Well. The neighbor's contractor just cut his finger off on a table saw.

[LuckyCharms]

On Mother's Day, no less.

He's the second guy I know who has done that. The first guy cut 3 fingers off.

I hate table saws.

I always make the sign of the cross before I use one.

[ret5hd]

1. i love table saws...but they demand respect (nt)

[LuckyCharms]

5. I have one of those 10 inch Delta ones. A cheapo.

Last edited Mon May 11, 2026, 10:16 AM - Edit history (1)

Adjusting the fence is a pain in the ass, because when you lock it down, it shifts about 1/16 inch.

I took the guard off it so I can see what I'm doing.

I worry about kickback, so I always stand to the side. I have a ton of different push sticks.

I repeat a mantra to myself whenever I use it: "If your fingers are not near the blade, then you won't cut your fingers off".

This guy today...he had it sitting on the ground instead of on a stand. And he was in a rush.

No good.

[Marthe48]

2. Awful

Hope he's ok.

[True Dough]

3. Sounds terrible!

Some UFC fighter did something just as bad or worse several years ago. Warning: link is rather graphic.

https://talksport.com/mma/413764/ufc-fighter-bryce-mitchell-ripped-his-nutsack-in-half-with-a-drill-in-freak-accident/

[LuckyCharms]

10. Jesus!

[Americanme]

14. I retired from a utility company,

back in the 80's we used bore rods and a tractor-mounted motor to bore under roadways. A worker straddled the rotating rods to aim the bore shot, and it caught his scrotum and ripped it off. The company had him film a video that we were all required to watch, telling us what not to do.

[True Dough]

15. OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!

I get the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it!

[Orrex]

27. That's got to be the worst way to get sacked.

[Ptah]

4. Does he want to be the next Jerry Garcia?

[LuckyCharms]

8. He may be the next Jerry now!

I'm not sure which finger it was with this guy today.

Jerry's brother cut Jerry's off by accident when they were chopping wood as kids.

[Ptah]

17. Did the contractor give you the finger?

[LuckyCharms]

18. I'm stirring my tea with it.

I should cool it with the dark humor, but what are you going to do in cases like this?

[True Dough]

20. Just glad

it was his finger he cut off and you're not stirring your tea with a different appendage!

[Harker]

23. I recall as a lad coming across an article about a construction worker who sawed off a thumb.

He had a big toe amputated, and attached to his hand as a substitute.

My father practically lost a big toe in a shooting, and I've seen the dynamic loss of balance that followed. Quite a trade-off.

[oberle]

32. I lost my big toe because of diabetes.

It does mess with your balance.

[waterwatcher123]

6. Sawstop has a table saw that prevents this happening.

My understanding is they (Sawstop) were willing to give away the technology to other companies. However, they were rebuffed by the other manufacturers due to the added cost.

[LuckyCharms]

7. I'd buy one of those if I used them more than I do.

I would still be paranoid about the brake failing though.

[Freddie]

9. One of my good friends did that

He used to play the piano ☹️

[LuckyCharms]

11. I'm sorry, Freddie.

[ProfessorGAC]

12. Our Guitar Player's Dad Had A Table Saw Accident

Not as bad as what you're describing, but pretty bad
No finger lost but he was wrapped for at least 6 weeks.
All those years as a mechanic & never hurt himself. Then messes himself up on a hobby.
Bummer.

[EYESORE 9001]

13. I knew a guy who lost both arms in an agricultural accident

Both were reattached with some usefulness restored. Groundbreaking surgery for the late 70s.

[Orrex]

28. I remember a kid in the 90s losing both arms to a combine harvester

If memory serves, they were also reattached, but I don't know how much function was restored.

Quite a harrowing tale overall. Ghastly.

[Niagara]

16. Sending healing vibes to this unknown contractor

[surfered]

19. Still remember sitting in class in Junior High,

Hearing screams in the hall and when changing classes, seeing the blood on the floor coming from Shop class. Some of today’s table saws come with a sensor and brake. It stops and won’t cut a hot dog weenie.

Also had an uncle lose fingers .

[TommieMommy]

21. Oh no 😯 any saw is dangerous. We have always been very careful using them

[Phoenix61]

22. I like them more than a circular saw.

It's easier, to me, to keep fingers, limbs etc away from a stationary blade than one I'm holding with one hand. Granted it's an old Craftsman and is heavy as hell. If I used one more I'd invest in a lighter one.

[onethatcares]

24. my wife lost her pinky finger

to a metal facade wall while on a cruise. She slipped while getting a coffee to go with her breakfast.. three days out of port and no they didn't send a helicopter to lift her back to port. She dealt with the pain with tylenol until the cruise ship docked.

[Emile]

25. Table saws are dangerous. I prefer

my radial arm saw.

[LuckyCharms]

33. While in trade school, we used a 14 inch radial arm saw...

It was huge. It required a 220 volt outlet.

I loved that thing. It was a beast.

It was great for crosscuts, but it scared the shit out of me when we had to turn the blade and rip a long piece on it. In that configuration, it carried the same risks as a table saw.

[GiqueCee]

26. I'm always SUPER careful with mine...

... I've known a lot of 9-fingered carpenters!

[FalloutShelter]

29. We had a Shop Teacher

At our High School that lost three fingers that way.

Do schools even offer Shop Class anymore?

[mobeau69]

30. Rham Emanuel lost his middle finger on a meat slicer when he was a kid.

Obama said it left him half mute.

[OAITW r.2.0]

31. I split the back of my middle finger on one. Took a lot of stiches.

Wasn't running, though. I was breaking the blade mounting nut to remove the blade...the wrench slipped and I ran the the finger over the the blade teeth.

Funny story, though...it was 1986 and we went to a political meet-up of Penobscot County Gary Hart delegates at Stephen King's house in Banger that evening. We rang the bell and Steve greeted us. I had to hold my finger heavily bandaged finger up. He thought that was funny.

[LuckyCharms]

36. I did that one too.

I don't remember exactly what happened, but I was removing the blade to change it. My cheap saw had no kind of blade lock on it, so I jammed a piece of wood between the table and the teeth when trying to remove the arbor nut.

The wood slipped somehow, the blade rotated, and somehow it caught my hand. Pretty good cut, but no stitches.

[Nittersing]

34. I bought a router, maybe 30 yrs ago, that I've never used

It came with a table top that it could be attached to and then push the wood through and against whatever bit you had attached. I read through the manual and got everything set up and started having visions of wood splintering and getting shot all across the basement.

I decided a class in proper/safe usage was needed and never pursued it. I have plenty of other power tools (including a full sized band saw) that I've used over the years, but this one just scared me.

[LuckyCharms]

35. I've used a router only once (a month long period) when...

I built a home with a friend of mine.

We would frame the exterior walls while they were laying on the ground, and then cover them with sheathing before raising them into place. Instead of wasting time cutting the sheathing around the door and window openings to fit, we would just throw the sheathing right over the openings, and then use a router to rout the sheathing out of the opening. This is probably a common practice. It wastes material, but it saves a ton of time.

I've never yet used a router in a router table as you described though. I guess I would have to be shown how to do it.

All that being said...they are one of the safer power tools if you follow safety precautions. There's not a ton of things that can go wrong, like on a table saw!

I never wear my wedding ring because I worry about a degloving accident with power tools. I don't wear necklaces either, and I wear short sleeves when working whenever possible. I also make sure that my shirt is tucked in. The less things to get the tool caught on, the better.