My table-saw injury (and SawStop discussion) 

Back in High School woodshop my teacher was missing a finger--I think that was pretty common. I don't want to lose a finger, I imagine most people don't. I've always run a table saw with the guard in place, I also wear a full face shield, and a heavy leather apron. If you have a boss who tells you that time is money and you're faster without the guard--remember he's talking about his money, not yours and you're the one who'll lose the finger, not him.

25 years on a table saw, 11 of those is daily use and it still scares me enough to pay more attention to it than any thing else in my life

I have been woodworking for over 40 years. I had most of the attitude toward blade guards as Rex. I recently purchased a SawStop. As part of the assembly process I did put on the saw guard. After watching this segment it will stay on. Thank you Rex. I'm sorry you had to take the hit but I am grateful for your telling the story. I know this video is 5 years old but that is not significant. Have a great day and continue to stay safe.🙂🙂

It feels weird to give this video a thumbs up... Luckily nothing serious happened.

I have done hobbyist woodworking for about 35 years, and worked at a professional shop and on construction job sites for about 12 years when ai was in my 20-30’s. I‘ve got a fairly serious shop at home and about 2 years ago I had a friend in town that had worked in a cabinet shop for almost 2 decades who wanted to do a project for his wife and didn’t have the capabilities to do what he needed, so he asked to use my shop. I showed him where everything he needed was, and hung out to help as he needed. For “efficiency” purposes he asked to remove by SawStop’s blade guard, and I said to do things the way he wants. He said, nobody uses them in the shops he’s worked at, as they “are only for amateurs” just like you said. About 3 hours into cutting and trimming, I was watching him cut a piece of 8/4 White Oak when I heard a loud slam. He had literally put his left hand down with several fingers across the blade, as he was pulling away off cut with his right. My heart dropped and he pulled back from the table. The blade was gone, down into the table, but all he had was a little cut on the bottom of his forefinger. Barely a drop of blood. Although i had a replacement brake and blade on site, we took the rest of the night off. He’s told me that he’s seldom worked without a blade guard since, and that 2 people at his shop have gotten SawStops. In any event, I can tell you, because I researched this extensively before getting my SawStop., that they have improved substantially in the past 6 or so years. I got mine in 2013, and always keep only the blades that SawStop approves on the saw. My 2013 model is supposed to stop the blade within 1-tooth of a revolution, which is what Dave experienced. Dave told me that it felt like a cross between a shock and a “hard flick’ as he put it. I am glad that it saved you from a worse injury, as I have friends missing fingers from old fashioned tablesaws.

You do have to spend some time setting the saw up... blade, fence, etc. But once done, the saw is great. Fairly compact which is Nice ru-vid.comUgkxXh-4_3-ZT1fFWP91ZV7iVqzElr0lEb-a I did get an Incra Miter Gauge which takes some setup as well. The stock miter gauge can be adjusted in the miter slot with a little painter's tape... this tightens up the side to side play a lot.

The saw stop infomercal says no damage. Obviously not true. But ill take a 1/2 inch gash and a scar over a perminant debilitating injury any day.

I don't even have a table saw and I want to get a SawStop.

This is definitely the worst Sawstop injury I’ve seen. All the other ones I’ve seen had been no worse than a paper cut. I think I know the reason though. The fingernail is not conductive so that must have been what the blade hit first. By the time it senses your finger, it’s already cut through the nail. So even if it stops and pulls the blade down, your thumb is already caught between the blade and the throat plate, so the blade literally chopped through your finger nail. I know this because I tested this out. The blade was not running of course. When I pressed my flesh against the blade, the red light on the paddle was flashing saying something was wrong. However if I pressed my fingernail on it. There’s no flashing light

I always compare safety equipment prices, to medical bills, and the possible physical cost afterwards. It's almost always cheaper to use the safety equipment. Even if all it does is reduce an injury, rather than completely prevent it.

RU-vid gave me the attitude of leaving the guard off. Nearly all woodworkers on RU-vid I watch just have an exposed blade. The guard is now back on my saw...

I think the Sawstop really saved your thumb. Based on the angle the injury was occurring, it would have mangled the digit. There wouldn't have been much to reattach and that portion of the digit would be gone forever.

