Hideous Injury from being a Mechanic..?
Discussion
z4chris99 said:
guy at uni left a chuck key in the lathe
That was THE most repeated "do not do this or you will never be allowed to use the lathes again" rule in our workshops at uni. Never saw the results of anyone doing it, but the workshop staff were paranoid about it happening!I was more nervous of the bandsaw that had a habit of shearing when in use - the ends of the saw are soldered together to make the 'band' and this joint has a habit of going pop if not soldered well.
troc said:
That was THE most repeated "do not do this or you will never be allowed to use the lathes again" rule in our workshops at uni. Never saw the results of anyone doing it, but the workshop staff were paranoid about it happening!
I was more nervous of the bandsaw that had a habit of shearing when in use - the ends of the saw are soldered together to make the 'band' and this joint has a habit of going pop if not soldered well.
I did the first year of my apprenticeship in a training workshop, chock full of big lathes, shaping machines, milling machines (including some evil old horizontal milling machines) pillar drills etc. Combine that with a bunch of 16 year old lads and you can imagine how difficult it was to ensure safety standards were followed. I can clearly remember watching some buffoon actually holding on to the top of the chuck key, which was firmly inserted into the chuck as he turned the machine on. I shouted to him, but it was too late and the chuck pulled him right across the lathe and smashed his fingers. I was more nervous of the bandsaw that had a habit of shearing when in use - the ends of the saw are soldered together to make the 'band' and this joint has a habit of going pop if not soldered well.
Another lad using on the the horizontal milling machines had just finished datuming the cutter to his work piece using the "wet tissue" method we were taught (single ply of tissue damped down with cutting fluid in top of your work piece, raise the work up to the cutter until the tissue is wiped off, the cutter is then within a nadgers cock of the work). He switched the machine off and then used his finger to wipe the tissue away. Unfortunately these old machine had big flywheels and took a long time to stop rotating, and his finger was caught in the cutter and passed through the almost zero gap between cutter and work piece. Needless to say his finger was severed.
Another lad tried to show us a trick using his Zippo lighter; remove the bottom and blow into the end, creating a stream of petrol fumes from the wick which you light. Unfortunately his freshly filled Zippo dribbled petrol all around his mouth and down his chin with predictable results...
Saw this vid a while ago and made me think twice about truck tyres
possible NSFW
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=daf_1329959401
possible NSFW
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=daf_1329959401
Not a hideous injury as such, but this thread has just reminded me of one of a set of stories that did the rounds many years ago on various Land Rover forums, about possibly the world's worst mechanic:
[quote]
May 2004
I am just glad I live 150miles form this walking nightmare ...................
Enjoy ………………….
"
Sitting at home, 'few' beers in me, door bell goes.....
Open door see mate....
VVV fed up .....
clutching VVVVV bent lump of steering rod assembly...
"Nige, er, could do do me a favour Nigel and sort this "....
pokes steering rod up nose.....
On with old workboots, "hahaha steel toe caps for me yer know".... and In to Workshop, drag out anvil,
and hold Steering arm on anvil and hit it with big hammer......
.....Pain shoots up my arm, rod 'bounces'
...and nothing.....
Hmmmmmmmm
Need a bigger hammer.........
Bigger hammer, hold steering arm, and....hit hard......
OOOOOOOooowwwwwwferkinArrrggghhhh, arm goes numb....
Steering arm the same, still mullered and bent.........
Need a BIGGER hammer........
Get mate to hold steering arm, ...grab FGB (work it out) 30lb Sledge hammer.....and.......
"Okay matey, get a good grip on it 1 - 2 - 3 and....."
.............and "WHACK".....
"Jeeezzzzzzzzzzz Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrgggh fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffferrrrkk " ...spoke friend
"Nige - Me Firkng arms gone numb you pratt......."
(steering arm still bent.....)
Hmmmmmmmmm
"Ok hold it again and I'll"...
"You can s^d off Nige - me arms tottally numb", goes of in huff to have fag......
I looked at the bent arm thingy, part of my brain (the small 'sensible' bit was saying "just leave it, go indoors say sorry itd had it......... have beer and relax....."
The other part said "Huh, going to be beaten by a little thing like a rod bent are we ?? - PATHETIC you are go on get on with it and help him ".....
Something in my brain was already seeing the way this would end....would I listen, WIF.....
Ok, Plan C,
me hold steering arm on anvil with my size 9 steel toe capped boot, then with the sleadge hammer "BF" out of it until straight -
easy.....
Arm on anvil, Left foot on end of arm, right arm jamming up against other end in wall...reach and drag over 30 lb sledge [think humm heavy with one handed operation]...and
whack
nothing
whack, whack
nothing
whack whack whack
Nothing at all
sweat forms, hammer now bit heavier.........
mate arrives back in to watch....
