Warning: Slotted rotor hazards
Jeff Deeney
Many of you already know all about what I'm about to say. For those
that don't, maybe this can prevent serious injury to yourselves or those
around you.
Monday evening I was working on my dirt bike in the garage. The bike
was up on blocks and I had just put the front wheel back on. My 20
month old son is fascinated by all things mechanical and was milling
about. He had a great fascination with spinning the front wheel. The
problem is that he was spinning the wheel by gripping the disc and
turning it with his hand. About the time a little voice in my head told
me that this may not be a good idea (because of the slots in the rotor),
his thumb got sucked into the caliper, the wheel stopped with a
sickening thud, and he started shrieking.
I got his hand freed and cleaned up. The whole thing was bleeding
rather profusely so it was hard to see the extent of the damages. The
thumbnail was ripped out by the roots and dangling by small attached
portions. Having considerable experience with lacerating myself, I
judged we probably didn't need to rush to the emergency room that night.
The next morning we visited the doctor and he finished removing the
thumbnail. There's a nasty gash across where the nail used to be. I
think the bone was the only thing that stopped the end of his thumb from
being severed. The Dr. didn't seem to think he was in much danger of
losing the end of his thumb. We won't know for sure until the wraps come
off on Friday.
Other than the first 5 minutes after the injury, he's been a real scout
through the whole incident. It's a good thing all of his nerve endings
aren't yet fully formed.
For those who are parents, you can imagine how sickened I am by this
whole ordeal. My little boy had his thumb mutilated in a preventable
accident. I only hope that my writing this message might prevent a
similar accident.
If you have slotted rotors, watch those bikes when they're up on blocks
or centerstands. Not just kids, but adults too. After this happened, I
found out another friend recently got his finger sucked into a disk slot
trying to feel if the disk was warped while spinning the wheel. He got
away with a black nail. There is enough sharpness in the disk and
angular momentum in the wheel, that you can easily lose part or all of a
finger.
One last thing. Whether you're riding or wrenching, listen to those
little voices in your head. Someone is trying to tell you something.
P.S. After listening to my story, Ron Miller commented that this gives
new meaning to the term "bleeding your brakes". Be careful.
-Jeff Deeney- DoD#0498 NCTR FOLMA#2 '88 XR600-Shamu
j...@fc.hp.com AMA#540813 COHVCO '81 CB750F-Llamaha
We don't stop riding because we get old, we get old because we stop riding.
Allen R. Nichols Jr.
In a previous article, je...@fc.hp.com (Jeff Deeney) says:
My daughter is over 2 years old and I won't even let her get near my bike.
I have repeatedly told her that it is HOT. Even when it's not been ran
previously. A child that young cannot figure out these things yet. I'm so
afraid that she will go up and touch one of the pipes just after I get off
of it. Can you imagine what that would do to baby's skin?
I'm glad your child is curious about mechanics. How about an erector set
instead? Maybe wait until he's, oh let's say 10 or 12!
Al
--
Allen R. Nichols Jr. DoD# ??????
ds...@cleveland.freenet.edu You *know* things are when you send
'87 EX-500 "Black Beauty" yourself E-mail!
Victor L. Johnson
: Many of you already know all about what I'm about to say. For those
: that don't, maybe this can prevent serious injury to yourselves or those
: around you.
Story of little one's (Colin?) finger getting hurt deleted ... hope his
finger heals up OK.
: One last thing. Whether you're riding or wrenching, listen to those
: little voices in your head. Someone is trying to tell you something.
This stuff happens fast. I was readying the kids and the GoldWing for
a ride around our neighborhood. The Wing was running to warm up while
I got the helmets and jackets on.
As I was hooking up the second skid lid (on the older boy) I glanced
over to see what the younger one was doing. I spotted him standing next
to the Wing with his foot on the gearshift ready to plunk it into 1st and
launch the bike off the sidestand and over onto him!
I think they heard me on the other side of the lake as I hollered/lunged
to push him out of the way before the unthinkable happened. I scared
him witless as well as myself being scared witless. Kid is OK, Dad has
27 additional gray hairs. :-\
New rule, bike stays off until we're ready to ride ...
