# Ooops



## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

1/2" cutter (was)


----------



## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

sunnybob said:


> 1/2" cutter (was)


Alright Bob what have you done now??? > Lokks like something I would do.


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Did pieces go flying?


----------



## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

I think I had a "steep learning curve".
Trouble was it was so steep I didnt learn what happened till afterwards.

It was in the router table, and I was running a square of beech (10" x 10" x 1") across it using a sliding mitre fence in a track.
Done that many times before and already ran this piece across once while trying to get a straight edge, but I think my "oops" moment was the beech was not sufficiently wedged against the fence.
The cutter bit in and the wood had nowhere to go except backwards and upwards. It threw the whole shebang off the table, wood and fence combined.
The BANG was so loud that my wife came out of the house and into the garage to see if I was still breathing.

I hadnt noticed the cutter damage untill i had put everything back and was just about to trim the next piece. I glanced at it and at first thought there was wood debris on it. Only when I tried to wipe it off that the true picture emerged.

All fingers present and correct. Lesson learned. Move along, nothing to see here.


----------



## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

Bob - I bet you were "shaken, not stirred". Glad you're OK.


----------



## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Sorry to hear but glad you didn't get hurt...PHEW...

...but I have a question...was the wood between the fence and the bit...? Your description seemed to indicate it was... *"the beech was not sufficiently wedged against the fence"*.

Which fence...the miter or table...?


----------



## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

The sliding mitre fence is in front of the bit, cutting direction correct (right to left). I'm not that green!
There is a small depth stop on the mitre fence, so the wood was pulled back to the mitre fence, and away from the cutter down to the stop.
But (hindsight is wonderful) The wood edge to be cut was too far away from the fence and i did not have sufficient force away from the cutter.
the wood edge was very angled, first thin slice only cut about an inch along the wood, but the second slice hit a grain twist and the cutter dug in. Game over.
Very annoying, that cutter was very sharp and working well. Shame about the operator.


----------



## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

sunnybob said:


> The sliding mitre fence is in front of the bit, cutting direction correct (right to left). I'm not that green!
> There is a small depth stop on the mitre fence, so the wood was pulled back to the mitre fence, and away from the cutter down to the stop.
> But (hindsight is wonderful) The wood edge to be cut was too far away from the fence and i did not have sufficient force away from the cutter.
> the wood edge was very angled, first thin slice only cut about an inch along the wood, but the second slice hit a grain twist and the cutter dug in. Game over.
> Very annoying, that cutter was very sharp and working well. Shame about the operator.


My apologies...just covering bases...no "green" intended...again, glad you didn't get hurt...


----------



## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Lucky, Bob...


----------



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

You are not alone. I did this to a very expensive spiral downcut bit. Not quite as spectacular, but got my attention.


----------



## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Glad you came out of this unscathed Bob . I had a router bit catch a piece of plexi glass . It threw it off the table 100 miles an hour and bent the bit . Scared the heck out of me and made me respect routers even more


----------



## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Glad there were no injuries, Bob.


----------



## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

That pic of the damaged cutter edge... i picked the cutter up today to give it one final look before throwing it away, and realised that the other blade had disappeared completely!
Now I know I was lucky, because I was not wearing safety glasses.
I usually do but had gotten lazy.
Another learning curve for me and you all to remember.


Nick, no offence taken.


----------



## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

A timely reminder Glad all's well Bob.


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

"...and realised that the other blade had disappeared completely!"
Maybe the missing cutter is what precipitated the incident? I mean coming apart in the middle of the cut (the brazing letting go)..


----------



## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

DaninVan said:


> "...and realised that the other blade had disappeared completely!"
> Maybe the missing cutter is what precipitated the incident? I mean coming apart in the middle of the cut (the brazing letting go)..


You have a point


----------



## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

Dan, trying to make excuses for my stupidity is very nice of you, but I know EXACTLY where the buck stops.

PS I havent found any pieces yet


----------



## richjh (Jan 14, 2013)

Thanks for sharing Bob. It reminds all of us that no matter how much experience we gain, bad things can still happen. It reminds me to make sure I use that fancy face shield I purchased a while back. 

Rich


----------



## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

OUCH! Glad no blood was spilled. I'd probably had to change my pants.


----------



## chuckgray (Aug 2, 2015)

Bob, I really appreciate you relating this story. I tend to find myself letting my guard down when things go smoothly for too long without incident. This story reminds me how dangerous power tools can be and it serves to help me to always be thinking about what can go wrong when I'm doing something. Thanks for the share and I'm glad that you didn't suffer any injuries.


----------



## RÖENTGEEP (Feb 18, 2014)

sunnybob said:


> That pic of the damaged cutter edge... i picked the cutter up today to give it one final look before throwing it away, and realised that the other blade had disappeared completely!
> Now I know I was lucky, because* I was not wearing safety glasses.*
> I usually do but had gotten lazy.
> Another learning curve for me and you all to remember.
> ...


Maybe you are a "little" green after all. :surprise: LOL (not offence intended just I couldnt resist) 

BTW and seriously, glad that you are OK. :smile:


----------



## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

Chuck, 
Since this "episode", I've come up with a new safety phrase, loosely based on the warnings on the back of big trucks;
" if you can see the cutter, the cutter can see you"

When I first posted this, it was as a "hey, look what I did" humorous thing. Its taken me over 24 hours to realise it was a "W.T.F". moment


----------



## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

sunnybob said:


> That pic of the damaged cutter edge... i picked the cutter up today to give it one final look before throwing it away, and realised that the other blade had disappeared completely!
> Now I know I was lucky, because I was not wearing safety glasses.
> I usually do but had gotten lazy.
> Another learning curve for me and you all to remember.
> ...


I always wear safety glasses . I'm sure most here don't like the idea of a hard hat , but I have also used a full face shield on my hard hat as I'm grinding or routing something .
When the shields brand new its awesome , and provides a lot of protection while not fogging up .
I can't get over these YouTube videos where guys have zero protection while using a router or table saw .
No mask , hearing and eye protection?

Things in life can change so fast


----------



## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

Rick - and don't forget the youtubers that get their hands dangerously close to sharp objects. Some of those guys make me shudder.


----------



## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

vchiarelli said:


> Rick - and don't forget the youtubers that get their hands dangerously close to sharp objects. Some of those guys make me shudder.


Great point Vince . I get queasy just watching them :fie:


----------



## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

I just had a thought. I'm not exactly an authority on safety after getting hit with a piece of 2/6 . Last year it got caught between the blade and the fence , and when I seen it start to vibrate I knew it was a bad thing .( I still don't like riving knives ) 
Dam thing shot out like a bullet and got my forearm as I tried to move it . 
Funny thing is the arm has been falling asleep practically ever since . I just noticed lately that it's not as painful when it starts to go numb and get a dull pain at the same time .
It's probably been close to a year , so maybe it may heal after all ? 
Hope I didn't jinx myself


----------



## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

I think no matter how much you know and how much experience you have bad things might happen. I am glad your okay Bob.


----------



## papasombre (Sep 22, 2011)

hawkeye10 said:


> I think no matter how much you know and how much experience you have bad things might happen. I am glad your okay Bob.


Me too.


----------



## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

About a week after the explosion, I found the other cutter blade, it was on the floor at the other side of the workshop. 1 complete blade with no damage to the cutting edge.
Wont do that again!


----------



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Oops moment usually have bad endings, glad yours was good only shaken up a little. No matter how careful a person is, things can happen. It gives a person a wake up call every once in awhile.
Herb


----------

