Note to self: air hammers hurt fingers.

[jrlp]

I was installing a steering stabilizer on a '97 dodge diesel. The kind that have a replacement pitman arm nut that goes into a large bearing, which in turn goes to a bracket that connects to the frame through the swaybar bushing mounts. I couldn't get the bearing on the shaft (even after lubing it) by hand, so laying on my back with the nut installed on the steering box, and got it started with a 16oz estwing ballpeen. I used a 7/8" impact socket to tap it in until the shaft hit the socket, and switched to a 1 1/8" socket.

I used the 3050 with the small flat hammer bit. Holding the socket over the bearing, tapping on it with the 3050. I got a little impatient and zipped it full throttle. It, very kindly, walked off the socket and hit my thumb between the face of the hammer and the 1/4" steel bearing plate a few times before I let go of the trigger.

Note to self: air hammers hit hard and fast. I only creased my nail and got a tiny cut/ball on my thumb, at the back cuticle / joint area. It could have been so much more worse, I'm just glad it was on "2" of the power settings and not 4...

Finished seating the bearing all the way, torqued everything down, cussing each step of the way as I managed to hit, scrape, and bang that very same thumb on anything and everything imaginable.

 

[Jarhead0408]

Man that *****.
Haven't hit myself with an air hammer yet but I'm sure it's just a matter of time.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Quite surprised you got to keep the finger, air hammers are not forgiving in the least. I have a 118MAX and it's a beast, a bit uncontrollable at times if you're trying to use full power.

 

[JASTECH]

Glad you are not badly hurt, a lesson well learned I hope.

 

[jrlp]

Quite surprised you got to keep the finger, air hammers are not forgiving in the least. I have a 118MAX and it's a beast, a bit uncontrollable at times if you're trying to use full power.

I think I just got lucky, since there was few inches from the top of the socket and the plate, so I may have started letting go before it got my finger.. I've used the 3050 enough on #2 power setting enough to know it could have been so much worse. If I grab it to use it, I always set the level to #1, and if that doesn't work, I go one up etc.. until it starts working.. I think that alone is what saved my finger.. #2 with an old forge sheetmetal ripping bit can cut through 2 layers of 16g sheet metal at around 1"/second...it really doesn't mess around.

 

[jrlp]

Thought I'd show the aftermath. It doesn't look bad, but it sure does hurt. Didn't have to poke the nail either!

Also, don't grab the hot end of a soldering iron.



Soldering iron 3 days ago. Made work very fun! 45 watt too..




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[RBailey]

I never poke / burn a hole in my nails.

I use the smallest drill bit, steralise it and then drill in by hand.

Much less pressure on the nail while doing it and no over shoot down into the nail bed at the end.

A day or so later I then make sure it is all clean and fill the hole with a dab of epoxy.



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[jrlp]

That sounds like a good plan. Once I caught my pinki between a motor mount and frame, and couldn't get it out for a minute..

I ran a diabetic insulin needle (no idea what size? 28 gauge?) up my nail all the way up to the joint.. like starting from the end of my nail. Hard to explain, but I pushed it all the way under the length of the nailbed.. took a minute to do it.. and was quite painful, but I managed to keep the nail. Worst part was pulling it back out!

 

[HaroRider]

I never poke / burn a hole in my nails.

I use the smallest drill bit, steralise it and then drill in by hand.

Much less pressure on the nail while doing it and no over shoot down into the nail bed at the end.

A day or so later I then make sure it is all clean and fill the hole with a dab of epoxy.



WARNING !!!!!
NORMAL INTERNET EXCLUSIONS APPLY.
DON'T BLAME OR QUOTE ME ON THIS ONE IF YOU ARE DAFT ENOUGH TO COPY ME.

Sand, paint, and clearcoat after?