I figured I would share this here so that everyone can learn from my mistakes!!
I was sanding my striker tops on my belt sander prior to clearing them, and I was using an over-sized Webbwood dowel (+.010) as a mandrel on my cordless drill. This is my portable lathe!! I have done this MANY times, and I guess I was getting complacent.
I have been using the same dowel for at least a year, and I have sanded many striker tops on it. Every time I sand up close to the dowel (smallest diameter of top), the belt on the sander hits it just a little bit and leaves a small mark. As you can imagine, a lot of small gouges can turn into one big gouge over time and weaken it significantly.
I was moving on to a new top, and was pressing it on the dowel when it broke. All the force I was using drove the broken dowel into my left hand, I am guessing it broke off after the fact but I didn't have to break it myself. I was left with a little splinter in my hand made of Webbwood.
Luckily, my wife is a nurse and I was able to get her assistance. The splinter came out with relative ease, and I think it all came out in one piece. We don't anticipate any long term effects from this, as I appear to have full nerve function and range of motion.
My main take away from this accident is this:
Pay attention to your tools, and replace them when they get past their usable life. I could have easily turned another mandrel and only been out a few minutes of time, but I guess I needed to learn this lesson the hard way.
Admins, if this picture is too much, feel free to take it down.
Y'all stay safe out there!!
Josh
