Mistakes in the shop...

[Rchop]

I didn't want to hi-jack Dean's thread, so I will start this thread. I figure most people have a shop mistake or two. Post the descriptions of your injury and pics would be great :yikes:
With a few of these stories told, we all may be able to prevent a future accident.

[jamming]

So ah how much time do you have? :037: I seem to be the poster boy for the old adage " Experience is the best teacher" :linzi:

Back story on my 4X rivet gun experience. Anyone that's driven a 1/4 inch rivet with a rivet gun knows its a real bear and that 4X rivet gun is the .50 CAL equivalent in rivet guns.

I had 10 rivets to drive and didn't want to wait for help. I figured I could do it no problem. After all I could reach around with my left hand to hold the bucking bar. I got the bucking bar on the working end of the rivet. Used my thumb to stabilize the bar on the edge of the stringer, put the gun on the head, teased the trigger, and let her have it. The rest is a blur, the gun slipped off, caught my thumb, blood flew, I let go of the bucking bar, dropped the rivet gun and cursed madly.

To be honest I was afraid to look. I did...finally. It was bad :linzi:, so off to the Clinic I went. It was bleeding profusely so I wrapped it up in a shop rag and duct taped it together so as not to get my truck all bloody.

I get to the clinic and walk up to nurse. She asks me whats wrong. I start telling her that I cut my thumb and start unwrapping my tape job. She takes one look at the shop rag dripping blood all over her counter and takes me right back. Lesson #2, if you have to go to the ER clinic, hurt yourself bad enough you don't have to wait :pot:. We all KNOW what lesson #1 is...right?

Well, 6 stitches later and my thumb is swollen up 10 times its normal size. I still have a nice scar that shows up real nice on a fingerprint.

Anybody want to hear about my drilling out the head of a bolt for safety wire without a clamp experience? :icon_redface:

[BobFV1]

I have an affinity for putting bearings in backwards after I repack them.

[Rchop]

Tell them all Rodger. What does a 4X rivet gun look like?

I have been hurrying my build lately to get done in time for the Sept. meet. Yesterday was finally the time to make my battery tray. I have been trying to decide where to put the battery for weeks and finally came to a decision to mount it under the seat. The bottom of the tray is to be made from small angle iron cut and welded like a picture frame. Normally, I would cut the angle proud with the plasma cutter and dress down the cuts with the bench mounted 10" disc grinder. Being in a hurry, I decided to cut the 45 degree angles with my 4.5 inch angle grinder with a cut-off wheel. This would save a step in the process :linzi: I marked off the 45 cut and made a successful cut on the first piece and was using it as a guide to match up the cut on the second piece.
http://www.frsengineering.com/pp94.JPG

I had the grinder in my right hand and was steadying the pieces with my left hand. Gloves and face shield were on. I was almost thru the cut when the cut-off wheel grabbed the last little metal edge left, shredding the wheel edge and throwing it to the left, into my forearm. It bounced off my left arm and wrapped itself up in my tee-shirt. I couldn't turn off the switch, so I reached down to pull the plug with my left hand and saw blood spurting out of a large gash. I immediately applied pressure with the right gloved hand and called my wife to take me to the emergency room taking 9 stitches in the arm. The only real pain experienced was when they released the torniquet after the stitches were placed.

scene of the crime...
http://www.frsengineering.com/pp93.JPG

http://www.frsengineering.com/pp95.JPG

I hate to ruin a good Bonneville tee-shirt
http://www.frsengineering.com/pp96.JPG

Now, you know how to NOT cut anlge iron in the shop!!

[Rchop]

I have an affinity for putting bearings in backwards after I repack them.

Tapered bearings??

[DarthRider]

I saw the tail-end of an interview on TV the other day. An ER doctor or nurse was talking about excessive/dangerous delays in ERs.
I was only half listening and wish I'd been paying more attention, and heard it all. She had a list of things to tell the ER to get to the head of the line...things like blurry vision, "not being ones self", and others.
Anyone know what they all are? I wouldn't "cheat" with a low-level injury, but I wouldn't mind moving ahead of some bleeding gang-bangers if I thought my wife was having a stroke. Could be handy sometime...

