Mishaps and stoopid self wounding

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Joined
Oct 8, 2019
Messages
748
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Location
Missouri
My Car
1971 Mustang Convertible
1971 Mustang Mach I
1972 Mexican GT-351
1971 Mustang Convertible
1988 Bronco II
1970 Torino 4 door
I used to belong to a gunsmithing forum where we referred to our skills as WECSOG...wiley e coyote school of gunsmithing. We showed off our lack of attention to safety as a caution to others....think Hommer Simpson and d'oh! So I have shot myself with a nail gun while framing and spent a good 10 min picking metal slivers out of my hand while cutting a trunnion from a gun barrel. My latest is from converting my improvised air line cooler to work with my new compressor. I had a chunk of solder fall on my finger. At first it was fine then the skin sloughed off....  share yours if so inclined.

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"Tears are cheaper than Band-Aids"

 
I definitely keep a box of Band-Aids in the workshop and another at the utility sink in the garage. In 60 years of working on cars there was just one incident that required me to go to the doctor, though, and that was when I was much younger and not so bright (even though I thought so at the time). But I have a few scars on my hands and arms, though, to attest to the fact that I like getting involved in my work on cars.

 
My personal favorite...

Working on removing a cylinder head on an engine with headstuds, there was aluminum corrosion inside the headbolt hole. The head would slide up a little and stick, so I had to work it up and down. Finally it was free, so I grabbed it both hands and pulled. It came off...almost. My right hand was too close to the stud as the head came up and the web of skin between my outstretched thumb and forefinger was pulled into the headbolt hole. Once again the head was stuck. So was my hand.

I had to yell for my boss to help free it...and me. The head had also wedged on the studs so it wouldn't move. Pounding on it with a rubber mallet wouldn't free it, either.

Finally, I just had to yank.

 
The ones that get me the most are the self inflicted - like touching the hot exhaust knowing that you will get burnt. Sticking your hand where you know it will get stuck.  Grabbing a  tool that you know will bust your knuckles.  And yes- we all do it!   And just remember when you are out in public -  "The action of your stupidity is proportional to the number of people watching".   :biggrin:

 
I have a huge first aid kit in garage. I had a side grinder with wire brush rip my hand, wrist and arm open once. I poured a bottle of Benedictine on it wrapped it up and did not go to Dr. I do keep eye wash and mirror close by. I do have goggles, face shield and do all I can to prevent damage. I had kevlar gloves on when I tore my hand and arm up so would have been worse without. 

 
I remember the term WECSOG from the FalFiles when I would go there to learn how to build FAL rifles.
Yepper, from Falfiles.  Had cutoff wheel jump on me while cutting into the receiver remnant to get the barrel off (splinters galore in me lol).  I built a G1 and L1A1.  Kits were so cheap then.  I should have bought everyone i could.  I also built a HK91.  Have all the parts to put together a CETME (have one complete from Century, runs flawlessly)

 
For me it always to be that my brain sees it a nano second before the incident happens, but it isn't fast enough to make me stop from doing it.

 Like holding something in the palm of my hand and using a flat bladed screw driver to remove a stuck screw. And right before the screw driver slips and goes deep into my palm, I swear that I knew it was going to happen the nano second before.

Or holding a nail in an awkward position, thinking that I should just reposition myself, my brain sees the hammer heading for my thumb the nano second before I have a blue thumb nail.

it is always too late ...........

 
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For me it always to be that my brain sees it a nano second before the incident happens, but it isn't fast enough to make me stop from doing it.

 Like holding something in the palm of my hand and using a flat bladed screw driver to remove a stuck screw. And right before the screw driver slips and goes deep into my palm, I swear that I knew it was going to happen the nano second before.

Or holding a nail in an awkward position, thinking that I should just reposition myself, my brain sees the hammer heading for my thumb the nano second before I have a blue thumb nail.

it is always too late ...........
This!! I hate my own stupidity!!!

 
last time something like that happened to me was when I was installing the sport suspension in my 124 Spider. I was trying to loosen the bolt that holds the lower end of the shock absorber in the left front wheel well. The head of bolt is facing toward the front of the car so I have to push the ratchet towards the car. (The car is on the lift at the height of my chest). 

I remember thinking that maybe I should turn the ratchet 180 degrees so that I’d pull instead of push but... you know... stupidity!

as we all know bolts come in two versions: totally stuck or free as a bird ... with no transition whatsoever between the two states.

I’m throwing all my weight against the ratchet repeatedly and suddenly the bolt gives and I fall forward propelled by all my weight.. aaand of course I scrape my arm on some sharp point on the lower A arm. 

But the worst part was.... I had to become stationary somehow.... welp, that happened by hitting my face nose first into the front fender of the car. 

I heard a sharp crack inside my skull, my nose and some of my face became  numb immediately and blood was pouring out of my nose. 

Despite all that my nose was not broken and the pain subsided only a few minutes later so I guess I was lucky. 

But I think the scar on my arm will stay for good. It’s been about 6 weeks and it’s still clearly visible. 

And that, my friends is why I’m not a mechanic. 🙄

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Like holding something in the palm of my hand and using a flat bladed screw driver to remove a stuck screw. And right before the screw driver slips and goes deep into my palm, I swear that I knew it was going to happen the nano second before.
OMG, this....so much this.

 
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