Just a bit of information to those who aren't sure about the SawStop safety feature... The average reaction time for humans is 0.25 seconds to a visual stimulus, 0.17 for an audio stimulus, and 0.15 seconds for a touch stimulus. A blade spinning at 4000 rpm is 66.7 full revolutions per second! The SawStop reacts in .001 of a second. Most blades spin faster so at 5000 rpm, that's 83.3 full rotations. The time it would have taken for you to even register would have been enough time for the entire blade to have sliced your entire finger off!

One thing that I noticed- the blade that you installed has anti-kickback knuckles. The anti kickback blades are not recommended to be used on a sawstop because the knuckles can kick the brake away from the blade, allowing more damage to flesh if there is contact.

Blade guards are totally for amateurs. Real pros learn, after losing a finger or two, not to touch the blade.

I totally feel your pain and reaction. I am 70 years old tomorrow. Been in and around shops since I was literally 2. Got all fingers, not that I haven't had work related injuries. I have had none from a woodshop power tool. We all have our rules. When we break those rules we pay for it. Attention attention attention. When I am using dangerous tools I pay attention. just Sunday I was in the shop doing the same thing that you were doing. As I was running 24 pieces of 2.25" cuts 14" long, popping them out onto the kick off table I was thinking those are going to build up and you are going to get hurt. Fortunately I heeded my own rules and forced myself to do the right thing. yea...it only takes a blink maybe a quarter blink to get hurt and maybe a 1/2 minute to work safe. I know I have been lucky. I know I have taken stupid risks. I know that the next time I go into the shop that could be the day. Work smart, work safe, put good rules together, always live by the rules. Or you pay.

Hey Rex, I am just going through a bunch of your videos. I am a trauma surgeon and a woodworker. I really appreciate you doing this video. The sober tone of this video and your message were necessary and clear. The pictures of the thumb were an important addition. I liked the fact that you used the phrase "...what I did wrong..." a few times. It brought the message home. Shop injuries are avoidable. Thank you.

That SawStop saved you from a major injury

The tone of this video feels precisely the same as a gun owner recalling a negligent discharge that barely missed them. I bet when that brake activated it certainly felt very much the same in the moment. Also, SawStop should be standard safety feature in all table saws.

I came very close to buying the Bosch until I watched a YT comparing job site saws that included the SawStop. I paid about triple what I would have paid for the Bosch then considered what I am really saving versus the consequences of an accident. There is no price too high for the added safety and peace of mind. I'm glad I bought the SawStop.

The irony of hitting the thumbs up is not lost on me. Glad you only suffered a minor injury. I'm comfortable with my table saw but it still scares the hell out of me. I give it more respect than any other tool in my shop.

My biggest tables saw injury (and the only one that drew blood) happened while the saw was off and unplugged. The blade was also completely lowered. In fact, I was done working for the day and stacking some wood up on top of the saw I had cut that I was going to work with the next day. When I went to set down the last stack of wood, my thumb hit the razor sharp corner of the ... aluminum fence. Took a nice little chunk out of it. I had my revenge though. I took a small file and removed a nice chunk off of all the sharp corners on the fence. Hopefully this is the worst injury I will have on the table saw... or any tool... Or ever...

The book is excellent with clear and precise step by step instructions both written and in picture, videos form ru-vid.comUgkxcZqgZ8Ynkiz5n_LxIWRlAicuzmz5kCHG I like the the fact that it has a section dealing with different woods and their characteristics, as well as tools and projects. Well worth the money.

always the left hand, it's the 'just gonna do a little' And then ... blood everywhere

I rarely comment but this is really a great, sobering reminder of the danger we accept working with cutting tools. I had a somewhat similar left hand incident. Ripping with the blade not quite as high as the wood thickness, so I couldn't see it. And it was almost but not quite to the left-most edge of the board. So the blade being buried in the workpiece and invisible gave me a sense of security. As I pushed the board against the fence with my left hand, the hanging 'scrap' piece was so thin that as it went by the blade the pressure from my hand flexed the wood enough so that my fingertip pushed the wood, and my fingertip, into the side of the teeth. Felt like an electric shock, and only took a bit of the meat that eventually grew back. So I got a relatively easy lesson on exactly what your video demonstrates. Thanks for posting and reminding us.

