Shop Safety

[C. Brumfiel]

I wanted to take some time to remind everyone about shop safety. Yesterday I was working on a new box call design. The sound boards where still too thick to get a good sounding turkey out of it. So, I was thinning the sound board down with a 3/4" chisel that I had just sharpened. I got a bigger bite on the wood than what I would recommend. I decided to push harder. Well, the chisel hit a thin spot and the chisel released from the wood and went straight into my left hand which was holding the opposite end of the call between my thumb and index finger. As soon as I saw it I new it was bad. I had a 1 inch laceration gushing blood. I grabbed the closest cleanest thing possible (a shirt) and put pressure on it. My kids called my wife who had to rush home and take me to the hospital. I ended up with five stitches. Luckily it didn't go very deep.

I've been assessing what went wrong and what I can do in the future to prevent this same accident. The most important safety measure that I have come up with is to place the call in a vise to keep your hand a little further away from the danger area. The second control measure is not move a blade toward a body part.

I probably won't be making calls for a week or two. I know that all of this sounds careless on my part and I have been beating myself up about it. But, the truth of the matter is accidents will happen.

Please be safe!

Chris

Gobble, Gobble... "BOOM"!

[Shadetree Callers]

Sorry to hear about the mishap Chris . Chisels are sharp tools and must always be treated carefully . It only takes a second to get hurt when you are working with tools . Hope ya feel better soon .

[jmck]

those chiesels can be more dangerious than a Bullock or Fulcher caller Chris . Hate to hear it bit ya man--get well and back in the shop

[drifter]

I know what you mean about those chisels. You might try what I've been doing. I clamp a longbox down to the top of my bench by the handle end before I cut the top of the handle to it's final shape. It seems to work much better than a vise for me.

Doug

[C. Brumfiel]

Sorry to hear about the mishap Chris . Chisels are sharp tools and must always be treated carefully . It only takes a second to get hurt when you are working with tools . Hope ya feel better soon .

Thanks Bob... you always know what to say to make a guy feel all warm and fuzzy inside. LOL!

Chris

[C. Brumfiel]

those chiesels can be more dangerious than a Bullock or Fulcher caller Chris . Hate to hear it bit ya man--get well and back in the shop

It won't be long... I can't take too many more days with nothing to do.

[C. Brumfiel]

I know what you mean about those chisels. You might try what I've been doing. I clamp a longbox down to the top of my bench by the handle end before I cut the top of the handle to it's final shape. It seems to work much better than a vise for me.

Doug

Do you have any pics?

[firedup]

Ouch!  I think most of us have had an oopsie or 2 along the way.  Feeling your pain...'specially in my shorter than birth left thumb!

And in some weird way, if it helps to share the pain, my secretary called in this morning and said she needed some time off, her husband whacked the end of something off in a jointer.  Which don't sound at all good...   Accidents do happen!  Be careful folks!

[C. Brumfiel]

Ouch!  I think most of us have had an oopsie or 2 along the way.  Feeling your pain...'specially in my shorter than birth left thumb!

And in some weird way, if it helps to share the pain, my secretary called in this morning and said she needed some time off, her husband whacked the end of something off in a jointer.  Which don't sound at all good...   Accidents do happen!  Be careful folks!

I think I would rather stick a chisel into my hand than stick my finger into a joiner. I bet that hurt!

[Porter]

dang that sounds like it hurts...  be careful and one reason why I am afraid of wood tools