battle wounds

[greased monkey]

so i'm new to the forum, and i've been pretending to be a mechanic for a few years and last night i made my first trip to the emergency room for stitches- i have A-2s and i was holding the triangle plate in place (not sure of the real name, but it mounts to the elevator frame) trying to adjust it out of the way of the pit conveyor during league- while the machine was running. Ball hit pit cushion, cushion linkage hit triangle plate, finger was in between. OUCH! i'm curious to know what other "battle wounds" have been suffered in the line of duty (or in my case- stupidity).

[TheGMan143]

Re: battle wounds

I think we've all pulled 'dummies' like that at one time or another...

I lost a fingernail over a 'dummy'... I was reaching over the front of a machine while a league was running, became distracted and forgot that my finger was right in between the spotting solenoid plates... when that bugger snapped shut, I think they heard me 2 streets over.

Another one, I got a pretty nasty gash on the wrist from the edge of a spotting cup casting. I was removing a pin that was jammed in the table, when I pulled the pin free, the cups snapped back, and my wrist was in the way. The upper 'ear' of the cup bit me quite nicely. That one required stitches.

The owner got a gash on his head quite a while back... he was working in the pit, and when he ducked under the distributor, he didn't duck low enough, and the upper hook of the spring caught him.

You need little 'reminders' to be more careful like that once in a while.

[Mok]

Re: battle wounds

Fortunately I've had nothing serious, but I keep getting bruises on my upper arms that I have no idea where they're coming from.

Last week I discovered why one doesn't want to put a finger between the ballwheel guard and the shaker board while the machine's running. [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif[/img] Before that, I lost a bit of skin on my right index finger when I was tightening down a nut on a ballwheel guard with a wrench; it slipped off the nut.

Other than that, various scrapes and cuts; these things demand blood sacrifices, doncha know. We all give of ourselves for our art. [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif[/img]

[BT-Jerrid]

Re: battle wounds

Originally posted by Mok:
Fortunately I've had nothing serious, but I keep getting bruises on my upper arms that I have no idea where they're coming from. [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Same thing was happening to me, narrowed it down to clearing underground pins (fishing under the capping between those stringers will do it)

Jerrid

[DetroitSignal]

Re: battle wounds

The first one happened to me when I began as an 8270 pinchaser when I was 17. I couldn't figure out for the life of me why I couldn't sleep on my side for 6 months after I started my job. Turns out it was from leaning into the machine with all my weight on my chest to push balls into the lift. We were running 30 ball calls a shift. Ouch!!! I soon changed my ways!

The second was a fluke. I was standing directly behind the machine looking at something on the curtain wall, when the machine starts to pile up and........ WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAM! A pin had ricocheted off something and hit me in the balls. I never felt such agonizing pain. [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/mad.gif[/img]

[Pindecked]

Re: battle wounds

I just got a couple fresh ones. There must be some Almighty rule that you can't do a pit job without bloody knuckles :p

Worse..as age creeps up on me,I tend to keep my new $350 bi-focals in my shirt pocket. Then,when I lean in to put a wire back on a cell,I just happen to lean on the cushion tube &amp; bend the glasses all to chit [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/mad.gif[/img] [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/mad.gif[/img] Or,they fall out of my pocket &amp; get jammed in a plow [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/mad.gif[/img] [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/mad.gif[/img]

My alltime screw-up......our subway covers have the narrow edge pieces,with a flat board-great for walking on...most of the time.

A pin came out in front of the sweep,so, I go down to give it a good kick. Well,,,as I planted my right foot,the flat board slid forward-into the downsweep for the balls..&amp; I went on my a$$ !
A tenth of a second later,a ball drops down from the lift..well- that 3 foot board was covering the hole --the ball lands on the end of that board...the board flips up in the air--the bowling ball lands in my central crotch area [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif[/img] [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif[/img] -the board whacks me in the leg when it dropped out of the air.
The bowlers were roaring with laughter--not concerned if I was in pain or not..guess it did look like a circus act [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

[pinfork]

Re: battle wounds

I guess I must just be lucky... I have been a pinsetter mechanic since 1975 and other than a skinned knuckle here and there I have never been hurt. My #1 rule, never work on a pinsetter while it is running... I can't even think of one good reason why someone would stick there hand into a running machine.

[1mechanic1]

Re: battle wounds

I too have been working on pinsetters since the 70's. I have never had to visit an emergency room or Dr. office. I not only won't work on a running machine, I won't work on a machine if the one next to it is running. The "other" machine, has bit a lot of mechanics. The boss told me the other day that some bowlers have favorite lanes, and just "have" to bowl on them...That's fine..I have favorite body parts, AND I'M KEEPING THEM !!!!

[felix]

Re: battle wounds

Originally posted by 1mechanic1:
I too have been working on pinsetters since the 70's. I have never had to visit an emergency room or Dr. office. I not only won't work on a running machine, I won't work on a machine if the one next to it is running. The "other" machine, has bit a lot of mechanics. The boss told me the other day that some bowlers have favorite lanes, and just "have" to bowl on them...That's fine..I have favorite body parts, AND I'M KEEPING THEM !!!!

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">

[toon30s]

Re: battle wounds

I've lost one fingernail in my 20 years working machines. I was trying to change the spring that is on a light ball sensor and got my finger caught between the machine side plate and the rod-end that drives the LBS. I was sitting on my but and had to reach up and turn off both machines, which put more pressure on the caught finger, then had to roll both drive belts back to get my finger out. VERY DUMB THING TO DO!!
I have been hit it the legs from flying pins when sitting on or walking behind the 82-30s. Just be careful guys!!!

[felix]

Re: battle wounds

Work Bench Motors will take a Digit Off! [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif[/img]
Finger Nail Wuss! [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img]

[8270king]

Re: battle wounds

I was testing a BE motor on the bench when I grabbed it to see how warm it was.

Got my finger between the dist. drive and the stator....the end of my middle finger of my left hand was laying on the workbench.

Lost the end of my finger and fingernail......28 stitches later and it was reattached.

If you lose any digits or flesh that can be reattached.....put it in a baggie with a damp cloth.....DO NOT use ice, it will freeze the skin and make it die.

JK

[felix]

Re: battle wounds

ACHEEWAWA; Did apprx. the same thing; except I thought the motor on the bench was vibrating off the bench, sooo I tried to scooot it back on the bench, my finger got stuck between the housing and the dist. drive....it tied the motor up and was vibrating[thought I was getting electricuted] thinking I was being electricuted I JUST RIPPED AND PULLED, cutting my own finger Off. Should have stayed calm and unplugged the motor, and then just backed off smashed finger, from motor. [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif[/img] [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img]

[evilian]

Re: battle wounds

worse thing ive done was actually pretty stupid we have A's or A2's....anyway got a call down the far end and went running down to get to it.
I was just about at a flat out run when i looked up to see exactly which trouble light it was when i came to a pretty abrupt stop and had a hell of alot of pain in my side.
Id had run right into the thin edge of the board which helps stop the pins from falling out from the pin wheel, i know its got a name but it has escaped me at the moment

[Mok]

Re: battle wounds

Originally posted by evilian:
Id had run right into the thin edge of the board which helps stop the pins from falling out from the pin wheel, i know its got a name but it has escaped me at the moment

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">The place Aaron used to work at (32nd Street Naval Station) has those, and he hates them. We don't have them, and we're a BRC house.

As for the name... it's probably unprintable. [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img]

Another nasty habit I seem to have is, when I'm climbing under the deck from the lightbar, I keep banging my knee on the turret frame right where the support bolts onto it. uch: