Care to share? Dumb injuries.

[SSSoutdoorsman]

I am sure that each of you has had incidents similar to the story I'll share below, but are you willing to admit it? I'd love to hear your stories, then maybe I won't feel (quite) so stupid!

Alright, here's my story:
I was working on my most recent knife; I had already cut out the profile and sharpened the edge. I shaved some hair (it was sharp!), and went out to the shop to work on the handle. Deciding that clamps were an unnecessary precaution ("I'll just hold it here..."), I marked the location for a hole, and hopped over to the drill press. After fussing around with dull bits, I finally found one that was sharp, and began drilling. As can occur in such circumstances, once the bit made it through the metal, it caught, and tore the blade out of my hand. The blade spun around with the bit, filleting my thumb and cutting a gash in my palm. Not too bad (no need for stitches) but one of those injuries that reminds a teen that he is not, in fact, invincible. I seem to have a similar incident about once a year, I guess that's how long such accidents leave an impression of vulnerability on me.

Anyhow, I'm looking forward to hearing your stories!

[jcarlin]

Power equipment can hurt you.

I've got a scar on my left arm from a chainsaw a few years ago. Was cutting near to a wire fence. Didn't realize some of the wire had unraveled into the pile. Bar caught a piece of steel and came up with all the speed and force of a bat. I distinctly recall watching the tip go past my nose as I got my head out of the way. It wrenched both my wrists far enough around to impact on my left bicep. Try to do that while holding a chainsaw normally and you'll realize what that takes. Caught up in the fleece lined sweatshirt I was wearing and immediately stopped. I don't recall if the jolt knocked the brake into play. Teeth didn't cut as much as leave a brand in the tooth pattern on my arm and bruise me bone deep. Probably what getting hit with Lucille would feel like.

Last year I was taking off my boots after cutting and realized that I had clearly skittered the saw across the instep of my right boot's sole. Neither realized or felt when that happened.

Busted open a finger a couple of years ago trimming a small piece real quick on a table saw... because it was expedient. partway through the tooth caught on the piece and it launched it. I wasn't initially sure that my finger hadn't got pulled in.. no more of a blunt force "splat" hard enough to split the skin open.

One of the worst was electrical related, but not really an electrocution. One of the programmable thermostats in the house went bad about 6 years after I replaced 8 of the things. Pulled it and put in a new one (different model). New one's screen was live but no power to heater.. hmm. Look at the directions and there's a breaker in the back of it's box that's defaulted to off. Open up box and push BOOOM!. I was alone in the house and really thought it had just killed me. I don't mean I though I was dead, I mean I thought I was in deep dookie and alone. Thumb was bleeding and charred (not life endangering). Tshirt I was wearing had a charred hole in it and there was a black molten patch of skin visible with blood immediately seeping through the tshirt. Thing also hit me hard enough that I thought there was a real chance it had punctured my chest. Hurt like hell, impact and heat. Pulled shirt, self assessed, just surface damage. Abrasions, bruise, and molten plastic stuck to skin. Found the melted switch from that breaker in my bed room 45' away and around a bend and through a doorway in the house a week later. That was like 3 years ago. I just replaced that thing this winter.. same model as the original one.. no issue. But I was very conscious of turning it on.

[jhjimbo]

Power equipment can hurt you.

I've got a scar on my left arm from a chainsaw a few years ago. Was cutting near to a wire fence. Didn't realize some of the wire had unraveled into the pile. Bar caught a piece of steel and came up with all the speed and force of a bat. I distinctly recall watching the tip go past my nose as I got my head out of the way. It wrenched both my wrists far enough around to impact on my left bicep. Try to do that while holding a chainsaw normally and you'll realize what that takes. Caught up in the fleece lined sweatshirt I was wearing and immediately stopped. I don't recall if the jolt knocked the brake into play. Teeth didn't cut as much as leave a brand in the tooth pattern on my arm and bruise me bone deep. Probably what getting hit with Lucille would feel like.

Last year I was taking off my boots after cutting and realized that I had clearly skittered the saw across the instep of my right boot's sole. Neither realized or felt when that happened.