Did something like this about 15 years ago. I was making picture frames and cutting splines in the miters. Had a jig to hold the material and thought I was fine (no blade guard as it would have made it impossible to make the cut). Mistake #1 was not designing the jig to fully enclose the work, which I could have done. Mistake #2 was not paying attention. I did this about 8:30 in the morning, was fully alert, but I was not concentrating. I was doing repetitive work, I was under time pressure, and my focus was not in the moment - I was thinking ahead to the next task as I was cutting. Through plain carelessness I was working with a rapidly spinning blade with a functional impairment - I may has well have been drunk, smoking a doobie and texting while I was doing damned dangerous work. Distracted woodworking, you could say. It was the tip of my left hand pinkie finger that took the hit - and that's what if felt like - a sharp hit, as if someone had whacked it. Looked down, saw an amazing amount of blood, curled my fingers into a fist while I shut the saw off. I had lots of soft, clean cotton rags at hand (we used cloth diapers for the kids - when you're done with them they've been laundered so many times they're the softest rags you can get) so bundled myself up, went into the house and had my wife drive me to the urgent care clinic. Getting pressure on the wound had pretty much stopped the bleeding to it wasn't like a horror movie when the doc unwrapped my finger. I was lucky - the blade had sliced through the nail and into the quick but had missed the bone. The next part is where I had to man up. While not fazed by blood I have always had a thing about fingernails and injuries to them, and even thinking about this makes my spine tingle. Doc shot me with a local, and I forced myself to watch as he cut away the end bit of the fingernail and then, because he said it would heal better, grab a pair of forceps and pull the rest of the nail out then throw in a couple of stitches. But I was determined to have that image imprinted in my brain as a reminder to pay attention in the future. To this day the nail on that finger is shorter than the one on the other hand, I'm guessing because the stitches shortened that nail bed, and all I have to do if I'm thinking about getting cocky is hold them up together. That visual reminder is my own personal cautionary tale about how in an instant things can go terribly wrong.

Next up: How I lengthened my butt crack while sitting on my table saw.

Glad it wasn't worse, man! That SawStop likely just paid for itself and that's the reason I have one in my shop.

I get squeamish, but I force myself to watch videos about saw injuries so that I can remind myself how dangerous this stuff can be and hopefully I won't have to make a similar video in the future. Thank you for sharing your story, I'm glad you are Ok, but damn that looks painful.

About 2 years ago I destroyed the tip of my left index finger and removed the top of my left middle finger up to the first knuckle. I was cutting 3/16" plexiglass with the blade about 1/4" above the material. Never thought I would be that guy but, there I was. 3 doctors told me how lucky I was to have such a minor tablesaw injury. I didn't feel lucky. I still don't. The tip of each finger is a weird combination of numbness and pain and probably always will be. I haven't done much woodworking in my shop in the last 2 years. I could even go near my tablesaw for about 4 months. But I'm currently redoing the shop. New lighting, dust collection, benches, etc. Some new tools are in order also. Among them are a new Sawstop cabinet saw in February. On which all safety features will stay in place.

Thank you for sharing your experience, even if you had to eat humble pie to get it. Your story could save someone else a limb, or even their life.

i give ur video a thumbs up

This is a worrisome train of thought that has been growing over the years. The idea that tool guards and safety equipment, or safe tool / equipment practices are for pussies or rookies or amateurs, is the war cry of every lost finger, crushed hand, and milky eye. It's just silly.

This is the first time I've started following someone from a mistake video, but thank you so much for your honesty, sincerity and being brave enough to ensure we learn from your mistake. Thank you. Subbed, liked, checking out your other videos now.

That's very big of you, Rex, to admit your mistake. Thank you for using your experience to protect us. If I should get a table saw I will certainly get a sawstop! I hope your thumb made a complete recovery! 👍🏼

An important topic and video to show. Thanks for having the humility to share your experience. Definitely helps new woodworkers like me.

