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[#13535426]

Dumb things you have done that hurt WAY MORE than they deserve to.

I will start with sanding this bowl on a lathe. There is a deliberate missing bit on the rim as a feature. I was sanding it perfectly, and then, for no apparent reason, I turned around and put my fingers up towards the direction of travel and got smacked on the fingernails as they dipped into the missing bit of rim and got hit by the spinning wood. It just hit the figure nails at 17,000 RPM, and I swore a little. 

image.png

What dumb stuff have you done that hurts this much?

 


 
Posted : 05/05/2026 10:32 pm
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I can't beat that but maybe similar.  I think it was my first (awful) car, a Vauxhall Chevette, needed a new thermostat.  By the time I was bolting it back together it was getting dark and I couldn't see whether it was still leaking coolant so I stuck my hand in to feel for liquid....straight into the fan that I couldn't see spinning in the gloom.  I spend a while stood in the road clutching my fist with my other hand trying to work out whether I still had all my fingers.


 
Posted : 05/05/2026 10:49 pm
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Also not as bad but...

Tensioning the chain on a BMX, decided to check tension whilst turning the cranks and dragged my finger into the chainring, piercing my finger nail on one of teeth and had to back pedal to free it.

Plenty more but that was the first that came to mind.


 
Posted : 05/05/2026 11:04 pm
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That sounds familiar RB! The delight of a viscous fan with a clutch that means this doesn't happen! 

About 21 years ago I was attempting to fit a ballast resistor to a car but the holes in the bracket were marginally too small for the bolts. I decided to enlarge them with a 10mm drill bit. Unfortunately, I didn't have a vice so held the bracket in one hand set the drill as fast as possible and punched it through. It worked perfectly! For the first hole. For the second hole my thumb ended up wrapped around the drill bit, smashing through the nail and resulting in stitches and humiliation.

Building a treehouse 8 years ago I had a very heavy four-metre hardwood beam that I needed to attach to two uprights. The rest of the Reeksy's were away for the weekend and I had no method to hold it in place while I got things in place to bolt it up. I can't remember the precise details but it did bounce off my head and on to my (steel capped) boots. I remember thinking it would have been pretty gruesome for them to have come home and found me expired and being devoured by the wildlife ... and still not have a finished treehouse!

 

 


 
Posted : 05/05/2026 11:15 pm
 ton
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back in my youth, i suffered possibly the worst injury a young man  can.

in a moment of teenage lust with my future wife, i ended up with a snapped banjo string.

the first pain was orrible. the aftermath was pretty messy but the pain at toilet trip whilst it healed were truly horrendous.


 
Posted : 05/05/2026 11:30 pm
reeksy reacted
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That happened to a mate when we were teenagers. What made it worse was that his girlfriend's dad was home at the time and heard all the commotion. The girlfriend told him and he said it had happened to him previously so was giving advice!


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 12:01 am
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I'm currently nursing what I believe to be a broken toe.  It was incurred playing with my grandson in a softplay unit.

I'm really good at getting away with stupidly dangerous things and then damaging myself over something trivial.


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 12:02 am
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I really should have stopped reading when I saw WCA had the first post… 😖


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 12:56 am
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Ahhh, like a few others, I too tore bits of my gentlemans sausage through vigorous bedroom antics, made worse by my drunken brain thinking " oooo blood everywhere, possible infection risk, quick put something on it" so i slapped a load of witch hazel gel in the open wound. 

There was a strage high pitched yelp and I may have passed out a little bit!

Came to, having bounced my head off a bedside cabinet on the way down, so spent the next few weeks hunched like quasimodo with battered face and a napalm knobend. 

 


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 6:04 am
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Banjo here too. The wood splinter that pierced my nipple smarted a bit, the bit of floorboard that went under the full length of my fingernail did too.


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 7:22 am
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Leaving aside the obvious broken arm, the cuts and missing bits of fingers, and appendecitis, I think the worst was trying to tighten the cam bolts on the engine of an Omega MV6 after rebuilding both heads.

You needed a special tool to stop the double cams moving whilst you tightented them, but I did not have that and was using a large flat blade screwdriver as a replacement. Which slipped. Which meant the fingers of my left hand got dragged between the cam pully and the metal shroud through a gap that was about half a finger tall. 

There was a second, just a second, when I thought "that was a close one" and then the pain hit. 

