals, the story goes like this: "While visiting the high emporer, I suddenly found myself facing three ninjas, they caught me by surprise, and for that, I had to kill them... They rewarded my complacency with this scar, which is why you never see me with my guard down..."
 
Thats a wake up call. I have been using a table saw for over 45 years. Here are some of my personal rules. Always keep an eye on a moving blade. Small parts always use a push stick.
Never stand directly behind blade when cutting small parts. Never have anyone standing anywhere behind you when cutting. and lately, I have been
using a full face shield. Al
 
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