Hello Rex! I stopped to watch your video b/c the intro pic & title really hit close to home for me. I was injured exactly the same way, doing exactly the same thing, on a very similar type saw (Powermatic, 3-phase, 5hp, cabinet saw, w/ a 3/16 thick rip blade)! *** The only difference with my injury...I completely removed my left thumb from the knuckle on! *** I mean, I did the exact same thing you did, the exact same way. I was attempting to move off-fall stock away from the blade on the left side, with my left hand. I’d already done it multiple times in that particular use of the saw, but that once, I absent-mindedly missed the workpiece, and ran my thumb directly into the blade. This is where things for you and I differ drastically, and I believe, based on my experience and your experience, THE SAWSTOP SAW DID SAVE YOUR THUMB!! Period. Because in that instance when your blade disappeared beneath the table, was the same instance I heard that trademark sound ...the sound a blade makes when a piece of wood or a knot hits the side of a blade (DING!!)...except that was my knuckle bone making that sound, not a piece of wood! Others on here can say whatever they want, that’s their right. However, if you’ve not experienced this particular injury the exact way Rex and I have, you *may not* have the necessary experience to speak on this subject. Rex, thank you for sharing your story. It brought back a lot of memories, and reminded me that I must too be safe everyday as I continue to use a table saw regularly. Also, I’m not God, therefore I can’t say w/o a doubt what might’ve happened to you w/o a SawStop saw, but I’m thankful for you that you were blessed enough to have one. Thanks again sir!

I'm currently recovering from a table saw injury! I got super lucky! I actually didn't contact the blade. I was running a stacked dato on my saw cutting 20, 1/2" grooves into two pieces of ply glued together @ 36" long spaced at 1". I was on cut 8 when my sled started to feel resistance, and before I knew it, my sled was exploding in front of me and I felt a hard cold impact on my pointer and middle fingers. Now, luckily I didn't hit the dato or I'd have shredded finger all over. But after returning to the bloody crime scene, my board did jump up, slide along the blade laterally 14" where my hand was, which I thought was safe at that distance, and somehow my hand slipped off the board and ended up about 1/4" away from the dato when the board caught the blade again and smashed my fingers like grapes! After a trip to the ER, a month of hospital co-pays, multiple trips to the hand surgeon and both physical and occupational therapy, I'm out $2,500 as per my deductable plus out of.pocket. I've been out of work for a month and worse, it hurts like hell to move my fingers as I had 43 stitches and lost a bunch of bone in the process! (DM me if you want pictures). Will would a Sawstop have prevented this injury.... NO! but, had I been just a tiny bit closer, and that saw blade not grabbed that wood, I'd be missing multiple fingers. That's why I'm buying a sawstop! If there is a next time I won't be so lucky! For the $2,500 Co-pay a a month off work, I should have just used that money to buy a Sawstop in the first place! It's insurance on top of insurance! Redundancy is key!

Your thorough honesty is a rare and incredible thing. The world could use more people like you. Keep up the great work!

Glad to hear you got away with a few stitches and a wake up call Rex! I've much worse injuries caused by a single moments lack of concentration. Best safety equipment resides between our ears,just have to remember to engage it! Get well soon😷😷😷😷

I'm glad your injury wasn't as bad as it could have been. Another way to avoid an injury is once the cut is made, turn off the saw, then move the cut off from the table. I know this seems to be a "slow down" in a production environment, but it's safe and can save one from an injury.

I almost cut my thumb off with a freshly sharpened leather working knife. I was lucky. It took a long time to heal and I can barely feel anything but it's still there. Always ask where your fingers are, so you don't have to say where are my fingers? After the cut.

This is possibly the best video you'll ever do. Preventing someone from repeating your mistake or even worse is priceless. Sure you're out $300, but I can tell from your comments that the mental and emotional impact is much greater than that. Add to that, that the injury would surely have been greater had you not had a Saw Stop. Thanks for putting your ego aside to give us a very good message.

Glad to know you're okay and thanks for sharing your story! The same thing happened to me with my small Dewalt several years ago. My left index hit the blade, but the cut was very superficial, so they couldn't stitch anything at the ER, even though it was bleeding a lot! I guess I was very, very lucky! Truth is, you don't need a SawStop anymore, as I can assure you that from now on, you will remember what just happened each time you turn on your table saw!!

Hi Rex, Have you sent the cartridge to sawstop for inspection? They replace it at no cost if it’s engaged by skin contact. I was also told by their customer service department that they can tell how long the blade was in contact with the skin.

I had a similar accident to yours. I don’t have the money to purchase a SawStop so I count myself even luckier than you. Same basic scenario. Using a stop block to protect my right hand, paying close attention to that hand. Irving knife in place, blade guard off for better visibility. Moved to clear a cut off with my left hand and hit the blade with the middle finger of that hand. I am incredibly lucky that my injury, while painful and ugly, was minor. Don’t be embarrassed about sharing. If your example saves one person from serious injury it is all good. Thanks for sharing. By the way the blade guard is on my saw whenever possible, and I am using a push stick instead of my bare hand at all times.

