Share a story you spanner wielders, but not too gory

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Originally Posted by steveG

Biggest lesson I've learned is listen to that inner voice that says "thats got the potential to go wrong - stop now", and take the time to do it properly.
Its the same voice that says "if the spanner slips off I'm going to lose my knuckle on that edge". The times when I've ignored it through haste or laziness is the times I've been injured. Thankfully nothing serious.

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Seconding this one. Anytime I've gotten hurt it's because I've ignored my gut instincts on what to do.

Have been pretty lucky over the years - worst injury has been a broken leg from when an engine hoist failed and came down on me, and scarring on my shoulder from a snapped chainsaw blade that whipped round and buried itself in my shoulder. I've been around a few nasty accidents that could have ended much worse though - an example being a friend, using a lathe in winter, while wearing a long, dangling scarf - you can see where this is going. Lucky man that knife wielding mates were around, otherwise things could have been much worse.

Have to admit that as I've gotten older (and, probably, moved away from the farming attitude of grabbing the nearest thing cos it'll do the job), I've become a lot more respectful of my hearing, eyesight, etc, and will seek out eye protection, ear defenders now where I wouldn't have bothered in the past.

When roving the home made top off my 101 I had to cut through some metal under the roof with the angle grinder. I cut it through enough so it would stay in place and could be pulled off by hand. I switched off the angle grinder and moved it to my left hand and then the piece of metal fell hitting the angle grinder which was still spinnning which then fell onto the thumb ob my right hand.

The metal cuttin g blade cur into the first joint to the bone and cut through to the bone cutting some tendons and nerves - and lots of blood.

I cleaned it up and it stopped bleeding - when you are cut with a cutting blade on grinder it burns the flesh out so it was pretty charred. Due an unfavourable visit to emergency 6 months before, I did not go (the one time I really should have) :(.

Any way it got infected, antibiotics, and 3 years later that thumb joint does not really work, the nerves never really healed and the bone is growing back in a rough shape.

The main issue I have now is I can guarantee that any little knock to my right hand will be on that thumb joint - which while lacking sensitivity, is extremely sensitive to knocks.

Garry

I have been wielding a spanner/wrench since I was 9 years old. The first car I got my hands on was a 1947 Hillman Minx. I adjusted the Bendix rod brakes for a neighbour in fact and got it right . (A bit like adjusting my bicycle brakes at the time.)

My dad was a mechanic so a lot of the techniques we learned from him as we boys grew up in England.

Apart from the scrapes and cuts that come with any manual type job I have learned like the other contributors over the years to use the right tools for the job, like proper lifting equipment, labor saving power tools and such like including safety equipment. Now in my mid sixties I can still show the young blades in my shop how its done if I have to. ( like shoving a DDEC 4 litre into a Freightliner.)

Of course the human body isn't meant to be lifting heavy stuff for years on end, so back pains and joints tend to hurt more after a day of heavy exertion "doing" these days. Still with a missus 16 years younger than me I have to preserve my manly posture--if you know "wat" I mean!-- So I look after myself.
Having been an overseas tech bod for three Euro factories on big trucks and buses for more than 20 years I have contracted all manner of nasty tropical ailments, Africa being the worst for the "ordnry" white man like me!

I have been busted up twice in two very nasty accidents, caught Hepatitis, Dengi Fever, food poisoning, to name just a few. But the list often has American doctors disappearing to read up on the list in my Med records.:o All in the name of fixing vehicles!;)

These days tech problems it still has the ability to stir my fagasites , hybrid cars fascinate me so its my latest gig fixing 'em.
No plans to retire yet!
Dennis
zedcars

Quote:

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Originally Posted by garrycol

When roving the home made top off my 101 I had to cut through some metal under the roof with the angle grinder. I cut it through enough so it would stay in place and could be pulled off by hand. I switched off the angle grinder and moved it to my left hand and then the piece of metal fell hitting the angle grinder which was still spinnning which then fell onto the thumb ob my right hand.

The metal cuttin g blade cur into the first joint to the bone and cut through to the bone cutting some tendons and nerves - and lots of blood.

I cleaned it up and it stopped bleeding - when you are cut with a cutting blade on grinder it burns the flesh out so it was pretty charred. Due an unfavourable visit to emergency 6 months before, I did not go (the one time I really should have) :(.

Any way it got infected, antibiotics, and 3 years later that thumb joint does not really work, the nerves never really healed and the bone is growing back in a rough shape.

The main issue I have now is I can guarantee that any little knock to my right hand will be on that thumb joint - which while lacking sensitivity, is extremely sensitive to knocks.

Garry

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:eek:

I started by helping my father do a de-coke on a Standard Vangard in the 50's then on to helping a schoolmates father repair/rebuild early 96e Ford Prefects, and then on to my own cars,34-48 Ford V8's then onto Customlines,later Holdens 49-VC Commodores,and to assist maintaining a fleet of Bedford School Buses SB's & BLP's with a CBEW rear engined Commer w/-Perkins 6-354 vacc over hydraulic bus,totally rebuilt my 2A GS from the chassis up (after straightening it) only problems other than the odd leakey fingers was a SV V8 which slipped while lowering it into the engine bay and trapping my thumb between the flywheel ring-gear and the bell housing, that hurt :dbcry: and later when we were re-skinning a bus, when one of the 12ft x2" square tressles snapped shut on my good thumb,:eek: that didn't hurt for a full 2 minutes (when the flat thumb regained shape):censored: the Dr stated the bone to the first knuckle was powdered.

But I still do most of my own repairs but the heavy stuff I farm out as a quad by-pass and SWMBO is most vigilant that I live a little longer :)

After thirty years in the metal trades I have a few scars. Compression scars on my left hand from a press tool that dropped of a trolley and pinched the muscle bellow the thumb. A grinding scar on my right hand that looks like a bit of a tatoo. It is a blueish line about a centemeter long. A couple of nicks in my eyes that doctors see when they are removing bits. Been knocked out by amonia. Removed a thumb nail a few times. But I believe I have gotten of fairly lightly as my injuries have all been small stuff. Like some posted it pays to take heed of your gut feelings about a job.
Cheers Hall

I haven't really had anything apart from the usual skinned knuckles, minor cuts and bruises.

I do recall a couple from school though in shop, one guy slipped with a chisel and took of half the palm of his hand while another guy put the band saw up the centre of his thumb from the nail up past the first knuckle.

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Originally Posted by CJT

<snip> another guy put the band saw up the centre of his thumb from the nail up past the first knuckle.

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That's the first one in the thread that's make me really cringe.
Reminded me of when I put the side of my thumb through a router (being lazy/stupid using it upside down edge rounding short lengths).

Steve

Not your normal spanner spinner as the common spanners are a bit bigger than most (I erect industrial buildings such as warehouses and factories) but
stuff all bar 2 broken fingers.One crushed between about 5T of concrete and a concrete wall and the other crushed between a lifting chain and about 4T of steel. Both times (different drivers) the crane driver was stoned and both times pulling levers without being signalled/told. Both blokes no longer working for us either.

Cheers,
Anthony.

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Originally Posted by Stuck

Both times (different drivers) the crane driver was stoned and both times pulling levers without being signalled/told.

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Is this a common theme in AU or something?? Worked as a scaffolder in SA, most of the crew, including drivers were stoned to the eyeballs every day, would go out to the cars to smoke up at lunchtime, two of the drivers were still on the road despite having their licenses pulled for DUI, etc....