When whittling goes wrong...

[Hammock Hamster]

Ok so after a looong time I managed to convince swmbo that she would like to share in my hobbies and try a bit of whittling!
Needless to say this did not turn out to be the best plan and I will no longer be allowing her near any sharp implements.

The following photos should act as a waning to any who may be tempted as I was was though it is a shame as she wasn't doing too badly.

Cheers, Hamster

 

[Shewie]

Ooops, she'll mend though

 

[paul atkin]

oh dear, a shame if it puts her off though, you could share many happy hours whittling away together

 

[Teepee]

She must have a talent for it.

I'd have got blood all over the spoon!

 

[Hugo]

Get her some gloves and let her have another go, I seem to cut myself quite frequently of late, it's an age thing with me mind.

 

[Dean]

Its a matter of trial and error, better to get the cutting ones-self out of the way, but that speaking even the experts still cut themselves now and again. When I first started making spoons back in 04 I used to nick myself quite often, even to go as far as almost severing a tendon in my thumb with a spoon knife.
So place a plaster on it and carry on, it would be nice to see the smile on her face when her spoon is finished.

 

[Hoodoo]

Sorry to hear of your wife's accident. I do think the risks can be reduced. I think there are two schools of thought on this. One school holds that with the proper training, you can carve safely barehanded, and another school that believes you should wear protection. In contraceptive terms, kinda like those who believe in the rhythm method as opposed to wearing a condom. I for one am a strong proponent of the condom...er...carving glove method. Because compost happens.

I wear a kevlar carving glove on the left hand with the thumb wrapped in wimp wrap. I also wrap the thumb on the right hand with wimp wrap. Wimp wrap is rubberized carver's tape (NOT vet wrap, which is not nearly as good).

People can call me a wimp if they want, but I'm not the one that's bleeding.

 

[Hammock Hamster]

Well it seems that now she has got over the "trauma" (and they say man flu is bad) there are plans to continue the finger has healed up!

I may look into a protective glove for her though personally I prefer to have nothing restricting me or masking my sense of feel but that's just me.

The annoying this is I spent about 20 minutes running through various cuts, how to remove wood with the grain, not to try and remove too much in one go etc... Which was all fine but after a further 30 mins of carving with me in the background making "useful" suggestions and corrections I was told to bugger off and let her get on with it!
Hence to say I have not yet uttered the words I told you so.

Cheer, Hamster

 

[ged]

... kinda like those who believe in the rhythm method ...

A loooooong time ago, a girlfriend said to me (I can't exactly remember why),

"What do you call people who use the rhythm method?

Parents!"

 

[woodspirits]

hoodoo is dead right, i got a few bites before i realised! even a good hide or leather glove will help

 

[grey-array]

Well to my believes, If you stick to the rules, you'll never get yourself cut, yet because following the rules is boring and doesn't always get you the result you would want, it sometimes a good thing to start living on the edge, What I tell my apprentice whittlers is the second you feel unsafe about what you are doing, take your knife off the piece, and consider another approach, and if there isn't any other proper approach be sure to guide it with to hands so there is little risk for an uncontrolled slip, you might drop your workpiece by losing grip on it but but never will you cut yourself, but of course sometimes the mind wanders off but the second I cut myself ( cause he its a part of the trade ^^) I always look at my self, saying I told you so stupid, Thus far last year I have only cut myself 5 times, whittling at least three times a week, and never cut myself deeper then 2mm.
and I just like them gloves, i wanna feel the wood ^^

but indeed for the first two to three months I let my novice whittler where a piece of leather too, so a good plan IMO

Yours sincerely Ruud

 

[grey-array]

By the way Hamster always a good thing to pull TWMBO into the circle of these thing, plus their good company too ^^
your sincerely Ruud

 

[tuxdad]

That's nothing compared to what my "beloved" did... She was rushing to get back to her (accursed) game and tripped and fell, and knock my axe out of the chopping block and onto her hand.. Luckily it was my kindling axe and not my splitter..

Consider your sweety a bit lucky Brother ...

 

[Dean]

That is one nasty cut, what was the healing time on that one and did they retain the use of the thumb.

 

[udamiano]

Ouch!

 

[RonW]

oofff...

@ Hoodoo; wimp or not, but I like your gear!

 

[NikolaTesla]

I have a cut the other day, I nicked the tip of my Hultafors GK same day it arrived, and just wouldn't stop bleeding on my index finger, where you finger bend, you could see the bone...

 

[Hammock Hamster]

Ouch, despite her firm belief that she would need to go to hospital, stitches etc... I think you have us trumped and I can honestly say I'm glad about that!

Hope the misses made/makes a full recovery, let me guess - you got the blame?

 

[tuxdad]

She got a ride in an ambulance for this one .. I got a call from the emergency dispatch while at work.. Took three and a half hours of emergency surgery, to repair three severed tendons and a nerve, and a little over a month of healing and therapy but she's doing great.. She's got a heck of a scar to show everyone now at work.. Did I mention she was a nurse ?? LOL

It was a scary time for us both.. What you can't see in the pic is her FULLY exposed radial artery.. The docs are still not sure how it was missed, but glad it was... She could've bled out at home if she'd have passed out...

 

[tuxdad]

Used wrong url for pic, delete this post please mods ??