Rad fan vs finger. Don’t be complacent.

[bigtiller]

Interesting thing was when they finally authorized my MRI in November, I had a choice to go over the results with the LPN that week, or wait until January to see the surgeon. I chose LPN. She looked over the MRI with me and scheduled me an appointment with the Surgeon the next week.

Good news.

 

[RayIN]

Familiarity breeds contempt is a true saying. Many of us can testify to that with a "been there done that" experience.
One day I had been machining SST in the lathe and forgot the time.
I realized I was going to be late to a meeting, shut off the lathe, reached down a picked up a pile of shavings/cuttings to throw in the dumpster. One long turning was caught on something, and it cut off the end of my right index finger. the finger was hanging on by a strip of skin when i got to the hospital.
A Dr. sewed the end of the finger back on over the bone. That was nearly 55 years ago, that finger still hurts like blazes in cold weather when I don't wear good gloves.

 

[5030]

Watched my late dad take 3 fingers off with a radial arm saw when I was a kid. Needless to say I never owned a radial saw. I observed a fellow scalp himself when he got his hair wound around a drill press spindle in a T&D shop I worked at. Machinery of any kind has no feelings at all and don't care about you or me. Machinery will do you in, in a second if you become complacent.

 

[jgmo]

Well as the title says I almost lost my ring finger to a 2200rpm fiber reinforced fan. Machine wasn’t running right reached in to check the plug on a sensor and bam. Blood everywhere. Bone exposed entire length of inside finger.

As they say, you should see the other guy. Somehow my finger broke two of the fan blades off. lol.

View attachment 2824815

The worst part I should have stayed home the ground was too frozen and icy to get anything done. I was just trying to get my guys some hours for the week.

Doctors were amazed I was able to do what I did without hitting arteries or tendons. That was what kept me from freaking out, blood everywhere but I could still move it. Was a fun sit in the er from 1230pm to 130am.

So be careful and be thankful you still have ten fingers like me.

Holy sheep dip! That's one TOUGH finger!
My old uncle Bob would've said
..."that's non habit forming son"
As someone that's had more than one hand surgery with a finger I still can't bend after 35 years, I can truly say that I have felt your pain.

 

[Dennis Mohn]

I wonder how many times this happened to the guys that had old Ford tractors that had distributors mounted on the front of the engine

 

[newbury]

Interesting thing was when they finally authorized my MRI in November, I had a choice to go over the results with the LPN that week, or wait until January to see the surgeon. I chose LPN. She looked over the MRI with me and scheduled me an appointment with the Surgeon the next week.

Before my first back surgery (~ 2005) Kaiser put me through the "slow roll" wringer.
One of the first tests several doctors did was to see if I could stand on my tippy toes. Passed. They tried physical therapy, no good. Then they tried cortisone shots, failed. Then they did x-rays, passed. Finally they authorized an MRI.
When I came out of the MRI the technician told me I couldn't possibly walk and was sent to surgery.
I had been brought up to "put up with pain and don't complain".

 

[MossRoad]

Before my first back surgery (~ 2005) Kaiser put me through the "slow roll" wringer.
One of the first tests several doctors did was to see if I could stand on my tippy toes. Passed. They tried physical therapy, no good. Then they tried cortisone shots, failed. Then they did x-rays, passed. Finally they authorized an MRI.
When I came out of the MRI the technician told me I couldn't possibly walk and was sent to surgery.
I had been brought up to "put up with pain and don't complain".

 

[masscity]

Oh geez my fingers hurt. Some of you older guys will remember that some Fords would go into drive from park.

My buddy had a 1964 Thunderbird. He stopped at a party store and when leaving, he's car wouldn't start. He opened the hood used a screwdriver to jump the solenoid on the starter, when it started it jumped into gear (forgot days earlier had removed the fan shroud) he tried to hold it back, hit the fan blade with his fingers, jumped out of the way and car crashes through the cement block of the party store.

His fingers weren't that bad, just a little cut up.