Busted open a finger a couple of years ago trimming a small piece real quick on a table saw... because it was expedient. partway through the tooth caught on the piece and it launched it. I wasn't initially sure that my finger hadn't got pulled in.. no more of a blunt force "splat" hard enough to split the skin open.

One of the worst was electrical related, but not really an electrocution. One of the programmable thermostats in the house went bad about 6 years after I replaced 8 of the things. Pulled it and put in a new one (different model). New one's screen was live but no power to heater.. hmm. Look at the directions and there's a breaker in the back of it's box that's defaulted to off. Open up box and push BOOOM!. I was alone in the house and really thought it had just killed me. I don't mean I though I was dead, I mean I thought I was in deep dookie and alone. Thumb was bleeding and charred (not life endangering). Tshirt I was wearing had a charred hole in it and there was a black molten patch of skin visible with blood immediately seeping through the tshirt. Thing also hit me hard enough that I thought there was a real chance it had punctured my chest. Hurt like hell, impact and heat. Pulled shirt, self assessed, just surface damage. Abrasions, bruise, and molten plastic stuck to skin. Found the melted switch from that breaker in my bed room 45' away and around a bend and through a doorway in the house a week later. That was like 3 years ago. I just replaced that thing this winter.. same model as the original one.. no issue. But I was very conscious of turning it on.

This was a breaker box by the heater ? Why did it short ?

[jhjimbo]

Tripped on a vine and fell on a stump cut down by a beaver to a sharp point. I fell on the stump with my full weight as it was taller than my arm could reach the ground and break my fall. The point hit me under the arm pit right in the ribs. Lucky my ATV was not too far away and I crawled to it and managed to get on.

[SSSoutdoorsman]

LOL! You work long enough with your hands and sooner or later something like that will happen. It's part of the learning process ;-)

I wear safety equipment and try to use safe methods but still get hurt on occasion. Currently, I'm wearing a long scab on my forehead right now from running into pull-down attic stairs last weekend. Had them partially deployed and forgot to duck when turning to go past them.

My worst injury was in tearing my left biceps tendon from the bone while water skiing. After reattachment surgery, it was very painful. Full mobility took weeks and it was six months to regain full strength.

This is no laughing matter, Pig. I am very disappointed in you ;-)

Yeppers, certainly a part of the learning process! My friends often chuckle at my safety precautions (mostly hearing protection), and I try to be careful... But, it only takes one mistake! Like I said, I usually make it about a year between these injuries, perhaps it's my body's way of keeping me on my toes-so that I don't get too cocky with the real dangerous stuff (eg chainsaw, tablesaw, etc).

[99explorer]

Forgetting that I had left the hatch door open on the back of my Jeep, I walked into it and it hit me at eyebrow level.
I was knocked flat on my back with blood all over my face.
I drove myself to the hospital, driving with one hand while the other held a dry cloth pressed to the wound.
No stitches, but I experienced a torn retina shortly thereafter.

[MattM37]

I've been remarkably lucky. At 46, I've never broken a bone, never needed stitches, never suffered any injuries other than sports-related problems with tendons and ligaments. In the outdoors, my primary screw-up is burning myself while campfire cooking and forgetting to get my face out of the way when I'm pulling on snagged fishing lures. I'll probably get slower and more forgetful as I age, so post this question again down the line and I might have a more interesting answer.

[SSSoutdoorsman]

Power equipment can hurt you.

I've got a scar on my left arm from a chainsaw a few years ago. Was cutting near to a wire fence. Didn't realize some of the wire had unraveled into the pile. Bar caught a piece of steel and came up with all the speed and force of a bat. I distinctly recall watching the tip go past my nose as I got my head out of the way. It wrenched both my wrists far enough around to impact on my left bicep. Try to do that while holding a chainsaw normally and you'll realize what that takes. Caught up in the fleece lined sweatshirt I was wearing and immediately stopped. I don't recall if the jolt knocked the brake into play. Teeth didn't cut as much as leave a brand in the tooth pattern on my arm and bruise me bone deep. Probably what getting hit with Lucille would feel like.

