Almost lost my hand, but my boat looks like glass!

[nathan104]

The gelcoat on my new(used) boat was horrible. I tried using heavy duty rubbing compound by hand with no luck. I saw it suggested to try one of the foam wax balls you can get at autozone. These are the kind you attach to a drill. Thought Id give it a shot. Put it on my cordless and try it out. Boat cover was on but I was just going to try out one spot to see if it worked. The cordless just didnt have enough power. SO, I went and pulled out my brand new electric hammer drill. This thing is a beast. Put the ball on and away I went. Man does that thing spin fast. It was getting really shiney! So I wanted to do a little more. I was blasting away, happy my boat was gonna look so good. WELL, it only takes a split second to go more bliss to screaming agony. Since I left my boat cover on, the ropes that go under the boat and tie onto the other side of the cover to hold it on were still there. I got a little to close and the big foam ball grabbed the rope. This drill spins like a demon. Its heavy to so one hand was supporting the weight of in on the body with my fingers only inches away from the chuck. The rope spun around my fingers and kept going. I let off the trigger but it doesnt stopp spinning instantly, it slowly winds down. I closed my eyes as my fingers were being strangled and twisted in the rope. In my mind I was screaming NOOOOOOOO. It hurt so bad. It finally stopped. I didnt want to look. I knew my fingers were twisted off and meat and bone would be sticking out. I pried my eyes open(the tears made it harder) and looked at my hand to see three fingers strangled with rope and bright purple. THEY WERE STILL ATTACHED THOUGH!! I reverse the drill and slowly backed off the rope. They were blood bruised and screaming at me. It went inside and iced them good. I thought one may have been broken but just iced them good and thanked the heavens I still had all my fingers. Its been a week and I still have no feeling on the side of one of my fingers and they still feel very sore. I was lucky though. Hopefully reading this, it may make someone think about this if they ever decide to do something stupid like I did. I just didnt even think about it. But I can guarantee you that next time Ill take the ropes off first

 

[crunch]

Re: Almost lost my hand, but my boat looks like glass!

Reminds me of a guy I know that got his hand in a Crab pot block... thrashed him around until 3 fingers and his thumb came off... you should have just let go of it 8)

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: Almost lost my hand, but my boat looks like glass!

Ive got a drill like that.I thought a couple of times i was going to brake my wrist.d

 

[BF]

Re: Almost lost my hand, but my boat looks like glass!

the numbness on the side of your finger could take weeks to go away. I had that once from carrying too many plastic grocery bags (5+?) at once. Each looped around a different finger. Handles on on a heavy bag caused crush damage to the nerve... I think an xmas turkey might have been involved. it went away.... eventually. (both the numbness and the turkey)

I just bought a 1/2" hammer drill... I hasn't bitten me, yet. Fun to zing through concrete.

 

[crunch]

Re: Almost lost my hand, but my boat looks like glass!

I just bought a 1/2" hammer drill... I hasn't bitten me, yet. Fun to zing through concrete.

I have a 1" SD hammer drill.... blows a 1/2 hole in concrete like it was in free fall, but I'd never use it for purposes it wasn't made for.... get a sander/buffer, your fingers and wrists will thank you.

 

[Fishstick1962]

Re: Almost lost my hand, but my boat looks like glass!

I hit the antenna on my car with a buffer one time... didn't get me but it did get my wallet. Had to replace a broken windshield.

 

[Hazmat91180]

Re: Almost lost my hand, but my boat looks like glass!

Without a doubt those hammer drills have a lot of torque. I always seem to pull that thing out when going through floor joists and ever time the bit gets stuck and jams my hand right up against the floor, which inevitably has nails sticking down through the floor. Every time.

 

[KRS]

Re: Almost lost my hand, but my boat looks like glass!

Without a doubt those hammer drills have a lot of torque. I always seem to pull that thing out when going through floor joists and ever time the bit gets stuck and jams my hand right up against the floor, which inevitably has nails sticking down through the floor. Every time.

You'd think you'd stop doing that :}

 

[n1zw_Robin]

Re: Almost lost my hand, but my boat looks like glass!

Something similar like that happend to me years back getting a glove caught , ending up with broken thumb and bruised ego. Leson learned real wuick use the correct tool for the job and keep yourself safe.

d

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Almost lost my hand, but my boat looks like glass!

years ago building window frames, had help from a the labor pool, it was cold running wood thru jointer, unprotected blade, the wood was too wide, finish last piece, and turn off jointer and turned around, blade still spinning. then heard a scream. the temp laborer, had wanted to see if the jointer would cut the glove.

 

[dhatcher]

Re: Almost lost my hand, but my boat looks like glass!

wow

i had a guy while i was in the military try to cut Parachute cord with a chainsaw

didnt lose a finger but he did get his thumb cut pretty good

 

[DC698]

Re: Almost lost my hand, but my boat looks like glass!

Nathan, I can relate to your throbbing finger pain. I have a 1" hammer drill that I use for work all the time. I was using it 3 weeks ago to remove creosote from a customers fireplace smoke chamber and flue (Im a chimney sweep) and I use very small diameter steel rods (Called ro-kleen rods) attached to the drill to spin very squickly inside the chimney. On my stupid part, I didnt put the side handle on to hold the drill with my left hand, and just held the drill near the chuck to stabalize it. Then my hand worked its way up to the first rod to get it into a better position (While spinning at full RPMS) and it grabbed my left hand glove and spun my fingers around the rod...I didnt have any time to react until it slowly spun to a stop and like you, I didnt want to open my eyes! I just felt the numbness in my fingers and hand and ran out to the truck and stuck my left hand into my cooler full of ice. Finished the job with my ring finger and pinky finger in agony though. And 3 weeks later, I still cant put my wedding ring on and it hurts to make a full fist. Live and learn!!! I wont rush and not put the handle on next time!!

 

[drewpster]

Re: Almost lost my hand, but my boat looks like glass!

OK heres mine. Part of my job is to do final inspections on the semi-tractors we work on. I was inspecting a truck that a fellow mechanic had just completed a repair job on. I informed him that the truck's clutch needed to be adjusted. As I walked around the front of the truck to complete my inspection he was in the process of hooking up a remote starter switch to bump the engine over to adjust the clutch. (this is needed to to adjust clutches on semi trucks) I reached in and grabbed the alternator belt to check its tension by pulling it. In the same moment the mechanic tested his button to see if was connected properly. It was. The engine rolled over pulling my hand through the alternator pulley. It severed the end of my middle finger between the end and middle knuckles and crushed my ring and pinky fingers. You know the pain you get when you hit your finger with a hammer? At first it screams at you then subsides? Well, it feels like that, only it don't go away. I was sure my hand would never walk again. I had a good doctor, and a motivated insurance company, so they reattached the finger and rebuilt the other two. Its been five years now, and I am good as new. Numbness aside.

 

[dtherrien]

Re: Almost lost my hand, but my boat looks like glass!

About 25 years ago, working iron in Little Rock, we sometimes would have to drill 3/4" holes through 2 layers of iron.....1"- 1 1/2" thick The 1/2" drills turned slow but had tons torque. I dont remember the brand of drill....but the way you gripped it....it would lock the trigger switch. As you can imagine every hole you drilled...you ended up in a tangled mess and with sprained wrist, busted knuckles. Finally i threw that drill off the building, from about 50' in the air, right in front of the owner of the construction company....told him that we needed drills with no switch lock. We all had new drills within a few days.