One of my bad shop experiences...
I have a bad habit of pulling myself up off the floor. Once I was working on the right side of my race bike, while it was leaning left on the sidestand. This was before I had the BLESSING of a bike lift and was sitting on the floor, cross-legged just like an Indian.
When finished I reached up - thinking I had proper leverage, etc. - and pulled myself up, pulling the bike over on top of myself, the two of us ending up in a twisted mass of steel, fiberglass, rubber, flesh, bone & blood. You would not believe the pain & damage a 260 lb. race bike can inflict, if done "properly"!

This also ties in with one of my Basic Shop Rules: Don't drink beer while working on a motorcycle, or with a power tool in your hand.

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement!"


EDIT: Damn Randy, I just saw the pics & post of your losing fight with the angle grinder...HOLY SHIT!

[BobFV1]

Tapered bearings??No - even I can figure that out :eusa_clap: - don't get me near a bicycle bearing race, though.

[jamming]

http://www.planetools.com/Images/4X_RIVET_GUN.jpg

4X refers to the "hit" it has. A 4X will drive up to a 1/4 aluminium and 3/16 steel rivet. They make them up to 9X...a 9X WILL severely maime you.

You use a bucking bar to drive the rivet on. My favorite 1 is a lot like this one. Mines a 2 pounder.

http://www.matcotools.com/ProductImages/TP760C-1L.jpg

There's way too many types of rivets to go into here. I love sheetmetal work. I have more than a few scars from riveting. You sacrifice your body to keep from scarring the aircraft skin :linzi:. Its an art that takes lots of practice and right tool.

[1MPH]

Randy, glad you are not too much the worst for wear.
Will this put you behind schedule?

Your new nickname is Cicatriz, taken from my favorite John Wayne movie.

[jamming]

Hers another one:

I was putting a Cessna 310 back together and didn't order enough "H" bolts. The H shows that the head is drilled for safety wire. No problem, I have a drill press, a fixture for drilling the bolt head and the proper bit. Hell, I only needed 1 so why get out the fixture which is a fancy clamp the bolt head fits into.

I chucked up the bit, spun up the speed and proceeded to drill out the head while holding the bolt down on the press table. The bit caught it and it was ripped out of my fingers at high speed and it came off the bit and fired right over my left shoulder barely missing my left ear. It flew into the darkest recesses of the hanger. I never looked for it. After changing my underwear :rofl: I got out the right tool and finished.

I told ya I was the poster boy :icon_redface:.

How about a twofer???? On the same airplane. The 310 was my Dad's and I. After almost killing myself with a flying bolt I gave my Father a shock. :linzi:

We were rebuilding both magnetos on both engines. I had removed them and was doing one set and my Dad had already done another set. I had charged both condensors of the magnetos and sat them on the workbench. The procedure is to charge them, let them sit for a "dwell" time specified by the manufactor then discharge them.

As us older guys know, a condensor will light you up. The condensors on a Slick magneto will REALLY give you a shock. As they are sitting on the workbench my Dad walks up and starts to pick them both up before I could say anything. He got quite the shock from both of them. Boy was he pissed.

I should of covered them with a folded tent of cardboard like he taught me.

[Rchop]

Dang Roger, workin on planes can be hazardous. I wouldn't want to be on the other end of that rivet gun either.Those condensors could be fun though:webers:

[Rchop]

Bob, what happens when you put them in backwards, I'm not familiar with bicycle bearings.

Jack, I am still shooting for a Sept run at Maxton, we will see.

