Sunday, June 7, 2009

Fun In The Shop (updated)

Posting on Stonekettle Station will be extremely limited for the next couple of days.

I sliced myself pretty good in the shop.

I’ve got 8 stitches in my right hand and a splint. And can’t bend or use my index finger, so typing is a bitch. Therefore there won’t be much typing for a while. So Sorry.

Right now my hand is numb, but it’s wearing off.

If you’re good, I’ll take pictures.

AFK until further notice.


Since a couple of folks asked:

It wasn’t a power tool that got me.

It was a 1” wood chisel.

image

The edge of that chisel is sharper than a scalpel, in fact the doc who stitched me up commented on how surgically precise the wound is. That certainly made things easier to sew back together. I nicked the artery though, so there was a lot of blood. Becky drove me to the Palmer clinic while I kept pressure on a wad of gauze over the wound.

Right now it hurts like Billy hell.

Thanks for the kind thoughts.

35 comments:

  1. Ouch! Sit back, relax, and listen to the rest of my show.

    And alcohol.

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  2. thanks Vince!

    I'm listening to WELY. You're awesome as usual.

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  3. ouchers. Dude, the metal is for cutting wood, not hands. So, can you still check in at ten fingers?

    Painkillers, aren't they wonderful?

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  4. still got all 10, Steve. it was a wood chisel very very sharp. clean cut, but nicked the artery. bled like merry hell. spurt spurt. wife drove me to the e-clinic palmer while i kept pressure on it.

    hurts like a bitch now.

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  5. Shit, Jim. And I was all whiny this evening about my situation. I'm glad you're alright and still have all ten fingers, hope there wasn't any kind of nerve damage or anything, and--shit, man. Just... shit. Glad you're alright.

    Your brother in splintdom,
    Eric

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  6. no nerve damage eric, just a hell of a big deep cut. lots of stitches. giant bandage and splint, like having a turkey drumstick grafted on my hand.

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  7. Two UCFers down, hopefully no further ones to go.

    That sounds like a big boo-boo (yes, I have a little kid...). I hope it heals with not too much pain and does not cause excitement amongst the doctors. Nobody ever really want to be the interesting case...

    Use the neat bendy straw. This is a perfect excuse.

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  8. Holy Crap!

    You'll do anything to upstage my little death by dining, won't you.

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  9. neurondoc, i asked for a barney bandaid.

    nathan, nothing beats your Angelina lips.

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  10. That's it, I'm not going anywhere and I'm not doing anything.

    Clearly you don't remember the desk sergeant in Hill Street Blues -- Let's be careful out there!

    Dr. Phil

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  11. Jim, if it makes you feel better, when I severed the artery in my finger, they put my whole damned arm in a thingy for three days to keep my hand elevated above my heart.

    Everywhere I walked, people would say, "Oh my gosh! What happened to you! Your arm!"

    And I would reply, "I cut my finger with a kitchen knife" and look all ashamed they had made such a big deal out of it.

    Of course it two three days to stop bleeding, so at least I had a lot of blood to show for it.

    And they couldn't stitch it, because I'd sliced a chunk of skin clean off, and the chunk of skin went down the sink when I rinsed my hand off.

    Oh, did I mention I was chopping onions when I did it? ;)

    Feel better Jim! And keep your hand elevated!

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  12. Geez Jim, we go off to do weekendy things and you go trying to remove body parts.

    At least we know you keep your tools in proper order, that is clean, sharpened condition, no rust or dirt other than the product getting worked on. Clean wounds do heal better.

    Sit back, prop the arm up at a suitable angle, enjoy the drugs and get the kid to wait on you. That's what kids are for a times like this.

    WendyB_09

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  13. OUCH!
    You must be more careful...or keep the chisel away from Shop-cat. Don't you know it is get rid of your human month for cats?

    Seriously, glad it wasn't the whole finger or hand..have some chocolate.

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  14. I hope that you heal fast and will be able to post sooner without the awkwardness of an unwieldy bandage.

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  15. With 10 (at least) major hand surgeries to date, non self inflicted, I can touch type with one hand, either hand.

    Did do major, non hospital, damage building my deck on Saturday. Fell off it between joists.

    Followed the wood chips back from Whatever, in trying very hard not to write. Must publish a 16 page newsletter by noon, which may turn into a paying gig come August (I'm not the only candidate however).

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  16. I'm really proud of your injured digit for being courageous enough to pose with its assailant.

    Bravo brave hurty-finger.

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  17. let's not just sharpen the chisel, no! let's put it on the leather strop too to make it mirror bright! Well better to have it razor sharp than to get cut by a dull one. Now get some adult supervision will ya. Wait who am I to talk I recently slashed myself on a bowl gouge for craps sake.

