[GILLY]

Tonight I was carving a birch spoon with a Celtic Knotwork handle. While Outlining the knotwork, using a 1/2 " straight chisel, I slipped off of the handle and right into my thigh, 1/2" deep, it took 3 stitches to close. Did I ever feel stupid for doing this to myself, especially when I normally do something like this with a wood or leather backing for "safety"

We live and learn.................

[rick-in-seattle]

Been there; I drove a 1 inch carpenters chisel into my thigh with a mallet (totem pole), and stuck a knife in my thigh while talking (walking stick).

[GILLY]

Originally Posted by rick-in-seattle

Been there; I drove a 1 inch carpenters chisel into my thigh with a mallet (totem pole), and stuck a knife in my thigh while talking (walking stick).

Under my own pressure hurt bad enough but driving it in with a mallet!............I probably would have passed out.

[BobD]

Whenever I hand model for the magazine, Jon, our designer, has to airbrush all the knicks and dings out of my hands <grin>

I'm 6'3", and my basement (where my workshop is) is built of Umpa Lumpas--I can't walk anywhere without denting my skull. So I've got to be careful when I carve--I can't afford more dr bills!

Bob

[Callynne]

Okay Gilly, I know I lectured about the safety glove and thumb guard.....perhaps body armor is next?!! But seriously, I'm sorry you got hurt and hope you heal up quickly!

Rick, a mallet and chisel?! How many stitches did that take?

BobD, all I can say is....if you can't remember to duck, maybe you'd better start wearing a helmet! Hmmmm, wouldn't that be a sight, safety glove, thumb guard, eye protection....and a helmet! Deborah

[BobD]

My wife said the same thing--she wants me to hang a hard hat in the stairway leading down into the basement--I'm just afraid that I would bang into that too <grin>

My dad is always telling the story about when he was in the Merchant Marines. He was First Mate, and the Skipper decided that everyone on deck had to wear a hard hat. After a while, everyone got used to wearing the hat, and one time the Skipper came out on deck to see one of the workers using his hard hat (on his head) to stop a swinging block and tackle--hard hats were not worn after that <grin>

Bob

[Just Carving]

Being 6'-3" myself, I had metal plates installed so I wouldn't need to wear a helmet.

Now, if I can only figure a way to keep dem dang magnets from jumping on me everytime I walk by the refrigerator.

[Kenny_S]

Ah a metal skull cap. What a sight! Cold in the winter and hot in the summer.
Bob, at least when you walk by the refrig, you don't stick to it eh?

[Just Carving]

Only if I stick my head inside the freezer--usually in the Summer to cool off from the Sun!

The joke behind the metal plate is that people who want to work on rescue trucks need only pass the magnet test--reasoning being is that you have a metal plate in your head, you're nuts enough to do stuff like crawl into small pipes part-filled with who knows what, hang off high places with ropes, go into dark places with no breathable air--ya know, daaahhhh, fun stuff like dat!

[rick-in-seattle]

Bob, speaking of metal plates in the head reminds me of a story.

A few years back (Feb. 2002) I took a flight to visit some friends.
When I arrived in Phoenix, I picked up my rental car and started a 130 mile drive.

The thing about that is my friends only live 75 miles from the airport; yep I got a little lost. Well I don't know if you can get just a little lost. If you are lost, then you are lost all the way, right? I suppose if you have some idea of where you are, then you can't be lost.
Hmmm, I'll give that one a bit more thought.

Anyway getting back to the story; I arrived at my buddy's home about an hour later than I should have. I knew he was going to ask what the holdup was.

He waited until after dinner and as he lay down his napkin, he asked;
Soooo, ya got lost; did ya?

Now, y'all know I am never short on storys, so I answered "why no;.... I didn't".
"I was delayed because of the new security measures at the Phoenix airport".
My friend (an old Texan who can tell some whoppers) gave me a look of doubt.

I told him;
"You have no idea how trying it can be just getting through airport security with a metal plate in your head;........I do; and it's enough to make a grown man cry"

My buddy mulled that one over for a while, he had his cowboy boots on, but he wasn't about to step in it. Soon his wife could take it no longer and asked;
YOU HAVE A METAL PLATE IN YOUR HEAD?

I replied; no, but the poor slob in front of me did.