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I bought a $300 rock saw and it almost cut my finger off | Geology Rocks - Chatter Central

I bought a $300 rock saw and it almost cut my finger off

So I finally saved up for a 10-inch slab saw from a big rock shop online, thinking I'd be slicing up agates like a pro. The first cut on a chunk of Montana moss agate went fine, but then I tried to adjust the vise while it was still spinning, just a tiny bit. My glove got caught and yanked my hand right into the blade guard! I heard this awful grinding sound and jerked back so hard I fell over. The saw stopped, and my glove was shredded, but my finger was just bruised, thank goodness. The whole thing shook me up so bad I didn't touch the saw for a month. Now I have this expensive machine I'm almost scared to use. Has anyone else had a close call that made you super careful around your tools?

3 comments

3 Comments

charles4427mo ago

Honestly, that kind of fear is the real danger. You let one scare control you and now a great tool collects dust. @seth196 getting tagged by his grinder probably just made him more aware, not afraid to use it. The machine didn't almost cut your finger off, a simple mistake did. Respect the tool, but don't be scared of it. If you follow the basic rules you already know, that saw is just a powerful helper. Letting it win by not using it is the worst outcome.

brooke_miller7mo ago

Maybe it's not about letting the tool win. Some things just earn a healthy dose of fear. A table saw isn't a hammer that gives you a bruised thumb. It's a machine that can change your life in a split second if your mind wanders. Calling it a simple mistake downplays how fast and final that mistake can be. Sometimes that dust it collects is just the price of keeping all your fingers.

seth1967mo ago

My old bench grinder tried to give me a free tattoo last year. I was shaping a piece of metal and it caught, kicked back, and slammed my knuckle right into the spinning wheel. Tbh the sound of my skin hitting that grit was worse than the actual burn. It took a chunk out and left a perfect shiny pink scar. Now I treat that thing like it's a live snake and double check my stance every single time.

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