# hammer time



## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

What? No pictures?
Come on, someone other then me needs to show the "Alien Hands". LoL


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

Pics?


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

We need full color pics of your finger so we can laugh accordingly.. :laughing::thumbup::laughing:


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## D-Bo (Apr 15, 2012)

gotta love when that happens. love even more when it takes 2 months for the whole fingernail to slowly turn black and another month for it to fall off. at least thats what happens to me


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Chris1971 said:


> Once a year I manage to strategically place a finger in the way of my hammer. Today was one of those days.


Painful EH??:laughing:


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

D-Bo said:


> gotta love when that happens. love even more when it takes 2 months for the whole fingernail to slowly turn black and another month for it to fall off. at least thats what happens to me


Put a tiny drill bit into the nail and it will stop the throbbing and stop it going black.


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## socalelect (Nov 14, 2011)

chewy said:


> Put a tiny drill bit into the nail and it will stop the throbbing and stop it going black.


Yup or heat a small needle red hot, I used to have a cool electronic one that my dr gave me but I think it fell victim to a bigger hammer


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I smashed a thumbnail in 2009, and it's still not grown back properly. Maybe it never will. Who knows. Cut my right thumb clean off in 2011. I'd have rather smashed the thumbnail. :laughing:


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## socalelect (Nov 14, 2011)

MDShunk said:


> I smashed a thumbnail in 2009, and it's still not grown back properly. Maybe it never will. Who knows. Cut my right thumb clean off in 2011. I'd have rather smashed the thumbnail. :laughing:


How the heck did u cut it off?

I tore off my entire thumbnail years ago. It was the worst pain I have had. Breaking my arm hurt less. I would of even rather been kicked in the nuts


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## davis9 (Mar 21, 2009)

I tried to cut my thumb off once with a sawzall, wasn't pretty.
BTW grounds up in my house, wife hates it.:thumbup:

Tom


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## D-Bo (Apr 15, 2012)

chewy said:


> Put a tiny drill bit into the nail and it will stop the throbbing and stop it going black.


oh hell yeah, and if you wait until its good full of pressure you can squirt that chit acroos the room!


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## Ninety (Jan 7, 2011)

Since the last time I hit my finger with a hammer I've been holding my set pin for any concrete anchors with my channelocks. I shared this in the tips thread but I'm sure not everyone has read that there.

I also use a 3lb hammer whenever I can. I requires less swinging so there is less room for error.

Using my diagonals to hold staples steady has also been helpful.


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## Chris1971 (Dec 27, 2010)

No pics as I'm not a picture taker. Everyone can still laugh at me though.:thumbup::laughing:


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Chris1971 said:


> No pics as I'm not a picture taker.:


Too complicated for ya?




> Everyone can still laugh at me though.:thumbup::laughing


We never stopped. :laughing:


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## cdnelectrician (Mar 14, 2008)

Ninety said:


> Since the last time I hit my finger with a hammer I've been holding my set pin for any concrete anchors with my channelocks. I shared this in the tips thread but I'm sure not everyone has read that there.
> 
> I also use a 3lb hammer whenever I can. I requires less swinging so there is less room for error.
> 
> Using my diagonals to hold staples steady has also been helpful.


Vise grips work great for setting tools also  Probably the only use I have for them.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

The best one yet for me was the downstroke of a drilling hammer where the 3 pound hammer head _flew __off _and bounced off my damn finger. Mushed it like a banana. 

-John


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

My helper the otherday wasnt paying attention as we were hanging a CT cabinet. What a dumbass


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

mcclary's electrical said:


> My helper the otherday wasnt paying attention as we were hanging a CT cabinet. What a dumbass


Gross fingernails!


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)




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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

chewy said:


> Gross fingernails!


As opposed to the great looking hand?


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

mcclary's electrical said:


> As opposed to the great looking hand?


That cant be helped, but the ***** are right there in your pouch!


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

mcclary's electrical said:


> My helper the otherday wasnt paying attention as we were hanging a CT cabinet. What a dumbass....


 Looks like a burn, no? What's the score there? 

-John


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

Big John said:


> Looks like a burn, no? What's the score there?
> 
> -John


Car accident over a dropped cigarette. Car flipped aeveral times and smashed her hand. She still cant feel or move those fingers


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

mcclary's electrical said:


> Car accident over a dropped cigarette. Car flipped aeveral times and smashed her hand. She still cant feel or move those fingers


Oh it was a chick..


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

chewy said:


> Oh it was a chick..


