I tangled with a table saw and my left thumb about 15 years ago. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/paperbag.gif" alt="" />

Sorry... no pics. I didn't have a digital camera back then. Didnt' even have a computer back then.

I was cutting a large piece of wood that was binding the blade bad and wasn't lining up with the stupid shield guard brace at the rear of the saw.

I reached across - I guess intending to adjust the board to line up with the stupid shield guard brace.

I apparently didn't reach very carefully. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/paperbag.gif" alt="" />
The saw snagged the face/pad of my left thumb and ripped it off of my thumb. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

I was VERY lucky. The saw didn't cut bone or tendon. But, ripped off the whole thumb pad.

I was also lucky that other stuff didn't happen.

This was a cheap table saw I had purchase for about $99.00 bucks years ago. The saw didn't actually have a table, so it was short and on the ground. I had the saw on a back patio against a fence that was about 40" or so high and was squated down in front of the saw to cut the wood.

I have pretty scarry reflexes.

When I cut my thumb, I somehow jerked so violently and so fast that in what seemed like an instant, I found myself on the other side of the fence. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />

I somehow jumped / flipped over the running saw and the fence and apparently even did a 180 as I was facing the fence on the other side. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I don't remember the jump/flip. Just remember sawing, reaching, jerking, then being on the other side of the fence. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

The doctors had to cut a big chunk of skin from the side of my hand to graft it on to the face of my thumb.

The repair surgery was WAY worse than the accident with the saw! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif" alt="" />
Much more painful and much more EXPENSIVE!!!

The day after the accident, I found the big chunk of thumb skin pad stuck to the patio under the saw. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

In hind-site, I really wish I would have looked for the piece of flesh prior to going to the emergency room. They probably could have cleaned it and sewed it back on that night in the emergency room without me having to go to a plastic surgeon and the major pain and expense with letting him hack up the side of my hand for more flesh to sew onto my thumb. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif" alt="" />

Sometimes lessons are painful and expensive. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/paperbag.gif" alt="" />

Now I have a flat thumb that feels pretty weird and not very enjoyable when doing certain tasks - Threading a nut onto a screw in particular is very ... not enjoyable. The hard knurls of something like a nut, drive through the thinner flesh to the bone. Feels like the knurls are grinding on my thumb bone. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

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