How'd You Get That Cool Scar? Warning Gory Pics.

Bet that left a mark.

(Sorry, couldn't resist.)


My worst scar is a flash steam/condensate burn on my left bicep and angling around to the side of my arm. Looks a bit like the state of Texas, just not so big. The skin is copy paper white in color, and never takes a tan anymore. I was working beneath a piece of equipment when my buddy accidently leaned against a 90-degree ball valve drain and dumped hot condensate at 25 psi to the atmosphere right above my arm. Hot water at 25 psi flashes to steam at atmospheric pressure. Funny thing, it didn't hurt like a hot metal burn to the skin until it blistered up. Then it made up for it. Still hurts if I get it sunburned, but not so bad in the shower or a hot tub.

Sorry, hard to snap a pic of it.

Noah
 
Heh, you should have seen me trying to get a picture of mine earlier. Larger hands would've come in handy.

Bob
 
aproy1101 said:
I don't take it lightly, but people do like to talk gore, and I thought we could benefit safety conditions among us and have a fun conversation at the same time.
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Sorry Andy, didn't mean to be a wet blanket, I guess I've just seen too much "stuff" that wasn't a bit funny.
But then again, I reckon I have seen some humorous stuff relating to shop safety/pain. Once upon a time (yup, oh crap here we go) there was this 55 gal. drum of pure mineral spirits, that some genius had taken the head off of and then covered the top of the drum with a canvas tarp, presumably to keep the mineral spirits from evaporating. Well, some of us were taking a break and shooting the breeze when one hapless individual decided he would cop a squat atop this here 55 gal. drum. He didn't know there was nothing beneath the canvas but, yikes, mineral spirits. Like a deviously laid trap, the drum swallowed the poor boy butt first, with his knees tucked up under his chin, arms and lower legs draped helplessly over the sides. Took some struggle to get him out, and no sooner than we did, he set to howling "it burns, it burns". Now put away the hot coffee, or other spillables as you imagine this next scene. Here's our pitiful wretch standing on the tarmac outside the hanger, shrieking in misery, trousers around his ankles, as three "angels of mercy" direct the streams of water hoses onto his "dangly bits". Just about then, crusty old Chief Master Sergeant Horace G. Temple (what a memory, guys we're talking 1977 here) rolled up cursing away at us, and threatening to call the MPs if we didn't explain ourselves real quick. "Rosy nuts" starts blubbering, couldn't get a coherent word out, but showing some sense in spite of his dilemma, he mutely pointed at the now disarrayed and well sloshed drum of mineral spirits, then slowly, almost painfully, pointed at his irritated, red, previously private parts. The Chief gave us all a stony glare for good measure, then walked away muttering and shaking his head. We got "Rosy" a clean pair of coveralls, and hauled him off to the infirmary. No serious harm done, and the medics, to their credit, didn't laugh at him, well, not in front of him anyway. ;)

Sarge
 
T. Erdelyi said:
My scars are my tattoos, once when I was younger and was arrested for hitting a LEO(sorry guys:( ), while being processed the officer asked if I had any unusual scars or tattoos, by the time I finished describing all my scars(5 minutes or more) he wrote down "None";)
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My late brother, the International Terrorist, had several tats including those 'earned' in prison, as did his son. My line was "They went for tatoos but I chose ritual scarifaction." <opens shirt to show gall bladder and bypass scars>
 
I don't have any pix of my latest, or even a stitch count but it went from the knuckle to the first joint of my right index finger. One look and I drove myself in m,y stick-shift truck to the ER. Bad To The Bone, Specialist. Surgury. Re-attached tendon.
I bought, a while back, a $15 table saw. Actually a table that one could attach a circular saw to. No guard or any other safety features at all. It scared the hell out of me and I was very carefull. No injuries but I had a couple kick-backs. I needed a circular saw that wasn't attached to a table though and my brother, Paco, sent me one he had that he'd used to cut off the end of his finger. I switched saws because Paco's had a broken power switch and missing guard.
One week ago - I thought I was being safe and using a push-stick with the left hand and stabelizing the board with my right. Knott? Twist! And that's when the djinn reached out and dragged my hand into the blade.
Previous injuries in a related vein <groan>.
* Lost thumb nail after missing with a hammer.
* Several times dropped wood on my shins.
mvc-483f.jpg

* Stuck chisel in my hand. So dumb I won't even describe how:mad:
mvc-516f.jpg


BTW, T. Erdelyi, scroll saw advocates use safety as a selling point: "With a scroll saw you could get a superficial cut that would be an amputation had you been using a band saw."

mvc-507f.jpg
 
This is getting better. Actually as I said the wound didn't hurt until the next day. The sound was so loud and the shock of the situation so tense that I was the last one to know I was hurt. My father in law was pointing to my hand and it felt wet, so I looked down and wow I'm all torn up.