 

[GWagon]

Well as the title says I almost lost my ring finger to a 2200rpm fiber reinforced fan. Machine wasn’t running right reached in to check the plug on a sensor and bam. Blood everywhere. Bone exposed entire length of inside finger.

As they say, you should see the other guy. Somehow my finger broke two of the fan blades off. lol.

View attachment 2824815

The worst part I should have stayed home the ground was too frozen and icy to get anything done. I was just trying to get my guys some hours for the week.

Doctors were amazed I was able to do what I did without hitting arteries or tendons. That was what kept me from freaking out, blood everywhere but I could still move it. Was a fun sit in the er from 1230pm to 130am.

So be careful and be thankful you still have ten fingers like me.

You ruined a $69. fan.

 

[Bentrim]

About 50 years ago I was putting the front side panel on an M5 Minneapolis Moline -- it was running --- heard something bing -- pulled my hand back a checked my hands the only thing I could find was a mark just above the knuckle of my left hand. It has never faded and is still a reminder today.
My mother was using an antique table saw and cut her hand, almost lost a finger.
My neighbor got his hand in a New Idea corn picker, dad heard him got him out of the picker and took him to the hospital. Don't remember how many fingers he lost.
My grandfather used to do custom corn shelling. He caught his hand in a sprocket and steel link chain twice. Newer models used a V belt instead of chain.
Before I was in the world another neighbor was cutting a tree and he was struck by it and he was injured. Dad loaded him in a car and took him to the hospital, he did not live.
As a farm machinery mechanic there were many times I was acting stupid and could have been caught in or smashed under a machine, but the Lord looked over me and kept me from getting injured.
Farm equipment and machinery is dangerous, BE CAREFUL OUT THERE. The decals on some cornheads stated that "it was faster than you are".
I get especialy concerned when a inexperienced person purchases or operates a tractor especially with a loader or a rotary mower.

 

[mrmikey]

He caught his hand in a sprocket and steel link chain twice.

That reminded me. Many years ago a buddy of mine was cleaning his chain on a Honda ACE 750, it didn't have a chain guard. Most people put it on a stand, put it in neutral and spin the wheel while holding a rag soaked with WD-40 or similar on the chain. Well he did the first and the third thing, as for making the chain go round, he put it in first and let it idle. I'm sure you can fill in the blanks. Two of his fingers looked sorta like an accordion, only thing that saved it from being worse was the chain and sprockets were quite worn as well as loose.

 

[Moose381]

Well as the title says I almost lost my ring finger to a 2200rpm fiber reinforced fan. Machine wasn’t running right reached in to check the plug on a sensor and bam. Blood everywhere. Bone exposed entire length of inside finger.

As they say, you should see the other guy. Somehow my finger broke two of the fan blades off. lol.

View attachment 2824815

The worst part I should have stayed home the ground was too frozen and icy to get anything done. I was just trying to get my guys some hours for the week.

Doctors were amazed I was able to do what I did without hitting arteries or tendons. That was what kept me from freaking out, blood everywhere but I could still move it. Was a fun sit in the er from 1230pm to 130am.

So be careful and be thankful you still have ten fingers like me.

Ugh, sorry to hear this. I feel your pain, I got my ring finger a little too close to my table saw last July and trimmed about an inch and a half off of it.

 

[fishdoggy]

My dad told me the day I married that I should wear my wedding ring for the honeymoon and then only on Sundays. He said he watched a newly married guy jump off a stake bed truck and leave his ring finger on the stake.

 

[logcabin]

Well as the title says I almost lost my ring finger to a 2200rpm fiber reinforced fan. Machine wasn’t running right reached in to check the plug on a sensor and bam. Blood everywhere. Bone exposed entire length of inside finger.

As they say, you should see the other guy. Somehow my finger broke two of the fan blades off. lol.

View attachment 2824815

The worst part I should have stayed home the ground was too frozen and icy to get anything done. I was just trying to get my guys some hours for the week.