Cheers, @
Victor "Dances with Hawks" Johnson ... #%\
______________________________________O^_O__________________________________
Advanced Systems Division Hewlett Packard
Graphics Software Lab 3404 East Harmony Road
(303/T)-229-6759 Fort Collins, CO 80525
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seth Zirin
>For those who are parents, you can imagine how sickened I am by this
>whole ordeal. My little boy had his thumb mutilated in a preventable
>accident. I only hope that my writing this message might prevent a
>similar accident.
Sorry to hear about your son's accident. My 4 year old was playing
with an upside-down bicycle by cranking the pedals and grabbing the chain.
He luckily knocked the chain off the derailer and came for
help before he lopped off any fingers. I was wreck for days anyway
because of what *might* have happened.
--
Seth Zirin
s...@mare.att.com
Flash
>found out another friend recently got his finger sucked into a disk slot
>trying to feel if the disk was warped while spinning the wheel. He got
>away with a black nail.
About that BLACK NAIL thing... I used to work in a machine shop. As you
might imagine, folks who pick up and deal with heavy pieces of metal on
a regular basis occasionally mash a finger real good. The cure for a
blackened finger nail is quick, easy, and a LOT less painful than
waiting for the thing to fall off and then grow back.
As soon as you mash it, while the blood under the nail is STILL FRESH,
drill a small hole in the nail right in the middle of the black spot.
Use a bit smaller than 1/16", 1/32" is nice. Don't drill any deeper than
you have to to JUST get through the nail. Squeeze the blood out through
the hole. Your finger IMMEDIATELY feels relief from the pressure. Some
discoloration may remain as it grows out, but you will not lose the nail.
As a bonus, you get to watch the little hole grow toward the tip and see how
fast your nails really grow.
This is not an AFU. I've done it. I suspect that there are a LOT of
machinists out there that have done it, too. When you think about it...
what do you have to lose? You're finger nail is gonna fall off if you
DON'T do it. And that throbbing before it falls off... OUCH. And the
EXTREME tenderness after it does... yikes!
Yep. Drilling is the way to go. You'll thank me.
- Flash - DoD #412
Tim Collins
I sincerely hope all turns out ok. Best wishes on a quick and
full recovery, and a happier kid.
The biggest differences between your gutwrenching story and my
close call is that my ancient and decrepit sled has a drum
rear brake and I was lucky enough to grab the wheel just before
my 2 1/2 year old's finger, which was caught between the spoke
and the hub, got wrapped around the hub, and then his hand and then ...
See, I was lubing the chain on my GSXR, and he and I were talking.
The IT was up on the crate. I was "keeping an eye" on him.
I looked down for about 2 seconds, heard the sound of a wheel being
turned, and barely had enough time to get myself extricated, around
the GSXR without knocking it over on him, and to the IT. If I
would have thought about what I was doing, I would have been too
late. Pure dumb luck and reactions. He's always been very good
about not touching things in the garage without asking first, and
(basically, fill in your favorite excuse here).
Here's what I learned:
Lesson 1: He's faster than I am.
Lesson 2: He doesn't understand the consequences of his actions.
Lesson 3: If it would have happened, it would have been my fault.
Lesson 4: These things have the potential of happening all the time.
Let's be careful out there!
Unknown
>
>About that BLACK NAIL thing... I used to work in a machine shop. As you
>might imagine, folks who pick up and deal with heavy pieces of metal on
>a regular basis occasionally mash a finger real good. The cure for a
>blackened finger nail is quick, easy, and a LOT less painful than
>waiting for the thing to fall off and then grow back.
>
>As soon as you mash it, while the blood under the nail is STILL FRESH,
>drill a small hole in the nail right in the middle of the black spot.
>Use a bit smaller than 1/16", 1/32" is nice. Don't drill any deeper than
>you have to to JUST get through the nail. Squeeze the blood out through
>the hole. Your finger IMMEDIATELY feels relief from the pressure. Some
>discoloration may remain as it grows out, but you will not lose the nail.
>As a bonus, you get to watch the little hole grow toward the tip and see how
>fast your nails really grow.
>
>
> - Flash - DoD #412
A paperclip or 3 penny nail heated red hot works well
and is more sterile...
dan s.
Bruno Melli
: As soon as you mash it, while the blood under the nail is STILL FRESH,
: drill a small hole in the nail right in the middle of the black spot.
