OK I was stripping the pan on the interior last Friday, while holding the wires off to the side of the tunnel, the putty knife slip through what was a tough spot,and kept sliding throughthe tip of the ring finger on my left hand... Thinking swiftly, I dropped the knife and turned said cut hand in to a fist. MUTHER!!! The blade cut about 1/2" deep and through the center of the nail. Five stiches and five hours in ER. Blew the rest of my Thanksgiving weekend, three days I planned on making some headway on the car down the tube.
I told the wife, I feel for the first person the does damage to this car......

EDIT:
I neglected to add one. About six weeks ago, I was useing the hand drill while holding the brake pad with a pair of vice grips (in one hand). Drill bit caught and cranked my right hand around fracturing a finger in the process..

So the hand is healing, I think I can get back to work on it this weekend. So I was wondering what injuries other members inflicted upon themselves while working to get there car upand running?

Oh a small tip from my father to all interested. They have these amazing things called gloves. They have the amazing ability to deflect the often inevitable (sp) damage to ones hands... (who knew)

Well you can ask some of the other So Cal guys about me and slide hammers. Then there are the other dangers of working on cars that you might not expect. I think it was last year, I was bit by a Black Widow. That was no fun.

In a rush I was drilling out a mounting hole in the base of a velocity stack using my left hand as a vice. Of course, the drill bit caught in the thin sheet metal flange of the velocity stack and rotated the velocity stack, and ultimately my hand, into the rotating drill bit. Yeah, no gloves either (I could only find my right glove at the time, did I mention I was in a rush?). 3 stiches in my hand crotch between the thumb and index finger, all of which I proceeded to pop out because I was so close to finally getting a t4 engine into my Beetle.

Good times

-Chris

The other fun ones are pulling wires thrown from a wire wheel out of my skin after they've embedded themselves a half inch deep. Having a wire wheel skip off the panel I was working on and rip skin off . . .

Hummm.....a tough call on which would be my worst.

Either the glob of weld that went down my neck and rolled down my chest & belly....burning hair & skin, sizzling & poping as it went till it came to rest at my beltline. The smell was gawd awful

Or...the jig saw that popped out of a cut & gave me 5-10 (who counts?) pokes to the top of my other hand at the base of my thumb. There musta been a blood vessle in there as it was bout a 4 inch squirter (who measures?) The bone was in the way so the pokes didn't go all the way thru my hand...what a bonus. Since this was a set down with my head twixt my knees for 15 minutes....before the trip to the hospital, it gets #1 status.

Gloves?

QUOTE (type11969 @ Dec 3 2005, 07:53 AM)

In a rush I was drilling out a mounting hole in the base of a velocity stack using my left hand as a vice. Of course, the drill bit caught in the thin sheet metal flange of the velocity stack and rotated the velocity stack, and ultimately my hand, into the rotating drill bit. Yeah, no gloves either (I could only find my right glove at the time, did I mention I was in a rush?). 3 stiches in my hand crotch between the thumb and index finger, all of which I proceeded to pop out because I was so close to finally getting a t4 engine into my Beetle. Good times -Chris The other fun ones are pulling wires thrown from a wire wheel out of my skin after they've embedded themselves a half inch deep. Having a wire wheel skip off the panel I was working on and rip skin off . . .

I ran my fingers through a table saw. That was UGLY. Thought my wife was gonna pass out. Hell, I thought I was goona pass out. The xrays were pretty wicked...those table saws make clean cuts on bones ya' know.

Oh, you want power tool stories? Grinding rust of all things, the grinder was a disc grinder on a very heavy sander/polisher and I was sitting on a milk crate grinding on the side when it caught hard and slipped down onto my knee, I hardly felt a thing except the impact. Then I noticed the cut through my jeans and when I stood up I felt the blood running down my leg. I was afraid to look. My shoe filled in a matter of minutes with blood and when I got the the hospital, the told me I was lucky. It went all the way to the bone and then some. 27 stitches inside and out. It really didn't start hurting till they decided to clean it out. It felt like they used a brillo pad. It cut through nerves and blood vessels on it's way through. I have a deep respect for power tools now.

Geez, I haven't even had breakfast yet, and now I don't even want to.....

Thanks fellas......

John

P.S. bmunday, did your dad smack you in the head as he was reminding you that gloves had just recently been invented?
I think mine would have....

Oh Now I feel like a blubbering little panty waste....
After reading some of these, perhaps it's time to just shut the F up,and be thankful it was just my finger...


John,

No he just called me a dip shit..." Nice move dipshit" Oh the love of a father for his son.... He's done worse, so he is limited to what he cansay... Never stopped him before...

**STANDBY ON THE 419CLUB. COM CHANNEL**

Images and video of FlatVW & Shaggy's attempt at engine reinstall will be available tomorrow.