Dave, too bad my cell phone was in my left pocket while they were working on the left arm in the Emergency room, I could of had some really good pics :eusa_doh:

[jamming]

Dang Roger, workin on planes can be hazardous. I wouldn't want to be on the other end of that rivet gun either.Those condensors could be fun though:webers:

Only if YOU allow it to be. ;)

Randy we used to have a great time with condersors in Autoshop class.

[DarthRider]

My old (larger) shop was a cross between Peckerhead Headquarters, a working shop, and a "museum" of sorts. (Betty called it a "Monument to Foolishness"...can you imagine!?) People were always leaving junque there they couldn't sell in a garage sale and didn't want to throw away. And I had a ton of really cool "guy stuff" on display.
One guy brought a half-dozen or so large electrical devices of various sorts..."gizmos" I calls 'em!
One of them, still in original box, was a humongous big condensor. Maybe the size & shape of a quart beer can, if beer came in quart cans!
An electrician bud came by and saw it and nearly flipped! He asked if I had shorted it out, I told him no, I'd just screwed around with it. He wouldn't touch it until I laid a big screwdriver blade across it...nothing happened.
He told me that thing could easily kill you if it was charged up!
Could that be the truth, or was he pissin' on my pants leg?

[Donson]

Sooooo,Rog....what did it do to THE AIRPLANE???? Hope it wasn't composite,at Bell Hell,they would have tied You to an anthill,and poured on the syrup... I was building an air box for a turbo system for an experimental Marchetti F-260 We were working on.I had a tubing bend in My left hand ,26,000 RPM die grinder in My right .It was thick wall alum tubing. I had a large flute grinding barrel on the grinder,making the rough cuts for a compound curve fit...All was well,I did this all the time. Well not this part,I looked away for a second,and the flute caught,walked around the inside of the tubing bend,out he edge,and across My left thumbnail. As in,I watched My thumbnail,and all the tissue,ect ,under it,all the way to the bone,leave its proper place,and plaster itself to the white wall beside Me.Blood splatter from the tabletop,to the white ceiling tiles,and forget My nice white uniform shirt.I set down the grinder,and stared at My thumb.I walked into the Boss office and asked Him if He could drive Me to the emergency room. He took one look and passed out. All they could do was bandage it,and that is when I learned to button My pants with only one thumb. For weeks.Try it.....Next installment- Fun With The Drill Press! Lesson learned: Dont go to the Emergency Room. Start ingesting large quantities of beer,the sooner the better.:linzi::028::icon_redface:

[jamming]

He told me that thing could easily kill you if it was charged up!
Could that be the truth, or was he pissin' on my pants leg?

Total truth!!!!

A big one like that can easily store a charge of a few thousand volts. That can punch your ticket. :linzi:

I've been zapped way too many times working on 110V AC aircraft electrical systems. You know that explains a lot huh? :embarassed:

[jamming]

Sooooo,Rog....what did it do to THE AIRPLANE????

Nothing..it was MY airplane....I had to fly my mistakes. Needless to say, I kept them to a minimum. Ask anyone who's watched me wrench how anal I am.

[vintagemxr]

Early last year I was soldering a couple of wires for my brother and the iron sort of flipped the springy wire which tossed off a glob of solder which then warped the space time continuum enough for the glob of molten solder to find it's way to the side of my wedding band between my fingers where it instantly bonded to the gold which then transfered it's molten heat to my gentle flesh. What were the odds? It could have hit the floor, my brother (might have been funny then) or anywhere in the garage but it got my wedding ring.