Thank you for sharing. It is difficult to lay out your mistakes in a public forum. Thanks for having the courage to do so to save someone else from making the same mistake.

Great video, and thanks for the honest feedback and safety talk! I don't like sponsored ads as well either, but I do like straight honest feedback videos.

Glad you still have all 10 digits. Keep the videos coming, Rex!

Fun fact: current sawstop saws have a faster reaction time (somewhere around 3-4 milliseconds) than a current airbag’s reaction time (about 6-7 milliseconds) Meaning that I’m the time it takes an airbag to activate, a sawstop blade will have already come to a dead stop and “disappeared” from sight.

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. I have been in the woodworking business for 35 years. After owning all of the other quality stationary saws, I now own a Sawstop. If you are in business there is no reason to avoid buying this machine. Both for productivity and liability reasons, plus just treating your employees with the respect they deserve, get one. The better blade guard with built in dust collection is great and well worth the money. Also a quick note for people who complain about not being able to see the blade, sorry. I too ran saws for 30 years with no guards at all. But I was able to train myself to use the guard and enjoy it. The guard comes off and back on very easily, so special setups are no problem.

A good friend of mine lost 2.5 fingers a year ago without a saw stop! He said he got hurt so fast he didn’t realize it before it was too late! With regards to your losses! My friend has had to change jobs... in effect retrain in a new field because he can’t bring himself to step up to a saw anymore! So be careful out there guys! I know I‘m not alone in saying being able to create with our hands is one of the most amazing gifts we as humans are bestowed with!! Our work is a testament to that! So let’s all be warned and take care of our most valuable assets! Love the video! Love the way you structured it! I think you hit the high notes perfectly! Never forget about the 300 bucks, but realize it’s a fraction of what you could and almost did lose! That said I’m saving up for my saw stop and I’ll be sure to come back to your link when I am ready to buy! Thanks again for the heads up!!!

Another TIP that I have for all SS owners. When turning ON the saw using the red paddle...I NEVER LET GO of the paddle until I hear that the blade is running properly in my cross cut sled. If it is binding...my hand is right there ready to turn OFF the saw. BTW...has never actually happened but...I'm prepared if it does. That's all I've got for now. Needless to say...VERY GLAD that your incident wasn't more serious.

Two years later this video- which I realize must have been difficult to make- has given me much to think about and will no doubt positively impact my safety in the shop in the future. Thank you.

Thank you Rex, for having the courage to share your experience with the rest of us! I'm a rank amateur, who, in my late 50's decided to "got for it" and started remodeling my 1950's era house. Because of the wonderful training videos on you-tube, I have been able to overcome fear and learned to make good, safe cuts with a circular saw. I have also, because of the wonderful educational videos (like this one!) been able to KEEP a healthy measure of fear, and err on the side of safety. I want to acquire a table saw, and make my own kitchen cabinets. I am convinced it's worth every penny to invest in a SawStop over the other types. Thank you again for sharing!!

Amazing I've cut open my Thumb to the bone last year, on a format table saw with a cross cut blade, and it is exactly how you've described the feeling. I was cutting wedges for the Loghome we worked at that time, and I wasn't apparently paying attention enough as I tried to grab one of the wedges I've noticed that exact sensation you've just described. A hefty hit, as if I could feel every sawtooth ripping away my flesh. Took 4 months to grow back together fully and I still have a numbness in my thumb, but that sure was a lesson for me. I didn't have sawstop by the way, that's why I could see my thumbbone.

Thanks for showing a bona fide injury created during the use of a Saw Stop. I'm a Saw Stop user. However, I think all those hot dog videos out on the web create an impression that unpleasant table saw injuries are a thing of the past. The technology is valuable and worth the money, but it doesn't compensate for a lack of safety devices and practices. Best wishes for your recovery.

Thank you for your honesty and modesty.

I was a machinist in the army, you should see the pics they showed us from lathe accidents. Couldn't even recognize what was left of some people. Had a guy who forgot to lock down his tailstock and by the time he realized it, it was too late. A block of aluminum (fortunately it wasn't steel this time) flew up and hit him square in the forehead and knocked him unconscious. He ended up being fine later, aside from a square-shaped mark on his forehead and we got a laugh out of it. But obviously it could have gone much worse. Tool safety should always be top priority above all. But we're human, accidents happen.

