$19,000 Mistake with a 4" Makite

I don't like to admit this, but maybe it will save somebody else some trouble. I had cut a piece of 2" angle at one end off of a body and went to cut the other end off, not even thinking that the other end was just hanging there. My Makite, a 4" with a cut off wheel, with a locking switch, without a sheild on it, bound up when the weight of the angle came down and kicked back faster than a chain saw. The picture will show the show what happened. The blade exploded in my arm and then continued on and hit my chest, cut it a couple of times and finely stop in my Tshirt.
We all know how dangerous the tools we use are. They put shields on them for a reason. It took about 15 years for it to chatch up with me, but if this stops somebody from taking off one of thoes shields maybe I will have done good. That price is the hospital & doc cost. New old guy

 

Your absolutely right and we all do dumb ass shit in our shops and for the most have been lucky. I guess its time to install the guards back on the equipment. Nice wake up call--Thanks

 

Damn dude all from a 4 inch grinder With a cutoff wheel on it,Im glad your ok.

 

I F-ing hate those dam wafer wheels..they sure work nice..but when they fracture look the hell out!
sorry about your injury, and wow 19g's eh?..no insurance?

 

Glad it wasn't worst,,,kinda like my painter and the garrage door spring breaking and finding his face as a stoping point,,,

He got in some hospital time and some reconstruction plastic surgery,,,I shudder to think what thats gonna cost.

Freak accidents,,,both of them but they happen,,I will be replacing the shield on my zip wheel now. HRP

 

That's another reason I like my Metabo, the clutch mechanism...

 

I just had an angle grinder mangle my left ring finger back on June 25th, cut the extensor tendon and put a notch in the bone...luckily it happened at work, so I didn't have to pay for anything, but it's been almost 2 months and I'm still healing and doing physical therapy...never thought I'd ever get injured like that, but had my work provided proper gloves, it could have been avoided...they laid me off this week because it's "slow" there, but I was the only one who lost his job, oddly enough just a week after bringing 2 pages of safety violations to their attention...

Hope everything heals well, but don't beat yourself up over it...accidents happen to even the safest of us...

 

I hate to admit it, but I did the same thing a couple of months ago, but I about cut my finger off. If it hadn't been for the bone I would have. Mine too had the locking trigger, which I don't use any more. I switched to one with a Manual trigger. That sucks man, hope you heel up quick and can get back out in the garage!

 

The guards goin back on mine when I get home. Hope everything heals ok man.

 

OUCH..thanks for the warning

 

Man that's just not right. As much as is said bad on here about California, you would have their ass in a sling if that happened here. CAL-OSHA will go after companies that fire "whistle blowers" faster than John Force's funny car. Good luck to you.

 

Welcome to the club, here is a thread you're not alone.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=244132

 

FYI - I am always looking for the cheapest tools / thin cut off wheels. I found the cheapest ones at Harbor Freight Tools. However, they "chunk" out and wear out much quicker than a quality wheel. I'm going back to the better wheels for sure. You get what you pay for, most of the time....

 

I sliced my pointer finger with on 6 months ago on a knuckle, went close and might have hit bone, couldnt tell because of the blood, Ducttaped the skin togather and got back to work, got a nice scar outa the deal

Had a grinding disk hop outa my hand and clime up my arm when i was 17, that left a couple good scars too

 

Sorry to see that.

The locking on-off switch is also a disaster waiting to happen.

Best setup for safety is the paddle trigger as it will stop if it slips out of your grip.

 

Damn, glad it was not worse than it is (even though it looks pretty bad). Can never be too safe I guess. The cars are cool but not worth getting seriously injured over.

 

Dammit. My Dewalt grinder trigger broke, and so i just cut open the case to get at the real rocker style on/off inside it. I usually poke screwdriver in there to turn it on or off. I did not need this reminder about how unsafe it is.
Now I gotta go get a new grinder.

 

My wife got a few stitches, still cost us alot. Even with insurance. Hopefully the insurance companies get theirs soon. I'm going broke paying for what ifs.

 

Hey dcwred: ouch! I feel for ya man.I`m sitting at home now after stuffing my finger into a router bit while shaping a piece of aluminum.Only in Canada it was free medical and I get paid (full) for the 3 weeks I`m off.Doen`t make it any better,to much to do in the shop.Stay safe and use the proper tools for the job.

Or as momma used to say"don`t put your fingers where you wouldn`t put your d%$K"

 

I picked up several packages of welder gloves at Harbor Freight for this reason alone. Being new to this fab stuff I read the threads here with great interest. When I use my grinder I wear safety glasses, face shield, and welding gloves. So far so good. I hope you heal up well.

 

man I'm sorry to see that, but glad you'll be OK. I have a split in half bird finger on my left hand because I didn't think I needed to clamp that metal to cut it with a chop saw. But you do.

 

remember... chicks dig scars.

 

Where do you buy your faceshields?

 

ear plugs are a good idea.

 

Damn man thats bad!!
Had one of em wafer thin disks rip apart and ride up my left cheek.Left no scars,didn't even tear the skin but I was shaking so bad I couldn't stand up. Could been my eye easy as that.
Need to get that guard back on my grinder. One day I won't be so lucky.

 

I buy the full face shields at Home Depot. They are probably not the greatest but they are cheap enough that It doesn't kill you to throw it away when it is too boogered up to see. The nice things about them is they don't let the dust fly in your face.
Black boogers may be rodderific but I snore like a bear when I get them. The shield helps knock the dust down a bit.

 

yeh there is safety stuff for a reason that might teach me something..

 

I hate to see something like that happen; I almost cut my thumb off with a cut off wheel a few years back. Now I am scared to death of those damn things. I avoid using one at all costs, there has to be a better way that is not going to cause bodily harm. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>

 

Hey I always took the sheilds off of my grinders, table saws routers everything... never wore gloves, faceshields or ear protection.

I will put the shields back on, but it's been a hard lesson to learn. My ears ring constantly, I've been to the eye Drs. twice to get rusty slivers out of my eye (they use a tiny drill!), nicked a knuckle on the table saw, another qtr inch and it would've grabbed my finger.
I used to think sissies used that stuff.. Now I wish I had learned these lessons years ago. NOW! I wear eye protection, mechanics gloves or welding gloves and put on my ear protection (that someone who cared about me got for me, because I was too cheap).
I need to be smarter about safety.. it's a lot cheaper in the long run.. health and money wise!

 

Did your momma really tell you that? I guess Al Bundy's mom must have told him the same thing, 'cause he was always sitting on the couch with his hand in his underwear.....