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_MXUMjGyxT04/SmapJdIMPOI/AAAAAAAABdY/wHI0LSGNI68/s200/ouch.jpg (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_MXUMjGyxT04/SmapJdIMPOI/AAAAAAAABdY/wHI0LSGNI68/s1600-h/ouch.jpg)

When the solder hit the ring and the gold ring went solder-hot I began doing the wild man boogie around the garage trying to get the ring off, which I did. I looked down at the badly blistered skin on my digit and knew from past painful experience with a Hodaka exhaust pipe what that meant. My brother looked at the skin and said "Oh dude, that sucks!" Then I began quickly pulling off the blistered skin. Bro yelled "Dude!! Dude!! What are you doing???? What are you doing???" I replied that the burnt skin had to come off now or later and it would hurt less now than later. He looked it me when I was done and said "Pulling burnt flesh from your own body? You da man!!"


http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_MXUMjGyxT04/Smot4e1FxBI/AAAAAAAABdo/ahdoqLcF398/s400/toughguy.jpg (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_MXUMjGyxT04/Smot4e1FxBI/AAAAAAAABdo/ahdoqLcF398/s1600-h/toughguy.jpg)


Being me I could not resist having some fun with a bad situation before the real pain set in so I walked in the house and to the bedroom where the fair and lovely Debbie was resting. I took the wedding ring and laid it on the night table and say flatly "I'm done wearing that for a while." This caused some concern on her part and fairly priceless expression on her face which was my whole intent. Then I showed her my toasted finger. The usual stuff ensued: Clean up, bandage, kiss the boo boo. Later, a trip to the doc because of concern about infection confirmed the 3rd degree burn.



The finger healed fine, took about three months though, and I now have a pretty much permanent wedding band on my finger which makes Debbie happy.

the other Doug

[Rchop]

I now have a pretty much permanent wedding band on my finger which makes Debbie happy.

the other Doug

I'm a firm believer in things that were meant to be :eusa_clap: LOL you are "Da Man"

[Rchop]

.Blood splatter from the tabletop,to the white ceiling tiles,and forget My nice white uniform shirt.I set down the grinder,and stared at My thumb.

Too bad we don't have pics of that one :yikes:

[Rchop]

I had an accident at work quite a few years back that damaged a tendon in my left hand. I was at my surgeon's office where he was describing the procedure to repair the damage. I asked if he had a picture of what he was trying to describe and his whole face lit up as he said "You would really like to see some pictures?" I said, yes, before I thought too much about it, he had several picture albums out from his desk. I actually enjoyed it as he described the details of several different hand surgeries and the pride he had in his work. "This is definitely the guy I want to cut on my hand" I thought to myself later. Everytime I went to his office after that, the latest pics would be shown with the detailed descriptions told.

[JCsman]

Not a shop accident, my stories centered on my time as a construction worker trying to pay my way through college.

I was a driller on a dynamite crew MANY years ago. Before hard hats or hearing protection or anything approaching safety training.

One early morning the drill steel (about 1" diameter, hollow) broke (WTF!) and the next "hammer" sent shards of steel flying. One flew through the outer layer of my forearm making a nice, clean cut. Turned off the drill, flagged the compressor operator to shut mine down and walker over to the powder monkey.

He twisted my arm back and forth a few times and opined it would likely need a slug of chewing tobacco placed on it or stitches. Red Man was the apparent tobacco of choice for substantial wounds.

I thought stitches were the better choice. So we loaded into Pee Wee's company pickup (Keep that damn arm OUTSIDE my truck, boy!" Thank goodness it was my right arm.) and headed for the clinic. Of course the clinic didn't open for 45 minutes.

Now Pee Wee liked me well enough so he bought two donuts and gave me one to eat while we waited.

By the time the clinic opened the arm, the truck side and a fair amount of asphalt was painted by a mix of my blood and rock dust. There was no hesitation getting into the doc.

After Pee Wee snorted, "Nine stiches, hell, only nine? I oughta make you wash the truck" Instead he hauled me back to the job to finish the day out.

Not as bad as the time I burnt my palm off, but more blood.

[Boxerboy]

I saw the tail-end of an interview on TV the other day. An ER doctor or nurse was talking about excessive/dangerous delays in ERs.
I was only half listening and wish I'd been paying more attention, and heard it all. She had a list of things to tell the ER to get to the head of the line...things like blurry vision, "not being ones self", and others.
Anyone know what they all are? I wouldn't "cheat" with a low-level injury, but I wouldn't mind moving ahead of some bleeding gang-bangers if I thought my wife was having a stroke. Could be handy sometime...