Whack whack whack, whackity bl&&dy WHACK
NOTHING
arrghhh.....
whack whack WHACK WHACK WHACK......liitle bit moves
whack whack WHACK WHACK WHACK whack whack .....WHACK .......WHACK WHACK WHACK....
pant gasp dripping sweat.....
"Go on Hit it don't tickle it Nige"
whack whack WHACK WHACK WHACK whack whack .....WHACK .......WHACK WHACK whack whack WHACK WHACK WHACK whack whack .....WHACK .......WHACK WHACK WHACK.... WHACK....whack whack WHACK WHACK WHACK whack whack .....WHACK .......WHACK WHACK WHACK....
NOTHING,
pant gasp, dripping now, hammer soaked with sweat.....
"I'll have one more go"
there is so much sweat the rods covered, as is anvil, rod, hands slippy....
whack whack WHACK WHACK WHACK whack whack .....WHACK .......WHACK WHACK
WHACK....
Missed.............................
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaH !
30 lbs one handed sledge hammer had missed by about 3 inches, and had landed on the front of the toe cap holding rod down....
mate collapses laughing.....
I just collapse......................
Dropping sledge, I jumped hopped screamed and 'anglosaxoned' my way about the workshop, like a demented morris dancer on one leg.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFerrrrruuuuuuuuhk !
"Are you ok ?"
"No you d^ck I am NOT Bl**dy ok"...
the pain seemingly now had reached a ceiling, I thought I'd get the boot off and have a lookie.....
No.........
Boot held on tight as 'steel cap' had dropped, nipping up on my big toe, .....sock was going "Bit Red" and boot jammed on solid ....
"pass me that long pry bar"
Cut laces, and shove in pry bar to try to pop up toe cap, with one leg on back of 90, and pry bar wedged in I had a go at "popping" up toe cap...."Arrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhh Noooooooooooooooooooeek "
and slipped, landing on steering bar (still bent) and banging other ankle on Anvil, you know, the ickle "Fleshy Bony" bit near the ankle bone...deep joy, just what i needed...
Mate is now on the floor, tears and can hardly breathe, see, or speak,
I decided to continue from the relative comfort of the floor,
2x screwdrivers and pry bar later managed to remove my boot, sock was 'well red', and tried to remove sock......
[stop eating mode on ] nail has fractured and bits jammed into sock wool, friend now quiet.... and white and I removed sock [still stop eating mode on]
both peer at big toe....
Ooooooooo does it sting much......?
"Beer"................"NOW"....
Sat on floor, toe in air with bag of peas on it,
had 3x beers, and hobbled to bed.........
This morning saw one 'red' sock and pair of Workboots in bin, accompnaied by steering arm....
Ho hum
Deep joy
"This weekend I will be mainly hobbling about with a dreadful bruised big toe minus most of the nail"
[eating mode back on]
And not a cat in sight
Nige "
[/quote]
[quote]
May 2004
I am just glad I live 150miles form this walking nightmare ...................
Enjoy ………………….
"
Sitting at home, 'few' beers in me, door bell goes.....
Open door see mate....
VVV fed up .....
clutching VVVVV bent lump of steering rod assembly...
"Nige, er, could do do me a favour Nigel and sort this "....
pokes steering rod up nose.....
On with old workboots, "hahaha steel toe caps for me yer know".... and In to Workshop, drag out anvil,
and hold Steering arm on anvil and hit it with big hammer......
.....Pain shoots up my arm, rod 'bounces'
...and nothing.....
Hmmmmmmmm
Need a bigger hammer.........
Bigger hammer, hold steering arm, and....hit hard......
OOOOOOOooowwwwwwferkinArrrggghhhh, arm goes numb....
Steering arm the same, still mullered and bent.........
Need a BIGGER hammer........
Get mate to hold steering arm, ...grab FGB (work it out) 30lb Sledge hammer.....and.......
"Okay matey, get a good grip on it 1 - 2 - 3 and....."
.............and "WHACK".....
"Jeeezzzzzzzzzzz Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrgggh fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffferrrrkk " ...spoke friend
"Nige - Me Firkng arms gone numb you pratt......."
(steering arm still bent.....)
Hmmmmmmmmm
"Ok hold it again and I'll"...
"You can s^d off Nige - me arms tottally numb", goes of in huff to have fag......
I looked at the bent arm thingy, part of my brain (the small 'sensible' bit was saying "just leave it, go indoors say sorry itd had it......... have beer and relax....."
The other part said "Huh, going to be beaten by a little thing like a rod bent are we ?? - PATHETIC you are go on get on with it and help him ".....
Something in my brain was already seeing the way this would end....would I listen, WIF.....
Ok, Plan C,
me hold steering arm on anvil with my size 9 steel toe capped boot, then with the sleadge hammer "BF" out of it until straight -
easy.....
