Your most dangerous tool

[Thomas MSwift]

  Exacto knives and Dremel tools are the nemeses of my body...glue guns and soldering tackle run a close second.
  A Dremel tool and an UNEXPENDED black-powder model-rocket motor were to blame for what is likely the most embarassing injury I have done myself to date...8000 RPM creates quite enough friction to ignite such in your hand. Hello, second-degree burns.
  Never use a jack or pen knife that folds as a substitute for an Exacto knife, either. Most locking systems for knives are not very secure.

[Captain Shipton Bellinger]

Over more years than I care to mention I have worked in a variety of workshops, both electronic and mechanical. During my years in the RAF I routinely worked on equipment with slow-wave structures that used high-current voltages in the 60KV-100KV range and RF output in kilowatts to megawatts. Being inside a faraday cage with a high-powered microwave transmitter gives you a healthy concern for safety interlocks and procedures. Hand-building prototypes meant using all manner of heavy duty tools from drills to folders and guilotines.

When it comes to workshop safety I have always been 'Mr Careful' to the point of paranoia, sometimes to the derision of my colleagues, but I've never had an accident more serious than the odd skinned knuckle. Seen some interesting accidents (the result of a 30amp 63KV arc through human flesh is quite interesting), but never had one myself.

Until this time last year, that is, when I needed to use the bench planer to thin down some wood to a couple of mm for an Anglo-Saxon seax sheath I was making. Despite thinking beforehand about how to go the job, I didn't consider "what would happen if the wood should snatch at just this point". Of course it did snatch, and my left index finger hit the blades.

It's quite amazing how well the body can repair itself, especially when helped along by having a collagen matrix support minced flesh, but that finger is still painful and not terribly useful as a precision instrument. I had considered wearing gloves for this job, and thank Cog that I didn't as I would probably have been far more seriously injured.

Familiarity does indeed breed complacency, and the perversity of the universe is such that unless constantly on your guard you will get bitten. Think things through thoroughly. Assume the worst WILL happen. Take NO chances. Stay alive and whole.



Endnote: After A&E had finished working on my finger the nurse said "Hang on while I sponge you down - you're frightening the other patients." I suppose that a deathly white figure still wearing a leather apron and headband and splashed with blood from waist to forehead could be a little unsettling. 

[DreamHazard]

I've never had an incident with tools except for one absent minded soldering iron burn to the thumb when I wasn't looking and reached for it.

the most influential, and therefore potentially dangerous thing I own is probably the 500 degrees of hot air that comes out of the heat gun I keep in the workshop. but I'm always sensible with that

[maduncle]

Endnote: After A&E had finished working on my finger the nurse said "Hang on while I sponge you down - you're frightening the other patients." I suppose that a deathly white figure still wearing a leather apron and headband and splashed with blood from waist to forehead could be a little unsettling. 

Off topic and possible not PC but your end note did remind me of one injury received at the blunt end of a tool connecting with my forehead and what the nurse said to me when I arrived in the emergency ward.

(In French accent as she was a young French exchange nurse) 'excuse me, but I am going to have to sit on your lap to sew up your head'.

Meanwhile - just out of curiosity I turned on my old bench drill to see if it still smokes...

... yep - little blue sparks this time too - better not use it.

[Ezra Hogbin]

I'd have to say my camera is my most dangerous tool!
Every time  try to photograph my wife I get beat over the head with something!!

I did have a nasty incident with a Stanley knife whilst decorating my eldest's nursery. I must say that removing the 2" masking tape, I had used as an emergency badage, from my somewhat hairy legs caused much more pain than the cut  ( How you ladies can wax you legs, I'll never know! )

[Camillia du Chine]

Because I know that I don't know what I'm doing (or fear that I don't) with most power tools, I tend to move very slowly, precisely, and cautiously, and wear eye protection.  Years ago, however, I had a scary incident that no amount of goggling would have prevented.  It involved some stray long hairs, a power drill, and some winding action (!).  I managed to let up on the trigger before it ripped a chunk of my scalp out.  VERY memorable and I learned forever that even when pulled back in a ponytail, long hairs can still sneak around while bending forward!

My brother, when little, played with the sewing machine after being told not to (of course) and drove the needle through the nail of his longest finger.  He panicked, jerked back, and broke it off.  My father wouldn't take him to medical care and insisted on pulling it back through and out with pliers.  Horrifying for all of us watching!  I'm still respectful around my wonderful sewing machine - which I specifically selected because the presser foot raises up high enough to get my hand under, and therefore also thick fabrics.

Oh, yes, had a refresher course about 3 seconds long (working on a plastic part of crappy M16, military, a while back) about always cutting AWAY from one's hand with a knife!

[Capt. Dirigible]

Surely the most dangerous 'tool' in any workshop would be the numpy leaning on the Acetylene bottle smoking a fag!

[Camillia du Chine]

Surely the most dangerous 'tool' in any workshop would be the numpy leaning on the Acetylene bottle smoking a fag!

I'm SO glad I had swallowed my mouthful of tea before reading your post! 

[Dorian Ambrose]

Chainsaw. Without a doubt. It is the only tool I would never use without full body protection.
My time in the forestry business, have shown me more than I need to respect them.
Even when used correctly, it should still be considered dangerous.