I've always seen that fearing what your working with always helps, getting comfortable is what gets people injured or even killed.

I've always wondered how the saw stop would work on an actual finger rather than a hotdog. Your injury was much more severe than what the hotdog tests show, but it was as you say probably much less of an injury than it could have been.Thank you so much for sharing.

I appreciate your honesty, the serious way you approach the issue, and the high value you place on safety. Good video. Hope you heal up okay

I absolutely applaud your painfully honest video to help others!!! I'm starting to get back into woodworking with my son (21) and will make him watch this! The gory pics of your injury are absolutely neccessary to get the point across! Thank you for this video!!!

Oh Rex, you look quite shook up. How easy a moment’s lapse of concentration and its consequence. I’m glad you made this video and demonstrated just what can happen in the workshop - a salutary lesson for us all. A colleague of mine lost two joints from his left forefinger in a similar way on a cross cut mitre saw, just clearing away stock and strayed too close. Best wishes.

Good video! It takes a real man to admit his faults. Good on you!

I am getting ready to start remodeling our master bedroom and bathroom. I still use a Craftsman radial arm saw that I purchased around 1980. Rex, you just convinced me to sell the old saw and buy a new one that will protect my fingers. Yes, you paid $300 plus the down time for our injury, but that is a small price to pay for keeping your thumb. Thank you for making this very informative video.

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience, much appreciated

I avoid injury by never using table saws, so there’s no chance of injury

I still get goose bumps every time I use my saws. And I work 100’s of feet in the air for a living as a union Ironworker , saws are scary

what a blessing it is for you to share your experience with all of us i know you published this about a year ago but i appreciate it very much just helps me all the more to continue to be safe and use the equipment the way its intended. I just tuned into your channel this year and i am for sure going to keep watching the education is valuable.

I appreciate your transparency and honesty. No one is perfect.

Worse has happened to my thumb. But I find it interesting to find another person who got their thumb cut. Warning you might not want to read the rest of the comment if you didn't see the picture in the video or are grossed out easily. My story is this(I remember some stuff precisely) On August 22, 2017, at about 2 :05 ish(I checked the time right before) I was going out through the door and there was a thunder/ heavy rain + wind storm outside. As I closed the door(I live in an apartment) there was high pressure in the hallway and door area of my apartment which made the door close on my thumb while my hand was still holding the door and handle. The door and wind pressure CUT OFF(off like slice off) part of my right thumb. It cut through the middle of my nail so I have part of my thumb missing.

Hi Rex. Glad you are ok and I bet you are right that it could have been a whole lot worse. Can I suggest you get the dust blade guard which offers more protection again?

Your conclusion about saw safety was spot on. Thank you for today's video and thank God your injury wasn't more serious. ❤🌅🌵

Thank you so much for making this video. I watched it with the utmost respect. My father was a mechanical engineer and designed everything from Harley’s evolution engine to parts for everything from fighter jets to nuclear submarines. He was a genius, but a very humble man. I grew up watching my Dad tinker in his home hobby woodworking workshop. He always let me make things with him, but never let me use the table saw. Okay, my father put the “fear of God” into me when it came to using a table saw. (He had taken our neighbor to the hospital when I was 4 years old, whom lost 3.5 fingers on his table saw) since then I have known of several people that have had lost fingers on table saws.... SO.... when my father passed away in 2015, he left me all his tools, lots of tools, some of them I will probably never know what the heck they are?! I kept what I could, and when I moved, low & behold my new farm came with a nice little outbuilding that was once someone’s workshop! Yeah... a place for all of Dad’s tools!! So last fall I had an epiphany and decided to really dig deep into woodworking and make it my official hobby! Excited to have a inherited 2 band saws, sliding miter saw, 2 drill presses, over 3 dozen handheld tools, and thousands of misc tools.... and yes an old craftsman table saw, it was a beast! I don’t think I used that table saw for the first 2 months, avoiding it like the plague. The “fear of God” was still there...clearly. One day I actually needed to “rip” down a piece of wood, so I used it... scared to death, but I used it, and I lived, fingers intact. Then one day it binded the blade on me and the blade stopped. Long story short the belt was slipping and I learned how to adjust it. Meanwhile I avoided it & I took a woodworking class for 5 weeks along with a 8 week Woodturning class. In class they used a sawstop. I never saw one, nor had I heard of them, & if my father had known of this table saw he most certainly would have owned one!! I was amazed... I had to have one! I bought one a month later, I spent all that I could manage and got the professional cabinet 1.75hp with the overhead dust collection system! My father would be soooo proud of me! I still have great fear and respect for the saw, despite the safety features. I know you can still be hurt, especially with kickbacks! But with the help of using my head, my sawstop, and following all the safety features and rules etc I hope I will always remain a card carrying member of the “10 fingers club!” The creator of this blows my mind. Thanks for making and sharing this video and thanks to Steve Gass for making the Sawstop!

