Hey everyone, I'm crafting a novel and could really use some insights from seasoned woodworkers or those familiar with workshop machinery. I'm trying to come up with a believable accident that leads to the unfortunate death of a careful woodworker. The twist is that the accident should hint at something suspicious—enough for a keen observer to start wondering if there's more to it, but not obvious enough to raise immediate red flags with the authorities.
Here are the key points I'm focusing on:
1. The cause of death should be exsanguination due to a femoral artery injury, meaning the leg should be injured, not the hand or arm.
2. Most machine settings should appear normal afterwards, but there should be one small, subtle element that's slightly off; perhaps the blade height, angle, or a missing riving knife, something only a skilled woodworker would catch.
3. There shouldn't be any physical evidence left by a third party—fingerprints should only belong to the victim.
My questions are:
1. What machine in a small woodworking shop could realistically cause a deep leg injury leading to death?
2. What's a subtle setting that could be altered to increase the chances of such an accident?
3. Have you ever felt something was slightly off about your machine settings, enough to give you a chill?
I really aim for authenticity in this scene; I don't want it to feel sensationalized. Any thoughts, personal stories, or advice you have would be immensely appreciated. Thanks in advance!
3 Answers
One idea that comes to mind is a router accident. Imagine if the router was knocked off balance, perhaps due to a malfunctioning jig or being dropped. This could lead to the router bit tearing into the victim's leg. A subtle detail to hint at foul play could be that the router was set to run in the wrong direction, leading to a dangerous situation that a seasoned woodworker wouldn’t typically allow, but a cop might overlook. Alternatively, the speed setting could be abnormally high for the type of bit used. Routers can be deceptively dangerous, so it fits the bill.
A serious table saw kickback could lead to a tragic accident if the settings are wrong. If the blade height is off, it might cause the saw to kick back into the victim’s leg, especially if the saw were on the ground instead of at waist height, which would be odd for an experienced woodworker. However, it raises questions like why the saw was positioned that way or why he wasn’t dressed appropriately for the shop in the first place. It might be a stretch, but you could also explore techniques that would typically only lead to minor injuries, making them feel stranger in a deadly scenario.
There are several ways something could go wrong, but they usually imply someone tampering with the machine. For instance, if someone adjusted the fence on a saw improperly or changed the riving knife's position, it could lead to a kickback that causes a major injury, resulting in internal bleeding. Alternatively, if a router's collet were tampered with, it could cause the bit to fly loose and slice the victim. Plus, if someone knew how to override safety features on a SawStop but made it look like an accident, that could make for a chilling twist. Just be aware that making it too obvious might detract from the realism you're aiming for.