Lovely car that. Very comfortable, great to drive, but QC on the engine was terrible. I had the valve seats, stem seals and valves replaced when the heads were skimmed and the machinist found cavities under the seals. Had to have four of the twenty-four welded. 


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 8:13 am
 nbt
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Posted by: Cougar

I'm currently nursing what I believe to be a broken toe.  It was incurred playing with my grandson in a softplay unit.

I once broke my toe in the middle of a volleyball game. As we only had 6 players and no subs, I played out the rest of the game then went home. I lived with it for a few weeks as there's bugger all you can do with a broken toe except strap it up, and had they done that I'd have been told to cancel my planned ski trip and that was Not Going To Happen. All was fine except for the occasional wince when I had to "grab" with my feet and the resulting toe movement caue pain

I got it checked out when I got back from the ski trip (where a week skiing off-piste had resulted in a lot of wincing, due to the effort required to control skis using feet) and it turned out it was not broken and never had been, it was dislocated, and had healed in that position. They had to fuse the joint which required removing the end of each phalange and a skewer through the bones, and 6 weeks off the bikes. Get your foot checked out @cougar


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 8:25 am
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Posted by: citizenlee

Tensioning the chain on a BMX, decided to check tension whilst turning the cranks and dragged my finger into the chainring, piercing my finger nail on one of teeth and had to back pedal to free it.

A mechanic at the bike shop I worked in amputated the top joint of his finger that way. Checking chain tension on a fixed gear and he absentmindedly spun the rear wheel with his hand while his index finger was on the lower run of chain. 

Spun his finger between chain and chainring and cut the top bit (finger pad and nail just above the top knuckle) clean off. 


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 8:27 am
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How do you dispose of bubblewrap? And i mean bike wrapping levels of bubble wrap. Why stab it with a big kitchen knife in the garden of course. Hold the mass of air and plastic with one hand and feel the blade go in, with great satisfaction. I missed all the tendons but hit a bone. I’ll burn the next lot!


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 8:48 am
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I'm regretting reading all these over breakfast

Posted by: reeksy

The girlfriend told him and he said it had happened to him previously so was giving advice!

Like a real life scene from 'There's something about Mary' 😀


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 8:56 am
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Posted by: TiRed

I’ll burn the next lot!

Just pop it in the corner.

On second thoughts, don't, I was still there hours later 😉 


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 9:09 am
 Olly
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Was working on a friend bike, had it upside down, and had put the wheel in. Gave it a bit of a spin to check the v brake wasnt rubbing, before picking it up by the fork leg (and frame). On a suspension for theres plenty of  clearance. This was a hybrid bike. Took the first about 8mm off my finger with the spinning spokes. 

That hurt, quite a lot.

Grew back though.


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 9:13 am
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Posted by: nbt

I got it checked out when I got back from the ski trip (where a week skiing off-piste had resulted in a lot of wincing, due to the effort required to control skis using feet) and it turned out it was not broken and never had been, it was dislocated, and had healed in that position. They had to fuse the joint which required removing the end of each phalange and a skewer through the bones, and 6 weeks off the bikes. Get your foot checked out @cougar

Erm.  Yikes!

What were your symptoms?


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 9:36 am
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An update for the morning. My two fingers hurt too much to type. I'm having to do this using voice typing. I can recommend Wispr Flow as quite a good voice typer.

Also having to use my mouse left-handed, which I haven't done since working away and staying in hotels at night. 


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 10:09 am
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incidentally,


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 10:10 am
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Another soft play injury here. One of those ninja warrior type places with a quarter pipe thing where you have to run/jump up and hit a button. Daughter couldn't do it so I said "here, I'll show you how it's done". I wasn't supposed to be on it and was only there as a parent so didn't have the non-slip socks on. Took a run up, reached up, so nearly there and then my feet slipped from underneath me. My full (over)weight slammed my upstretched arm right in to it. Instant pain, very pale, a bit dizzy trying no to pass out.

But that was just the start of it. Obviously I was too embarrased to do anything about it so refused my wife's offers to drop me at A&E on the way home. Probably just a sprain. After about a week of it not getting better I did a Bupa video call with a GP. He said possibly a rotator cuff injury and here's some gentle stretches, don't worry you can't do any more damage by carrying on with normal day to day stuff. Didn't get any better in another week so booked in to see a consultant maybe a week after that. Time off work, drive 40 mins to the hospital for him to spend 2 mins looking at it and moving my arm. Rotator cuff and needs a ultrasound guided steroid injection. Thankfully all covered by Bupa policy through work.

