Well it had to happen sometime - I'd do something stupid which resulted in more than a few days of pain and a couple of stitches.
Around May last year I was drilling holes at either end of small strips of aluminium. For reasons not altogether clear to me now, I switched hands and held the drill with my left (non dominant) and the piece with my right. Of course I didn't bother with a vise or a clamp - not me - I was too smart for that. The obvious happened and the aluminium spun around at high speed whacking the knuckle on my little finger several tiimes before the pain signal was processed in my brain and I moved my finger away.
The knuckle swelled up and after it didn't go down in a week or so, I went to the GP figuring I had a break somewhere. The xrays showed no break so a couple of packs of anti-inflammatories was reccomended. 7 months later and the finger was still sore hurting whenever it was bumped. So I went off to see the orthapedic surgeon. He xrayed again and injected cortisone in between the bones of the knuckle. (not reccomended unless you really enjoy pain) The diagnosis was that the whack set off premature arthritis and if the cortisone didn't work surgery to fuse the knuckle was the next step. It didn't so last week I checked into the hospital. I woke up with three wires sticking out of my little finger tip, my hand and forearm in plaster and the whole lot tied to a drip stand above my head. The pain wouldn't settle down so they kept me in for 2 nights (it was planned to be day surgery) injecting me with pethedine every 6 hours or so. Now I am home with my hand still in plaster I am not allowed to drive for 2 weeks, the workshop has been placed out of bounds by SWMBO, typing is a real effort and I'm learning to use a mouse with my left hand. To make matters worse, I have just had a significant win on the stock market and was going to shout myself a bandsaw and a drill press. But I can't drive to shop for them and SWMBO is working anytime the stores open (even if she was minded to help me buy more tools to hurt myself with) - so here I am reminding myself and anyone that needs to hear it -
Use a 'kn clamp!
Mekon