Doctors were amazed I was able to do what I did without hitting arteries or tendons. That was what kept me from freaking out, blood everywhere but I could still move it. Was a fun sit in the er from 1230pm to 130am.

So be careful and be thankful you still have ten fingers like me.

Glad it was good in the end. To this very second, I have no idea how I leaned into my table saw. Was ripping 2" pine for stair railing and clink! The bone in my thumb. All the way across the top of the hand. Got to ER, I had lost a lot of the red stuff. Woman wanted information. I need to be in there, NOW. Took the towel off my hand and let it run on her desk. The security guard behind her started to vomit as he holloered for help. I am one lucky SOB, like you. Worst part after the surgery, I was staying overnight. I picked up my arm, anestesia had not worn off and the cast and forearm came crashing down on my eye. Black and blue real soon. Look back and laugh now, it happens sooooo quick. Be well my friend

 

[rumwrks]

Well as the title says I almost lost my ring finger to a 2200rpm fiber reinforced fan. Machine wasn’t running right reached in to check the plug on a sensor and bam. Blood everywhere. Bone exposed entire length of inside finger.

This is how my one grandpa ended up with the fingers being trimmed off straight across on one hand. He stuck his into an old school all metal fan and there wasn't anything left to save of the tips.. (plus it was a full days ride and then some to the nearest hospital). Certainly could've been a whole lot worse! It only takes one second too..

 

[big bubba]

taught Jr Hi shop/tech 21 yrs. yes, some stitches & few mishaps along the way for me & students. fortunately no digit loss or more serious stuff. we had a safety program where students were required to pass written & hands on tests for each machine before use. radial arm, table & band saws, plus usual shop power/hand machines.

my observation: girls usually were more safety observant, & paid more attn to detail on projects. Overall, i observed after safety tests & demos, young adults were more safety conscious while working than us adults with years of experience. over confidence & boredom are harbingers of injury.

one moment's mistake can lead to the OP's injury regardless of experience or safety training. i certainly have been there myself, & thankfully have no serious injuries, but subject to change at any instant, esp as the years pile up like seed ticks

i break one of the cardinal safety laws by working alone at the farm.
regards,

 

[etpm]

To the OP: when my wrists were crushed I was operated on and then woke up the next morning to badly swollen hands. Even though my fingers were like fat sausages they started me on physical therapy. I couldn't move my fingers so it was up to others to bend my fingers. The reason for this was because of the scar tissue inside that was already forming as my wrists healed. The tendons needed to be moved so that they wouldn't heal in place and never move. Have you been told you need to move your finger so that it remains free to move? Just curious.
Eric

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

To the OP: when my wrists were crushed I was operated on and then woke up the next morning to badly swollen hands. Even though my fingers were like fat sausages they started me on physical therapy. I couldn't move my fingers so it was up to others to bend my fingers. The reason for this was because of the scar tissue inside that was already forming as my wrists healed. The tendons needed to be moved so that they wouldn't heal in place and never move. Have you been told you need to move your finger so that it remains free to move? Just curious.
Eric

Yep. And I don't want to think about how many times.

 

[Sportsman762]

@Fixastuff Hows the finger healing?

 

[Fixastuff]

To the OP: when my wrists were crushed I was operated on and then woke up the next morning to badly swollen hands. Even though my fingers were like fat sausages they started me on physical therapy. I couldn't move my fingers so it was up to others to bend my fingers. The reason for this was because of the scar tissue inside that was already forming as my wrists healed. The tendons needed to be moved so that they wouldn't heal in place and never move. Have you been told you need to move your finger so that it remains free to move? Just curious.
Eric

I didn’t do physical therapy or more doctors visits. I took the stitches out myself. I did get diagrams of the physical therapy exercises and did them myself. I had to progressively straighten the finger out with my other hand over time and it was “uncomfortable” sometimes but it was required. Every day I could go a little farther. Right now I’m probably at 95% of full range.

@Fixastuff Hows the finger healing?

It’s doing way better than I thought it would at this point. There is some discomfort when trying full extension or making a tight fist. Finger still feels slightly over stuffed.