Circular saw injury

My friend was doing some cutting with his circular saw. He propped the blade guard open (danger danger). After finishing a cut, as the blade was spooling down, he stepped into the blade. At first he thought he wrecked a pair of shorts, but a second later the blood really started flowing. He ended up slicing open his thigh, missing his "hammer" by inches. At the hospital, the wound ended up being over 6" long, and 1" from the carotid artery. Lucky for him the cut was not into the muscle, or tendons. He took 50 stitches and is laid up for about a week. I think he's pretty lucky, he could have lopped of his "hammer" or cut the artery (not sure which would be worse. Hope this inspires you, as it has me, to be extra careful with our saws.

Matt

Reply to
Matt
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Maybe society would have better off if he had severed his wang. Unless, of course, he has already reproduced.

todd

Reply to
Todd Fatheree

You STILL have to be smarter than the tool! I have one (an old Crapsman) that the blade guard has been locked open for a long time because no matter what, it tries to bind and pull the saw when starting the cut. I've had it apart, cleaned, lubed, un-lubed, etc., still does it. Solution: lock the dern thing open or remove it! Just remember to keep the brain in gear at all times.

Reply to
Norman D. Crow

Seems to be the standard response for doing something stupid, however, the person that has never done something stupid doesn't exist and that goes for all ages.

What's really stupid though is not learning from the stupid mistakes from which we've survived mostly intact.

Reply to
Upscale

I think someone should develop a SawStop for hand held circular saws and then get the government to make it mandatory for them.

- - LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

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Reply to
LRod

I'd throw that saw away & use a handsaw until I could afford a replacement! But then I got to see daily the huge scar & reduced function (including minimal grip) a college roommate had. He was a contractor working with the guard pinned open, had a bind, and did a pretty good job of trying to cut his arm off on a diagonal from the wrist to the elbow.

-- Mark

Reply to
Mark Jerde

Reply to
Phisherman

Nahmie, hie thee to a Sears and pick up a P-C 347 (or 743 if you prefer a left blade) on closeout for about $80 and end this danger and frustration.

Please.

- - LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

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Reply to
LRod

I'd say there's a big difference between doing something that, in retrospect, looked stupid, and doing something that is patently dangerous from the beginning. This isn't a case of after the fact saying "gee, I guess that was kinda dangerous". I'm sure his buddy knew it was dangerous, but with forethought modified a fairly dangerous tool to be about 10 times more dangerous. Hopefully, he doesn't try to repeat the feat.

todd

Reply to
Todd Fatheree

I feel constrained as a paramedic to note that the carotid artery is in the neck. Thus to cut your thigh and just miss the carotid artery with a six inch laceration means you are real short or... it was the femoral artery. Nonetheless we should all take care with electrically powered, and hand powered, sharp edges!!!

Reply to
Tchswoods

On 19 Jun 2004 16:17:10 GMT, snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (Tchswoods) calmly ranted:

It also could have indicated a cranial/rectal inversion, which would also explain why he didn't see the spinning blade. ;) See picture here:

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--== May The Angst Be With You! ==-- -Yoda, on a bad day --
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Ending Your Web Page Angst.

Reply to
Larry Jaques

My mistake, you are correct regarding the artery.

Matt

Tchswoods wrote:

Reply to
Matt

Thats why I felt compelled to share the story. Lucky for my friend his brother was with him and able to rush him to the hospital (about 3 minutes away).

I think I am always very respectful of my power tools, and like to think I would not do something "stupid". However, no matter how careful I am, sometimes shit just happens.

Matt

Phisherman wrote:

Reply to
Matt

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. And the picture appears to be correct. ;~) Splains everything.

Reply to
Leon

coulda just been a real d*****ad...

Reply to
bridger

now there's a dangerous tool. imagine the kick of a skil77 when the blade stops in 1/10th of a second. it works on a cabinet saw because of the mass of the tool. a handheld would be pulled out of your hand....

Reply to
bridger

That's asinine. Sure, develop a SawStop for hand held circular saws, that's great, I might even buy one next time. But, having the government interfere in yet another way, with yet more government cost, isn't the way to fix this issue. If people want a saw with a brake, they'll buy it.

More and more government regulation isn't the answer, hardly ever.

Dave Hinz

Reply to
Dave Hinz

LRod, Thanks for the kind thoughts and advice. Now, as per Paul Harvey, "the rest of the story" - The Crapsman has been gathering dust for some time, as I did go and get a P-C 743 before Woodworkers Warehouse went out of business. What a difference! Also, I must say I "fudged" the story a tiny bit. I had been using the Crapsman ONLY on a home-made cutting guide for a long time, as it was sooooooo frustrating to try and use free-hand. While on the guide, it wasn't turned on until everything was clamped and the saw was sitting on the guide, and when done with the cut it remained sitting on the guide until it spun down. I will admit I had used it occasionally with the guard pinned open when really necessary, but not something I like to do.

Reply to
Norman D. Crow

Sat, Jun 19, 2004, 10:13am snipped-for-privacy@madbbs.com (Norman=A0D.=A0Crow) claims:. You STILL have to be smarter than the tool! I have one (an old Crapsman) that the blade guard has been locked open for a long time because no matter what, it tries to bind and pull the saw when starting the cut. I've had it apart, cleaned, lubed, un-lubed, etc., still does it. Solution: lock the dern thing open or remove it! Just remember to keep the brain in gear at all times.

I have an old (bought about 1976) B&D circular saw. Upon occassion the guard "binds" a tad, when starting a cut.

Solution? HOLD the guard up, using the ltab provided for that purpose, then when the cut is started, release the tab. Works every time.

Let's put it this way. Anything Homer Simpson would do, I won't.

JOAT Use your brain - it's the small things that count.

- Bazooka Joe

Reply to
J T

Sat, Jun 19, 2004, 3:27pm (EDT+5) snipped-for-privacy@pobox.com (LRod) insanely says: I think someone should develop a SawStop for hand held circular saws and then get the government to make it mandatory for them.

Oh great. Now we've all got to worry about some idiot politician (hey, that was redundant), sees that, and thinks it makes sense. "Don't worry voters, I know you're too stupid to know what's best for you. I mighta been a drunk before I was elected, and still am, but as long as you keep me in office, I'll keep doing what I "know" is best for you, no matter what you say".

JOAT Use your brain - it's the small things that count.

- Bazooka Joe

Reply to
J T

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