Last year I was taking off my boots after cutting and realized that I had clearly skittered the saw across the instep of my right boot's sole. Neither realized or felt when that happened.

Busted open a finger a couple of years ago trimming a small piece real quick on a table saw... because it was expedient. partway through the tooth caught on the piece and it launched it. I wasn't initially sure that my finger hadn't got pulled in.. no more of a blunt force "splat" hard enough to split the skin open.

One of the worst was electrical related, but not really an electrocution. One of the programmable thermostats in the house went bad about 6 years after I replaced 8 of the things. Pulled it and put in a new one (different model). New one's screen was live but no power to heater.. hmm. Look at the directions and there's a breaker in the back of it's box that's defaulted to off. Open up box and push BOOOM!. I was alone in the house and really thought it had just killed me. I don't mean I though I was dead, I mean I thought I was in deep dookie and alone. Thumb was bleeding and charred (not life endangering). Tshirt I was wearing had a charred hole in it and there was a black molten patch of skin visible with blood immediately seeping through the tshirt. Thing also hit me hard enough that I thought there was a real chance it had punctured my chest. Hurt like hell, impact and heat. Pulled shirt, self assessed, just surface damage. Abrasions, bruise, and molten plastic stuck to skin. Found the melted switch from that breaker in my bed room 45' away and around a bend and through a doorway in the house a week later. That was like 3 years ago. I just replaced that thing this winter.. same model as the original one.. no issue. But I was very conscious of turning it on.

Power tools are definitely dangerous! I'm pretty careful with the big stuff (tablesaw, chainsaw*, etc) but the little stuff gets me occasionally! A while ago I was cutting a small (triangular) piece on my scroll saw, and the blade jammed on the piece, lifting it up then driving the point through my finger. Hand saws did their share of damage, too. An instance comes to mind when I was cutting a branch (already off the tree) about 3 feet long. I leaned it against my workbench (vertically) in order to cut it lengthwise, and didn't realize that I was approaching my left thumb (holding the branch) until it was too late. That was a jagged cut, and I still have the scar. I was also once cut by a tape measure as it rewound...
*When chainsawing, do you wear protective bibs? They are designed to work as it seems your sweatshirt did--gum up the blade. I try to wear them, but often find myself in blue jeans instead (never shorts, though!).

[dewman]

I have scraped shot out of my face, pulled knives stuck in me twice, fell off of mountains, railroad trestles, went over a spillway to a dam, assorted motorcycle and vehicle wrecks trying to haul way too much gear, hypothermia more than once, nearly drown more times than I should have been allowed, bitten, clawed, stung, peed on, and sliced. Hunted on crutches and with my arm in a cast. If we ever meet we can compare scars. Wouldn't trade a second away. Your blade looks good, kind of reminds me of a buck 110 folder.

[SSSoutdoorsman]

Forgetting that I had left the hatch door open on the back of my Jeep, I walked into it and it hit me at eyebrow level.
I was knocked flat on my back with blood all over my face.
I drove myself to the hospital, driving with one hand while the other held a dry cloth pressed to the wound.
No stitches, but I experienced a torn retina shortly thereafter.

Head injuries... Ahh, yes! There was a period of time when I was a kid that I would hit my head almost every day (OK, maybe once per week) and my parents were concerned. I hit it upon every branch under 4 feet in our yard, every table in the house, fridge doors, cabinets, workbenches; you name it, I hit it! Likely due to extra height that I wasn't used to, this lasted a year plus! I never needed stitches or any other serious remedy, but I had plenty of bumps/bruises and went through some ice!

[jcarlin]

I've been remarkably lucky. At 46, I've never broken a bone, never needed stitches, never suffered any injuries other than sports-related problems with tendons and ligaments. In the outdoors, my primary screw-up is burning myself while campfire cooking and forgetting to get my face out of the way when I'm pulling on snagged fishing lures. I'll probably get slower and more forgetful as I age, so post this question again down the line and I might have a more interesting answer.

The last time I said I'd never broken a bone was hours before a compound fracture of my left ankle playing baseball as a kid.

