I'm new to Woodbarter and am working my way through the threads. This one is timely since I had my first, and hopefully last, serious woodworking accident in October. I was using a router with a bottom cleaning bit and a sled to flatten a big walnut slab with a crotch section. Long story short, despite bumpers on the sides and ends of the sled to keep the router in place, taking 1/32" cuts, and completing two successful passes over the slab, the router kicked in the crotch section and on the way to the ground, routed my left wrist. Two tendons were completely cut, two were partially cut, two nerves were cut and most exciting, one artery was cut. It took 5.5 hours of surgery a couple days later to repair the damage including taking about 14" of nerve from my leg to do nerve grafts in my wrist. I have gotten back full range of motion but still waiting for feeling in my thumb and forefinger to return and still waiting for the muscle at the base of my thumb to work.
It still isn't clear exactly why it happened but several woodworking friends and I came up with these recommendations:
1) Don't use a big bit. I was using one that was about 2.5" wide. I had a 1" bit but thought that would take too long. It ended up taking 2.5 months!
2) Don't use a bit extender. I was using one which probably introduced a little extra flex that teamed up with the big bit to magnify the kick.
3) Use a router with the highest possible handles. I was using a base with low handles. This meant the bumpers on the side had to be lower. With higher handles I might have been able to resist the sideways kick.
4) Avoid using a router and sled to flatten things. I know this is a common thing to do but you won't catch me doing it again.
I hope his helps someone to avoid what happened to me.
It still isn't clear exactly why it happened but several woodworking friends and I came up with these recommendations:
1) Don't use a big bit. I was using one that was about 2.5" wide. I had a 1" bit but thought that would take too long. It ended up taking 2.5 months!
2) Don't use a bit extender. I was using one which probably introduced a little extra flex that teamed up with the big bit to magnify the kick.
3) Use a router with the highest possible handles. I was using a base with low handles. This meant the bumpers on the side had to be lower. With higher handles I might have been able to resist the sideways kick.
4) Avoid using a router and sled to flatten things. I know this is a common thing to do but you won't catch me doing it again.
I hope his helps someone to avoid what happened to me.
They look like some of the bits we use on our CNC machines at work, and those are a whole lot sturdier than a router sled!