A bad day

Ernie, that is really a horrible thing that happened. I hope you can get over this pretty fast and learn to work around those problems. I have been very lucky with all the near misses over the years. I am sure most people feel that way. As you know it only take one second and your life can change forever. Maybe just a little good will come out of this? In the fact maybe some people will slow down and think about safety. I sure thinking about it and how lucky I have been up to now.

PS- I guess I will lay off Miller until you recover!!! Speaking of Miller they really did a # with the new 250 Syncrowave tigrunner package. Very nice layout.

Scott

"Feeling" for you, Ernie. Sorry to hear of your accident - but

*maybe* you can help prevent a similar accident for someone else that uses that machine? Ken. (typing with all digits - at the age of 57 and still trying to be careful) (never had any broken bones, either - geeeezzz as I get older, I think I have GOT to be more careful cuz stats are starting to work against me..... sigh....)

Here is for a Fast and Good Recovery ! Mentors are hard to come by!

Mart> A bad day

Therefore it is a bad day for all of us. Get well (is there really a well, or is it get rid of the pain?) quickly. Your advice is needed and wanted Thanks Bert

OUCH!

I'm sorry to hear of your misfortune Ernie. I wish you a speedy recovery (I'm not sure if that's the correct term).

Larry

'Web Guy & Hobbyist Welder'

Sorry to hear about your misfortune, I wish you a speedy recovery.

Shawn

Hey Ernie,

Whoops. Sorry to hear that. Tough break. I'm sure it hurts and really aches right now all the way to your armpit. It will pass, but that won't make it hurt less right now. Was the surgeon able to "cover" the ends OK, or did they cut back some bone?

And I hate to ask you to re-live what happened, but I can learn by reading of others "mistakes". Heck, I may even pass on a few of my own.

Take care. Hope it's all covered by your med insurance.

Brian Lawson, Bothwell, Ontario.

ps... just back from IMTS2004 in Chicago. Lincoln was demonstrating a "submerged arc" weld doing a surface build-up of 403 stainless on a

12" roller. Very impressive. Very automatic.

Wednesday of this week I did a bad thing. Using a 60-ton hydraulic pressbrake I successfully removed the tips of 2 fingers on my right hand. The cause was purely operator error and I did it to myself. I am in a lot of pain now, but the percocets help a bit. I won¹t be typing much for a while so don¹t take offense if I don¹t respond to emails or usenet discussions.

The actual damage was the removal of about 1 inch from both my pointer and middle finger. I kept the knuckle on both.

Hopefully I will be recovered in time to teach this fall.

Heal well and take care, Ernie. I mostly lurk here but when I need to know something on welding, usually I just fire google and search in your past posts... That should say something for the amount of knowledge you gave to the group.

Really sorry to hear of your bad luck Ernie.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery

-Kk-

-bob-

Damn! That's terrible! I've managed, due to some guardian angel, to never do anything permanent to myself, yet! Reading of pros like yourself having such a serious accident certainly has made me less cavalier about these things.

I hope your recovery is quick, you can get off the hi-test painkillers quickly, and get back to the work you love. And, I also hope that the accident doesn't impair your great skills in any way! (I know that that was my greatest fear when I nicked my left index finger with a chain saw. It was in a splint for a week or more, and when the splint came off, it was as stiff and as numb as a dowel, and I went pretty white. But, it recovered pretty well after a week of moving again.)

Jon

Accidents like this make us wonder why we work, or play, in this business (metalworking). But we all have our answers why we do.

I hope your recovery is the best that it can be. Best wishes.

Get better soon, Ernie, and thanks again for your advice in the past- it's appreciated more than you know.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Erine ...so about your loss....If you need any help finishing your pending projects feel free to get ahold of me ...Frank ..Nevarc Marine .Everett WA

Ernie, Bummer to hear about the accident. You will be in our thoughts and shop prayers without question. I wish you a speedy recovery and just by the length of the thread you are in a lot of people's thoughts.

Be well, heal fast, Rob Fraser- Chicago, IL.

Ernie, My Condolences. I hope I never have to go through that. We do have a guy a work we call 8 1/2. He managed to cut off the ends of two of his fingers in an aircraft re-circulation fan. Runs fast and looks a lot like a jet engine compressor.

Percocets are great! No Pictures please ;-) Michelle

Ernie Leimkuhler wrote:

- Ernie Leimkuhler - spluttered in news:100920042338032676% snipped-for-privacy@stagesmith.com:

Best of luck Ernie.

SOrry to hear about it. Please mend fast, and return as soon as you can. Your welding advice to others that I've read has been invaluable to me since we got a REAL welder at the shop here. Take care.

Youch! I feel your pian, literally. A month out of my life this summer.

On the plus, they do heal up usable, and the feeling comes back, although different than it was. For me, more sensitive, but tingly-funny.

On the minus, the bone and the scar line always feel like a razor cut when touched.

On the plus side, I was able to pick up a welding torch in three weeks and start to retrain-- did several buildups on brake parts, including a build-and-machine to fit on an actuator knuckle (block about 4X4X4 with a radiussed face that fits in a matching radius socket on a lever) to the tune of 1/4 thickness. Almost no machining needed. The hand (such as it was) came back fairly easily. The skill is in the hed, not the hand.

Watch the pain meds. They make it worse later. I only used for a day because I couldn't sleep. After that, I did without. One bad night, then a few medium ones. Last time, I learned my lesson.