Finally picked up a guitar again!

[gibsonjunkie]

These work pretty well... Pick grips

 

[tommym]

So, last April I had an unfortunate incident with a table saw and lost a good chunk of the end of my right index finger, It really did a number on me, both physically and mentally. Even though it was only my pick hand, I just couldn't bring myself to play. This weekend I had to review a microphone for Amazon (a TZ Audio Stellare X3) so I played my F-30 for quite a while. It felt GOOD! My wife even came upstairs and said, "Thank God - you're playing!" I have a lot to relearn, but I'm glad I got "it" back!

As we say on NGD: "Pictures, or it never happened!"

Seriously, no pictures, please! I am just happy to hear that you can still enjoy your guitars!

Tommy

 

[gibsonjunkie]

As we say on NGD: "Pictures, or it never happened!"

Seriously, no pictures, please! I am just happy to hear that you can still enjoy your guitars!

Tommy

You know you shouldn't have said that...

 

[tommym]

You know you shouldn't have said that...

Tommy

 

[davismanLV]

HOLY CRAP!! That's one less nail to file!! YIKES!! Glad you've healed up.....

 

[geoguy]

As a fellow table-saw owner & user, can you tell us what went wrong?

That info might help me, or another LTGer, avoid joining the wounded-woodworker club.

 

[gibsonjunkie]

HOLY CRAP!! That's one less nail to file!! YIKES!! Glad you've healed up.....

There was tendon and nerve damage. I can't bend it much after months of physical therapy. The doc says she "might" be able to relieve it with surgery but she wasn't in any hurry to do anything - and neither am I.

 

[gibsonjunkie]

As a fellow table-saw owner & user, can you tell us what went wrong?

That info might help me, or another LTGer, avoid joining the wounded-woodworker club.

I just plain got careless. We had the front porch replaced from a wooden deck to a precast concrete set of steps. I had to cut a piece of trim to fill a small gap between the steps and the sill. That actually went rather well. Then I had to cut some shims because the columns that framed the door were a bit short. That went well, too. I had one small piece of wood left so I figured I'd cut that one, too. When that piece got in contact with the blade it sucked the wood (and my hand) right into the blade. Just sheer stupidity! Well, I got my first ride in an ambulance (at 67 years of age)!!! It's not like I haven't used it before - I've done a lot of work around the house and used to be a plumbing contractor, so I do know my way around tools... or at least I thought I did!

 

[Stagefright]

Good luck with the rehab. You are a braver man than me for trying to use your modified index finger with a pick. I hope you are stubborn enough to make it work.

 

[walrus]

Good luck with the rehab. You are a braver man than me for trying to use your modified index finger with a pick. I hope you are stubborn enough to make it work.

Wait! Was that a pun? "Stubborn enough"?

walrus

 

[Uke]

I can't bend it much after months of physical therapy.

You might be surprised how much playing again might be the very best physical therapy for it -- keep on playing. By the way, my dad (who was a carpenter) did the same thing a few years ago, and a friend of mine at the time who was a very talented wood worker said, " well, you're not really a carpenter until you've gotten wacked by a table saw."

 

[gibsonjunkie]

You might be surprised how much playing again might be the very best physical therapy for it -- keep on playing. By the way, my dad (who was a carpenter) did the same thing a few years ago, and a friend of mine at the time who was a very talented wood worker said, " well, you're not really a carpenter until you've gotten wacked by a table saw."

The doc who sewed me up said I was the third table saw injury that day. One got a bad cut, the other did even worse than I did. One day I was early to the physical therapist and the guy in before me had 4 fingers missing. He asked me how I did it... table saw... I asked him what he had done. He proudly held up his four stumps and said "wood chipper"...

 

[tommym]

I asked him what he had done. He proudly held up his four stumps and said "wood chipper"...

Damn, "Chipper" is a nice nickname, but not under those circumstances.

 

[davismanLV]

I'm just so leery of loaning tools to anyone. Too many close calls!! Even Don is not allowed to operate tools without supervision because he's an airhead and careless (sorry, it's just the truth) so... there are rules. Even then .... $**t happens, you know? Sorry about the finger. I think @Uke has the right idea. Docs get crazy with more surgery and more of everything.... just play and adapt. That'll be better over all. I think.....

 

[Stagefright]

If you want to get creative, plastic picks can be softened in hot water and shaped prior to cooling. You could easily shape a thumb pick based on your needs. The trick may not work for nylon.

I also recall picks many years ago that had cork circles glued to the surface. Your local hardware store has faucet washers that could be used to build thickness and texture.

 

[Uke]

I'm just so leery of loaning tools to anyone.

Funny (real) story. Years ago our church pastor wanted to borrow the church custodian's chain saw. Thomas, the custodian, replied, "preacher, there are two things I never loan out: one is Nanny (Thomas' wife), the other is my chain saw. Always thought Thomas was wiser than that preacher!