I know what you mean about those warning bells and I am quite happy that I have them too. Mine are more akin to warning screams however, whenever that part of my brain discovers I'm up to something a little too dangerous. My hand then reaches for the off switch on the saw and I think about what I am up to.

Watch out for those nasty little Dremel tools too. They make look harmless but evil lurks in those little buggers. I sliced my a finger wide open after the cutter caught the wood and took off toward my hand. It missed the tendon by less than a millimeter.

I hope your thumb heals well John. Thanks for having the humility and courage to tell us about your mishap. You have certainly helped others and possibly prevented many accidents.

: Sorry to hear of your injury. Thanks for posting about it. Working safely is
: a habit that needs
: a lot of reinforcement.

: Somehow it's always those few small cuts you need to make in a hurry,
: that lead to big trouble.

: To all on this BB: I had a quick little curve to cut, at the end of the day,
: only the end of the curve was right
: where my thumb was. I was lucky, I didn't loose it.

: If you start to loose control you need to hear warning bells of danger go off
: in your head telling
: you to stop. Then you have to listen to them.

: For the tablesaw, I hear warnings in my head whenever my fingers are 5"
: in front of the blade,
: 2" on either side of the blade, or anytime I even think about putting my
: hand behind the blade.

: A friend of mind would push 1" stock between the blade and fence. It
: used to drive me nuts.
: Later, he lost the tip of a finger to a jointer.

: Fear is a good thing. Stay afraid of those power tools and you will work
: safer.

: THere are a lot of push sticks, and hold down devices to keep your hands out
: of danger. It can be
: fun to do a little research and make ones to help you work safe in your shop.

: All the best,

: Rob Macks
: Laughing Loon CC&K
: www.LaughingLoon.com