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement!"

Here's two Darth scenario's that are triaged as immediate.

Chest pain, severe crushing, central, radiating to the left wrist...sign of heart attack. Straight to the top of the line. If at home take 300mg of aspirin whilst waiting for the ambulance.

Sudden severe headache, asymmetrical facial features, unsteady on feet, falling to the left. Transient ischaemic "brain attack" (TIA) immediate early sign of stroke. Straight to the top of the line.

[DarthRider]

Not as bad as the time I burnt my palm off, but more blood.

Yeah, when I was a kid the new issue of Penthouse always had the same effect on me...



Steve/Boxerboy - Thanks for the info, you never know...

[Donson]

This sounds like the scene from JAWS,where the Guys are bragging about their Shark bite scars.....

[vintagemxr]

This sounds like the scene from JAWS,where the Guys are bragging about their Shark bite scars.....

Odd isn't it, that the stories of the bad stuff are more fun to re-tell than ones about a great ride under clear blue skies, birds singing, majestic mountains, and all that? Long ago I used to do a lot of oxy-acetylene welding (tuned pipes for 2-strokes) and could run beautiful beads all day long. But it's more fun to tell about how I burnt the crap out of my finger last year with a soldering iron.

the other Doug

[socalrob]

I saw the tail-end of an interview on TV the other day. An ER doctor or nurse was talking about excessive/dangerous delays in ERs.
I was only half listening and wish I'd been paying more attention, and heard it all. She had a list of things to tell the ER to get to the head of the line...things like blurry vision, "not being ones self", and others.
Anyone know what they all are? I wouldn't "cheat" with a low-level injury, but I wouldn't mind moving ahead of some bleeding gang-bangers if I thought my wife was having a stroke. Could be handy sometime...



Not to hijack the thread, but in my experience as a parent and maybe 8 ER visits in the last 19 or so years, the best/fastest ER experience is when the patient arrives in an ambulance. Well, actually, the very best ER experience was when my oldest daughter took a header off a horse (and got a pretty decent concussion - lost her memory for a few hours) at a show sponsored by the charity for the local hospital and the CEO of the hospital who witnessed said header called ahead for us. But without a CEO, I would go with the ambulance if it is anything serious just on the basis that you will get immediate attention at the ER. Its not like the ambulance crew lets you off in the ER waiting room. Not a matter of whether or not you can drive to the ER, its how you need to be treated there.

[Rchop]

I don't have much experience with ER's, but the times I have been in one before, there has always been quite a crowd in the waiting room (SoCal). This particular time, I was the only one there and the attending DR is a BMW motorcycle enthusiast. When I was ready to leave, the ER nurse, who is also a motorcycle enthusiast, asked me if I needed some new tools for my shop. I left with a "BioHazard" bag full of all the stainless tools they used to work on me:)

[Boxerboy]

Shaft drive rules!

http://www.cbr600f4.com/secondary_pages/seajay.html

[DarthRider]

Well...I always lube my chains with the bike on the center stand, in gear and running.
But my fingers never get closer to the chain than than about 6 inches.
I don't rush, I don't get distracted, I never have a rag in either hand or touch the chain...and I don't stick my fingers in it! It's no more dangerous than using most power tools, you just have to pay attention.
Besides...shaft drives are for pussies!:webers:

[Donson]

Or,You could purchase a bike with belt-drive,and not have to mess with it for 100,000 miles....just a thought.:pot::pot:

[DarthRider]

Or,You could purchase a bike with belt-drive,and not have to mess with it for 100,000 miles....just a thought.:pot::pot:

Yeah, Yamahas are OK...