Audio will reveal new words.....Video will reveal all the blood...Rated "M" for Mature.

**OFFICIAL NOTICE FROM THE 419CLUB.COM CHANNEL**

John,

QUOTE

No he just called me a dip shit..." Nice move dipshit" Oh the love of a father for his son.... He's done worse, so he is limited to what he cansay... Never stopped him before...

Fathers always know just what to say, the vernacular is pretty universal, my dad's words so similar to you own.

My dad's first words would be: "dumb shit"! Only a slight variant from your: "dip shit"!

Probably due to regional differences.....


John

QUOTE (SLITS @ Dec 3 2005, 08:26 AM)

**STANDBY ON THE 419CLUB. COM CHANNEL** Images and video of FlatVW & Shaggy's attempt at engine reinstall will be available tomorrow. Audio will reveal new words.....Video will reveal all the blood...Rated "M" for Mature. **OFFICIAL NOTICE FROM THE 419CLUB.COM CHANNEL**

"Bring extra body bags!"

John

P.S. We are thinking of uploading streaming video to bring you all the carnage live and in living color!

Ewwwwe...this thread brings back some ugly memories. My worst on was back in my bike riding days. I was pulling the gearbox on a Norton Commando while it was propped up a couple feet on on those big plastic milk crate things. I had turned around to pick up something and as I turned back to the bike....it fell towards me off the stands. Handlebar choke lever catches under my lower lip and rips it in half about 2 inches down to my chin. No pain yet but lots of blood. Alone at shop, try to call wife for help but can't speak clearly but she comes rushing over to take me to the hospital. I look in the mirror to check the damage and I look like something from Night of the Living Dead...nearly passing out from the shock, I fall wound first on dirty shop floor. Sixty-some stitches and 3 weeks eating through a straw. I wear a beard now to cover the scars. Months later, the Norton is back on the road...friends ask "You still ride that thing after that?"....."Yeah....I just don't turn my back on it anymore."

brian...suck it up LOL

ouch. glad your ok tho....


ive dropped a fuch on my foot, ripped a toenail off while unloading a 914, grinded my thumbnail off.......

you have aways to go....

oh...also gasoline in my eyes

QUOTE (Aaron Cox @ Dec 3 2005, 10:06 AM)

brian...suck it up LOL ouch. glad your ok tho.... ive dropped a fuch on my foot, ripped a toenail off while unloading a 914, grinded my thumbnail off....... you have aways to go.... oh...also gasoline in my eyes

Oh I have.. Especially after reading what others have done. Hell after reading that Scott darn near grinded off his legg, my finger is nothing.. How's that car lookin? Lookin forward to seeing it.. Jealous!!!!

I got a long ways to go.....

This threads has legs....and, at least thus far, so do our club members.

I was working on a 70 Broco I had and my 2 year old son was messing around up in the cab..So there I was laying on the drive way re tightening bolts on my skid plates when my son decides he can now turn on the car and hit the starter button. The Truck starts and becuase of granny low, and slowly moves up the driveway. I am in such a state of awe that I don't let go of the wrenchs thereby dragging my dumb ass for quite a few feet. I finally decided to let go. The truck rolls over me, I get up and run and shut off the truck. I learned three things that day. First, my truck had a lot of clearance, second, concrete does a wonderful job of exfoliating, and last, children watch EVERYTHING you do and how you do it....

Well, this is kind of a "re-print" that was buried in another thread, that had turned to a similar "theme".

originally posted Nov 22, 2005 "holy crapola what a day" by bd1308 (Britt)

John

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

THIS IS LAURIE - JOHN'S WIFE (Hi Britt ). John started reading me this thread and I felt the need to contribute. . .

So, we're on this road trip. Taking the new car all the way to Indiana Had a great time, met some nice people, saw some beautiful country, met up with old friends, favorite aunt and uncle, lots of fun. Time to spend 4 days in the car to return by THURSDAY NIGHT when I HAD TO BE HOME to relieve my parents from guardianship duties of Shaggy and Tettster. I have PROMISED my mother that if we break down I will hop on a Greyhound bus or an airplane to be back in time for them to go on their vacation Friday morning.

Things are good; we're seeing cows (every one of them bigger than our pregnant cows here in Arizona), horses, beautiful farms, Lincoln's home in Springfield, Illinois, Mark Twain's home in Hannibal, Missouri, eating every few hours in quaint small town diners with stately old court houses and beautiful old churches when we need to stretch our legs, la la, la la, la la.