Arm on anvil, Left foot on end of arm, right arm jamming up against other end in wall...reach and drag over 30 lb sledge [think humm heavy with one handed operation]...and
whack
nothing
whack, whack
nothing
whack whack whack
Nothing at all
sweat forms, hammer now bit heavier.........
mate arrives back in to watch....
Whack whack whack, whackity bl&&dy WHACK
NOTHING
arrghhh.....
whack whack WHACK WHACK WHACK......liitle bit moves
whack whack WHACK WHACK WHACK whack whack .....WHACK .......WHACK WHACK WHACK....
pant gasp dripping sweat.....
"Go on Hit it don't tickle it Nige"
whack whack WHACK WHACK WHACK whack whack .....WHACK .......WHACK WHACK whack whack WHACK WHACK WHACK whack whack .....WHACK .......WHACK WHACK WHACK.... WHACK....whack whack WHACK WHACK WHACK whack whack .....WHACK .......WHACK WHACK WHACK....
NOTHING,
pant gasp, dripping now, hammer soaked with sweat.....
"I'll have one more go"
there is so much sweat the rods covered, as is anvil, rod, hands slippy....
whack whack WHACK WHACK WHACK whack whack .....WHACK .......WHACK WHACK
WHACK....
Missed.............................
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaH !
30 lbs one handed sledge hammer had missed by about 3 inches, and had landed on the front of the toe cap holding rod down....
mate collapses laughing.....
I just collapse......................
Dropping sledge, I jumped hopped screamed and 'anglosaxoned' my way about the workshop, like a demented morris dancer on one leg.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFerrrrruuuuuuuuhk !
"Are you ok ?"
"No you d^ck I am NOT Bl**dy ok"...
the pain seemingly now had reached a ceiling, I thought I'd get the boot off and have a lookie.....
No.........
Boot held on tight as 'steel cap' had dropped, nipping up on my big toe, .....sock was going "Bit Red" and boot jammed on solid ....
"pass me that long pry bar"
Cut laces, and shove in pry bar to try to pop up toe cap, with one leg on back of 90, and pry bar wedged in I had a go at "popping" up toe cap...."Arrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhh Noooooooooooooooooooeek "
and slipped, landing on steering bar (still bent) and banging other ankle on Anvil, you know, the ickle "Fleshy Bony" bit near the ankle bone...deep joy, just what i needed...
Mate is now on the floor, tears and can hardly breathe, see, or speak,
I decided to continue from the relative comfort of the floor,
2x screwdrivers and pry bar later managed to remove my boot, sock was 'well red', and tried to remove sock......
[stop eating mode on ] nail has fractured and bits jammed into sock wool, friend now quiet.... and white and I removed sock [still stop eating mode on]
both peer at big toe....
Ooooooooo does it sting much......?
"Beer"................"NOW"....
Sat on floor, toe in air with bag of peas on it,
had 3x beers, and hobbled to bed.........
This morning saw one 'red' sock and pair of Workboots in bin, accompnaied by steering arm....
Ho hum
Deep joy
"This weekend I will be mainly hobbling about with a dreadful bruised big toe minus most of the nail"
[eating mode back on]
And not a cat in sight
Nige "
[/quote]
I shredded my palm when stopping a rediator fan with my hand many moons ago,fan was thermo operated so wasnt actually running at the time i had my hand down the front of the engine,it started and caught my little finger,instinctivly i turned my hand away only to have my palm contact the blades,stopped it dead and i pulled my hand out to see two big flaps of skin hanging off,no blood at that point,so thought "thats not too bad" then it started to piss out ... few weeks off work with tht one
Work on the railways now and one guy i know was looking for a hydrostatic oil leak on a unit,powers alternator motors air con pumps etc,anyway he stuck his hand up above some pipes and found the leak,these systems run at above 36000 psi and the jet of oil (teg32) pierced the skin on his middle finger,trouble was over the next six months this oil in his hand rotted the flesh away and he lost the majority of his fingers.
Also remember though not a mechanics tale but when the dealership i was working at was being redeveloped,a builder was using a grinder to cut some slabs,standing with legs either side of the slab,yes he slipped,yes the blade caught his leg,and yes it made a fooking mess.
Work on the railways now and one guy i know was looking for a hydrostatic oil leak on a unit,powers alternator motors air con pumps etc,anyway he stuck his hand up above some pipes and found the leak,these systems run at above 36000 psi and the jet of oil (teg32) pierced the skin on his middle finger,trouble was over the next six months this oil in his hand rotted the flesh away and he lost the majority of his fingers.
Also remember though not a mechanics tale but when the dealership i was working at was being redeveloped,a builder was using a grinder to cut some slabs,standing with legs either side of the slab,yes he slipped,yes the blade caught his leg,and yes it made a fooking mess.
Edited by rigga on Thursday 29th March 13:42
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