Garage Injuries

[69TAPoser]

Seeing how I have been about as handy as a screen door in a submarine lately and the there seems to be a direct correlation between my build progress and injuring myself, I figured I may as well also track injuries on my build site. Check out my Injury Tally on my site.

If nothing else, it gives my friends a family even more reason to laugh at me!

Phil

[Van B]

I love the "handy as a screen door in a submarine" line. I did the Dynamat finger cuts thing. The bad thing is I only knew it happened when I started seeing blood.

[ilovefirstgens]

If you have so few you can remember more than a handfull you are better off than the rest of us. My hands are COVERED in scars from every kind of stupid mistake you can think of, come to think of it I am amazed I still have all my fingers.

My favorites are grinding a hole in the middle of my thumbnail (most painful and lasted a few months) and forgetting that I had recently disconnected a fuel hose (soaking my crotch in gas) then griding on some brackets... I think you can fill in the blanks, I just thank god I was wearing baggy enough pants!

[Camaro_Kyle]

Damn, April has been a pretty harsh month for you so far.
Lol, thats a cool page though!

[zbugger]

Very good listing to have. You should call it your blood, sweat, and tears page and list them in your build book when showing the car. Should get a good laugh.

On that note, my latest. Working with MrQuick on one of his projects, while trying to chisel out a forgotten spot weld, I went a little ape **** with a hammer. The chisel moved, I nicked it with the hammer, and got the meat between my forefinger and my thumb. Yeah. Think that hurt? It gets better. You know that wiring channel that goes along the driver side? The one with the sheet metal lip that stands straight up? Yeah, well that was right below my hand when I hit it with the hammer. Luckily I was wearing a Mechanix glove. Oh, yeah... That didn't really protect my hand much from the hammer blow. As the pain continued to build, I checked the glove to see if I cut into it. Nope. All's good here. But the pain continues to build for some reason..... Take the glove off.... Heh... Yeah, I drew blood. Since wednesday I've been icing it for the swelling and trying to keep the gash clean. Makes it fun to drive when you do most of the steering with your left hand.

[Rolling_Thunder]

cool page! i should start one of these... i work in a restoration shop and always seem to be getting messed up...

[Turbo T]

An hour ago I was under my car and found a black widow... about 2 inches from my face! I smacked the old noggin pretty good on the bottom of the door (which was open 6 inches) in my mad scramble to get out. Right on that lump behind the ear too. That smarts!

Haha, I guess I should be happy I didn't get bit though, right?

[malihoochie]

I admit to staggering around the garage after pulling the dreaded carb cleaner in the eye/s move.

[rockdogz]

I was amazed at how long the burn marks last when you are welding on your back and the liquid metal drops on to you and burns straight through your clothes...

[BADVELLE]

Man, for your company, you are a workers comp case waiting to happen!! Be careful, you want to be around to enjoy the car!!

[Bow Tie 67]

This weekend was not to bad.

1. black & blue right thumb
2. two fingers hit grinder
3. rust in eye
4. welding sunburn
5. burnt finger
6. cut knee
7. sore all over

And I accomplished a ton of work!

[6'9"Witha69]

You need another column for "Comedy" or "embarassment" factor (depending on which side of the injury you are on)..

[TonyL]

This weekend, we hooked up a vertex magneto in my brothers boat. Hooked up a ground wire with a cutoff switch from the mag to the battery. Not knowing which way was "off" my brother toggled the switch, and turned to walk to the front of the boat. Now, at the moment the switch went "click" smoke started billowing from the wire! (he'd wired it to positive not negative.) In an instant, as I said OH SH**! He turned, and ran back, grabbing the wire and ripping it loose to break the connection.

Then he saw his hand.

Do not grab a smoking hot wire with your hand. The wire cut DEEP. right across all four fingers and on the soft spot on his thumb. It's a "keeper" of a scar now for sure. The wire was red hot. He's lucky it didn't cut right through.

[69TAPoser]

I had a good day yesterday, only one additional gouge on my index finger! Granted with the prior index finger injury my finger now looks like a grilled hot dog that has been poked one too many times with a fork, but after 8+ hours in the garage, I view this as a victory!

carb cleaner in the eyes...love that one!

Phil

[bretcopsey]

Like the current Valvoline commercial says "...oil and water don't mix, but blood and oil do."

My worst injury was not in the garage, but rather working in the house. I was using a utility knife to cut out some carpet. I plunged the entire blade into my forearm. The best part was that I was home alone. I pulled out some guaze pads and the duct tape on that one!!

[67 455 Bird ragtop]

An hour ago I was under my car and found a black widow... about 2 inches from my face! I smacked the old noggin pretty good on the bottom of the door (which was open 6 inches) in my mad scramble to get out. Right on that lump behind the ear too. That smarts!

Haha, I guess I should be happy I didn't get bit though, right?

But did you get the spider or is it still lurking out there to strike ???

[6'9"Witha69]

Anyone ever spray a black widow with Brakeclean? It just about melts them. Not that I was trying to be cruel, but I was servicing the brakes on th '62 once and it started to repel down right in front of my face. I also jumped back ~ 7 feet one day when I cracked the hood on the Camaro and as I get it up I realize there is a BW with a body the size of a quarter about 2" from my hand under the hood. The 12mm wrench in my hand took care of that one really quick. I HATE spiders in my car.

[Rolling_Thunder]

i have found 3 black widows on my car so far... they have all bet a firey death... brake cleaner with a follow up of propane torch.... crispy

[Damn True]

I got a wicked blood blister on my thumb from a wine bottle opener the other day.

Yeah....I haven't been working on the car.

[67 455 Bird ragtop]

My worst/best injury happened 4 years ago. I was laid off and took advantage of some free time to do a little work on my car. The motor was together and needed painting. So I rolled it out into the sun to dry. Once it was dry I went to roll it back in the garage. Now my engine stand is a three legged one. And I made the mistake of going out there bare footed. Well somehow as I was pulling the stand into the garage one of my toes got stuck under the center wheel. I smashed that sucker like a grape. Of course I had to slide the stand along with my toe underneath for a few inches for good measure. Man did that hurt. Of course the first thing that pops into my mind is I have no insurance. Well I figured they wouldn't do anything anyway. So I wrapped it in some gause and waited for my fiance/wife to get home. She took one look and wanted nothing to do with my injury. In time it healed ok. I get a little numbness in it from time to time but nothing major. Needless to say I wear steel toed shoes anytime I'm in the garage.