Had a hard time finding a motel and some dinner about 10pm on our second night. Pulled into an older dive of a motel somewhere in Seneca, Kansas after a very long day. Couldn't get luggage out of the front trunk because it wouldn't open - no one cares, we're too tired. Get up to a frosty morning and an early start, needing to get the trunk popped because we aren't going anywhere without fuel. Needing gasoline quickly becomes the least of our problems. Car won't start. Car not even thinking about starting. We go from no trunk to no fuel to no spark to no crank in about 5 minutes. I'm looking for the nearest Greyhound station. We haven't seen even a Volkswagon bug in the last two states we've been in. Repairs by others are going to be hard to come by. We begin calling several of you wonderful 914 guys for advice and moral support. We tinker in the parking lot on the main drag for three hours and backfire our way into the hearts of the locals. The woman who owned the hotel was so thrilled that she granted me a whole 15 minutes of late checkout time even though her little motel was 95% empty. I find myself sitting in the driver's seat (an anomaly) with a mate who is in his hyper-communication mode. He's oh so careful and precise - /"DON'T TURN THE KEY", "I WON'T TURN THE KEY" / "TURN THE KEY HALF WAY", "I'M TURNING THE KEY HALF WAY"/ "TURN THE KEY ALL THE WAY AND TRY TO START THE CAR", "I'M TURNING THE KEY ALL THE WAY AND TRYING TO START THE CAR"... Eventual success on all counts and we're on the road again . .

Long day after a late start. Goal is to reach my brother in Colorado Springs. My 4 year old niece is trying to be patient about our arrival. Finally give up on our destination for the night after a 9pm meal saps the last of our energy. We'll be there bright and early the next morning, hopefully soon after she wakes up. In another dive motel in Limon, Colorado. We have an entire building to ourselves if we don't die of chlorine gas poisoning from the indoor pool. I finish showering while he braves the car starting process. Won't start. No biggie. We've got experience. "Come out here and help me" "Get in the car" "Start the car" Well - gone is my oh so careful hyper-communicating mate. My normal guy mate is standing on the passenger side at the engine doing his usual whatever it is that he does. I start the car just like I did yesterday and the car lurches forward. It lurches forward onto his foot. "YOU'RE ON MY FOOT!!!" Oh no "YOU'RE ON MY FOOT - THE CAR'S ON MY FOOT" Panic - I'm breaking his foot RIGHT NOW. I can't start this car to drive it off his foot because the car won't start "YOU'RE ON MY FOOT" I'm gonna have to find a hospital "PUT THE CLUTCH IN" I don't have a working car to drive him to the hospital "PUT THE CLUTCH IN" Maybe my brother will help me get to a hospital - he's only two hours away "PUT THE CLUTCH IN" synapses connected, adrenaline rush clears for a moment and I put the clutch in. My surly mate pushes the car off of his foot. Dead silence. (Cudos to him) A strange and awkward silence ensues. I bite the inside of my cheeks to keep from laughing. He seems to be able to walk...in fact, he's walking it off...maybe he won't hate me...maybe he'll be okay...oh my God I think he's okay...a few more minutes and it's not throbbing, yet...several more minutes and he's still walking and it's not throbbing...okay, I finally quit biting my cheek and let out a peal of laughter...I don't think he's going to kill me...maybe for laughing, but not for his foot...

I said I'm so sorry for driving over your foot He said it's not the driving over my foot that was the problem, it was the parking on my foot that was the problem.

QUOTE (effutuo101 @ Dec 3 2005, 10:22 AM)

I was working on a 70 Broco I had and my 2 year old son was messing around up in the cab..So there I was laying on the drive way re tightening bolts on my skid plates when my son decides he can now turn on the car and hit the starter button. The Truck starts and becuase of granny low, and slowly moves up the driveway. I am in such a state of awe that I don't let go of the wrenchs thereby dragging my dumb ass for quite a few feet. I finally decided to let go. The truck rolls over me, I get up and run and shut off the truck. I learned three things that day. First, my truck had a lot of clearance, second, concrete does a wonderful job of exfoliating, and last, children watch EVERYTHING you do and how you do it....

Nothing major yet as far as injuries go. I just tend to have spots all over me after my POR-15 sessions no matter how much i glove/cover up

QUOTE (type11969 @ Dec 3 2005, 07:53 AM)

The other fun ones are pulling wires thrown from a wire wheel out of my skin after they've embedded themselves a half inch deep.

I hate that!!!!!

I think only real car nuts know what that's like, picking wires out of your arms and knees for a week! I have gone 2-3 days without noticing and then pulled a 1" long piece of wire out of my knee!

QUOTE (jkeyzer @ Dec 3 2005, 09:52 PM)

QUOTE (type11969 @ Dec 3 2005, 07:53 AM) The other fun ones are pulling wires thrown from a wire wheel out of my skin after they've embedded themselves a half inch deep. I hate that!!!!! I think only real car nuts know what that's like, picking wires out of your arms and knees for a week! I have gone 2-3 days without noticing and then pulled a 1" long piece of wire out of my knee!

