Cautioary tale of a fractured wrist

[Paper2002AD]

Typing this with my left hand due to the fact that the other is incased in a plaster cast.

Drilling a 15mm hole through an external cavity wall, the drill bit jammed and the drill kicked back. I don't know what I could have done to avoid this, since I was holding the drill firmly, using the auxilliary handle too.

It hurt at the time, but throughout the day my right wrist got more and more swollen and painfull.

Went to A & E, where an X-ray revealed a broken bone. It still bloody hurts this morning - but how long to heal guys? W were supposed to be going off next week on the boat, but at the moment I couldn't even lift a lock key, let alone work any of the dozens of locks along our planned route.

[IMM]

Should have used an SES drill with a slip clutch. Wise in hindsight..

[:::Jerry::::]

What ever IMM, after all you know all about wrist problems, your right one must be subject to RSI almost continually.

BTW you are breaking the AUP of individual.net, which I assume you have read.

[Tom]

I always remember during my apprentiship days (1950s) when I had to do a stint in a workshop with machine tools, an old codger (the boss) told me that "there were more accidents using a drill than any other machine in the workshop, however, thankfully, they were rarely fatal", but there were quite a few machinists sporting bald spots , these were the days before chuck guards became compulsory. I think it depends which bone you broke, when I broke radius and ulna many years ago it took about 6 weeks I think Good Luck Tom

[Andy Luckman (AJL Electronics)]

Purely for interest, did the drill have a clutch?

[Paper2002AD]

When I was an engineering apprentice, we too were shown the scalp one, and also a finger, complete with a few inches of tendon, and still with a gold ring attached to it. The moral being, don't wear a ring whilst operating machinery. I've never forgotten the words of one of our instructors - 'Machines don't care lad' - how right he was!

[:::Jerry::::]

???? !!!!!!

[Richard J.]

First of all, sorry to hear about your wrist.

Please would you retain at least some of the post you are responding to, so that people reading the latest posts don't have to display all previous ones and track back up the thread to find out what the question was.

(He was answering the question "Did the drill have a clutch?")

[Mike Mitchell]

My estimate is six weeks, and careful use after that for several months. It depends how old you are.

MM

[Bob Eager]

To continue the D-I-Y theme....taking comfrey is supposed to (and some studies have verified) speed up the bone knitting.

[a]

yeah 6 weeks is pretty average - although my thumb took about 8 weeks after smashing it in the car door (I still cringe thinking of that - between two metal edges with about 2mm gap, and the lock grabbed too!) , while after breaking my elbow (yeah I had a bad 2003!) I was out of the sling in about 3 weeks and urged to move it as soon as possible to stop the joint stiffening up.

[John Rumm]

What, not a budget tool? I thought decent ones were only for "the pros'".

[Mike Hibbert]

All is not lost!

Explain the art of opening and closing loack to the missus. Sit back with beer in hand and practice the following phrase....

'I'd love to help, but my arm's just not up to it. Can you grab me another beer when you've done this lock please?'

Mike

[:::Jerry::::]

FFS, learn to post.

[Paper2002AD]

OK

[Paper2002AD]

Trouble is, sh doesn't enjoy the best of health and can't manage the locks - damn good at steering into them tho

[Dave Liquorice]

Isn't this why you take out insurance?

[Owain]

"Paper2002AD" wrote | >Wife will have to work teh locks while you shout instructions. | Trouble is, sh doesn't enjoy the best of health and can't manage | the locks - damn good at steering into them tho

She can't really complain then if you suggest getting a third person along to crew for you. Perhaps a nice muscular Finnish girl who could work the locks and also do the cooking.

Owain

[BillV]

Thats a good idea! If she can double up as a very strict nurse, even better...

[Paper2002AD]

Now you're talking!!