The problem with that is that you open the door for infection.
(from what my doc. told me when I came in with a very black and painful
toe nail after a soccer game) On the other hand, putting on ski boots with
a missing toe nail is not very comfortable.
If you drill a hole make sure you keep the area very clean.
bruno.
Eric Murray
>Jeff -
>I sincerely hope all turns out ok. Best wishes on a quick and
>full recovery, and a happier kid.
>
>The biggest differences between your gutwrenching story and my
>close call is that my ancient and decrepit sled has a drum
>rear brake and I was lucky enough to grab the wheel just before
>my 2 1/2 year old's finger, which was caught between the spoke
>and the hub, got wrapped around the hub, and then his hand and then ...
[etc.]
Kids always get to a stage where they have to find out WHY
Mom & Dad tell them not to do something.
In my case, it was a screen door when I was 4. Remember the old
screen doors that didn't have shock absorbers on them, just springs,
and would go "THWACK!" on the door jamb when you let them go?
Someone went out through one that I was standing next to, and I
decided I wanted to see what happened when I put my fingers between
the door jamb & the door. I knew it was bad, but I
was just too curious not to do it anyhow.
So the next time someone went out the door, I did it. I stuck one finger
right in the jamb, and the door went "THWACK!".
I didn't break the finger too badly, but I was really careful around
spring-loaded screen doors for a long long time. ;-)
Oh yea, now that I'm thinking about it, I remember sticking my fingers
into a fan too. I was a very experimental child. :-)
Maybe the trick is to get the kid to get this out of his system on
something relatively harmless instead of chancing having a dirt bike
or Gold Wing fall over on him. Broken fingers aren't too bad, they
usually heal pretty well.
--
Eric Murray er...@microunity.com
In this game, the winner is also the loser, and the judge's decisions are final
Jim Dunne
Chains and rear sprockets scare the hell out of me too (got a
bad finger pinch once, and it was only a 428H :). I stay far away if
I ever have to turn the rear wheel.
Hope your son heals well Jeff (I don't believe you named him in the
article.)
jedman
Andreas Meyer
|>
|> Yep. Drilling is the way to go. You'll thank me.
|>
Just make sure you sterilize that drill bit before using it!
Andreas Meyer
Dr. Speed DoD8177
>In <2tq73v$f...@taco.cc.ncsu.edu>, fl...@bucolix.ncsu.edu (Flash) writes:
>>
>>About that BLACK NAIL thing... I used to work in a machine shop. As you
>>might imagine, folks who pick up and deal with heavy pieces of metal on
>>a regular basis occasionally mash a finger real good. The cure for a
>>blackened finger nail is quick, easy, and a LOT less painful than
>>waiting for the thing to fall off and then grow back.
>>
>>drill a small hole in the nail right in the middle of the black spot.
>>you have to to JUST get through the nail. Squeeze the blood out through
>>the hole. Your finger IMMEDIATELY feels relief from the pressure. Some
>>discoloration may remain as it grows out, but you will not lose the nail.
>>As a bonus, you get to watch the little hole grow toward the tip and see how
>>fast your nails really grow.
>>
>>
>
>A paperclip or 3 penny nail heated red hot works well
>and is more sterile...
>
>dan s.
>
I smashed my finger RealGood(TM) a few years back and the pain was unreal!
The numbing pain went all the way to my shoulder. My wife rushed me to the
hospital thinking I had done some Real Damage(TM).
I felt like a total dweeb when the orderly took one look at my now purple finger,
whipped out a BIC lighter and a paperclip from off of his desk, strightened out
the clip, heated it with the lighter, and poked a hole in the bed on my fingernail.
The pain went away with a spurt of blood from under the nail.
Dr. Speed (obviously NOT an MD!)
Floyd Wolfe
True, this does work. Another way is to heat up a paper clip sufficiently to melt a
hole thru the nail (be careful not to go too far). One time, not wanting to chance
using the power drill, I tried combining the two methods...I heated the drill bit and
started a sloowww drilling pass into my afflicted appendage. When the HOT drill
bit finally broke thru the nail, it touched the tender skin underneath. I beleive I
invented a new dance step while reversing the drill bit back out of the hole :^)
Floyd
Jeff Deeney
: Hope your son heals well Jeff (I don't believe you named him in the
: article.)