So, another 5 weeks before I could get the appointment for the injection. Sat in the waiting room then called though. Apparently it's standard to do an x-ray first, so did that. Then through to the ultrasound bit for the injection. The guy takes a look at the x-rays, hesitates for a bit. "I don't think you need a steroid injection today... did you know you shoulder was fractured?" No, I did not know that. If I'd gone straight to A&E as I should have done instead of being stubborn and embarrassed then I would probably have had an x-ray that day and it would have been picked up then. 😳 

By that point it was about 8 weeks since I did it and it had all fused itself back together OK and there was nothing else for them to do. So 8 weeks just carrying on with life with a broken shoulder wondering why it hurt so much.


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 11:01 am
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Come on, trying to take on WCA in an accident related thread? 

Having a freshly sharpened billhook slip through my hand didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. For the first few seconds. The pain came with the blood....


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 11:11 am
 nbt
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Posted by: Cougar

What were your symptoms?

it was fine except when I had to "grab" with my toes, if you get what I mean, then it hurt a bit. Not a lot but enough to make me wince. Call into your local Minor Injuries unit and get it checked out.

Want to see my x-rays or the photos of the skewer sticking out of the end of my toe? 


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 11:54 am
 Drac
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I bought a mandoline a couple of years ago, having watched many a cooking programme warning of the dangers I proudly set myself away slicing potatoes knowing I’d not be so daft. A few potatoes in there is a sea of red and then a few seconds delay before the pain kicked in. A nice thin slice of thumb was added to the potatoes.  


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 12:00 pm
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Who was the chap on here a few years ago that was cleaning his motorbike chain with a rag by putting the bike on the stand and running it in first gear then got his finger caught in the chain/sprocket and chopped the end off?

That has to be a top contender.


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 12:13 pm
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Also, in my youth working in a horse field building a fence I saw a football sized red plastic ball.  Took a big run up and booted it as hard as I could whereupon it rolled about two inches.  I didn't know horse balls are filled with concrete.  Four broken toes on that occasion and I still had to finish the other 50m of fencing.  


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 12:17 pm
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I was 18 and working on a building site. We were on the third floor taking down some shuttering and lobbing the wood out of the window into the skip. I chucked a bit of 2x4 out, only it had a protruding nail which pierced the web of skin between my right thumb and forefinger, leaving the wood dangling from it. I'm 66 now and the scar is still there and still occasionally painful.


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 12:20 pm
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Cut a particularly rusted drop link off a car I was working on, lost track of the cherry red bolt head as it dropped off. Put my hand down behind me to stand up.

Smelt just like overdone bacon


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 12:31 pm
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Nobody wins in a WCA accident thread. 

Nobody.


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 12:34 pm
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I can raise your 8 weeks with a broken shoulder.  Six weeks walking round (OK crutches), and driving, and in work with a broken hip socket and pelvis. Xrays found nothing. 6 weeks later went back again saying 'not right', more xrays, nope nothing, are you sure, my physio thinks my hip socket is broken, CT Scan and all hell breaks loose ! Kept in overnight as they suspected they may need to do a total hip replacement...  specialist decided 'best not now'  sent home told not to move. Lasted two weeks and I just carried on as normal. 


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 12:47 pm
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Smelt just like overdone bacon

Weld spatter in the ear is like that, sound like bacon sizzling against your ear drum too 😆 

 


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 12:56 pm
 JAG
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Hmm sizzling flesh....

I was out with my Brother and his new Girlfriend in her car. We descended a very long and very steep hill, toward the bottom her cars brakes were making a terrible howling noise.

She said "my brakes are worn out" I said "I'm a Brakes Engineer, let me have a look" so she stopped the car and I hopped out and bent down by the front wheel.

She turned the wheels to full lock so I could see what was happening.

I wrapped my fingers around the back of the tyre, in an attempt to see behind the wheel, and the tip of all four fingers made contact with the glowing hot brake disc! I'm pretty sure I screamed like a 12 year old girl.

My finger tips were white, like cooked Chicken, for weeks after.