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  18. Beastly, cuts with sharp instruments are much better than cuts with dull instruments, which combine slicing and bleeding with blunt force trauma.

    I have lots of experience in this, so you can take my word for it. ;)

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  19. Christ, Anne and I can't even leave for one drunken weekend and you slice yourself up.

    I can't take you anywhere, Warrant. I swear, all you all need a goddamn keeper.

    Heal up fast!

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  20. I distinctly remember First Sgt Tinsley's statement on what he would do to us if we hurt ourselves with our equipment. I had a utility knife jump a while back and stab a finger, over ten years out and I still looked around to make sure Top wasn’t watching (he had a knack for that). Didn’t you have a Senior Chief or someone ever give you words of advice like that?

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  21. Thordr, the disparaging comments from Janiece and Beastly are from Senior Chiefs. You can tell from the lack of sympathy and the biting sarcasm...

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  22. Hi, Annette, nice to see you here and thanks for the kind thoughts.

    ntsc, I've been poking around your various blogs. Seriously, when I can type again with more than one finger we are going to have to talk. I've made sausage, but you sir are amazing. I'll be a regular reader.

    Those of you who are cooks, anne and nathan in particular, go check out ntsc's blogs.

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  23. Jim, if you wanted to order 4 beers you coulda just folded up the thumb into your palm and not shown it to the barman. sheesh - didn't hafta try taking one off completely. Always doin' stuff the hard way... ;)

    Glad it was sharp though - the dull cuts really do suck.

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  24. This lurker who followed you to here from the Whatever wishes you a fast heal time. Finger ouchies hurt a lot and painkillers are your very good friend for a while.

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  25. karl, I use a WS3000 glass wheel system for chisel sharpening and a WS2000 with leather strop on glass for honing. Seriously, you get scalpel sharp. I had just honed the chisel when the accident happened.

    Lauren, I'm just taking regular tylenol - I really hate painkillers and I have a pretty high pain threshold - comes from being in pain most of the time these days. So far this morning it hurts but I can live with it.

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  26. I use either #1000 and #4000 water stones and a leather strop or #1000/#5000 ceramic and strop - still - dewd...

    I didn't mean to imply that the sharp cuts don't suck, just that the dull ones suck more. I'm glad it's not worse.

    Guinness - lots of Guinness. And Bushmills...

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  27. Karl, no I'm with you. I understood what you were saying and agree.

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  28. hope you heal soon. It will be hard to not do what you love. :-)

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  29. Who said anything about not doing it? ;)

    In fact I have a fixed deadline for a project in the shop, I have to have it done by Thursday. Fortunately, I'm left handed so I'm pretty sure I can finish the project despite the injury.

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  30. Thank you for the kind words, all I'm doing is following instructions. A skill finely honed by one SFC Beck. Who also felt that it was not my place to hurt myself with goverment equipment, he could do it himself thank you.

    If I may, what paygrade? When I was in there were only 4 Warrant ranks, I think they are up to 6 now.

    Only one hitch got out as E5. Army

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  31. ntsc, I'm a retired W3. I was selected for W4, but decided to retire instead of doing another 3 years to retire at that paygrade.

    There are 5 Warrant paygrades now.
    Only the Army still implements W1 though (or S1 in the supply corps), which is an actual temporary warrant commission. W2-W5 are full commissions, same as any line officer. In the Army you can promote to W1 or W2 from E5 or higher (including transfers from other services, but most of those are helo pilots). In the Navy and USMC you have to be E7/E8. In the Navy you have to be an initiated Chief (technically, you don't have to be initiated, but really good luck with that).

    The Marines have always had W5. The Navy only recently went to W5 (about 6 years ago now). Honestly, I'm not sure that the Army implemented W5, though they have the option.

    W1 is a Warrant, W2-5 is a Chief Warrant. CWO is the best damned job in or out of the military, it's sure as hell not for everybody, but I loved it. I miss it every day.

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  32. Is this what happens when I leave Los Angeles to spend time with drunken UCF trollops? Do I need to stay home to keep you people whole?

    (Wait, I was in town when Eric was hurt - maybe it's not my fault...)

    Take care, Jim, and feel better soon. Here's a SpongeBob band aid for your owie.

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  33. Don't know where I came up with W6, but I only served one term and have been out close to 40 years.

    Army Warrants that I knew were either crypto officers (W2 and one W3) or helo pilots (some classmates).

    When I started an E-1 under 4months was $87/month and paid in cash, an E3 under 2 years $125.

    I spent 2 years at a post with more flag officers than E1, E2 and O1 combined. 17 of the flags. The O1 was also the ass''t scoutmaster and had written orders permitting him to serve as DO in scout uniform.

    I don't turn, but some of your pictures may get me looking in to classes.

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  34. Thanks for the blog suggestion, Jim. Very interesting work, ntsc.

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