Almost lost a finger or two today

[JimR]

Since most of use have trailers I will post this here to hopefully prevent someone else from doing something really stupid like I did today. I was changing out the bearings on my twin axle boat trailer today. I had just painted the hubs and wheels and didn't want to ruin the paint. So I figured I'd let the jack down a little to line up the hub with the center of the wheel. It was a long day and I was tired. So as stupid as I was for almost cutting my fingers off I didn't. What I forgot about was the trailer fender. It has a nice straight edge coming down on the tire. My floor jack was real tight as usual and it took a good snap of the wrist to release the pressure. Ooops, too quick of a release is all I can say. My left hand was on top of the tire holding it straight. Ouch is all I can remember before snapping the jack lever to the right and pumping the handle like ****. My fingers were inbedded into the tire big time. The few seconds that the fender was digging into my middle finger felt like a minute. I had that **** thing off me in a flash as I saw my finger popping off in my mind. I lucked out with a swollen 4th finger with a little cut on it. The middle finger was not so lucky. I cut this one right to the bone. What was weird is that it didn't bleed. I didn't think it even got cut until I bent it. Then all I could see was bone. It did eventually start to bleed. I let it bleed for quite a while before bandaging it up. I'll never do that one again. I hope this saves someone from doing the same stupid thing.

 

[gizmo]

I did something similar a couple years ago. I was letting my truck down after changing the oil. I knelt down on my right knee while my left knee was vertical to my left foot. As I let down the jack I felt the bumper coming down on my left knee. I managed to twist my knee sideways out from under the bumper just before it was caught tight. It probably would have broken my knee and my ankle.

 

[GerardC]

Glad to hear they're still there! If it were me, I'd have it checked out in the ER or my PCP. You really don't know what kind of damage has been caused. I think that someone was looking over your shoulder when it happened that's for sure. Things happen quick.

One thing I've learned is that I never turn that handle one handed. Two reasons:
1: First and foremost, you know both hands are out of harms way and;
2: You get better control of the drop speed using two hands. Best of luck to you and thanks for posting.

 

[beenthere]

Know that routine all too well. I worked the rest of the day and then went to the ER, and got 6 stitches to sew it back together. The dirt and grease, and some of my red blood, kinda covered up the deep wound. Spent a lot of time just flushing it out. Healed up okay.
Happened quick as a wink, but maybe if I hadn't pulled the fingers free with a jerk, I could have minimized the damage.

Good reminder for us all. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[JimR]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Glad to hear they're still there! If it were me, I'd have it checked out in the ER or my PCP. You really don't know what kind of damage has been caused. I think that someone was looking over your shoulder when it happened that's for sure. Things happen quick.

One thing I've learned is that I never turn that handle one handed. Two reasons:
1: First and foremost, you know both hands are out of harms way and;
2: You get better control of the drop speed using two hands. Best of luck to you and thanks for posting. )</font>

Two hands on the jack is correct from now on. I do keep up on Tetanus shots. There isn't a year that goes by that I don't cut myself with all the kinds of work that I do around the old farm and my house. The finger is swollen but doesn't hurt. I can still bend it all the way without any trouble. So I think the damage was a nice slice only. If it gets worse I'll pay a visit to the doc's for a checkup. Right now I am straight out. I even had dreams of it last night.

 

[jmc]

Jim,

There's a tendon along the back of your finger that would be hard to avoid. Could you have partially cut it?

John

 

[JimR]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Jim,

There's a tendon along the back of your finger that would be hard to avoid. Could you have partially cut it?

John )</font>

Hi John,

The cut is more to the right side and about 1/2 long right to the bone just barely above the first joint up from the hand. It was off center and I think I missed anything important in there. I have full use of the finger. I do have it bandaged tight so that I can't bend it very much. I want it to heal up quickly. It was closed tight till I took a shower this morning and bent the finger by accident. Then it re-opened and started bleeding again. I think it will be fine. It still scares me to think about chopping the finger off at the joint. 10 years as a mechanic and 20 as a machinist and still having all my fingers is doing pretty **** good. Not to mention all the power tools that I use and saws around the house projects. Somebody surely was watching over me yesterday.