That's friggin hilarious Sarge. I would have been laughing my brain out. "Sorry dude, but this is killing me." LOL
 
Well, I'd show y'all my best scar, about 14" in length.....

but some of you may know where a hip replacement scar IS!
 
i think y'all have increased my resolve to get and use vast arrays of safety equipment when i equip a future shop... i know about the hazards already, but yeow :>

o they make nice shop gloves - some with kevlar... not cut proof, but they help... i'm looking around for a pair to wear while sharpening knives with that convex system. one slip - ouch.
o "nut cup" - damn useful for other things as well
o shop apron - heavy canvas or leather... (also for the blacksmithing)
o hearing protection - i like in ear 32-33 dB foam plugs from howard leight (free samples!) and sometimes over ear muffs too...
o FULL FACE VISOR - and extra shields - polycarbonate or better, and if it doesn't extend down to the neck, a neck shield too. don't ask :>
o and ... mmmm. this is just my starter list...

also, you folx have massive first aid supplies nearby? like, compression pads (maxi pads!), and a tub of superglue? ;) yes. hell, one stump button push for help too :>

on the weird front - they have super table saws now that can instantly stop the blade if you touch it... course, that ruins the blade AND the stopper mechanism currently, i think i've read that they have a method that only kills the blade in the works.

keepin' it safe, and somewhat real

bladite
 
My suggestion is to learn about and make several kinds of jigs and push sticks. I have designed several push sticks to keep my hands away from the blade, or bits in the case of the router and shaper. ROUTERS AND SHAPERS KICKBACK JUST AS A TABLESAW DOES. Make your pushsticks long. Make them of 3/4" plywood. Make two types. One will have a notch to push the board forward. The other is almost straight and narrowing to a blunt tip which I dip in plasticote. That one holds the board against the fence when necessary for small parts etc.

Plus you need a corsscut sled, and a mitre sled. Those are fun projects that make the saw both more accurate and safer too.


ROUND THE CORNERS AND SAND THE HANDLES OF ANY PUSHSTICK YOU USE. Sorry I just thought maybe stating the obvious may be a good idea here.

Edited: Those gloves will protect you from knife cuts, but will aid in tangling you in a saw blade or router bit. I'VE NEVER SEEN A FURNITURE MAKER USE GLOVES AT THE POWER TOOLS.
 
Here is one I got when taking my Malla out to the workroom to fix the loose scabbard. It slipped out on the way.

Cut finger small.jpg


Here is the Malla (attempt at art picture)

Malla cropped.jpg
 
I always completely forget about my burn scar's.:rolleyes:
And that is the worse scar(s) I have. My shirt sleeve covers up the worst of it down pretty much to my elbow but from there on down to the back of my hand it's obvious that something happened there.
The scar(s) proper start from right at the shoulder and then run down around my bicep to around the back of my bicep and then down my forearm to the back of my hand.
It's not so noticeable on the back of my hand, just that the skin appears thinner there.
I thought sure I would've had a couple of scars on the front of my right thigh as I had a couple of severe blisters there but they didn't break so they healed cleanly.
I was being the fool yet again, "Knowing better than to do it but went ahead and did it anyway.":rolleyes: :grumpy: :o
Thankfully most of the burn was second degree with areas of first degree and with a few areas of really severe third degree burns where it burned all the layers of skin of down to the bare meat.
I was in the hospital a week and then had to bath the Silvodene off twice a day for a month until it had healed enough so that any danger of infection was gone. Then I went back to work.
I can tell you that it wasn't any fun sticking that hand and arm down into the hot cutting oil to clear chips away or to remove parts from the part's tray.:eek: :grumpy:
The moral of my story? Don't ever, ever, ever, use gasoline for anything except as for a fuel for which it was designed!!!! :o :o :o :o
 
Burns are bad. Actually a burn patient turned me from a physical therapy career. Child had 3rd degree all over legs and abdomen. We had to debreed the wound and the smell got me. Switched majors within a month.
 
Man I just nicked my fingernail on a tablesaw and that taught me all kind of respect . Looks like I got off easy ! As I am trying to put together a small workbench this comes at a good time for me . I,m glad it turned out relatively o,kay for you .
 
eswartz said:
Here is one I got when taking my Malla out to the workroom to fix the loose scabbard. It slipped out on the way.

Cut finger small.jpg


Here is the Malla (attempt at art picture)

Malla cropped.jpg
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Gee your Malla looks good ! :thumbup:

Chandon ?
 
Astrodada said:
Gee your Malla looks good ! :thumbup:

Chandon ?
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Yep, I got it as a blem on the DOTD. It has a severly "Y" shaped cracked handle (from bolster to buttcap) that I had to epoxy, and refinish.

Here is the original DOTD picture (the crack is on the other side :)):

7-13-05-1.JPG
 
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