28
Dec
2015
0

perforating mortise learning curve, life lessons + human (stupidity) factor

festool finger

funny wrap job, hard time not commenting to nurse on the phallic nature of his wrap job. perhaps intended as a conceptual metaphor for F* this mistake dumby?

I won’t lie, this lesson hurt!

Sure I know to never align any part of my body  in the path of cutting direction. As a matter of fact I spent the entire day after christmas cutting 3/4″ panels for kitchen cabs on the table saw. I have a very healthy respect and fear of the beast. Perhaps then I had an uncalled for fear level reduction, dissipation, since surely a mortise tool could not wreck the same kind of havoc on the human body. Sigh.

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wrong blade size, wrong depth setting, my freaking BAD

I broke out my new festal, skimmed the skimpy manual and set myself to the testing phase with scrap wood. I know not to place my hand in line, even protected behind a piece of wood as when using a nail gun. How in the hell did I grip the wood in the direct path of a swirling plunge cutter. Sure it should have been set to a shallow depth that would not pass through the wood, but still one is never to put one’s hand were I did. Sigh.

I have since downloaded a more hefty tool manual following the visit to the ER to be sure I hadn’t struck bone during my finger pad meat grinding session. And now I know not only had I miss set blade plunging depth, but also had far too large of a blade, 6 mm, on my festal plunging and oscillating beast! Double damn.

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depth gauge

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blade change

The positive lesson?

1. Visit the ER when a blizzard that was forewarned hits, no line, immediate service. 2. I will never make that particular mistake again 3. If you post the image of your meat ground finger to facebook, it will receive an inordinate amounts of likes (WTF–think about that–LIKE. Not particularly; actually it received an equal number of comments, from those who understand the like button is not best for every form of acknowledgment) 4. Best not to tell your 85 year old dad that you still have some stupid to work out lest you knock off a few more years of his life.

The oddities?

1. The nurse asked why I didn’t bring the remains of the finger to be sewed back on :0. Hmmm. I tried to explain it wasn’t a clean cut and that one cannot sew hamburger to hamburger. Sure we can sew steak to steak, but hamburger will not be sewn no matter that it is of the human type. 2. Doing something you know you shouldn’t and actually know better. Where does that kind of stupid come from. 3. There are far more predictive ways of securing personal attention that is more fiscally beneficial to one’s self and health. 4. The finger on either side will oddly also hurt as a form of finger empathy. :0

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