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 2:00 pm
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Very minor mishap compared to some so far, however, I have a 4-inch scar on my right shin where my shin made forceful contact with the end of a bar glass/dishwasher handle. (C-shaped in profile). A couple of hours of bleeding into tea towels at work, then straight off home to take Mrs F into hospital to be induced to have Fazzini jnr. I think the midwives were more concerned with my, by now, black lower leg, than Mrs F being in labour! The cause? Me not noticing the door was open and jumping up wildly when Jason Robinson scored his try in the rugby WC final in 2003 🤦🏻


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 2:36 pm
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Posted by: jonm81

Also, in my youth working in a horse field building a fence I saw a football sized red plastic ball.  Took a big run up and booted it as hard as I could whereupon it rolled about two inches.  I didn't know horse balls are filled with concrete.  Four broken toes on that occasion and I still had to finish the other 50m of fencing.  

That replayed in my head like a cartoon. Sorry for laughing.

Posted by: JAG

Hmm sizzling flesh....

Reminds me of my vasectomy. The one where they didn't use enough local.

I love the smell of burning tubes in the morning...

 


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 2:43 pm
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Posted by: nbt

it was fine except when I had to "grab" with my toes, if you get what I mean, then it hurt a bit. Not a lot but enough to make me wince. Call into your local Minor Injuries unit and get it checked out.

 

Ah.  Mine went black.  Or at least, Very Distressed Purple.

Posted by: nbt

Want to see my x-rays or the photos of the skewer sticking out of the end of my toe? 

I don't believe I do, truth be told... 😁


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 2:57 pm
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Posted by: MoreCashThanDash

Posted by: jonm81

Also, in my youth working in a horse field building a fence I saw a football sized red plastic ball.  Took a big run up and booted it as hard as I could whereupon it rolled about two inches.  I didn't know horse balls are filled with concrete.  Four broken toes on that occasion and I still had to finish the other 50m of fencing.  

That replayed in my head like a cartoon. Sorry for laughing.

Posted by: JAG

Hmm sizzling flesh....

Reminds me of my vasectomy. The one where they didn't use enough local.

I love the smell of burning tubes in the morning...

 

 

I will raise you the surgeon not getting to one of the tubes easily and threatening to send you home, and I do quote exactly, "half cock".

frrrrrggggggnnnnnn get in there and get on with it lad.

 


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 2:59 pm
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Playing rounders on a slightly uneven field after a couple of beers at a BBQ, tried to sprint to 1st and tripped. Hands forward to stop the fall which didn't work. As I tried to get up realised my lower arm wasn't working properly. My elbow had dislocated and my forearm had rotated about 180 degrees. At this point I made a bit of a ouchy noise with some sweary words and someone came over to help. This someone was an ex-Birmingham murder squad detective, used to seeing grisly things, he got within 5 yards of me, took one look at my arm and walked off quite quickly asking someone to call the Pompiers and keeping the missus away.

Luckily help arrived in the form of Entonox whilst I was shoved in an ambulance, pain was still 9/10 until they got me to hospital 20 mins later where they got me on a morphine drip. Once I had passed out they just yanked it back so it was the right way round. 18 months off the mountain bike followed.


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 3:03 pm
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Posted by: jonm81

Who was the chap on here a few years ago that was cleaning his motorbike chain with a rag by putting the bike on the stand and running it in first gear then got his finger caught in the chain/sprocket and chopped the end off?

That has to be a top contender.

Stoner.  Thought of him when I read the BMX chain one


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 3:08 pm
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Not me but the veg delivery guy.

 

Was working as a breakfast chef in a small hotel and the guy comes into the kitchen and asks if he can make himself a bacon sarnie. No probs says I, just stick some in the pan.

The 'pan' was a huge deep affair, had to have 2 pints of oil in it, and it had been sitting on the stove top for 2 hours.

He decides to pick it up with the steel handle. The handle now being the same temp as the rest of it.

 

I heard the screaming from across the kitchen.Though what was worse is he upended it so all that hot oil flowed across the stove, the floor and no surprise it all burst into flame.

Im there myself with a guy who is in serious distress and half the kitchen is alight.

I dealt with the fire first with every fire blanket we had, got him to put his hand into a tub of ice cold water and phoned the ambulance.


 
Posted : 06/05/2026 3:13 pm