Owch, amazing you didnt lose your finger

Paper towels and electrical tape... the first aid of choice for all tradesmen, lol. Glad to hear that your injuries were superficial and that saw stop worked for you. Electricians like myself seldom use table saws, but when we do, we have that much more reason to be mindful of proper and safe use. I am showing this to my fellow journeymen our apprentices to spread awareness of something that could be devastating.

Thank you for sharing. I have just bought my first table-saw and learning from your experience. Best wishes.

Rex, thank you for posting this. Even someone highly proficient with their tools can get in trouble if they lose concentration at the wrong moment, and it's important for people to know that!

You should definitely look into MicroJig. I got their version of push sticks and I no longer worry. The blade is covered all the time on any form of rip no matter how small. I'll find a link for you and your public.

I have found a way to greatly avoid injuries on my table saw. I always cut wood alone with t the radio off. Even if I am cutting a piece of stock for a friend I do it alone so I am not distracted by someone in the room talking or shooting requests at me from a position of ignorance.

Sorry this event happened to you. Can also say, thanks for taking one for the team, as we can all relearn that this can happen to any of us. Hope your recovery is quick and full.

When I watched this video it felt like 'déjà vu'. I had a similar accident to what you describes, but I don't have a SawStop, and weren't using the blade guard either. I was very fortunate that it wasn't as serious or deep a cut as yours. I barely have a scar... if you can call it a scar. Unfortunately, the type of work that I do on it requires me to use a slead on and off a lot and the guard becomes a problem for me... so I decided to be very careful about where my hands are in relation to the blade... and always use push stixs on both hands for small cuts (anything smaler than 20" x 20" give or take). It was a very scary experiense. It make me apriciate more hand tools over power tools. Thank you for sharing!

FIRST, Great Video!!! Okay, having a "no budget" shop has it's drawbacks... and obsolete equipment that is extremely dangerous numbers among the bigger "sux-donuts"... I'm going to attempt to spare you gritty details, but in regards to that part of the video where you said, "I can't say definitively..." I can. There's been enough nightmare fuel around here that I just keep less experienced folks OUT of the shop all together anymore. Even seasoned pro's only get in while I'm here, and I administrate the most egregious equipment issues... because I'd rather I get killed (even a little bit) than let someone else take it. That saw stop DEFINITIVELY saved your hand... a LOT! No need in being wishy-washy about it. I've seen the kinds of injuries that come from "bumping" a rotating saw-blade... even while the saw is "technically off" and the blade was only "winding down"... I know, I've been known to "get cheeky" with the preaching about "never ever reach over a moving blade"... BUT that's reality in my shop. I don't even leave the table-saw "set up" when it's not in use... The damn thing is dangerous to a whole new level... All joking aside, it's terribly easy for the blade of a table-saw to literally YANK your hand down into that slot and just SHRED everything. I've seen it... I've had to clean it up... I've had to "make that run" to the ER with turpentine and betadine soaked rags gobbed around the tattered end... AND no. I do NOT recommend it. Thanks for stepping up with this video, sir. You're not just being genuine in your teaching, but working to help others learn and take the pause to really think about it. Hopefully more will implement appropriate features for their own better interests... and health. ;o)

I did exactly the same thing in exactly the same place. When I looked down I thought I was going to see my thumb bouncing around on the table. It happens to the best of us 👍

Thank you for saving me from one of those "Much more serious injuries." I have a legacy Craftsman saw with no blade guard. I use a push stick, but not a stick to move cutoffs. I will make one and be mindful of moving my cutoffs because of this video! The sacrifice that you and Stumpy Nubs endured has heightened my shop safety awareness. Thanks.