[Donson]

ouch

[Wild Will]

Interesting and provocative thread. I've worked with tools since I was a lad, and for money since I got my first job at an Esso gas station. I've seen and felt some nasty brushes with the Reaper. One time when we were building an authentic Japanese house, one of the guys jammed open the saw guard on his Skil model 77 circular saw (we all did it as needed...), and cut a horizontal slice off a too-low door header during framing. Bringing the saw down abruptly (the bastage is heavy!), he raked it across his thigh, cutting deeply but missing the femoral artery. Still, a bloody mess. And, the guy (an after work surfer) was wearing shorts. Nine inches worth of stiches. The newly finished (but still unsanded) oak floor had to be replaced in that area.

Next bit of jolly fun was when we were building a house for an artist of some repute on a cliff. The guy's son had just been ejected from the SEAL program for cheating by removing his gloves during the testing that required the threading of a small nut on a bolt while ensconced in complete hard hat dive gear, and of course he was caught. Next, he came home to help his dad and the carpenters on the job. This guy was a badass and could do it all. He was nailing 20' 2X12 rafters, which I handed up to him pre-cut, to the ridge beam with a framing nailer. As he climbed along to nail the next rafter, he shot a 16 penny nail through his knee. He squeeled like a pig with a spear in it's gut (that's another story, but pig hunting is big on the north coast), and was flown to the hospital via a $9,000 helicopter ride. He missed the popliteal artery, and got lucky that time. Arterial bleed-out takes less than a minute.

Personally, I was building a hot rod back in the 70's here in the woods, and one night I got a piece of hot steel in my eye from a broken cutting tool. Hurt like hell and I could do nothing about it, so I drove one-eyed two hours in the night to the hospital along curvy coastal roads with no depth perception at all, and made it to the ER in three hours. I still have a permanent scar on my eye which is annoying from time to time, but it could have been lots worse. Always wear a shield!

Last one was when I was renovating a local inn while watching my 2 year old, whose mom had just decided to leave after only 17 years married. Went to a commune in Montana. Still having to pay the bills and tend to my precious boys, I was preoccupied slightly, and managed to cut my left thumb with a Skil saw, a smaller one (5") that kicked back and raked my hand, which needed 55 stiches. It'll never be the same but it doesn't interfere with my clutch! The scars are ugly. I could go on. Be careful with power tools and with women. Just because you think you know her, like I did, doesn't make it so. And, always wear work gloves.

Apropos mentioning the runaway bride in a thread about tool damage? Why not, it's just as painful. Maybe more. Oh, the 2 year old is now 22 and graduated with a BS in May, and is my best friend. When I finally retire when I'm 80, I'll haul all my tools down to the wharf and throw them into the Pacific. I don't know another tool whore who'd disagree with me.

[Arby]

Another route to the front of the line at the ER is via a burn.

About 1980 or so, I had a car pull in the shop in Maryland with a blown upper radiator hose. I let it sit for a while (but apparently not long enough :) ). Since I could tell via the hole in the hose that it was no longer steaming, I removed the radiator cap. I'm just guessing here, but I think the thermostat must have opened (for some reason)and scalding hot antifreeze mix came shooting out of the radiator a few moments after I removed the cap.

I had time to hear it coming and started to turn away, but it caught the right side of my face, upper right arm, right chest and lower back.

I ran in the shop, got a water hose and proceeded to hose my self down as best I could with clear water.

Shirtless, I drove myself to the closest hospital, maybe 15/20 miles away. I parked as close as I could (driving a small wrecker)and headed in. Since this was south Baltimore, they had security even then. The security cop saw me glowing like a lobster and asked "burns?" I answered yes, and he lead me to the office and told the nurse "burns".

There was no info taking, no insurance questions, etc. Another nurse lead me to a cubilcle, they finished stripping me and started right in bathing me in some solution.

It took a month or so to heal and the only scar is my upper right arm appears to not have any pigment. It is totally white and will not tan, if exposed to the sun. It'll just burn and peel.

Of course, I knew better, but that little incident definitely taught me to have more patience, especially with overheating vehicles.