No, I didn't mention that his name is Colton.
We went to the Dr. this morning to remove the wraps. The good news is
that there was no sign of infection and the tip of the thumb is a
healthy pink, indicating that it will remain intact (yeaaaa!).
Bad news is that the thumbnail has a really healthy blood supply.
There's still a pretty good gash across where the nail used to be. In
the process of removing the wraps, a healthy supply of blood was
unleashed. Colton was fascinated by the whole dripping mess. While the
Dr. was probing around, the Dr. got squirted with blood. I was
planning ahead and wore my red shirt today :-) He was a really brave little
guy through the whole ordeal.
Things are looking good. A few more days with his hand in wraps just to
be safe. It's amazing how adaptable the little ones are. He acts as if
his hand and fingers have been bound together his whole life. Doesn't
slow him down a bit.
-Jeff Deeney- DoD#0498 NCTR FOLMA#2 '88 XR600-Shamu
j...@fc.hp.com AMA#540813 COHVCO '81 CB750F-Llamaha
"I honor my Inner Warrior. Otherwise he will hurt me. Badly."
-Shanti Goldstein
Bemben
>Yep. Drilling is the way to go. You'll thank me.
I have to agree, do it with whatever you have available (knife blade, nail,
drill, whatever - but make it sterile!). It won't always mean that you'll
save the nail but it sure does releave the pain!
One Christmas Eve when I was a youngster we had just arrived at my
grandmother's house. As I shut the door of my fathers car I wasn't
paying attention to where my hand was and shut my thumb in the door.
My father had to unlock and open the door before I could get it free...
%-( .
Later that night it did turn outlandishly black and I ended up having to
have it drilled twice. The second time was interesting because when a
nurse at the hospital did the drilling there was so much built up
pressure behind the nail that it shot out like a jet and sprayed the front
of her uniform rather liberally... and I did end up losing the nail.
--
Rich Bemben rbe...@mbunix.mitre.org
DoD #0044 (617) 271-7136
The street giveth and the street taketh away - Catmother
*********************************************************************
Val Gregory
I'm positive I could NEVER do this. It may take me all weekend to quit
cringing after reading about it! OUCH!
Oh course, I can't self-administer eye drops either.
Val Gregory
'90 Hawk GT - "Redtailed"
"Just call me a wuss - I don't care!"
DoD #1258
fram...@skitzo.dseg.ti.com
> Flash (fl...@bucolix.ncsu.edu) wrote:
> : As soon as you mash it, while the blood under the nail is STILL FRESH,
> : drill a small hole in the nail right in the middle of the black spot.
>
> The problem with that is that you open the door for infection.
God... I hate getting those. Once a wrench slipped on the scooter
and blackened my thumb nail. I couldn't sleep because of the pain
and it was unbearable if the injured area got unelevated. I finally
had to drill with an exacto knife but it was too late and didn't get
much flow. Had to just wait it out.
OBselfabuse: I can't recall my dad (read: prominant West Texas farmer)
ever not having atleast one black nail one of his hands. Don't know
how he stands it.
Framp..
Darwin Breland
>In article <2tqlc6$5...@tadpole.fc.hp.com>, br...@cnd.hp.com (Bruno Melli) writes:
>> Flash (fl...@bucolix.ncsu.edu) wrote:
>> : As soon as you mash it, while the blood under the nail is STILL FRESH,
>> : drill a small hole in the nail right in the middle of the black spot.
>>
>> The problem with that is that you open the door for infection.
>
> God... I hate getting those. Once a wrench slipped on the scooter
> and blackened my thumb nail. I couldn't sleep because of the pain
> and it was unbearable if the injured area got unelevated. I finally
> had to drill with an exacto knife but it was too late and didn't get
> much flow. Had to just wait it out.
>
> OBselfabuse: I can't recall my dad (read: prominant West Texas farmer)
What the hell is he farming out there? Dirt? Tumble weeds?
TEX
--
'Texas' '86FXR
Now let's just suppose for a moment, that there
were no hypothetical questions......
Mike Baxter
>
>I'm positive I could NEVER do this. It may take me all weekend to quit
>cringing after reading about it! OUCH!
>
>Oh course, I can't self-administer eye drops either.