Thats why I wear goggles.


My worst was grinding my middle finger tip off with a braided wire wheel that jumped on my ungloved hand. Its healed now but I still have no feeling at all in the tip of my finger.

drilling a 1" hole out to 1 1/16th (should have used a die grinder, it would have been easier) on an A-Arm for a desert race truck. have it securely mounted in the vise, drilling straight down, when the drillbit bites, and rotates the handle and battery pack around smacking me in the nose and lip. The damned lip bled for almost an hour before my wife (at the time) could convince me i needed to go get stitches Still have the scar

Cut myself lots of times

BJH

i get cut at least three times per day.... i have lots of scars, and im only 14......15 in two days ..... my friends always ask how i cut myself this time..... The worst thing that has happened to me, is when i was trying to tighten down a screw on..... i forgot what it was.... i was crouching down, with it pressed against my leg, and the screw driver slipped and went at least and inch and a half into my leg ..... then there was that time with the staple gun ...but thats another story

I haven't had any "serious" injuries working on cars (knock wood), but while working at a gas station (back in the day when they had "full service"), I had some dipshit start his car while I was putting his radiator cap back on.....10 degrees outside, had my gloves off, and the fan blade zinged three of my fingers on my right hand. I just threw my hand up into my armpit and ran into the office (I was afraid to look).....my boss chewed the guy a new one . Luckily just bruised the shit out of them, and lost the fingernails....could've been worse (but still hurt like a MOFO!).

This little story is more of a serious safety tip for you guys with oxy-acetylene torches.

A good friend Charlie lost his co-worker/buddy when his friend was cutting 55 gal. drums apart with a cutting torch (with lid on) . He'd already cut three of them when Charlie warned him to stop. Charlies buddy couldn't see what the big deal was, and continued to cut the forth barrel. Charlie's father is a career welder, and lost his leg doing the same thing when Charlie was a kid. Charlie went into the office to tell his supervisor about the possible hazard. While in his supervisor's office they hear and explosion....run out to the shop floor, and find that the barrel exploded (unburned gases collecting inside the barrel), and that it pretty well decapitated his friend.

So basically, never cut any closed container with an oxy-acetylene torch!

Wow, what a thread, good to hear everyone is still alive. Not much in the way of 914 injuries for me, cuts & bruises. Red hands for 3 days from wet sanding my entire car. Gloves? Only used for going outside in the cold weather.

Worst for me was in a bowling alley, running a 220V 3-phase floor buffer on the lanes to clean off built up oil. Put the handle down low to buff the pin deck under the pinsetter. I'm proficient at the buffer so I have the button on which holds the on/off handle in the on position. Held the buffer with one hand by the metal center piece between the 2 rubber handles.

With one hand on the buffer metal, I placed my other hand on a metal part of the pinsetter and ZZZAAAPPP. 220V across my arms! I couldn't move. I "thought" I was screaming. I remember looking at an outside vent fan and seeing blurry light from the outside. Don't know how long this was. Then, with me not balancing the buffer, it went to one side and hit the side of the pinsetter and knocked the on-button off and the event was over.

I fell back on my butt, and looked around for people to be running to my rescue since I was screaming, but no one even noticed. I didn't scream, I was completely frozen. For about a week, both of my arms were very sore. I'm lucky that the buffer hit the pinsetter and turned off.

After the accident, I took the buffer apart and found that someone miswired the thing and connected the frame to one of the legs of the 3 phase 220V. Yikes!

So after that, I decided to become and electrical engineer.

Spoke

With that last story I would advise all people against taking apart disposable cameras. The compacitors in those things will make your arms dance. And your arm will hurt really badly for days


A incorrectly wired 220V 3phase machine is a really scary thought

well, its not 914 related. but thought i woul tell ne ways.

august 2003 hit myleft knee with a sledge hammer and broke all the ligiments and cartilage in it. then i walked on it for a year, and in june 2004 i got sugery on it. they repaired it. and then september 2004 i dropped my dirtbike on it and ripped it again. i went though this whole process cause te doctor wouldnt admit he messed up and didnt do it right. so i ended up being diagnosed with "complex regional pain syndrome" which was a load od crap. so march 2005 i went in for another surgery and it turned out taht the guys first surgery ripped (who would of thought a doctor could mess up)

so now i have cadaver (dead dude) tssue in my knee and 2 cauder pins.


lovly way to spend 9th and 10th grade huh?

I have to do it.


I have been pretty lucky except for minor burns, scraped skin, hurt back, etc.

Do a search for my broken foot story... kicking a 914 tub half.