[jcarlin]

I have scraped shot out of my face, pulled knives stuck in me twice, fell off of mountains, railroad trestles, went over a spillway to a dam, assorted motorcycle and vehicle wrecks trying to haul way too much gear, hypothermia more than once, nearly drown more times than I should have been allowed, bitten, clawed, stung, peed on, and sliced. Hunted on crutches and with my arm in a cast. If we ever meet we can compare scars. Wouldn't trade a second away. Your blade looks good, kind of reminds me of a buck 110 folder.

Motorcycle crashes are a sign of having lived, though after my last one I decided to hang up bikes until my 9 year old reaches his majority.

Having nearly drowned is a sign of a happy childhood or stupidly running across a city pool in January while playing Freedom. One of those.

[jcarlin]

Power equipment can hurt you.

I've got a scar on my left arm from a chainsaw a few years ago. Was cutting near to a wire fence. Didn't realize some of the wire had unraveled into the pile. Bar caught a piece of steel and came up with all the speed and force of a bat. I distinctly recall watching the tip go past my nose as I got my head out of the way. It wrenched both my wrists far enough around to impact on my left bicep. Try to do that while holding a chainsaw normally and you'll realize what that takes. Caught up in the fleece lined sweatshirt I was wearing and immediately stopped. I don't recall if the jolt knocked the brake into play. Teeth didn't cut as much as leave a brand in the tooth pattern on my arm and bruise me bone deep. Probably what getting hit with Lucille would feel like.

Last year I was taking off my boots after cutting and realized that I had clearly skittered the saw across the instep of my right boot's sole. Neither realized or felt when that happened.

Busted open a finger a couple of years ago trimming a small piece real quick on a table saw... because it was expedient. partway through the tooth caught on the piece and it launched it. I wasn't initially sure that my finger hadn't got pulled in.. no more of a blunt force "splat" hard enough to split the skin open.

One of the worst was electrical related, but not really an electrocution. One of the programmable thermostats in the house went bad about 6 years after I replaced 8 of the things. Pulled it and put in a new one (different model). New one's screen was live but no power to heater.. hmm. Look at the directions and there's a breaker in the back of it's box that's defaulted to off. Open up box and push BOOOM!. I was alone in the house and really thought it had just killed me. I don't mean I though I was dead, I mean I thought I was in deep dookie and alone. Thumb was bleeding and charred (not life endangering). Tshirt I was wearing had a charred hole in it and there was a black molten patch of skin visible with blood immediately seeping through the tshirt. Thing also hit me hard enough that I thought there was a real chance it had punctured my chest. Hurt like hell, impact and heat. Pulled shirt, self assessed, just surface damage. Abrasions, bruise, and molten plastic stuck to skin. Found the melted switch from that breaker in my bed room 45' away and around a bend and through a doorway in the house a week later. That was like 3 years ago. I just replaced that thing this winter.. same model as the original one.. no issue. But I was very conscious of turning it on.

I don't have bibs. I wear ear and eye pro, always long pants and normally long sleeves. I'd like to say I'd wear the full protective gear, but as soon as it gets soupy.. it'd probably be a waste of money.

[99explorer]

Power equipment can hurt you.

I've got a scar on my left arm from a chainsaw a few years ago. Was cutting near to a wire fence. Didn't realize some of the wire had unraveled into the pile. Bar caught a piece of steel and came up with all the speed and force of a bat. I distinctly recall watching the tip go past my nose as I got my head out of the way. It wrenched both my wrists far enough around to impact on my left bicep. Try to do that while holding a chainsaw normally and you'll realize what that takes. Caught up in the fleece lined sweatshirt I was wearing and immediately stopped. I don't recall if the jolt knocked the brake into play. Teeth didn't cut as much as leave a brand in the tooth pattern on my arm and bruise me bone deep. Probably what getting hit with Lucille would feel like.

Last year I was taking off my boots after cutting and realized that I had clearly skittered the saw across the instep of my right boot's sole. Neither realized or felt when that happened.

