i’ve been posting on swaylocks for a little while now and been shaping for a short period of time. pretty much just recently got real comfortable w/ my planer and all my tools. well i recently had an accident working part time cutting flowers and such and helping out at a florist. well a really long story short my friend accidentally cut of about half of my index finger on my dominant right hand. my question is has anyone suffered a similar injury and if so what problems as far as shaping, surfing ,everyday life.
Hi SurfinVA, I hope your feeling better with the pain and getting used to the injury. I had my left index finger get caught in my belt sander and thinned out my finger to the bone about 6 weeks ago. I was making a surfboard template. Well the new tissue filled in and the only bad damage is my bone got partialy sanded at an angle which is permanent. My nail is starting to grow back but is pretty ugly. But I am surfing again and playing guitar. Still hurts but you will adjust. I have met alot of guys with fingers mising since the accident.
i just got home from a week at the hospital 2 days ago still kinda figuring everything out. they tried 2 reatach it at first and use leach therapy which such but it didnt work and they had to remove it again my only concern is i will be put in a situation where i am out of luck you know.
About 23 years ago I was hefting a huge cast iron bath tub into place with 3 other guys. One guy decided to let go. The tub mushed the end of the middle finger on my dominate hand. They tried a “Palmer flap” to put a tip back on it but it didn’t work. It was about 4 or 5 months before I could work effectively with the hand. It took many years for the finger to tuffen up but I get along fine. You will too. I won’t slow you down at all. You mind and body will compensate over time.
What gone will still be working only in a much different way.
May I suggest that you let it point the way to new creativity, resourcefullness and a careful eye on what the other guy is up to. My worst accidents have always been because of someone else carelessness and my reserve in taking over control of the situation. Be thankfull you didn’t loose more. I could tell you some horrible fishing stories or some ugly details of three and half years of really nasty back pain I had to work through.
Howzit surfin, don’t feel bad, Ole Olsen of OLE surfboards cut off one finger when as a woodshop teacher he was giving a safety lesson for a table saw, boy did he fell like a dummy but I laughed like anything.Aloha,Kokua
They say it’s rude to point…now you won’t have to worry about being rude!
Just kidding mano!!!
Sucks that you are %50 in the index digit. But take heart, I have found that given adversity, the human mind can overcome just about anything the human body can throw at it.
What type of planer are you using?
I use a Clark modified older model with the trigger more on the top. I find that it’s not to much difference in control using the index finger to trigger.
If you are not using the Clark modified, then now is the time to get yourself one. The newer model has the handle in the rear of the body which requires more of a pushing action which might in turn better benefit your recent situation.
yea i am using the clark planewr and as far as using it for creative inspiration my recently shaped 9’2" summer board will be named “the tenth digit” lol.so thanks for all the advice all
I cut the finger tips of the first two fingers on my right hand in motorcycle chain when I was a kid. I am right handed and it is hard to say if it is a handycap or not. I can say I work with my hands for a living (cabinetmaker) and I don’t have any trouble working with hand tools. Sometimes it can be a little sore if I am rubbing out a finish by hand but thats about it. I wouldn’t worry about it. The injury will give you a bit of character. I don’t worry about the big machines like table saws, working close with hand tools is were you have to be carefull. Always try to work away from you and clamp the piece down if it is small.
I’ve heard that story of the motorcycle chain and sprocket by two people now !! Damm… One friend said they reattached the tip, but it fell off the first try, then they tried again and it took. Its a little shorter now.
after i got your email i started to pay attention to what i was doing when i was working. I found out today that i use my middle finger more for sanding with a big grinder and sometimes when planning. I hope for your speedy recovery so you can come cut out those sandpaper discs you owe me!! haha. Have you seen that board up in CSS that you helped me glass? It turned out awesome.
sup all hey austin yea i was in there yesterday all 3 of them are awesome. i like that kindo orange and yellow and green on too kinda reggae feel to it i think they will reallly hit it off.also jackie wants me to be a rep for their carveboards and possibly surf for them as well! so that will be awesome. and as far as the finger goes i also had tried 2 get it reatached and leach therapy and all that and it didnt work but, o’well, i’ll always have a conversation piece and i was thinking of getting a little hook for it lol. i just want it to heal now so i can back to doin all the things i love doin.