Injury thread (NO PICTURES PLEASE!!)

[DutchMF]

So, I guess you all, just like me, have had some kind of injury related to pedal building. To start with the "NO PICTURES PLEASE!!", I've been reading a web page of a guy building Marshall-like amps who endured some pretty horrific injuries while building, and although I could stand looking at the pictures, it wasn't pretty! So: NO PICS!!!!!!!!!

Worst I had so far was my soldering iron dropping to the floor, and catching it before it fell, on the wrong side !!! Burned the palm of my hand really bad, white skin and all.... Second worst case was tonight, trying to strip some wire with my box-cutter: huge gash in my right thumb.....

Let me know how you almost killed your self!

Paul

[juansolo]

I burn myself reasonably regularly and occasionally stab myself with things.

Not for fun you understand...

Just making that clear... 

[Scruffie]

Other than some minor soldering iron burns nothing comes to mind, except for a malfunctioning SMPS that seemed to put out 500V and then fluctuate from nothing to 100V and deciding to 'just see if it is putting out a high voltage' with the ol' finger debugging technique.

Yeah that was a bit of a shock to say the least.

[juansolo]

Should have used your tongue 

[icecycle66]

I racked myself pretty hard with a board once.

[pryde]

Diagonal cutters took a nice chunk of finger-meat once when trying to remove those stupid potentiometer tabs 

Minor burns other than that

[Scruffie]

Should have used your tongue 

I was thinking the same thing.

[RobA]

The most stupid one I've done is when using a hand cranked drill, I slipped off the crank and caught my other hand's little finger with my picking thumbnail -- giant gash and blood everywhere.

I've done several soldering iron burns. The strangest was when I hit my left hand guitar playing callus on my finger with the soldering iron and didn't realize it until I smelled it. It never hurt but did turn white until it grew out.

I bought one of those Akai "Analog" delay pedals on a Musician's Friend Stupid Deal just so I could take it apart and see what was really in it. They have a sheet metal clam shell kinda case, and they are sharp! I cut one of my fingers really deep when putting it back together. I have an aversion to that style of enclosure now.

[DutchMF]

This is gathering some nice stories so far! Let's see if anyone else has something 'interesting' to share....

[selfdestroyer]

Saw stars one nite when I smacked my head on the underside of my work bench picking up a dropped part. Wife says I haven't been the same lol. So when I make a huge part order I just blame it on the head injury.

[gtr2]

I've had a few resistor leads stick me between the fingernail and finger. 

[RobA]

I forgot the most painful one. I stepped full force, barefoot, onto one of the six legged opto-isolator guys with the back of my heel. I had to pry it out with my needle nose pliers. Best way to describe the pain is that it hurt more than a Lego to the kneecap.

[pk1802]

I was once holding an enclosure while I was drilling it out. A 1590BB if I remember correctly. I don't have a drill press, so I hold on really tight and drill with my cordless drill. I was just drilling along, probably had drilled 4 holes already. Was drilling away a 1/4in jack hole and the enclosure caught on the drill bit and spun in my hand. It cut up my whole hand good. Multiple lacerations. Good news is that it was my left hand... my fretting hand.

I still drill enclosures like this, I've drilled 40 since this accident, still hasn't happened again. I got a step drill bit shortly after that accident, perhaps that is why.

[midwayfair]

I was once holding an enclosure while I was drilling it out. A 1590BB if I remember correctly. I don't have a drill press, so I hold on really tight and drill with my cordless drill. I was just drilling along, probably had drilled 4 holes already. Was drilling away a 1/4in jack hole and the enclosure caught on the drill bit and spun in my hand. It cut up my whole hand good. Multiple lacerations. Good news is that it was my left hand... my fretting hand.

I still drill enclosures like this, I've drilled 40 since this accident, still hasn't happened again. I got a step drill bit shortly after that accident, perhaps that is why.

I did something close to this on my most recent build. And I have a drill press. Air had no excuse and it was stupid.

For my part: so. many. burns.

[pickdropper]

Back when I was in college, I used to solder late and night and sleep very little (about 4 hours a night).  I had a rule that I would stop soldering after the third time I applied the iron to my finger holding the part and not the part itself.  I usually had a couple (or more) white spots on my hands.

Good times.