Honestly, it didn’t hurt a bit.
But, I guess I forfeit all my milkbones for the week for having my hand in the wrong place while nailing off the blocking in the rafters. Fortunately, the hand was NOT nailed to the rafters and a quick yank was all it took to slide this 16 out of its new home. About half its length was embedded in the chunk of meat at the base of the thumb.
How did it really happen??
First, of course, the left hand was too close to the work. Second, the blocking was horizontally between rafters – 16″ o.c. Third, the nailer was exactly horizontal between the rafters and fourth – you see it coming – the nailer is set for bounce firing and recoiled against the rafter and quickly fired off the errant missile.
It’s really embarrassing because I know how my nailer works and I know how to position the gun so it won’t be forced to bounce back and I really know how to hold a stick to keep the business end of the gun away from body parts. I also know that the blocking is supposed to fit the space and not have to be awkwardly held while reaching across two bays to make the connection.
Lessons relearned?
Don’t reach. Pay more attention to gun positioning. Move that other hand away. Don’t use a miscut. It only takes a couple of seconds to have the cut man send up the proper length. And, maybe think about changing to selective fire.
No downtime from the mishap except to shake off the woozy feeling and the roof framing was completed in another 3 hours. $17 for the tetanus booster.
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Edited 1/26/2004 12:36:18 AM ET by Ralph Wicklund
Replies
It happens to even the best. Bad day.
Looks like it is going to leave a couple of dandy scars to show the grandkids. Good to see it wasn't worse. Hit a ligament or go through a bone and things get serious. And expensive.
Let's all try to be careful out there. The jobs are hard and thankless enough and the pay low enough without getting seriously hurt.
Glad you weren't hurt any worse.
Hope your hand feels better soon.
The Middle Eastern states aren't nations, they're quarrels with borders [PJ O'Rouke]
I ouch with ya Ralph...BTDT....Cool idea on taking the pic thata way..what ya do cut off yer hand and superglue it to a window?
Glad it wasn't any worse than it was. Made me pucker just looking at the pic.
epsom salts with warm water fifteen minutes every two hours , glad it was a minor ooooppppsss. have a box on the shelf myself aahhhmm half gone........bear
Ouch there buddy!!!
That does remind me of a very similar injury I incurred in a very similar situation.
Long story short... I wound up nailing the first three fingers of my left hand together. The nail went in the index finger and out the ring finger. Fortunately the nail only went through the knuckle on one finger and the meaty part on the other two, no pierced bones. I think I used up all of my luck for the year on that one.
Did you see the guy crawl thru here awhile ago with one stick in his skull?
Excellence is its own reward!
i think he's workin' the boardwalk in coney island's sideshow......b"expectations are premeditated resentments"