Didja know...

[NM_Shooter]

OK... from the dumb a$$ department...

didja know that a Paslode 350S loaded with 10d nails and powered by 90psi is capable of shooting a nail like a projectile through 8" of airspace and completely impaling the left pointer finger of a 180lb bohemian?  Right through the last knuckle.  Doc said I was "lucky".  Missed the bone and cartilage, only pierced the tendon.

When I looked down, the second thing that I thought was "that looks just like Steve Martin's wild and crazy guy-with-arrow-through-head character".

Finished framing all the walls that night with a splint on. 

Now I type with a lisp.

[bayview]

   I guarantee you will be more careful, this day forward  . . . 


/

[diyfrank]

Ouch!   Sounds painful. 
I'll try not to do the same.

[peternap]

OK... from the dumb a$$ department...

didja know that a Paslode 350S loaded with 10d nails and powered by 90psi is capable of shooting a nail like a projectile through 8" of airspace and completely impaling the left pointer finger of a 180lb bohemian?  Right through the last knuckle.  Doc said I was "lucky".  Missed the bone and cartilage, only pierced the tendon.

When I looked down, the second thing that I thought was "that looks just like Steve Martin's wild and crazy guy-with-arrow-through-head character".

Finished framing all the walls that night with a splint on. 

Now I type with a lisp.

I'm really sorry to hear that NM...

What can I say, I took all the safeties off my framer to eliminate double tap. I may be next

[NM_Shooter]

That was exactly it... a double tap.  I was straightening an end stud.  Was twisting the stud, being "careful" to keep my hand well away from the end.  My mistake was that:

1)  I had my hand in the line of fire.
2)  I was pushing down with the nailer to try and hold everything together.

I fired once, and the gun came back down with the tip just barely brushing the end of the plate, enough to fire another nail.

Oddly, there is/was very little pain.  my daughter asked me "did you yell?", then "did you cry?"    She didn't understand how somebody could do something like that and not be completely unleashed emotionally.  It is a bit stiff and sore, but actually my tetanus shot site hurts worse. 

Maybe I should change my handle to NM_Nailshot.

Hope somebody learns and avoids from my stupidity!

[MountainDon]

At least it wasn't a trigger finger.   


Seriously, I'm glad nobody got hurt worse.

I hate it when they double tap but also like the safety when moving around. That's only valid if you keep your finger off the trigger when moving about. I've seen people gripping the trigger tightly as they climb a ladder. 

Somehow paper cuts seem to hurt more than something like that. 

[Windpower]

DAMN !

I recommend a couple adult beverages (at least !!)

glad it missed the vital stuff

[NM_Shooter]

Thanks.. sort of wish I had a commemorative photo or something.

[glenn kangiser]

I got shot in the back  from around 10 feet away.  Fred missed a floor joist.  It stuck but only about 1/4 inch in - no doctors.  2 others shot themselves with my nailgun also.

[rwanders]

  Stories like these always give me the shivers------along the same vein; has anyone else ever smacked themselves in their thumb with a staplehammer? Did so once while hanging insulation and stapled my thumb through the nail and firmly into a stud. Luckily I had a screwdriver in my pouch and was able to pry the staple out. Didn't hurt too much until I had the staple out but throbbed like a SOB for a long time afterwards.

[Don_P]

I've stuck myself to the frame, shot myself and been shot, one way to think about it, its about half a 22, probably isn't going to kill you but it sure makes Mongo mad  . My best man hit the median nerve in his hand and it took surgery and he lost alot of strength in that paw. I've had full size guys pass out when shot, some kind of response I don't fully understand that is not emotional or anything, one of em has even stitched himself up rather than go to the doctor but when he shot himself he fell flat on his face a few moments later. That is the main reason for my writing. My wife was helping nail the fly rafter up on a second story in Bozeman. she double pumped and blew one clean through her thumb. My main concern was her passing out as she has a history of doing that occasionally with needles. She's a bit hardheaded and ignored me, maintained and finished. But don't take it that lightly, the guys I've seen pass out had no warning. If you shoot yourself get in a safe place just in case.

[Squirl]

Sounds worse than the crushed thumbs I used to get from a hammer.

Glad you will be alright.

[firefox]

I'm not sure about this, but when I mentioned to someone that I get light headed when I get my blood taken, they said that it was because I was tall, and the blood tries to rush to the injured area, and the brain looses a little. Didn't make a lot of sense to me, but what do I know.

NM, when the tendon is stitched back together there is a tendency for it to get stuck in it's sheath. It is extremely important to do the exercises  the doctor tells you to do, and as long as they say to do it. Don't ask how come I know this
Bruce

[Redoverfarm]

Frank as they say " been there and done that". Several years ago I was helping my wifes nephew frame an addition to his house.  I was hanging out of a 2nd story window nailing a support for the roof trusses.  I was more concerned with falling out than I was the aim of the Bostich.  Anyway 16D through the palm of my hand into the thumb bone.  Didn't hurt for about the first ten minutes but after that it was a different story.  Asked a friend nearby to pull it out and he nearly fainted and someone else pulled it out.  Only 1" was showing with the rest in my hand.  Talked to some medical experts ( friends) and they said " Had your tetnus".  They also said that soft tissue penetration is less painful than bone penetration.  Either way it still hurts.  So if you haven't had a tetnus or it has been over 5 years I would asked if you need another one.  

I am the worlds worst when it comes to going to the doctor or hospitals.  Sometimes I should have but didn't and some of my injuries never really healed right.  But they did heal.

[cordwood]

 Every time I hear one of these stories I have to laugh! Back when I used to pound nails a buddy of mine was trying to get all of us hammer guys to get on the nail gun bandwagon, One day he shows up with his comp. hoses and brand new 16 penny bad mutha scooter drum magazine Super Shooter!!!! We were putting some cripples over atriums about 20' up on ladders, First trip up the ladder with his new toy we hear "Pop' SCREAM, Clang, Bang, Clunk, THUMP!!!!.....................At the hospital the doctors ask what happened,.....We said he shot himself in the thigh with a nail gun,.....The doc. replies, HE DID ALL THAT WITH A NAILGUN??!!!!!!! Well when he shot himself he let go of the ladder and fell 20 feet hitting every rung on the ladder on the way down ,....He broke his left arm in 2 places, Torn ligaments in his right knee a concussion and about 20 stitches in his head,... Oh and a 16d in his right thigh. Every day we visited him we would ask how fast he was going to get back to work because we still hadn't seen this "Time Saving" device he claimed we needed?! We were pretty hard on him but he wasn't too good at building stuff anyway and he needed a career change.

[NM_Shooter]

OK... I am going to drift my own thread, as cordwood sparked a memory.

In college, we were playing quarters one night, and my buddy Bill Stone was crushing cans on his head and making a mess.  He was drunk, had a messed up forehead, when he swallowed a quarter and became convinced he was going to die.  He then convinced us too.  Didn't take much as we had a bunch of cheap beer in us too. 

I woke up my room mate (the only sober one around), and he reluctantly agreed to take us all to the infirmary and get Bill Looked at.  We all got into his 1969 VW like the circus clowns we were, and went to see the nurse at about 1am.

We showed up at the infirmary, and hit the panic button by the door.  The nurse came to the door, and saw bill with blood running down his face and lumps all over his head.  She asked.. "what the heck happened to you???"

Bill, very seriously, said "I swallowed the quarter".  She closed the door in our faces and we went home.  As far as I know, bill never did make change.