Busted open a finger a couple of years ago trimming a small piece real quick on a table saw... because it was expedient. partway through the tooth caught on the piece and it launched it. I wasn't initially sure that my finger hadn't got pulled in.. no more of a blunt force "splat" hard enough to split the skin open.

One of the worst was electrical related, but not really an electrocution. One of the programmable thermostats in the house went bad about 6 years after I replaced 8 of the things. Pulled it and put in a new one (different model). New one's screen was live but no power to heater.. hmm. Look at the directions and there's a breaker in the back of it's box that's defaulted to off. Open up box and push BOOOM!. I was alone in the house and really thought it had just killed me. I don't mean I though I was dead, I mean I thought I was in deep dookie and alone. Thumb was bleeding and charred (not life endangering). Tshirt I was wearing had a charred hole in it and there was a black molten patch of skin visible with blood immediately seeping through the tshirt. Thing also hit me hard enough that I thought there was a real chance it had punctured my chest. Hurt like hell, impact and heat. Pulled shirt, self assessed, just surface damage. Abrasions, bruise, and molten plastic stuck to skin. Found the melted switch from that breaker in my bed room 45' away and around a bend and through a doorway in the house a week later. That was like 3 years ago. I just replaced that thing this winter.. same model as the original one.. no issue. But I was very conscious of turning it on.

I was browsing in a small shop in Texas one day when I overheard the owner speaking to a customer at the cash register, "I've never seen a town with so many guys missing a finger. How'd you lose yours, Joe?"
Joe replied, "The usual way...chain saw."

[jcarlin]

Power equipment can hurt you.

I've got a scar on my left arm from a chainsaw a few years ago. Was cutting near to a wire fence. Didn't realize some of the wire had unraveled into the pile. Bar caught a piece of steel and came up with all the speed and force of a bat. I distinctly recall watching the tip go past my nose as I got my head out of the way. It wrenched both my wrists far enough around to impact on my left bicep. Try to do that while holding a chainsaw normally and you'll realize what that takes. Caught up in the fleece lined sweatshirt I was wearing and immediately stopped. I don't recall if the jolt knocked the brake into play. Teeth didn't cut as much as leave a brand in the tooth pattern on my arm and bruise me bone deep. Probably what getting hit with Lucille would feel like.

Last year I was taking off my boots after cutting and realized that I had clearly skittered the saw across the instep of my right boot's sole. Neither realized or felt when that happened.

Busted open a finger a couple of years ago trimming a small piece real quick on a table saw... because it was expedient. partway through the tooth caught on the piece and it launched it. I wasn't initially sure that my finger hadn't got pulled in.. no more of a blunt force "splat" hard enough to split the skin open.

One of the worst was electrical related, but not really an electrocution. One of the programmable thermostats in the house went bad about 6 years after I replaced 8 of the things. Pulled it and put in a new one (different model). New one's screen was live but no power to heater.. hmm. Look at the directions and there's a breaker in the back of it's box that's defaulted to off. Open up box and push BOOOM!. I was alone in the house and really thought it had just killed me. I don't mean I though I was dead, I mean I thought I was in deep dookie and alone. Thumb was bleeding and charred (not life endangering). Tshirt I was wearing had a charred hole in it and there was a black molten patch of skin visible with blood immediately seeping through the tshirt. Thing also hit me hard enough that I thought there was a real chance it had punctured my chest. Hurt like hell, impact and heat. Pulled shirt, self assessed, just surface damage. Abrasions, bruise, and molten plastic stuck to skin. Found the melted switch from that breaker in my bed room 45' away and around a bend and through a doorway in the house a week later. That was like 3 years ago. I just replaced that thing this winter.. same model as the original one.. no issue. But I was very conscious of turning it on.

Jhjimbo, baseboard heat. The model of thermostat (which was rated for baseboards) had an internal breaker switch, which is what went ballistic. I don't know why it shorted. I opened up the wall by the box to double check and test the wiring before I just replaced it. No problems I could find (not that I'm an electrician). New thermostat used the same wiring diagram and no problems. Could've just been defective. I wasn't about to make a warranty claim and try another identical one.