Yeah. I was just playing when i said it was a work accident


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## ampman (Apr 2, 2009)

Did this about a month ago


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## Chris1971 (Dec 27, 2010)

ampman said:


> Did this about a month ago


OUCH!!!!! How did that happen?


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

ampman said:


> Did this about a month ago


Now that's got to be pounding....:laughing:


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## socalelect (Nov 14, 2011)

ampman said:


> Did this about a month ago


Holy he'll that looks like it hurts.


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

Sweet, the mangled digits thread.

I don't think I have any significant ones, but here's a lacerated finger I got last year on a job. It was from a sharp jagged thin piece of sheet metal, it was a big ol' flap of flesh hanging there. I was dripping blood all over the place, the bathroom that I washed up in looked like one of Dexter's kill rooms after I was done.










And from the same job, here's a vending machine with both Coke and Pepsi in it


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## socalelect (Nov 14, 2011)

Damn mobile app keeps crashing as I try to upload pics. 


Well apparently it worked twice


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## socalelect (Nov 14, 2011)

Its not a finger but close enough


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## D-Bo (Apr 15, 2012)

came close to losing it. working on a saturday no less. you know its bad when it doesn't hurt right away


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## Podagrower (Mar 16, 2008)

My dad dropped a bowling ball on his big toe sometime in his 20's. Turned black, fell off, never grew back...until he stubbed that toe on a crooked sidewalk slab, 20 years later.:thumbup:


Err, sorry. The toenail fell off and grew back. If he could regenerate body parts, that would be a whole different story


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

His toe fell off and then grew back 20 years later? Am I the only one who's scared?

-John


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## ampman (Apr 2, 2009)

Chris1971 said:


> OUCH!!!!! How did that happen?


hammer time


HARRY304E said:


> Now that's got to be pounding....:laughing:


yea but did not loose the nail


socalelect said:


> Holy he'll that looks like it hurts.


the first two minutes were the worst


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## Amish Electrician (Jan 2, 2010)

Now that we've all had fun with our pictures ....

Let's not overlook the role of the hammer in this event. 

When I changed from the 'traditional' style hammer, to an electricians' hammer, I had lots more misses and finger strikes.

When I switched to Estwings "Star Trek" redesign of the fiberglass handled hammer, my hit rate greatly improved. It's almost impossible for me to miss. http://www.a1toolstore.net/catalog/21in estwing.jpg I'm told you have a similar improvement with some of the titanium and axe-handle hammers.

Speaking of Estwing ... while I might not want to be banging in thousands of nails every day with one, I've always been sold on the fact that there is no way that the head is ever coming loose. This cannot be said for anything with a wood handle. Let anything with a wood handle bounce around my truck for a few seasons of soaking and drying and the head will be loose- and the 'repair' wedges are a very short-lived fix.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

Amish Electrician said:


> Now that we've all had fun with our pictures ....
> 
> Let's not overlook the role of the hammer in this event.
> 
> ...


Soak the head head in linseed oil and it will tighten up rather than over compressing the wood fibres with another wedge.


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## socalelect (Nov 14, 2011)

chewy said:


> Soak the head head in linseed oil and it will tighten up rather than over compressing the wood fibres with another wedge.


You sure seem to know alot about wood :laughing:


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## stuiec (Sep 25, 2010)

I suck at hammering. Never got the hang of the tool I guess.

View attachment 15578


I have other skills though...

edit: you shoulda seen _my_ hands the first week I had this tool!


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

socalelect said:


> You sure seem to know alot about wood :laughing:


Dream job would be a carpenter a hundred years ago. Kept getting knocked back when I applied for apprenticeships because my dyslexia affects my arithmetic so badly. Its just a hobby now.


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## socalelect (Nov 14, 2011)

chewy said:


> Dream job would be a carpenter a hundred years ago. Kept getting knocked back when I applied for apprenticeships because my dyslexia affects my arithmetic so badly. Its just a hobby now.


I don't mind working with it, I actually started in construction framing but the math part really screwed me


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

socalelect said:


> I don't mind working with it, I actually started in construction framing but the math part really screwed me


All the math I can figure out I have memorised, Im just not wired up to be able to do equations in my head apparently.


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## MEC Group (Aug 7, 2012)

*Once a year I manage to strategically place a finger in the way of my hammer. Today w*

That would really hurt.


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## niteshift (Nov 21, 2007)

Hammering staples between floor joists with about 10" of swing room...
just needed one more good hit, 
yeah I agree, first 2 minutes after that was the worst.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

Im just putting a replacement handle in a nice old Kelly and my thumb skin got pinched between the drift and the 4lb hammer I was using, could have been alot worse! Axe slipped mid swing and I tried to adjust it back as the hammer was coming down, haha.


