My wounded hand

[SARGE..g-47]

I try to wear gloves (various types as some things require more "feel" than others. But I didn't have a pair on last Friday when I bumped the 1/2" chisel off the work-bench. My insinct was to catch it as I have pretty quick reaction time. Mistake with that razor sharp edge as it glazed my index finger on the left hand and gashed it even though not terribly deep.

Normally.. I will clot in just a few moments after applying a compress and taping it off. Just finish the job, then clean it up and dress it or go get stitches if necessary. Not this time.......

It would not clot as I went on blood thinner medication several weeks ago when I got a leg stint to open the Iliac artery in my left leg. Didn't really cross my mind. Didn't end up needing stiches, but the Doc had to clean and compress it. Finally clotted the next day, but still have to wear a compress to keep from bumping and re-opening. Also got the tetanus updated.

Point.. be careful and especially if anyone is on blood thinner. What I would consider minor could have been major if the chisel had penetrated deeper. I found out they definitely have a reason for calling it blood thinner. ha.. ha...

Regards...

[Slik Geek]

Nail in the foot

JB,

Your description brought back memories from my teens. I was walking over the piles of a torn down barn in my sneakers. I lifted up my foot and a five foot long board came up with my foot. I figured that a nail had snagged the sole of my shoe, so I shook my foot to break it loose. I felt a funny "tickling" sensation in the arch of my foot. (As you said, it wasn't painful. I hadn't even really felt it until I shook the board).

I grabbed the board to remove it, figuring that it had just broken the skin. As I pulled the board off the bottom of my shoe, I gasped as I saw a 16p size nail coming out of the sole of my foot. As I continued pulling, the board felt like it wanted to turn. So I let it turn as it came out.

Turns out the nail had a 45 degree bend in it. A good 1-1/2 or so went into my foot. Still didn't hurt at that time.

I cleaned out as best I could and got a booster tetanus shot. Then I limped around for awhile.

[jerrye]

"Basket" case

In a former life (read: early 80's) I worked in the produce dept of a grocery store. We used to get many local veggies in 1/2 and full bushel baskets. We'd toss them up on top of the walk in cooler once emptied. Whenever they built up too much to get more up there one of us had to go up and stack them near the back to make more room. As I was moving a bunch one day I flung a bushel basket to the back to make room: the only problem was it had a piece of wire formed into a hook shape with a bevel cut on the end, making a VERY sharp point. I found this out when the basket took a sudden stop as the "hook" embedded itself into the tip pad of my little finger. I still remember how bad that hurt!

[Bruce Cohen]

With the exception of the time I caught my right thumb in a belt sander (way too long a story), just about all of my injuries it my 30+ years of woodworking have been caused by handling raw stock without wearing gloves.

Bruce