One of the best Reference guide for woodworking. ru-vid.comUgkxcZqgZ8Ynkiz5n_LxIWRlAicuzmz5kCHG Focuses more on the manual took style of wood working then how to use more modern power tools. However the information is incredibly in depth and provides great help. Has a whole section devoted to wood types and has projects in the back

Table saws and lathe chucks will never ceases to terrify me lol. I've never been able to get used to putting my hands near those things like I see some people do. Thanks for this video, we all needed to see this.

The over arm dust thing is free for April if anybody is thinking of buying one soon

Don't feel bad, I accidentally ran my finger into an RC helicopter rotor and exploded the tip. They had to cut down and file the bone. We all do stupid shit.

I really appreciate you making this video and sharing your experience

Many thanks for this video Rex. As I reflect back to 1991, when our saw became loose mid ripping a large 8x4 sheet of chipboard, being that the saw actually detached itself, I hadn't realised that a splinter caught my right thumb in the process taking a peice of skin with it. Though, the saw was ripping at the time, jammed the blade in the sheet. This was an error on my part by not rechecking the saw that day, something that I always had carried out before starting work that I had set-up the previous night. No treatment was required at the time. Always double check any machine before use. Another thing is:- always get to know your machine by sound... For instance! If the ticking sound of a Bandsaw seens to get louder, just leave the shop as the machine winds down, as when the saw breaks in motiom, the blade whizzies across the shop like a rattle snake that has no mercy for anyone and sticks into the nearest object in its path... That time the brick wall was damaged as the blade inbedded itself. That time no-one was hurt. So! It pays to respect the machine you are using...

This happened at school when I was 14 the saw stop saved his finger God luck I'm glad you still have you figures!

Sorry to hear about your injury and glad you're okay. The SawStop did its job and reading the manual recently (as I got one recently myself), your blade is what may have caused the deeper than normal cut. They recommend blades that don't have that anti-kickback design (shoulders). It apparently causes the blade to stop slower than ones without, thus causing a slightly more severe injury. Freud even redesigned one of their Dado Stacks just for the SawStop because of this. Worth thinking about IMO.

I went to a high school with agricultural science (agri science) classes and shop classes. In my freshmen year I took agri science and we made bird houses. Before my teacher took us to the shop classroom to use the saw she showed us a saw blade stuck in the saw stop. She told us the student had done the classic thumb right in the way of the blade, he would have lost his thumb. The saw stop prevented it, he walked away with a small gash smaller than yours. It gave us all a much needed wake up call, and we respected the tools we used through the whole project. Its a wonderful product and I am glad you where using it and found that it likely helped reduce your injury.

Your honesty and candor about your accident was both compelling and persuasive. I believe this video performs a valuable service about the need to use the safety mechanisms that are available for power tools. My hat is off to you for your humble and courageous presentation.

My middle school woodshop teacher almost cut a pinky off lol. He did a speech on "able-ism" like discriminating based on ability at the end of the year and his name was Mr Able. Lol

Hey, that's a little bloodier than the hot dog demonstrations!

Thanks very much for posting this, I believe you've done the woodworking community a service by being so honest. I have to say that I doubt that your resolution to always use a blade guard will last beyond the next time you need to make any cut that doesn't go all the way through. But no matter. The most important thing IMHO is to treat the saw with the utmost respect and paranoia. My own rule is that under no circumstances will I position my hands so that they are pushing towards the blade (and for other tools with mobile blades: make sure the blade is never pushed towards a body part I want to keep). These lessons have been learned the hard way, though thankfully it involved nothing more than a painful cut - nothing like yours.

Thank you for sharing your boo boo. It is videos like this, that remind me why I am so VERY diligent about my finger placement, use of push sticks and the time I invest into thinking about my cuts before I make them. I have been using saws for over 15 years now and NEVER been cut. I had a close call twice, once where a piece came back at me from the table saw. It was just a very small thin strip that was aimed at my balls. The other time was the mitersaw picking a piece off the table lifting it up into the blade and scaring the shit out of me. Other than that, I don't rush and I always make sure I have sharp blades and a strong grip on the work piece. Thanks again, great content!