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## Pault (Mar 17, 2012)

Here is a good one. 15 stitches on top, 2 underneath. It was fun watching until they lifted off the flap to clean it out!


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## etb (Sep 8, 2010)

Amish Electrician said:


> Speaking of Estwing ... I've always been sold on the fact that there is no way that the head is ever coming loose.


I love my 22oz estwing framer. Sure, the head won't come off, but there's apparently a down side: A framer saw me setting boxes with it and he came over and told me to get a wooden handle one instead. I asked why and he said a guy on his crew missed with one and took his thumb off.


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## etb (Sep 8, 2010)

Amish Electrician said:


> When I switched to Estwings "Star Trek" redesign .... I'm told you have a similar improvement with some of the titanium and axe-handle hammers.


I read up on that a bit; apparently has to do with the way the Ti rebounds compared to steel. Sounds great but I haven't known anybody who has one to ask and haven't had one to try myself. The difference is supposed to be huge, but so is the price tag.




erics37 said:


> Sweet, the mangled digits thread.
> 
> And from the same job, here's a vending machine with both Coke and Pepsi in it


Cool indeed. But I've never though to take pictures of my bloody messes.

I asked a vending guy about that once. He said the machines they provide (for free) must only contain coke products and that pepsi was the same way. But "independent" vendors (who buy their own machines) can do whatever they want.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

etb said:


> I love my 22oz estwing framer. Sure, the head won't come off, but there's apparently a down side: A framer saw me setting boxes with it and he came over and told me to get a wooden handle one instead. I asked why and he said a guy on his crew missed with one and took his thumb off.


The idea of wood is that it is a shock absorber, even if you missed with a wooden handle you would still be breaking the hickory handle across your thumb. 

I have never seen an actual instance of that happening but always heard that rumour.


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## Going_Commando (Oct 1, 2011)

There was one day that I was shooting the chit with my Grandfather, who started in the trade back in 1939, and we were talking about getting dinged up crawling around in crawlspaces and the like. Well, he told me a story about how he was running romex in a very tight crawlspace, and he lined up the staple, swung the hammer and SMACK, got himself right in the thumb. His words about that were "I just had to sit down and cry it hurt so bad." Lo and behold, later that same damn day, I was running 1/0 SER through a tight crawlspace, had the plastic strap with 2 nails in it set on the SER in some stubborn wood, so I brought the hammer back and gave it a good swing and SMACK, right on my god damn thumb! 

I am not ashamed to admit it, I sat down in the crawlspace and cried a little it hurt so bad. :laughing:


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## gleeming (May 24, 2009)

I did this Monday.


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## JoeKP (Nov 16, 2009)

This is from me attempting to cook one day.
Well then. It appears that I can't find the picture of my fry cooked hand. I will get back to you with that....


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

Last time i got sewed up was in 04' . You guys made my day, my last WC hospital visit under employment was for putting my fist thru 3/8 plywood when the helper said it was impossible. That one required some splaining about how a load of equipment fell off the carrier and injured my hand.


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## ampman (Apr 2, 2009)

Pault said:


> View attachment 16506
> 
> 
> Here is a good one. 15 stitches on top, 2 underneath. It was fun watching until they lifted off the flap to clean it out!


why is that so black and what did you do


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## etb (Sep 8, 2010)

chewy said:


> The idea of wood is that it is a shock absorber, even if you missed with a wooden handle you would still be breaking the hickory handle across your thumb.
> 
> I have never seen an actual instance of that happening but always heard that rumour.


I thought it was more because the handle near the head is real thin, so instead of mashing it would do more cutting.










Had the framer not seen it himself I wouldn't a thunk it were possible. It's possible he was exaggerating; I was in a foul mood at the time and didn't care enough about his story to think to ask for details. I still wail away with mine without fear.....I just keep my hand clear.


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## mnelectrician (Dec 1, 2008)

etb said:


> I thought it was more because the handle near the head is real thin, so instead of mashing it would do more cutting.
> 
> Had the framer not seen it himself I wouldn't a thunk it were possible. It's possible he was exaggerating; I was in a foul mood at the time and didn't care enough about his story to think to ask for details. I still wail away with mine without fear.....I just keep my hand clear.


I believe the story the handles on the Estwing hammers are pretty much like a dull knife. Other then that they're made nice.


