Ouch!!

[barra]

I have to admit I have been known to work in bare feet. When an idea hits there is no time to dress properly. Also been known to hit the workshop in the middle of the night in my jim jams.

Barra

[bruce johnson]

Working in flipflops + sharp string bleeder rolling off bench top + that big vein that runs across the top of your foot = the reason they came up with the name "bleeder" for that tool. Fleem was too arachaic a term I guess. Much like most other accidents and the reason for slow motion effects in movies, I can still visualize in great detail the whole process of it rolling, falling, that little half turn sumersault to go blade down, and me just standing there with it impaled on top of my foot.

The draw gauge hanging off my left index finger knuckle by the blade, it took two shakes and some bad words to get it off - always pull the blade into the work or make a starter cut with a knife, don't push the work into the blade.

The Osborne #86 splitter I was looking at that "used to work pretty good". The blade was pretty dull in the middle where he used it all the time. The sides were pretty sharp where Herb French had done his work. Lesson learned - don't run you thumb down the whole edge of dull blade, it may not all be dull.

[tonyc1]

Working in flipflops + sharp string bleeder rolling off bench top + that big vein that runs across the top of your foot = the reason they came up with the name "bleeder" for that tool. Fleem was too arachaic a term I guess. Much like most other accidents and the reason for slow motion effects in moviers, I can still visualize in great detail the whole process of it rolling, falling, that little half turn sumersault to go blade down, and me just standing there with it impaled on top of my foot.

The draw gauge hanging off my left index finger knuckle by the blade, it took two shakes and some bad words to get it off - always pull the blade into the work or make a starter cut with a knife, don't push the work into the blade.

The Osborne #86 splitter I was looking at that "used to work pretty good". The blade was pretty dull in the middle where he used it all the time. The sides were pretty sharp where Herb French had done his work. Lesson learned - don't run you thumb down the whole edge of dull blade, it may not all be dull.

About 40 years ago I had an awl roll off the bench and go straight into my instep and I only had slippers on my feet. After that I planed flats on my awl hafts so they can't roll. I find the flat useful as my thumb always finds the same place when holding the haft.

Tony.

[UKRay]

About 40 years ago I had an awl roll off the bench and go straight into my instep and I only had slippers on my feet. After that I planed flats on my awl hafts so they can't roll. I find the flat useful as my thumb always finds the same place when holding the haft.

Tony.

That is such a good tip, Tony. I'm off to file some flat sides on my awl handles tonight - especially useful as my bench slopes towards me.

My silliest trick was pulling a strap (and my thumb) through a Jerry's Stripper with the blades set at 1/8" gaps - by the time I had extricated it and hopped all round the room clutching my fringed thumb there was blood everywhere. - According to herself, the language was quite spectacular. It took weeks to heal as I kept splitting the thing open again. Strangely I only got one bad scar on my thumb even though there were six or seven separate slices!

[celticleather]

About 40 years ago I had an awl roll off the bench and go straight into my instep and I only had slippers on my feet. After that I planed flats on my awl hafts so they can't roll. I find the flat useful as my thumb always finds the same place when holding the haft.

Tony.

This is always the first thing I do when I commission a new awl. I'm sure there's some kind of voodoo that makes spiky or sharp things fall sharp-end down!

When I worked at a butcher's shop many years ago, I learned that it is not a good idea to try to catch a falling knife or cleaver . . . just get the feet out of the way!

[TwinOaks]

...I tore the muscle that attaches the arm to the back of the shoulder blade in Feb while making 3 pair of moc boots in 10 days... Hand-stitched with was thread.... The doc figured the repetitive back and up motion of stitching that much leather is what did it.

umm....wow. I can't imagine the handsewing speed it takes to tear a muscle....slow down a little, maybe?

[calanneh]

umm....wow. I can't imagine the handsewing speed it takes to tear a muscle....slow down a little, maybe?

The doc said it was just the repetative motion that weakened a spot in the muscle and then tore it..

He asked if I felt it hurting and if I kept going. I told him I had three Scouts (one of them my son) that needed moc boots for their first ceremony and I wasnt gonna let them down. I had to get them done and when my shoulder was hurting so I would do a few stitches, put my arm down for a few minutes and then do a few more stitches....

The doc said "you know...I never beleived in playing thru the pain....and this is why! Pain means STOP!"

Hehehe, he wasnt happy with me....

William

[tonyc1]

The doc said it was just the repetative motion that weakened a spot in the muscle and then tore it..

He asked if I felt it hurting and if I kept going. I told him I had three Scouts (one of them my son) that needed moc boots for their first ceremony and I wasnt gonna let them down. I had to get them done and when my shoulder was hurting so I would do a few stitches, put my arm down for a few minutes and then do a few more stitches....

The doc said "you know...I never beleived in playing thru the pain....and this is why! Pain means STOP!"

Hehehe, he wasnt happy with me....

William

Then you have those that say "No pain, no gain". Which, of course, I don't believe in!

Tony.

[Clay]

My silly injury happened a few years ago, I had been sewing up a belt late in the evening and was very happy with the way it was coming out. I decided to show it to my wife for that much needed wifely support. She was already in bed so I sat down on the edge of the bed to show her the belt, when the awl sliped out of my hand and fell towards my open lap. Before I could stop my self I automaticly closed my knees together to catch it. (didn't want it to stick into my foot I guess!) My right leg caught the handle end of the awl about six inches up from never never land and pushed the freshly polished pointy end of the awl into the muscle of the left leg, all the way to the handle. I don't recall getting much support from the wife for that one......She is a nurse and she helped me pull it out and dressed the wound, after she caught her breath and stopped shaking with laughter.

ClayM.

[tonyc1]

I just remembered an amusing thing that happened once, it didn't draw blood but I did have a sore thumbe for a few days! I had been using my k6 and I was just sitting there daydreaming about something and I had my hand on the flywheel with my thumb in one of the holes in the wheel when something very fast shot past my feet and and it was the cat with the dog hot on it's tail, they were only playing! They were only on the pedal for a split second but it was enough to engage the clutch and wrench my thumb quite painfully. Took me completely by surprise and my reactions were a trifle slow!

Tony.