# Drilling the thumb



## crmitchell (Jan 13, 2013)

Reading WoodchuckerNJ's post about cutting the thumbnail with the framer's guillotine reminded me of a gruesome little accident that occurred in the 80's.

I was installing a new storm door, and the wife went shopping, saying she didn't want to hear the language that was sure to come.

I had it nearly installed, and was drilling an additional hole for a screw in the aluminum frame at face height. Somehow, the 1/8" drill bit slipped and the bit went through my thumb, pinning me to the door.

This was in the days before reversible drills, at least I didn't own one. There I stood, nobody around, tightly attached to the door. That foreboding feeling of "this is gonna really hurt" was looming like an oncoming thunderstorm. 

Looking at the thumb, the bit entered beside the nail, and there was a curl of meat and a curl of aluminum protruding beside the bit. This is really gonna hurt ! Soon.

As I recall, I was able to let the drill hang and get the attached key (another reason the have it attached) and loosen the chuck. After removing the drill, I gritted my teeth and pulled the thumb free.

The amazing thing was that it never hurt at all.


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## BB1 (Jan 29, 2016)

Oh my!


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## Knothead62 (Apr 17, 2010)

Ouch! those things happen. I thought I was going to eat healthy and make a salad. Cut my right thumb, wife took me to walk-in clinic, three stitches for $310. Cheaper to get delivery of a filet mignon!


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## crmitchell (Jan 13, 2013)

Knothead62 said:


> Ouch! those things happen. I thought I was going to eat healthy and make a salad. Cut my right thumb, wife took me to walk-in clinic, three stitches for $310. Cheaper to get delivery of a filet mignon!


No problem on that here. My homemade first aid kit for backpacking contains 3 sizes of sterile sutures. Also hemostats for needle carriers. My knots would not pass muster, but they work. I put 2 tiny ones in a thumb about 25 years ago in order to keep fishing rather than go home.

Then there was a night where 3 fellows were camped along the river several hundred yards form me. They started drinking early. About 10 PM one came to my camp and said one cut his leg badly. He asked if I could help them get a fellow to the trailhead, about 3 1/2 miles, and then maybe drive them to a hospital, about 30 miles on dirt roads - at 10 PM. No way would I get involved in that. 

I looked at the cut on his leg and said it needed stitches. So, I put 6 stitches in. Shaved it with a sclpel blade. Cleaned it with some betadine concentrate in water - that burns! They thought I was a doctor and tried to pay me. Should have taken it, but it was too funny.


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## Foghorn (Jan 30, 2020)

crmitchell said:


> No problem on that here. My homemade first aid kit for backpacking contains 3 sizes of sterile sutures. Also hemostats for needle carriers. My knots would not pass muster, but they work. I put 2 tiny ones in a thumb about 25 years ago in order to keep fishing rather than go home.
> 
> Then there was a night where 3 fellows were camped along the river several hundred yards form me. They started drinking early. About 10 PM one came to my camp and said one cut his leg badly. He asked if I could help them get a fellow to the trailhead, about 3 1/2 miles, and then maybe drive them to a hospital, about 30 miles on dirt roads - at 10 PM. No way would I get involved in that.
> 
> I looked at the cut on his leg and said it needed stitches. So, I put 6 stitches in. Shaved it with a sclpel blade. Cleaned it with some betadine concentrate in water - that burns! They thought I was a doctor and tried to pay me. Should have taken it, but it was too funny.


Ha! Rambo lives. I was holding two pieces of metal trying to replace the spoiler on my old Z car way back when and mistakenly thought I would be able to stop the drill when it went through. Drilled a nice hole through my index fingernail. That smarted! Many trial and error learnings over the years. Tripped over a laundry basket trying to go to bed one eventful New Year's eve and gashed my chin open on the bedframe. Had the girlfriend at the time, back in the 80's, cut me a few butterfly ties out of the sticky parts of Elastoplast bandages. Good as new other than a cool scar. I slept well.


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## Knothead62 (Apr 17, 2010)

Remember Super Glue was formulated for closing surgical incisions. It reacts with moisture which is a major component of human tissue. If I had thought of it, I could have saved $310. I get CA glue at Harbor Freight or Dollar Tree (now dollar and a quarter).
Embarrassed to tell this: Somehow and for whatever reason, I failed to secure the screw for my lathe chuck. It came off, hit my forearm and left two nice scars as a reminder, bounced off the lathe bed and landed across the shop.
Famous last words: "It'll never happen to me!"


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