 

[Jagmandave]

I was down on one knee with a brass hammer tightening the knock off hubs on my old Jag E-Type, the hammer glanced off and caught my ankle right on the bone - hurts to this day if I touch it with something hard and I did it amost 30 years ago!

 

[JimR]

Ouch, Now that is what I call a permanent injury. I have a piece of axle bearing in my left wrist from 1978. I can still feel it if I hit it just right.

 

[trlong]

JimR,

Glad to hear it is likely to heal without too much damage. I know the feeling all too well and foolishly have repeated it too many times. So far I still have all my digits but, probably only because some one was watching over me.

I think your most telling words were;

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue">It was a long day and I was tired. </font> )</font>

LATE Saturday, I was building yet another small stone wall. I had set a decent sized stone up and just wanted to turn it into best position, a bit, by hand. As I turned it, it found a nice balance/pivot point and spun faster than I expected. The corner ended up right where I wanted it, against the adjoining stone. Unfortunately, so did my middle finger /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I knew I split the tip of the bone immediately as I did the same to another finger while slinging beer kegs as part time work in college. I'll probably lose the fingernail but that's about it. Not much to do with the finger other than tape and expect it to notice the cold more in the winter. Again, it always seems to happen when I'm rushing and tired and not paying attention. Should have stopped sooner.

Tom

 

[btolle]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( It was a long day and I was tired.)</font>

How often do we keep going long after we should have quit?

And how many "accidents" happen when we are worn out?

Ever notice how most accidents happen late in the day instead of early in the morning?

I have finally learned that when I am tired and start making stupid mistakes it is time to put all power equipment away and quit for the day.

Glad your finger will be OK but please remember to give it up when you know you are tired.

Bill Tolle

 

[JimMorrissey]

The only thing I'd add to that is cheap hydraulic jacks are not worth the "savings". A high quality floor jack is essential....as well as a work area relatively free from junk and loose tools.

I've got one of those cheap hydraulic jacks that's going in the can soon....one of those $55 models from Sears.....junk.

 

[JimR]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The only thing I'd add to that is cheap hydraulic jacks are not worth the "savings". A high quality floor jack is essential....as well as a work area relatively free from junk and loose tools.

I've got one of those cheap hydraulic jacks that's going in the can soon....one of those $55 models from Sears.....junk. )</font>

I don't have any of those cheap jacks. They are not worth risking my life or limb over. My problem is that I always overtighten the handle all the time. So when it comes time to release it, it takes more pressure than it should. That is when the jack will drop quickly. As for working when your tired. If you need to get the job done, tired doesn't matter as long as you are watching what you are doing. I wasn't. Shame on me.

 

[trlong]

JimR,

I agree that </font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue">Tired doesn't matter when you have to get the job done...as long as you're paying attention. </font> )</font>

I tend to keep pushing until the job is done and find myself paying less attention, the more tired I get. Something I never seemed to learn from my Father was to take breaks occasionally. He tends to take more breaks than I do and still get more work done, with fewer mistakes and less "accidents". Maybe it is because, after a short break, he's re-focused, re-juvenated, and better able to see what could go wrong. Just a thought, with the point of the forum being safety, I know I can't keep going like I was 20 anymore. I need to learn to take a few more breaks.

Hope the finger continues to heal well.

Tom

 

[BrettW]

Sounds like a law suit to me.
Did the jack directions warn you not to let the boat fender down on your hand in an uncontrolled manner?

 

[JimR]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Sounds like a law suit to me.
Did the jack directions warn you not to let the boat fender down on your hand in an uncontrolled manner? )</font>

Hey Brett, You know what, some people might actually try to sue for such a stupid reason. I know there are lawyers out there that would be happy to try and win a case like that. I think my jacks are pre-cautionary sticker models.