I hope you don't do this -

[Cobra6]

I was putting some furring strips in the attic of my garage - I have 2"x6" studs on the trusses, but when I added the ProVent baffles, I needed to make up the space so I could put in 6" thick R-19 batts.

I pre-drilled holes in the furring strips and started a 2 5/8" power screw through the thickness of the furring strip so I could set the strip on the truss beam and screw it in -

Well- on the first screw, the power drill I was using was on a torque setting of 12, which didn't get it, so I increased it to 18 and put all of my 230 lbs into the force of the drill (other hand holding the furring strip) -

and you guessed it - drill tip slipped off the screw and went completely through my hand between the thumb and forefinger. Not a real big hole, but it did go all the way through.
Trip to the ER and tetanus and X-ray (hit the bone, but didn't chip it. I decided to nail the rest of the furring strips to the trusses.

 

[flht1997]

and you didn't stop to take a picture why?

get well soon.

 

[pop pop]

Just put a Band Aid on it. You gotta hurry and finish this!

 

[Full Throttle]

no pics, didn't happen.

 

[andrewsnmorgan]

^^ What he said.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

Sorry to hear of your accident. Hope you heal up well !

If you get into this kind of work again, furring strips (if your referring to 3/8s thick x about 1-1/2 wide strips of wood, they go on real fast with a pneumatic 1' wide crown stapler.

Ive fir stripped an entire house for a rain screen. Ive also done similar attic work with furring strips, its super fast, and pretty strong. They also work great with house wrap, and sheathing with the old school celotex fiber board.

Makes real easy work out of it.

 

[Cobra6]

I did go with a pneumatic nailer for the rest of the job - only did the attic.

and, I decided not to show pics - I know it is a matter of taste, but I don't want to look at them.

 

[BackNBlackTJ]

Just wrap some tape around it and keep going...
ER? jeez ya nancy...

that *****, nailer is much faster anyway...

 

[70Chevy]

It's good to get the injury out of the way early in the project.

I nailed my thumb on the first wall I put together for my garage.

 

[Cobra6]

Just wrap some tape around it and keep going...
ER? jeez ya nancy...

that *****, nailer is much faster anyway...

yep - I know - couldn't stop bleeding and hadn't had a tetanus shot in a while - my daughter is a nurse and was afraid I chipped a bone and wouldn't let me off the hook.

It really didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would...........

Maybe somebody else will think before they try to hold a piece of wood while running a screw through it and not do this.

 

[BackNBlackTJ]

yep - I know - couldn't stop bleeding and hadn't had a tetanus shot in a while - my daughter is a nurse and was afraid I chipped a bone and wouldn't let me off the hook.

It really didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would...........

Maybe somebody else will think before they try to hold a piece of wood while running a screw through it and not do this.

Oh I know that one, my wife's a nurse... kid and I can't even get the sniffles in this house without getting a checkup by Mom...

Hope it heals up quick... I stuck a long shaft philips through my index finger a while back, slipped of the screw and wham blood on the machine, friggen hurt... that's why I was pokin' fun at you...

 

[pipsters]

A few days ago I did the same thing, but the P2 bit went into the tip of my index finger. Hurt like hell and I was bleeding all over but I had just laid down a bead of liquid nails and had to get the screws in. What a crappy day.

On a side note anytime I do any sort of heavy screwing I'm buying the torx SPX screws from now on. I hate Phillips screws.

 

[Kevin54]

no pics, didn't happen.

^^ What he said.

What they said!!!

That is the first rule of owning a Man Card. When an accident happens, grab the camera

 

[spongerich]

That was a close call.. for a minute I thought you were going to say that you slipped and it went through the drywall. At least your hand will heal itself!

 

[Bronson]

Geeze, I've had worse on My eyeball.......

 

[sledzz]

The same thing happened to me a few weeks ago!! It went through my index finger only on the side and missed the bone. I had an phillips bit hole right through it... man it hurt. I bandaided it since I have a current tetnus shot.

