stupid things you've done

[Doc Sprocket]

even worse when you have to run across a dark yard from the shop to the house to wash out your eyes, while not being able to see.

I had one of those, worse even. I wouldn't qualify it as a stupid thing, as it wasn't my fault.

I had just bought my '85 Fiero (this was in 1998), and had only been driving it a couple days. I'd bought it cheap and was still working the bugs out- brakes, exhaust, etc. I pulled into a service station to top up the washer fluid. With the engine running, I opened the hood and peered into the engine bay. After a moment, I became aware of a searing pain developing in both eyes. It really did take a good 30 seconds or so for me to figure out why.

The previous owner had poorly fitted an oversize battery into it. It was larger than the battery tray, and not secured very well. In driving, the battery had shifted ever so slightly to the left, and the water pump pulley was now chewing a groove in one side.

Yeah- My eyes were burning like absolute he// because I had just sprayed a fine mist of sulfuric acid into both of them!!!!!

Half blind and 3/4 freaked, I ran stumbling into the service bay asking for the washroom. Once I managed to locate the sink, I flushed my eyes for a good 5 minutes or so.

Having averted the crisis (or so I thought) I went home. I changed out the leaking battery for another one I had. The irritation in my eyes continued and after a couple hours I (wisely, but shoulda done this sooner) became concerned and drove myself to the hospital.

Torture? Man, I confessed to starting both world wars, and creating the Edsel! Here's what they did to me- Laying me on a table, they hooked up a litre (quart) IV drip bag of ice-bloody-cold saline solution to a little eyecup thingy, and stuck it in my right eye. They pulled my eyelids over the cup to keep it in. For the next 40 minutes or so, I had to lay there dead still while this thing drip...drip...drip... (about twice a second) ice cold crap in my eye. That'll get a confession out of anyone.

Having survived that (barely), they rigged up a fresh bag, and shoehorned the danged thing into my left eye. Another 40 mins of drip...drip...drip...

Have I mentioned how much I HATE having crap in my eyes???

Lord, I apologize for whatever I ever did to deserve that, I promise I'll never do it again!

 

[kendelrk]

i thought i was good enough once, was repairing a tecumseh, i shot the carb cleaner at the wrong angle, came back and hit me in my eyes, i stumbled in the house, found the sink, and flushed that for 10 minutes, that was a pain

 

[dave1701]

Angle grinding for a long time without ear protection. I thought I had gone deaf after.

 

[fowler]

Jeez- must be nice to have liquid nitrogen on hand! I've had to leave bearing races in my freezer overnight to get them to shrink a bit!

sure is fun stuff
takes 4 seconds to cool a 6 pack on a friday afternoon
gotta love the carton rule
iv also done the same as dave

could probs make a long list here
u would think id learn

 

[kendelrk]

do we ever learn? naw, we just do it diffrently

 

[fowler]

trial and error

 

[devino246]

do we ever learn? naw, we just do it diffrently

Speak for your self.

 

[Bluethunder3320]

Angle grinding for a long time without ear protection. I thought I had gone deaf after.

lol i havent ever worn ear protection grinding



and yes i have done a lottttta grinding. i just dont have ear plugs and dont have the urgent need to go get them.

 

[Rustydog2010]

Speak for your self.

'A fool learns from his mistakes, but a truly wise man learns from the mistakes of others'.

 

[HellSpawn]

I had one of those, worse even. I wouldn't qualify it as a stupid thing, as it wasn't my fault.

I had just bought my '85 Fiero (this was in 1998), and had only been driving it a couple days. I'd bought it cheap and was still working the bugs out- brakes, exhaust, etc. I pulled into a service station to top up the washer fluid. With the engine running, I opened the hood and peered into the engine bay. After a moment, I became aware of a searing pain developing in both eyes. It really did take a good 30 seconds or so for me to figure out why.

The previous owner had poorly fitted an oversize battery into it. It was larger than the battery tray, and not secured very well. In driving, the battery had shifted ever so slightly to the left, and the water pump pulley was now chewing a groove in one side.

Yeah- My eyes were burning like absolute he// because I had just sprayed a fine mist of sulfuric acid into both of them!!!!!

Half blind and 3/4 freaked, I ran stumbling into the service bay asking for the washroom. Once I managed to locate the sink, I flushed my eyes for a good 5 minutes or so.

Having averted the crisis (or so I thought) I went home. I changed out the leaking battery for another one I had. The irritation in my eyes continued and after a couple hours I (wisely, but shoulda done this sooner) became concerned and drove myself to the hospital.

Torture? Man, I confessed to starting both world wars, and creating the Edsel! Here's what they did to me- Laying me on a table, they hooked up a litre (quart) IV drip bag of ice-bloody-cold saline solution to a little eyecup thingy, and stuck it in my right eye. They pulled my eyelids over the cup to keep it in. For the next 40 minutes or so, I had to lay there dead still while this thing drip...drip...drip... (about twice a second) ice cold crap in my eye. That'll get a confession out of anyone.

Having survived that (barely), they rigged up a fresh bag, and shoehorned the danged thing into my left eye. Another 40 mins of drip...drip...drip...

Have I mentioned how much I HATE having crap in my eyes???

Lord, I apologize for whatever I ever did to deserve that, I promise I'll never do it again!

Oh s**t, You're a braver man than I, I would've broke down crying the second it happened. I'd be scared ****less of being blind for the rest of my life. Nice to know you still have both of your eyes in proper function though

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Oh s**t, You're a braver man than I, I would've broke down crying the second it happened. I'd be scared ****less of being blind for the rest of my life. Nice to know you still have both of your eyes in proper function though

It was pretty nerve-wracking. I was very lucky to come out ot it with my vision intact.

I also once had a bit of steel embedded in my left eye for three days- another story for another time. Either way, I'm lucky. My vivion is better than 20/20, and I don't know why- just lucky.

 

[dave1701]

lol i havent ever worn ear protection grinding



and yes i have done a lottttta grinding. i just dont have ear plugs and dont have the urgent need to go get them.

Ya I don't have any either. I can't remember what I was grinding but I do remember not being able to hear **** for a while.

 

[r_chez_08]

Ya I don't have any either. I can't remember what I was grinding but I do remember not being able to hear **** for a while.

I never use ear protection in the shop either. I should do really, I dont want to get tinnitis or anything, it would be crap.
After long grinding "sesh's" my ears ring pretty badly- time to get a new pair of muffs or plugs.

 

[r97]

Ear protection is a pain for me, my ear plugs always fall out halfway through cutting something, and I can't use ear muffs with the face shield.... what do you guys do?

 

[kendelrk]

i personally blast my in ear headphones when i grind

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Ear protection is a pain for me, my ear plugs always fall out halfway through cutting something, and I can't use ear muffs with the face shield.... what do you guys do?

I'm bad for not wearing hearing protection, but-

You can get plugs that are attached to a headphone-like plastic band that will go over your head or behind your neck. That keeps them in place nicely.