RB

[Rchop]

I learned a lesson like that RB, but it wasn't quite as bad. I was stationed in Jax, FL and driving back home to Tucson on leave. Around Van Horn, TX, I stopped to refuel and popped the hood on my 69 Camero to check the engine oil. When I leaned in, I put my hand on the radiator cap and it flew apart under pressure from the hot radiator. I was wearing a tank top and sunglasses, but the whole uncovered left top side of my body got covered with hot anti freeze. I soaked in cool water in the men's room for a while and then continued on my journey home. Buy the time I got to Tucson, it looked like I had a dark tan on the afflicted area. It painfully peeled off, but there were no lasting scars.

After listening to some of these tales, it's amazing we are still here with most of our extremeties!

[DarthRider]

Arby got stripped by a nurse!

[jamming]

Or,You could purchase a bike with belt-drive,and not have to mess with it for 100,000 miles....just a thought.:pot::pot:

About 60,00-70,000 miles is the limit. I'll do it for 250 bucks in labor which is about a third of what a dealer will charge. Easy 2-3 hour job.

[Deans BMW]

Actually, I have been quiet lucky as far as accidents are concerned ( knock on wood), two airplane crashes as a test pilot, walked away from both, more or less, my last motorcycle crash was in '77 but the scariest heart stopper was building the MC B&B. All the beams that hold up the second story are 16-18' 6 x 16 Doug fir that weigh between 400 and 500 lbs each. building by myself, the only way I could get them up in place was to use Big Red the Man Toy front end loader with clamp on forks attached. The problem was that the front end loader on Big Red would lift only about 9' hi and I needed a lift of about 10'. So Imade a rig out of pallets securely clamped between the forks and top of the bucket, came to almost 10' with the bucket tilted slightly back. I sweated bullets each time I manuvered each of the 15 beams in place because I was carefully moving around a 4 to 500 # 16 to 18 ft long beam 10' up in the air. Both OSHA and my insurance agent would of s**t if they had seen the several week long heart stopping Ballet of beam lifting and placing. Well on the last beam my luck ran out just as I was doing the final placement 10' up, one end caught and down it came, my heart stopped as I could not get out of the way, it crashed down on the tractor and was stopped by the steering wheel, the uprite exhaust pipe and the hydraulic lift control pedistal. The beam came to a stop on the steering wheel 6" from my chest. had it gone just an inch further, it would have crushed my chest like a grape. I turned the tractor off shakely climbed down and possibly drew my first breath since the beam started its downward treck, heart racing I walked to the house and didn't go back to the build for three days.

This is the first time I have ever mentioned it, have not even told Mz Pam.

That literally scared the s**t out of me. Some one was looking out for this old dummy that day.

[Deans BMW]

This is the beam in question.

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/127595687_uVYDZ-O.jpg

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/126045805_Gj9nF-M.jpg

Just found this pic.

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/126045812_sSorh-M.jpg

[1MPH]

Dean, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

[Deans BMW]

Dean, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

No kidding.

I had completely forgotten about this incident, or perhaps I think I put it out of my mind.

However in the writing and subsequent remembering, i could feel my heart racing and myself getting extremely agitated.

An adult beverage will no doubt be curative.....................:)

[Rchop]

Yeah, a beer or six would probably be the doctors orders after that :yikes:

[Arby]

Or,You could purchase a bike with belt-drive,and not have to mess with it for 100,000 miles....just a thought.:pot::pot:

I asked the local Harley dealer (Spacecoast HD/Buell)about changing the belt on my Buell. They said the belts regularly go 100,000 mile + . They said most of them that they change are done while other major work is being done. IE: it's apart anyway, so let's change it out.

The three I've had, '98 Buell S3, '02 Softtail standard and '00 Superglide Sport the belts were trouble free. Just remember to adjust them properly when installing a new tire. Harley sells a belt tension gauge for $18.00 (when I bought mine)that helps set correct tension every time.

