Men, power tools and the stupid things we do with them.

[LWJ]

Chainsaw. Ladder. Big limb.

That was last year. I learned something. It hurt.

Larry

[Oh Haha]

How about an injury without a tool? This morning I was moving some scrap wood inside my shed to make room to hang a cabinet. I started to pull up on a piece of thin laminate that was behind some heavier sheets. At first it didn't budge.............and then it let go......right into my face!!! DOH!!!!!


I didn't realize it was an actual wound until my wife came out later, gasped, and asked "what did you do now?"

"Nothin' honey"


I didn't know I looked like a zombie. Apparently, it bled quite a bit.


I cleaned it up and it's barely a scratch. pssssh

[Brando]

I haven't injured myself with a power tool (yet)... Watched my dad drill right into the palm of his hand, once.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by LWJ

Chainsaw. Ladder. Big limb.

That was last year. I learned something. It hurt.

Larry

yup...did that years ago. climbed up to top a tree....lowered the saw before it stopped completely...almost took my kneecap off.

Vinman...you be one lucky paisano!

[fastfredracing]

Having worked with tools most of my life, I have made some class act blunders as well. Another one of my favorites was putting head studs into an SC, just a top end, not splitting the case. I was in my early stages of the Porsche repair learning curve. Any how, I had spent nearly the whole day cleaning and scrubbing the case, had it super clean. Washed it down real good with brake clean, and blew it out with air. Fired up the torch, and went to heat inside the first spigot, and WOOF!, a blinding flash of heat and flame. The vapors from the brake clean stayed inside the case. It was like a bomb, and I came home that night without eyelashes and bangs. I also had a nice red tint to my face. I am always happy when no one is watching when I fuch up.

[cgarr]

When you just need to shake that old can of paint! Offset in a 4-jaw chuck and let her go!

[Hugh R]

Fast brake cleaner is chlorinated when burned it makes Phosgene gas you're lucky

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

I did the exact same thing with the exact same tool. I loaded up and went home immediately figuring it wasn't my day.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Fast brake cleaner is chlorinated when burned it makes Phosgene gas you're lucky

Phosgene and also hydrofluoric acid. The stuff that eats through glass and stainless steel.
Really, really bad stuff. If the phosgene doesn't kill ya right away, the HF will eat yer lungs slooooooowwwww.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by milt

I did the exact same thing with the exact same tool. I loaded up and went home immediately figuring it wasn't my day.

Yer a wise man milt.

[Scuba Steve]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Did the same thing with the extension cord for my lawn mower.

... twice.

[WolfeMacleod]

Long time ago my assembly guy was trying to pry a lid off a paint can or something... with a dagger blade. He was thinkign "Geeze, if this slips..." OUCH! Stuck it 1/4 inch into his palm.

Guy I used to make swords with many years ago was polishing a chinese hook-sword. Buffer caught the "hook" end of the blade and whipped it around into his neck, splitting seven 16 gauge welded links of the chain-mail coif he was weaing to protect his neck if that should happen. We broke the blade and buried it.

Same guy took and angle grinder across his rather large gut while grinding a blade when someone spooked him from behind. Spilt most of his insides down the front of his pants.
He lived. Nasty scar though.

[Hugh R]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Phosgene and also hydrofluoric acid. The stuff that eats through glass and stainless steel.
Really, really bad stuff. If the phosgene doesn't kill ya right away, the HF will eat yer lungs slooooooowwwww.

Yeah it goes right for the wet stuff seeking H2O like membranes like throat and lungs. Do not use brake cleaner or anything with .chlorine, fluorine any anything ending in
"ine" anywhere near a flame. Same with anything that says "anhydrous" as in ammonia, its looking for the moisture of your esophagus and lungs.

[Hugh R]

HF nasty stuff. IIRC Mobil in LA runs an HF Unit just across from a residential area. Eats right to the bone, The nastiest acid ever. Their water deluge system for a release is not what I would want to protect me if I lived across the street.

[drcoastline]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

It only takes once, that's why my carpenter father in law is missing two fingers. He was cutting a piece of siding with a chop saw and was distracted by his customer asking him a question, ouch.

I hope he charge the customer an arm and a leg?

[A930Rocket]

1958 through 1992? Seems like a long time to go back and recall something. Did they even have guards back then on anything?

My dad has a Sears radial arm saw (part of the recall?) from the late 60's or early 70's. Hasn't been used but once or twice since 1977. Always scared the snot out of me when that thing spooled up.

Originally Posted by Red88Carrera

As for the radial arm saws... This has been around for many years now. I sent mine to them.
Radial Arm Saw Recall

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by milt

I did the exact same thing with the exact same tool. I loaded up and went home immediately figuring it wasn't my day.

I was cutting up some of old furniture so I could get rid of it. It just went zap and the surge protector cut the power to the house.
I felt pretty stupid once I had realized what I had done.

It was easy to fix. Just opened up the handle, removed what was left of the cord and used the longer piece on its own.

[LuBe Jr]

That was good that your hand was not cut off!

[look 171]

Originally Posted by J P Stein

I've been working wood for more than 40 years....both as a pro and as a hobby.
When I first came into the trade most of the oldtimers were missing a digit or 2.....but some weren't.....that makes an impression on a young fella.

IMO, you have to be just a little afraid of these tools and not get into the "familiarity breeds contempt" mode. You take one look at a radial arm saw or a shaper (a big router) and say to your self: "that thing could eat me up", but in fact, they all can.

I've had more close calls on a drill press & table saw than any others....maybe because they don't scare me enough. The discipline to think "what can possibly go wrong" is a digit saver.....yes, I'm now an "old timer" and I have all mine, albeit with some scars.

A certain amount of luck is involved.

Somethings will stay with you for a long time. During my high school years, I worked after school at the local cabinet shop to support my road bike racing career. one week into the job, I was told I no longer had a job because the owner died from an injury in the shop. He didn't tighten the knifes on his old Delta shaper and the knife flew and got him in the neck.

Now, I have a scary 1 1/4" Wadkins-Bersgreen shaper. It no longer has the insert knifes. Still, every time I go and use that thing, I duck below the table to turn it on. the guys laugh at me each and every time. I respect all of 9 horse power. The damn thing whines like local motor and nothing stops it (8/4" rock Maple full force will not slow it down) except the off switch and the brake pedal. Thank God for auto feeders.

My concrete sub had a new man on my job. This nut job was may be 35-40 years old (the non stop talking about how good he is type) . He would flip his Skill saw over on his leg. Pin the guard back and cut a little wedge. I nearly pee in my pants. The chop saw was set up on a large table five yards away on the porch.

[A930Rocket]

^^^^^ Every time I'm on a jobsite, I keep an eye open for chalked guards on circular saws. I pull the wedge myself, because I know if I just tell them, they won't do it. Framers do it all the time to make faster cuts, but it's an accident waiting to happen.