Ouch! I did it again.

I decided to build a new volume for my bouldering wall. It actually turned well but unfortunately, I had a bit of a mishap. I decided to power plane my left index finger. It hurt like hell and I sprayed blood all over the garage. I don't recommend anyone to do this.

Not my finger but similar.

A power planer (for those who aren't sure) is used to take very thin layers of wood off a piece of lumber, usually to make it flat (remove high spots). The planer has a set of two blades that rotate very quickly and shave off wood as you slide it along the piece of lumber. I can't remember exactly what I did, but it was along the lines of almost dropping the planer and trying to catch it before it hit the ground. I am now missing a good chunk out of the side of my finger.

Power Planer

It reminders me of the time that I was pruning our bushes and I nearly cut the top of the SAME finger off. I spent hours in the ER waiting to get it sutured back on. The tip ended up drying out and it fell off. Well this time there are no edges to sew together, just a wide open wedge of flesh missing. All I can do is keep it clean and covered. It it starts looking funky, I will get someone at work to look at it.

This is a mixed blessing (of sorts). I won't be able to train for awhile and climbing will be difficult. It won't stop me from setting moderate routes and clearing brush.