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## RobRoy (Aug 6, 2009)

This happened a long time ago. I call it the butt thumb. The pressure of the blow exploded out the end of my thumb. I shattered the nail while it was still on my thumb. This happened at the beach, while resting my hand on a 20 -30 lb rock. My little brother was holding another 20 - 30 lb rock, and proceeded to drop it dead center on my thumb. Not fun one bit.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

mnelectrician said:


> I believe the story the handles on the Estwing hammers are pretty much like a dull knife. Other then that they're made nice.



I cant think of any instance I have ever driven a nail and a miss would cause me to hit my left hand with the handle of the hammer. Back in the day they would sharpen the shank and use it to split timber.


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## Pault (Mar 17, 2012)

ampman said:


> why is that so black and what did you do



Our company has a few different divisions and I was working on removing a water pump from a well. Threading a tool into the top of the pump when everything collapsed into the well. The tool we were threading had a flange on top which caught me as i pulled my hand back. 

Not sure why it's black....could have been bruising maybe? I pretty much got my thumb mashed by 2 pieces of steel. Hurt right away!


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## mnelectrician (Dec 1, 2008)

chewy said:


> I cant think of any instance I have ever driven a nail and a miss would cause me to hit my left hand with the handle of the hammer. Back in the day they would sharpen the shank and use it to split timber.


I can't think of an instance either but I believe the story.


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## Chris1971 (Dec 27, 2010)

I pinched my left pinkie finger the other day. I think I'll have a solid black finger nail in a few weeks. That hurt like a biotch!!!!!


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Chris1971 said:


> I pinched my left pinkie finger the other day. I think I'll have a solid black finger nail in a few weeks. That hurt like a biotch!!!!!


Mine, just about gone now, did it in June or July.


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## denny3992 (Jul 12, 2010)

Closed mine in the pack rat the other week.... " insert many cuss words here!"


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## Chris1971 (Dec 27, 2010)

Super glue works well to keep a fingernail on.:thumbup:


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

geez, what a bunch o' bull&jam clutzs!

one might sum this thread up with the Q

_'so....how's the piano lessons coming'?_

~CS~


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

chicken steve said:


> geez, what a bunch o' bull&jam clutzs!
> 
> one might sum this thread up with the Q
> 
> ...


I will have you know will be giving a piano concerto at the New York Metropolitan Opera House later this month.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

lol!

with the rest of these fellas backing you up in the orchestra.....

~CS~


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## Awg-Dawg (Jan 23, 2007)

BBQ said:


> I will have you know will be giving a piano concerto at the New York Metropolitan Opera House later this month.


 
Ive got mad skills on a triangle if you need backup:thumbup:


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Awg-Dawg said:


> Ive got mad skills on a triangle if you need backup:thumbup:


 I play a hell of a mean whiskey jug.

-John


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## etb (Sep 8, 2010)

Big John said:


> I play a hell of a mean whiskey jug.
> 
> -John


I don't play anything but cards, but I saw a guy play a handsaw once, used a violin bow or something like that.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

I caught an estwing claw hammer in the nose once. Mother ****er hurt, glad it didn't bounce back any harder then it did cause it would have broken my nose. I did have two chunks of skin ripped off on either side of my nose from the claw :laughing:

Lesson for all you, when you need a deadblow mallet go get a deadblow don't use your big framing hammer.


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## Pompadour (Mar 19, 2011)

wow, you guys are killing me. i do not have any pictures of the dumb injuries i have caused myself. i have had my share though. this thread is making me fear my hammer, though. 

what amazes me more, is all the dumb stuff that i have done without hurting myself.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

Jlarson said:


> I caught an estwing claw hammer in the nose once. Mother ****er hurt, glad it didn't bounce back any harder then it did cause it would have broken my nose. I did have two chunks of skin ripped off on either side of my nose from the claw :laughing:
> 
> Lesson for all you, when you need a deadblow mallet go get a deadblow don't use your big framing hammer.


 
I was in the supply shop last month and a guy had just broken both front teeth with his hammer bouncing back. both broke cleah in half.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

mcclary's electrical said:


> I was in the supply shop last month and a guy had just broken both front teeth with his hammer bouncing back. both broke cleah in half.


 
i was building a 'pig transport pen' , about 4x6' , and decided i needed to pry this nasty nail out

the nail came out, the hammer head hit me square bettween the eyes:blink:

laid me right out flat ....:wacko:

and you know what?

pigs _do _laugh! :laughing:

~CS~


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

chicken steve said:


> i was building a 'pig transport pen' , about 4x6' , and decided i needed to pry this nasty nail out
> 
> the nail came out, the hammer head hit me square bettween the eyes:blink:
> 
> ...


Pry nails sideways in a rocking motion to avoid that.


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