>
>Val Gregory
>'90 Hawk GT - "Redtailed"
>"Just call me a wuss - I don't care!"
>DoD #1258
WUSS WUSS WUSS!!!!!!!! :-) Couldn't resist!!!
_____________________________________________________________________________
DoD #359 | Mike Baxter
AMA #607249 #P61 |
TCCRA #P61 "Team D." | bax...@spdc.ti.com
Pro Class - Texas Cross Country Racing |
Sponsored by: ACERBIS, RACE TECH, | Texas Instruments, Dallas Tx.
WISECO & TWO WHEEL WORLD |
_______________________________________|_____________________________________
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are my very own, becuase
if they were worth anything TI would patent them.
Tom Maloney
In article <1994Jun17.2...@den.mmc.com> vgre...@den.mmc.com (Val Gregory) writes:
>
>I'm positive I could NEVER do this. It may take me all weekend to quit
>cringing after reading about it! OUCH!
>
>Oh course, I can't self-administer eye drops either.
>
>Val Gregory
>'90 Hawk GT - "Redtailed"
>"Just call me a wuss - I don't care!"
>DoD #1258
WUSS WUSS WUSS!!!!!!!! :-) Couldn't resist!!!
Val, if you are wussy about drilling your fingernail, another
technique to accomplish the same result is to heat the end of a paper
clip with a lighter till it's good and hot, and then lightly touch it
to the affected nail. It will melt a little hole in the nail,
relieving the pressure just the same as the drill method. I used to do
this for blackened toenails during my cross-country running days.
If you can't do that either, then hell, you're a wuss, what can I do.
--
tom maloney 'small things make bass men proud'
american math society providence, r.i.
t...@math.ams.org 401.455.4098 DoD 614
Val Gregory
Cotton, dude. Lotsa cotton out there. Even some drought-
resistant wheat. (Goodbye, Ogalala Aquifer...)
Val Gregory
'90 Hawk GT - "Redtailed"
DoD #1258
fram...@skitzo.dseg.ti.com
Miles and miles of it.
I do remember the nice days of putting a blade on the tractor
and carving out a track in a dry lake bottom. I'd make a new
track every other weekend.
Framp..
Val Gregory
In article <Crqz8...@spdc.ti.com>, bax...@epcot.spdc.ti.com (Mike Baxter) writes:
|> In article <1994Jun17.2...@den.mmc.com> vgre...@den.mmc.com (Val Gregory) writes:
|> >
|> >I'm positive I could NEVER do this. It may take me all weekend to quit
|> >cringing after reading about it! OUCH!
|> >
|> >Oh course, I can't self-administer eye drops either.
|> >
|>
|>
|> WUSS WUSS WUSS!!!!!!!! :-) Couldn't resist!!!
|> _____________________________________________________________________________
|> DoD #359 | Mike Baxter
|> AMA #607249 #P61 |
|> TCCRA #P61 "Team D." | bax...@spdc.ti.com
|> Pro Class - Texas Cross Country Racing |
|> Sponsored by: ACERBIS, RACE TECH, | Texas Instruments, Dallas Tx.
|> WISECO & TWO WHEEL WORLD |
|> _______________________________________|_____________________________________
|> Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are my very own, becuase
|> if they were worth anything TI would patent them.
It's twue, it's twue!
But I can change a diaper, mop up kid-puke or yank legs
off a cricket (to feed the pet lizard) without batting an
eye!
(Not to mention birthing said kids...)
Just don't ask me to poke holes in myself without local
anethesia, or get ANYTHING near the surface of my eyes!
(Still cringing.)
Val Gregory
'90 Hawk GT - "Redtailed"
DoD #1258
Val Gregory
AAAAAAAARGH! That's as bad as the drill!
Val Gregory
'90 Hawk GT - "Redtailed"
DoD #1258
(Here we go, another weekend of cringing!)
Frank Supik
>
>But I can change a diaper, mop up kid-puke or yank legs
>off a cricket (to feed the pet lizard) without batting an
>eye!
>
>(Not to mention birthing said kids...)
Wimp. You didn't even go NEAR your bike while birthing, did you? :-)
Frank
------
fsu...@eng.umd.edu (The Dinosaur) '83 LTD440 "Kitty", '92 CB750 "Samantha"
Keep the guns, end the violence. "Peace through superior brainpower."