Injury thread (NO PICTURES PLEASE!!)

[Thomas_H]

When i was young I debugged a digital logic experiment kit. I had to solder a few things and tested them one after the other. At some point I forgot to disconnect mains power and just turned it over to solder again.
I put my left hand into the wrong place holding the board.
Since then i never again tested 9v batteries with my tongue - which I did before. Its a similar feeling just "stronger" when current flows through your body parts ...

All the best ...

[GhostofJohnToad]

Hand drilling one of my first enclosures. Wasn't paying attention to where I had my hand.  Drill slipped and I drilled a good chunk out of a finger on my middle finger, fretting hand.  Luckily no stitches but I did suffer some nerve damage.

People that know me, know I shouldn't have sharp objects.

[Rockhorst]

I still have more blisters from occasionally playing bass (plectrums suck with bass) than from soldering. Most of the soldering burns happen not during soldering, but during DEsoldering actually. I try to wear gloves (when drilling), goggles (when soldering) and ear plugs (when drilling holes larger than 1 cm) as much as possible. Most severe injury to a finger happened when an exacto knife slipped while trying to cut the plastic wire that was holding a pair of socks together. You can't see it anymore, but the tip of my thumb came right off (pasted it back and over the coarse of a few weeks it healed perfectly).

[GermanCdn]

Multiple burns, a couple of drill incidents, my personal leasy favourite reoccuring one is stepping onto resistor leads which have embedded themselves into the carpet.  Needless to say i always wear glasses and slippers when I build.

My gnarliest pseudo pedal related injury was actually building a guitar, or more accurately building jigs for guitar building.  I was making some acrylic templates and was drilling some countersunk holes with a hand drill, eased up on the speed a bit which cooled the acrylic just enough to seize the bit, snapping it up half the flute.  Broken bit with countersink attachment jumped and went through my left hand index finger, ripping off the nail and driving straight through the tip of my finger.  I have a general rule that if I can't stop the bleeding in six minutes I go to the hospital, and i ducked that by about eight seconds.  Couldn't play for three months.

[das234]

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.

The Lego to the knee cap I can relate to but so far I'm pedal-related injury free. 

[aballen]

I've got a blister from a soldering iron healing right now.

I think my worst electrical incident was when I was replacing a light switch in my old condo.  I turned off all the breakers for the first floor and the switch was on the first floor so...

My wedding ring closed the circuit and my hand clinched up pretty hard.  Quite terrifying, quite painful.

Odd but I swear I could feel the 60hz, probably me just fighting to un clench my hand.

[gordo]

Same thing...dropped the iron and caught it cuz I was wearing shorts and didn't want to burn my leg.  Caught the wrong side.

I've been whacked a few times working on amps but am pretty good at applying the "hand in pocket" rule now.

[jkokura]

Man, I hear you guys on lots of these ones. I have stepped on leads, had them poke me, cut myself with knives/exacto, and burned myself with my soldering iron more times than I can list.

One quick tip - if you burn your finger in a minor way, grab your earlobe with the burned part as quick as you can and hold it. The cartilage of your ear will work like a heat sink and pull some of the heat out of your finger. Can save you from getting blisters and stuff.

At least, it seems to work.

Jacob

[mjcyates]

my personal leasy favourite reoccuring one is stepping onto resistor leads which have embedded themselves into the carpet

This one has gotten me a couple of times.

[lincolnic]

Once, without thinking at all, I gripped the tip of my iron (it was on) between my thumb and index finger while looking right at it. I knew it was going to be hot, but it happened anyway. I think my subconscious is out to get me.

[alanp]

I'm pretty sure it's a rite of passage. I've grabbed the hot part before, I really don't remember how since it normally lives in a holder.

Soldering irons are like knives -- do NOT try and grab it if you drop it.

Done the normal 'stand on resistor leads', thankfully that's the worst of it.

Taken a few electric shocks. I don't think you ever get used to those. I have a lead to drain caps that I usually clip onto my amps when I work on them.

I try to be careful when drilling, so far I haven't had an accident.

[haveyouseenhim]

I was cutting some copper board with a combination square and a box cutter one night. I was going too fast and the cutter slipped onto the combo square and lopped off the tip of my finger.

No insurance means home treatment. Daily iodine baths and fresh bandages. I must have done something right, it mostly grew back and even has some fingerprint.


Also, if you are soldering in your boxers, make sure there is a button on the flap   

[GermanCdn]

Also, if you are soldering in your boxers, make sure there is a button on the flap   

NEVER solder in your boxers.

[midwayfair]

To the one guy who answered he's never been injured because he's really careful: You need to build more pedals, my friend.

[billstein]

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.

That is so cool having an excuse like that!

My wife just asked me how much I was spending on pedals... I think I need to bang my head on something quick.