 

[Dave Maxwell]

I was drilling a hole in a round object. Bit broke and went through my index finger on top of knuckle. Stitches. Yes I took pics. Hope yours gets better soon

 

[theoldwizard1]

I pre-drilled holes in the furring strips and started a 2 5/8" power screw through the thickness of the furring strip so I could set the strip on the truss beam and screw it in -

Which is why they make impact drivers !

I have driven 4" screws into PT (yes, they were coated and thicker than typical screws) "like butter" with my DeWalt's impact driver. It is worth the extra cost for impact bits.

 

[WQ59B]

Furring strips aren't an inch or two long; one should be able to keep their hand out of the 'general mishap radius' of a drill/driver. I learned this (NOT the hard way, but it was ingrained after some observation) using a trim nailer- those AL bastards curl in all sorts of directions.
Also not seeing the need for a 2&5/8-in screw to secure 3/8-in furring strip. 1.25-in should suffice, I would think.
Speedy healing, sir.

 

[Cobra6]

Furring strips aren't an inch or two long; one should be able to keep their hand out of the 'general mishap radius' of a drill/driver. I learned this (NOT the hard way, but it was ingrained after some observation) using a trim nailer- those AL bastards curl in all sorts of directions.
Also not seeing the need for a 2&5/8-in screw to secure 3/8-in furring strip. 1.25-in should suffice, I would think.
Speedy healing, sir.

Yep - the trim nailers are tricky sometimes - they can curl around and bite - I was putting up 2"x2" strips, so I had to use substantial screws, but a short one would have gotten me anyway.

You really don't need to be holding anything you are drilling on or through.

 

[Highbeam]

A pretty good rule is that if it looks like it should hurt and it doesn't, you need to go to a doc.

My last screw up like that was putting a rotozip through the flesh between thumb and index finger. Man those things can make a hole fast. My little girl, 8YO, was there when it happened and I thought she could keep a secret. No way.

 

[Steevo]

I once drove a freshly sharpened gasket scraper into that web between thumb and finger.
Looked like a picture in an anatomy book when it gaped open.
Won't do that again.

 

[JakeKohl]

Just wrap some tape around it and keep going...
ER? jeez ya nancy...

that *****, nailer is much faster anyway...

A little tape will go a long way! 3/4" drill bit pinched my finger in the grooves between studs in a 90degree wall while drilling for electrical wiring. Cleaned off the tip of my finger to the bone...but had paid help that day and needed to finish!

 

[Steevo]

A little tape will go a long way! 3/4" drill bit pinched my finger in the grooves between studs in a 90degree wall while drilling for electrical wiring. Cleaned off the tip of my finger to the bone...but had paid help that day and needed to finish!

That looks pretty fancy there, Jake.
I usually go with black electrical tape and red shop rags.

 

[JakeKohl]

That looks pretty fancy there, Jake.
I usually go with black electrical tape and red shop rags.

I called my wife to ask her to bring me something upstairs to bandage it up - we started with a maxi-pad.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

Cobra, I thought you were going to twist yourself off the ladder but you never said anything about a ladder so... was there a ladder?

Anyway, glad you got all fixed up though. I guess everyone gets a hole from a bit of some kind. My youngest sister threw a phillips screwdriver at my other sister and it stabbed her right above the knee. She had a phillps pattern scar after that

I called my wife to ask her to bring me something upstairs to bandage it up - we started with a maxi-pad.

 

[Dave Maxwell]

Before

 

[Dave Maxwell]

After

 

[Cobra6]

Cobra, I thought you were going to twist yourself off the ladder but you never said anything about a ladder so... was there a ladder?

Well - you guessed it - yes - I was on a step ladder - but managed not to fall off it at the same time.
I stayed off the ladder when I air-nailed the strips up later.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Ouch man, how the digits feel today ?

 

[Kevin54]

That knuckle will hurt for a while. I cut mine to the bone one time and I bet it took better than two years to be able to knock on a door with it. I'd forget about it until the first knock.

Here's a little accident from a table saw. I wasn't paying close enough attention. I do now though and also use a push stick.