"Derek Broughton" wrote in message
...
D Kat wrote:

be careful of what you wish for! I have always wanted a woodchipper -
got
one - had great fun for a year and a month ago in a moment of distraction
almost lost a hand. Got the pin out of the ring finger today - have nine
months before things are back to 'normal'.

Ouch. Though it sounds like despite the pain you went through, it could
have been far worse. Were you wearing a ring on that finger at the time?
They seem like such harmless things, but I've heard some horrible stories
about them getting caught in machinery. (Which reminds me, I took mine
off
_last_ weekend for this reason, and I never have put it back on...)
--
derek

It was my right hand. Still I was extremely lucky - everything below the
first knuckle will probably be just fine and after 9 months the swelling
will go completely down. I will be able to get back to gardening, pottery
and programming. Still I can't say how painful and frightening it was -
found out what a wimp I was at heart. That was probably as disturbing as
anything. And yes - the idea of wearing a ring now when doing manual labor
is not at all appealing. Most accidents of all types happen at home or 5
miles from home (car, walking, etc.). We get so complacent, not thinking
twice in the dangerous things we do - often it comes down to shear laziness.
I was too lazy to turn off the chipper before clearing out the output chute.
Someone else I heard of was too lazy to get off the ladder to move it over,
leaned too far a died when it crashed down (I have heard dozen of these
tales in the last 4 weeks). We play with electrical wiring in water (pumps
and lights) and never bother to unplug them when we are moving them about
and we are in the water. Last summer I was cutting off a branched, it
sprung up and in pulling it down I got my hand pinched in the cut. I knew
it was a stupid thing to do as soon as I started to do it but could not stop
myself. Safe behavior has to be a habit.

My recommendation to everyone is every time you try to save yourself a
little work think twice and ask - is it a safe thing to do and wouldn't be
good exercise for me to put in the little extra effort? Most of us are
overweight because we have so many labor saving devices - then we try to get
in shape by paying too much money for a gym membership we stop using after
the first grueling couple of months. If you need exercise why in the world
do you use obnoxious, noise/air polluting leaf blowers rather than using a
rake; use a rider lawn mower rather than a hand pushed one; a power saw when
a nice limb saw will do just as well? I can certainly understand a rider
mower when you have 5 acres to mow (though I don't understand having 5 acres
to mow) but seriously - my neighbor has a lawn that measured 80'X20' and he
tools around it on a Deer mower.

Ok, enough soap boxing...

Enjoy - be safe. Donna