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I was working on my bass today, and while trying to drill the tuner holes, I ended up destroying the entire headstock. For some reason, I then found it neccissary to remove the fretboard, with a chisel... Needless to say, I ended up in the ER with a nasty puncture wound... Don't ask me why I did any of this, I really don't know, it was stupid, and now i've got 3 stitches in my arm.

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I was working on my bass today, and while trying to drill the tuner holes, I ended up destroying the entire headstock. For some reason, I then found it neccissary to remove the fretboard, with a chisel... Needless to say, I ended up in the ER with a nasty puncture wound... Don't ask me why I did any of this, I really don't know, it was stupid, and now i've got 3 stitches in my arm.

We're all familiar with getting frustrated or impatient and doing something stupid that we regret later. Hope you heal fast.

Todd

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Heal up soon.

I haven't destroyed a guitar yet, but I've made stupid shop mistakes that have made me mad... Best policy is to force yourself walk away and do something else for a while. Works for me, anyway.

+1 on the walk away. Regroup and think it through.

mk

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Ouch.

Hope you heal up well. Glad you're still here. Wood is cheap in the long run, our bodies aren't.

I've injured myself a few times working on projects, I now always take the time to stop, and make sure everythings clamped well, but also to calculate, whenever I'm applying force to something, "where will this go if it slips or goes all the way through?".

Best wishes - glad you didn't lose a finger or something.

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I'm gonna +1 the walking away idea. If there is one thing that you'll need in building its patience. I know sometimes things suck and upset you, just try to blow it off and create some positive way of looking at it, for instance, this situation would have enabled you to practice your scarf joints, but needing to add on another headstock, ect. There are so many ways to hurt yourself without losing patience, so its best to eliminate any other possible injuries. Well, heal up quick and get back at it with a more positive outlook. Thats the best part of guitar building in my opinion, is that even with the worst messup you can usually do some cool stuff to fix it or even make it better. J

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I was going to add to the walk away but it's sometimes easier said than done.

I'd suggest thinking things through for a minute or two before doing anything...it might be a PITA to clamp down a body whenever you drill into it but is it worth the risk of the bit catching & walking across the top? Have I got enough experience to route this freehand or should I spend today making a jig? I've damaged the jig, can I be bothered to make another or should I just wing it? I've damaged a nice piece of wood, should I put it aside for something else or fumble a repair?

The answer is usually obvious but sometimes inpatience get's the better of us. Plan what you're going to do, do a risk assessment, make yourself a nice mug of tea & ponder for a bit longer....& then start work. If something seems like a faster option, consider whether you have the experience to go that route first. I'm sure you've heard of the hare & the tortoise, it doesn't just apply to animals...less haste-more speed, measure twice-cut once...they're all drilled into us for a reason.

Most of all, look at the big picture. Consider what you're trying to achieve. There are some amazing guitars being built by first timers & I expect it's because they're planning ahead, working within their limits & taking their time. You won't win any respect by churning out several lumps of poorly made firewood a year but you will by building one beautiful instrument in your lifetime.

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Install a punchbag in your workshop maybe?

Seriously, I hope you heal quickly

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Always make sure your holding your workpiece so that if the chisel slips it wont go digging into something you don't want it to! Remember the old golden rule with guns, don't point it at anything you don't want to shoot. It's the same with tools, don't point the end of that chisel at a body part (or anything you don't want to skewer). Constantly plan for the chisel slipping off your work piece and you will be just fine.

It's very important to think before you act when your dealing with tools. Remember that hand tools can be just as dangerous as power tools, so don't be lulled into a false sense of security when using a chisel or a plane. You can easily take off a fingernail or worse with a sharp chisel.

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Good advice - and easy to remember once you've been bitten a few times. The tip about putting everything down and having a time out is spot on too - Tthe times that bad things have happened to me or my projects, have always been when I'm stressed or rushed.

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Glad to hear there is no permanent damage. Scars add character, and all my guitars thus far have a little of my DNA in them. :D

One of the reasons I got into building guitars was to help me develop patience. There are lots of things one can do in life and work without much patience (I'm not saying its good, just that one can get away with it). IMO, Learning how to make guitars isn't something that can be accomplished without patience. So, the "time out" and "walk away" techniques have become my friends. One of the reasons it takes me so long to make a guitar is that my time outs can last a while. After building a few guitars, I can say truly that I am more patient not only in guitar building but at work and home as well.

The bluesman Bryan Lee has a song titled "Six String Therapy". He meant it as a player, but it worked for me as a builder.

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I was working on my bass today, and while trying to drill the tuner holes, I ended up destroying the entire headstock. For some reason, I then found it neccissary to remove the fretboard, with a chisel... Needless to say, I ended up in the ER with a nasty puncture wound... Don't ask me why I did any of this, I really don't know, it was stupid, and now i've got 3 stitches in my arm.

Oh yeah, I took an angry chisel to my project (semi-hollow body guitar) trying to remove wood inside the controls cavity so that the threads on an LR Baggs jack would poke out the other side. Although I didn't draw blood, I went straight through the side wall, cracked the wood and made a huge hole. N

Now my "baby" has a scar and and a very obvious repair---I have since put the chisels away.

Oh, and then there was the time I was routing a cable chase into a peice of plastic with a Leatherman tool. While bracing the plastic on my thigh I slipped and the 3 inch knife I was using went into my leg-- "like butta". Got some stiches on that one.....

You'll be laughing about it soon enough, hang in there....

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