Beware Of Angle-grinders!

[Robin Madge]

I should have realised that I was asking for trouble learning the late Pat Robson's DIY song.

On Sunday I was cutting a paving slab with an angle grinder when I had a bit of a freak accident that ened up with a cut in the back of my left thumb.

In a way I was lucky. I missed two blood vessels (just visible one at each end of the cut) and a tendon. All I hit was a nerve to do with sensation on the side of the thumb, which has had micro-surgery and should recover.

I have to wait for everything to knit back together properly and I'm not going to risk strainng things that aren't ready for it.

 

So beware of angle grinders and be careful what songs you set out to learn!

 

I will never buy a chain-saw!

 

Robin Madge

[Chris Timson]

Ouch!

 

Ooooh ouch!

 

And yet again ouch!

 

Think I'll sell my angle grinder on eBay.

 

Take care of yourself, mate, and hope you're playing again soon.

 

Chris

[RELCOLLECT]

I once put a chisel throught the side of my hand by failing to reverse the thing while deburring on a metal lathe.... it's been years ago now, but the memory is vivid! Take care and don't over do!

 

Greg

[Alan Day]

It is the sort of thing we DIY people fear.

I hope it heals OK Robin.

Angle grinders on metal is a common problem as the grinder makes the metal being cut molten.It is extremely dangerous for eye damage and any cutting near to glass and the molten metal sticks to the glass and leaves little black speckles

all over it.

I chain sawed down three trees (Firs) over the weekend and I thought about Mark and his chain saw injury and did the job very carefully.

Al

[John Wild]

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

 

- John Wild

 

PS - I must be tired: on first reading I thought you had writen Anglo-grinder

[Helen]

Hope you feel well and rested soon.

 

I also read this as anglo grinder at first.

 

Helen

 

I so agree with Chris. I kept thinking oh ouch oh ouch.

[Jim Besser]

When I first glanced at this thread, I thought the topic was "beware of Anglo grinders," and I thought, but of course!

 

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Edited April 14, 2005 by Jim Besser

[Rod Thompson]

I was going to make some comment on Anglo Grinders and monkeys, and refer to a previous thread about concertina players with monkeys, but decided not to.

 

Instead, I will say - "get well soon".

[JimLucas]

...I thought you had writen Anglo-grinder

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I find that concept difficult to digest.

 

(Cultural note: In some parts of the US, "grinder" is a name given to a sandwich made with meat, etc. stuffed between the two halves of lengthwise-cut baguette-style bread. In other parts of the country this may be known as a "hero", "submarine sandwich", or just "sub". )

[Robin Madge]

Thanks everyone for the best wishes.

 

I did venture out to the morris men practice last night and found that by sittng in the right height chair I could play the right hand whilst holding the left end between knee and elbow (in a sling).

This showed me two things.

The first was that it is a good thing I don't play English!

The second was a surprise. I play mainly octave apart style and I have now discovered that I obviously learn some of the tune, at least, on the left hand, with a sort of mental octave coupling to the right hand. On some tunes I was really struggling to find the right buttons at times, now that I'm just playing right hand.

I suppose that I shall end up with two mental processes for playing some tunes.

 

Robin Madge

 

PS. Our bag man wished that I had taken some photos of the wound as he is giving a safety talk on abrasive wheels on Monday. I told him that I didn't have a spare hand for the camera at the time.

[Chris Timson]

The second was a surprise. I play mainly octave apart style and I have now discovered that I obviously learn some of the tune, at least, on the left hand, with a sort of mental octave coupling to the right hand. On some tunes I was really struggling to find the right buttons at times, now that I'm just playing right hand.

I suppose that I shall end up with two mental processes for playing some tunes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'd noticed something similar with octave playing, except that the lead hand for me is the right, and while I could play a tune on the right hand and in parallel octaves, as soon as I tried to play it on the left alone I was struggling. Interesting thing, the brain, isn't it, and fortunate for me my stroke affected my left hand rather than my right.

 

Chris

[Hilary]

It's not just DIY that's dangerous - I slashed my wrist open on a crab claw, in a local fish restaurant. Didn't actually cut anything vital, but I've got a lovely scar and it made playing the concertina very dificult for some weeks as it pulled and kept opening up.

Blood on the fretwork it a bugger to get off.

[Animaterra]

I'm glad you're managing to play, Robin, in spite of your wound. And just in time for morris season!

[RELCOLLECT]

Our bag man wished that I had taken some photos

 

There's another phrase that translates badly....in the US a "bag man" is the term for the robber who carries the money during a getaway.

 

I won't tell you how badly I was surprised the first time I was in the UK and someone asked me to give them a fag.....

 

Greg

[lildogturpy]

PS. Our bag man wished that I had taken some photos of the wound as he is giving a safety talk on abrasive wheels on Monday. I told him that I didn't have a spare hand for the camera at the time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My apologies in advance for making light of what sounds like a very painful accident ....

 

Hear about the man who went into the emergency room missing all the fingers on both hands? The nurse pointed out that if he had the fingers they could do wonderful things with microsurgery these days ... to which the distraught patient replies: "but I couldn't pick them up"

[Hilary]

There's another phrase that translates badly....in the US a "bag man" is the term for the robber who carries the money during a getaway.

 

What is it you think morris bagmen do, if not make off with the cash? Seems a fair description to me (I'm married to one)

[JimLucas]

Seems a fair description to me (I'm married to one)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Married to "a fair description"? Is that legal?

[JimLucas]

Our bag man wished that I had taken some photos

There's another phrase that translates badly....in the US a "bag man" is the term for the robber who carries the money during a getaway.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But don't try calling a female robber a "bag lady"!