[ironwood]

I have to agree the others that claimed themselves as the most dangerous.  For the most part tools are just laying around doing no harm until a human touches it.  I have had my bouts with a circular saw, wood chesels, screwdriver, hammer, soldering iron, electricity in general (might be why I have wavy hair) and of all things a paint brush.

I use to build models when I was young (and they were cheap) I started to dip my paintbrush into a can of paint thinner and wouldn't you know I dropped.  What luck I wear eye glasses you say and you might have been right except one drop of paint thinner flew up between my glasses and cheak bone right into my eye.  I found out just how much that really burns.  Stupid accidents happen to people who do not respect the simplest tools.

[DrArclight]

The absolute most dangerous tool I own is an old Milwaukee 10" angle grinder with a frayed cord and no guards of any kind.  It's one of those tools I sort of acquired by borrowing it and the guy I borrowed it from didn't want it back.  I can see why.  I have a jagged scar across the entire bottom side of my left wrist where the grinder bucked while I was grinding a broken jack off a trailer tongue.  Fortunately it's hidden by my watch band so people don't think I tried to commit suicide the wrong way.  I also have a pair of work jeans with a 3-inc wide hole in the left knee and a scar that is about 1 inch by 1/2 inch on that knee from the same angle grinder.  Happened about 10 minutes after I got back to working on the trailer after bandaging the wrist.

That grinder is a beast, and no amount of respect is going to make it safe.  I have just accepted that I will most likely be injured every time I use it, and the best I can do is minimize the damage.  It's one of those tools of last resort.  I use it only after everything else, short of dynamite, thermite, or nitroglycerine has failed.

[Narsil]

Cupola furnaces and oxygen lances can be quite hazardous too

[johnny99]

Cupola furnaces and oxygen lances can be quite hazardous too

Ha, I started to list oxygen lances, and power hammers as inherently dangerous. But that seemed a bit like bringing a cannon to a knife fight, when the masses are talking about things like paintbrushes, and dremel tools. 

[Agamemnon Magillicutty]

my swiss army knife.

it has actually taken my thumb off once.

[elShoggotho]

Plasma cutters, anyone? Attach an air compressor to a device that ionizes the air to such a degree that it can blow through steel, and give it a little pistol handle. What can possibly go wrong?

[Kittybriton]

What can possibly go wrong?

And as has been said elsewhere, "Oh! Where did my eyebrows go?"

[DreamHazard]

What can possibly go wrong?

And as has been said elsewhere, "Oh! Where did my eyebrows go?"

Eyebrows are the least of your problems when you're looking through the hole in the wall to find out where the rest of your arm was blown to

[cryptolucien]

The welder comment reminded me. If you are welding wear LEATHER shoes. I had a pair of work boots that were part canvas. There I was, happily welding away when I felt a slight twinge on the top of my foot. I stopped welding, shook my foot a little and continued welding. The twinge didn't go away. I stamped my foot thinking a part of it was digging into the top of my foot. Finally the twinge decided to grow up and become full-blown pain. I stopped welding, raised my hood to see smoke curling up from a hole in my boot. I dropped the stinger and kicked the switch off on the welder, while hopping on one foot trying to untie my boot. I got it off just in time for the slag to only be mildly hot to my fingers (couldn't grab it with the gloves on). Lesson learned? Don't do that... Don't EVER do that...

Lucien

[Thistle]

For some reason, the welding post just reminded me of a rather daft friend of mine who tried to blow out a lit meths stove. No eyebrows. 

[DrArclight]

I use to build models when I was young (and they were cheap) I started to dip my paintbrush into a can of paint thinner and wouldn't you know I dropped.  What luck I wear eye glasses you say and you might have been right except one drop of paint thinner flew up between my glasses and cheak bone right into my eye.  I found out just how much that really burns.  Stupid accidents happen to people who do not respect the simplest tools.

Reminds me of the time I was trying to free up a sticking lawnmower throttle cable by forcing liquid wrench down the outer jacket (after removing the inner wire.)  I was spraying the can of liquid wrench down the jacket with the little red spray tube stuck firmly in the hole where the wire goes.  Noticing that nothing was coming out the other end, I decided the jacket was completely plugged and decided to try something else.  When I took my finger off the spray nozzle and moved the can, the red spray tube popped out of the spray nozzle and shot the liquid wrench that had pressurized inside the throttle cable jacket directly into my eye.  Talk about pain.  That liquid wrench became liquid fire.  The entire white part of my eye went fire engine red and stayed that way for about a day and the wouldn't track or focus properly for about a week.

[Mercury Wells]

U.S. student who electrocuted his nipples sues teacher...for not warning him it was dangerous

Sounds like his brian is his most dangerous tool! (aswell as his classmates) 

[Professor Fzz]

U.S. student who electrocuted his nipples sues teacher...for not warning him it was dangerous

Some people are just begging for a Darwin Award.

[DrArclight]

U.S. student who electrocuted his nipples sues teacher...for not warning him it was dangerous

Sounds like his brian is his most dangerous tool! (aswell as his classmates) 

Cue Ren and Stimpy's "Don't whizz on the electric fence."

[MWBailey]

Cue Ren and Stimpy's "Don't whizz on the electric fence."

I'd laugh, but I've seen that happen once, when a friend of mine from cub scouts did it. Forty years on, and he still won't 'go' near any kind of electrical device...

[SPBrewer]

My Hydrogen detector....it's made by Zippo!

                                The Sky Pirate
                                Captain of "The Queen Victoria's Revenge"