Long time no ... OUCH!

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tallgirl

Senior Member
Location
Great White North
Occupation
Controls Systems firmware engineer
With things in New Orleans changing up a bit, and work keeping me from escaping town to even go there, and the guy who leads the electrical crew here in town occupied with building his own house (meaning, I spent a few weekends as a carpenter lately ...), I've been momentarily electricity-free.

Two weekend's ago we started rough trim on this guy's house. As is often the case, I get stuck with "interesting projects" -- this time the rough for the front porch. I hung the box for the porch ceiling fan, then went to cut a hole for a receptacle. When I went to move my saw it seems that I somehow (hmmm) pulled the trigger and made a really nice gash in one of my fingers. Blood spewed everywhere, I cursed like a French sailor, and everyone around me immediately freaked out. I sat down, waited for the bleeding to subside,

Three hours at the local E.R. and four stitches later, my finger was sewn back together.
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Where have you been hiding Julie? Thought you were mad at us cause you been gone so long. Glad to hear your finger is still there-- in one piece. Welcome back
 

dbuckley

Senior Member
Ouch! Commiserations

tallgirl said:
When I went to move my saw it seems that I somehow (hmmm) pulled the trigger

Its the 'somehow' bit that intrigued me.

In the UK, all power tools have a little button you have to release before you can pull the trigger, to prevent negligent operation of said tool. It's where the lock on button used to be on sixties power tools.

A couple of years back here in NZ I purchased a nice new DeWalt saw, and was stunned that it didn't have a safety button, since my UK purchased DeWalt drill did. Do the American issue tools have safety buttons? If not, then I can easily understand why you got a gash, as I've had my circular saw shoot across the floor 'cos I lifted it by the handle and engaged the (safety-less) trigger...
 

tallgirl

Senior Member
Location
Great White North
Occupation
Controls Systems firmware engineer
Dennis Alwon said:
Where have you been hiding Julie? Thought you were mad at us cause you been gone so long. Glad to hear your finger is still there-- in one piece. Welcome back

I've been totally slammed at work, plus I've not done much of anything electrical, other than cut my finger.

I am working on getting a part time job as an electrician, but the details are momentarily Double Plus Extra Secret.

I have read the website recently, just haven't had anything electrician-related to yabber about. I'd talk about my other job, but that's also Double Plus Extra Secret :(
 
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tallgirl

Senior Member
Location
Great White North
Occupation
Controls Systems firmware engineer
dbuckley said:
Ouch! Commiserations

Its the 'somehow' bit that intrigued me.

The drill I'd chucked the hole saw into has "In", "Out" and "Lock" in the middle. It doesn't have a spring-loaded safety switch like my other tools.
 

tallgirl

Senior Member
Location
Great White North
Occupation
Controls Systems firmware engineer
chris kennedy said:
Hi Julie, need to revise your profile?

Nope. I traded one source of electrical annoyance for another. Instead of working in rat infested neighborhoods below sea level I work in scorpion infested neighborhoods above sea level :) If my current project at work ever ends I'll have time to get back over to New Orleans, even.

I'll let y'all know if the Double Plus Extra Secret job thingy pans out. I've spoken to the owner and he agrees they need help. Trouble is, I don't think he has the time to stop and do anything about it ...
 

benmin

Senior Member
Location
Maine
Occupation
Master Electrician
JohnConnolly said:
Around here we use black tape and go back to work.:cool:

Black tape leaves a stain. Need to use different colored phase tape if it's in your pouch.
 

tallgirl

Senior Member
Location
Great White North
Occupation
Controls Systems firmware engineer
georgestolz said:
Welcome back, Julie. :)

I too was recently tattooed. :D

Mine is still peeling and itches sometimes. :D

I saw that just before I disappeared. It sounds like you're all healed up.

A friend took the stitches out last night. I've been so busy I've not had the time to replace my bifocals, so I can't see close enough to my face to have taken them out myself.

The first thing I did was whack my finger on something or other and bust open about a 1/8" part of the cut.
 

chris kennedy

Senior Member
Location
Miami Fla.
Occupation
60 yr old tool twisting electrician
tallgirl said:
The first thing I did was whack my finger on something or other and bust open about a 1/8" part of the cut.

Have you tried wrapping yourself in a couple layers of bubble wrap?
 

brian john

Senior Member
Location
Leesburg, VA
Hands are VERY important, a minor cut black tape works anymore than a minor cut I see a doctor. And finger tips are SOOOO sensitive...
 
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