RB

[Donson]

About 60,00-70,000 miles is the limit. I'll do it for 250 bucks in labor which is about a third of what a dealer will charge. Easy 2-3 hour job.

No thanks Rog,between the 2 Harleys,I have enough belt life left to ride,almost ,to the Moon before replacement will be necessary.:)

[1MPH]

I ride to the Moon.



IN!!! :041: :041: :041: :dance: :dance: :dance:

[Arby]

OK, here's another one.

During one winter in the early 80's, the Mid -Atlantic area was gripped by an Artic cold spell. Temps during night below zero and not much better during the day. Stuff was freezing at night and not thawing during the day.

Near our shop was (is?)one of the busiest truck stops in the US.
We did all of their heavy duty wrecker work.

When conditions got bad, such as during the above mentioned cold spell, we would leave at least one wrecker with them to dispatch as needed. This one particular night, I'm working the night shift providing the wrecker service for them.

We've got Tractor & trailers all over the place with frozen air lines, frozen fuel lines, poor quanity fuel that had turned to gel (mainly from southern based trucks), and I'm towing them in to the truck stop shop all night. The truck stop is not sending anyone out for road service, it's just too cold.

Anyway, it's about 4:00 am, I've got a big rig on Southbound I 95just north of Rt 32 (That's the exit for Bob's BMW for those who know the area). The wrecker is old fashioned by todays standards, but is state of the art by that day's standard. ( W 900 Kenworth with 30 ton Weldbuilt rig) In those days we weren't using the underreach systems like they use today. We had the towbar system that pushed against the front bumper.

As SOP, we removed the front bumper and placed a heavy section of angle iron under and in front of the front spring hangers and the force of the tow bar held it in place, thus preventing any damage to an expensive bumper. The repair shop would re install the bumper, driveshaft, air line conponents and anything else we needed to remove in order to rig up for a safe and damage free tow.

I'm under the front of this T&T, in sub zero weather, on the side of the interstate, having been working for about 24 hours straight, removing the front bumper as described above, when the 1/2 in drive rachet I'm using slips and hits me right on the chin. Damn near knocked me out. I laid there for a few seconds, got my wits about me, checked my teeth and found they were all still intact, and went ahead and finished rigging up for the tow.

While all this is going on, the wrecker is still running of course, and the heater is going full blast. I jump in the wrecker, grateful for the heat, and prepare to proceed to the truck stop. After a few minutes I feel something warm running down my chest and realize that I'm bleeding like a stuck pig.
Apparently it was so cold out that the blood from my chin had congealed while I was out side, but started to flow freely inside the heated cab. I stopped and tied my hankerchief around my chin and neck to catch as much of the blood as I could, then continued to the truck stop.

After dropping the rig, I went in to see what was next. Lucky for me the night shop manager was a compasionate female, not some get 'er done, buck up kind of guy. She sees all the blood down the front of me, sets me down, gets out the first aid kit and cleans and patches me up the best she can.

I get the info for the next tow and head back out. I need to let the guys who are off duty get some rest, as they've been working just as hard as me, and they'll be plenty busy when they do come back on duty.

About 8;00 AM, one of my guys meets me at the truck stop when I come in with another rig on the hook and takes over for me.

I head up to the local ER, get 8 stitches in my chin, check in with the shop to make sure things are covered OK, then head home for some much needed sleep.

RB

[Rchop]

RB, you are "Da Man" :eusa_clap::eusa_clap:

[Deans BMW]

Wow, RB.

BTW, what are the charges for a tow like that?

[Arby]

Wow, RB.

BTW, what are the charges for a tow like that?

Back then, we had a flat rate w/ the truck stop of $150.00. This is for local ,close by stuff.

Now days, I have no idea. Probably $500 to $750, something like that.

We sold that business in 1985. I still miss it sometimes. Then I wake up and come to my senses :)

RB

[DarthRider]

Damn Arby, but you are one tough old SOB!