You ever do something really STUPID?
 

Re: You ever do something reallySTUPID?
 

Stupid stunts ? If I only do one a day, its been a good day.

Re: You ever do something reallySTUPID?
 

Yes I have seen some dumb things ...

Re: You ever do something reallySTUPID?
 

Probably, but offhand can't remember any.

Re: You ever do something reallySTUPID?
 

Y-Blockhead's experience with a rotating fan blade reminds me of when I was 16 years old and replacing a radiator. After replacing the coolant and setting the engine to run at a fast idle for a warm-up, I carelessly left a large screw driver on top of the radiator. As I was leaning over to check for leaks the screwdriver fell off of the radiator and into the rotating path of the fan blade.

There followed a sharp sound and the sensation of something brushing past the side of my head. Realizing what had just happened, I let out a sigh of relief and proceeded to search for the screwdriver but never found it. That is, until days later when I noticed it sticking out of the side of our house, 15 feet up and 40 feet from the car.

Never leave anything loose around a running engine!

Re: You ever do something reallySTUPID?
 

Brain farts are common when working around machinery, hopefully we live to tell about them!

Re: You ever do something reallySTUPID?
 

I was installing a shrinking disc on a fender grinder .The grinder was on the floor and still plugged in,my foot on the handle of the grinder.All my fingers were wrapped around the edge of the disc and as I started to tighten it my foot pressed the switch on,the grinder turned on and I released the disc instantly. By the grace of God I was not injured except for my pride.I never work on a power tool without unplugging it no matter what the circumstances .I certainly felt very stupid that day and I am glad I was given a second chance .

Re: You ever do something reallySTUPID?
 

I was helping my dad as a 15 year old kid restore my early 30 Rdst. PU. I was up on a ladder operating the ratchet style chain hoist to lower the motor back into the frame. Somehow I let go of the handle and the handle kept ratcheting up and down. The problem was the handle was under my chin and kept beating me in the chin. Being up on the ladder and off balance I couldn't escape the attack. I think I still have the scar from that almost 50 years later. Still got the truck too and lots of good memories with dad!

Re: You ever do something reallySTUPID?
 

Re: You ever do something reallySTUPID?
 

Re: You ever do something reallySTUPID?
 

I was setting the timing on a 3.8 Jauuar engine back in the mid-70's.The only way to turn the distributer was to put your forefinger on one side of the fan belt,and your thumb on the other,and turn it either way.I think you're supposed to shut it off,turn it a little,then restart and check it again.But,I'd watched the jaguar mechanic do it running,so I did it too.I was real careful,turned it,got it right,and turned the clamp bolt with the ratchet.Went perfectly.Then I stood up,and popped that generator belt off the pulleys in a split second.One thing I hadn't paid attention to when the jaguar mechanic did it was that he had positioned his fingers,then had another guy start it up.Then had the guy shut it off when he was finished.He locked his fingers on that distributer,then never moved them one iota.

Re: You ever do something reallySTUPID?
 

Not related, but I once shot a glass phone line insulator on the ground with my .22 and the bullet came back and went through my hat. Not a mark on me.

Re: You ever do something reallySTUPID?
 

Glass insulators are a lot harder to destroy with a .22 than you would think.With no flat surface the little .22 takes the path of least resistance,usually right or left.If you hit one of the grooves just right,it will come right back at you.Usually it will be up over you,or under,right or left,but your general direction.When I was a kid we found a dump of them by the old railbed.Even sunk into the ground the pile was 5 feet high.We all dragged hundreds of them home for target practice.

Re: You ever do something reallySTUPID?
 

I don't think Ryan allows posts long enough for me to tell my stories!

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Our lawnmower was old enough that the spark plug terminal was an exposed clip. While mowing, I decided that instead of using the kill switch, I could kick the wire off the spark plug. I was right, but as the engine died, all the ignition output went through my shoe, up the leg, and down the other one to ground, at least it felt that way! I dropped that trick!

Re: You ever do something reallySTUPID?
 

I've done a lot of stupid things in my 87 years of life. You can read about the latest one in the thread titled "Bad New Year Start". Please don't ask me about the other ones.

Re: You ever do something really STUPID?
 

A few years ago, I had just finished putting a '15 Model Together, never had a Model T before, no experience. I started it for a friend visiting to show him how nice it ran, but didn't pull the emergency brake lever as far back as it would go before cranking it up. The car started good, but took off like a jackrabbit . I jumped out of the way, but the car plowed into a piece pf parked farm machinery and did a pretty good number on my newly painted front fenders. No bumpers on a T. That was the day that I discovered that there is really no free neutral on a T. Gotta have the brake on tight when starting and standing in front of the car to crank it.

Re: You ever do something really STUPID?
 

The first story that comes to mind is pretty much the same as Y-blockhead. That just happened about a week and a half ago too, still fresh in my mind. I was really lucky that day.

Red

Re: You ever do something really STUPID?
 

Here is my stupid story as a kid. This happened when I was five years old, so I have wised up a little since then. We always had bubble lights at Christmas time that never worked right, and on the day that all failed to light up, little me wanted to fix them. I thought that the plug wasn't working, so I took some alligator wires and my slinky and sat down to try and fix them. I plugged the slinky into the live socket and turned around to connect the lights to the slinky. POW. the lights go out. when I realized what happened and told my parents, I made the comment of "I had enough electricity for one day!" I have been safety minded ever since. I could so easily have been fried, but somehow the short did not happen until I turned my back on it :0

Re: You ever do something really STUPID?
 

No. I am from the planet Ork and we are not programmed that way.

Re: You ever do something really STUPID?
 

I was about 18, working on my souped-up '56 ford. I couldn't tell if the secondaries were opening on the AFB I had recently mounted, so I decided to look down the throat of the carb while I gassed the engine. Well, my face was about 8-10 inches from the carb when it backfired. Oh my. All my hair was gone, no eyelashes, no eye-brows, most of my hair (I used to have it on the top of my head once) was gone too. I couldn't see and my face was burned pretty good. Luckily, I had a sympathetic girl friend who led me around the neighborhood for a couple of hours so my face could feel some cool air. I guess I probably won't be looking down a carburetor while an engine is running ever again.

The second most dumb thing I've done...working on an air conditioning unit at a school...two identical units, one running, one I'm working on. Do i need to look at the electrical schematic to reassemble? Nah, I'll just check out the wiring on the running unit...no problemo...until I forgot the unit was "hot" and grabbed a wire...yup. Pretty dumb.

Living long is not just about, genes, good diet and exercise...it is also about luck, I think.

Re: You ever do something really STUPID?
 

lol

Re: You ever do something really STUPID?
 

yeah yblock, you could have lost the ability to flip off drivers ;)

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Re: You ever do something really STUPID?
 

Took my '31 Roadster out for the first time in a few months, not noticing that all coolant had leaked out. While driving, I attributed the burning smell I kept getting to some oil I had spilled on the exhaust manifold during a recent oil change. Finally realised the engine was overheating when it kept pinging/knocking despite significant spark retard. Then, I panicked, and pushed the car up to a local kindergarten, 'borrowed' their garden hose, and poured water in the radiator. This resulted in a massive plume of high-pressure steam coming back out of the radiator neck - mercifully not on me. However, the car would not start after that, had to have it flatbedded home.

The next day, took off the cylinder head, and saw a big crack in the combustion chamber of the head. I felt pretty dumb.

Re: You ever do something really STUPID?
 

Don't know weather this counts as stupid or just unlucky, but I've caught my shirt on fir whilst welding before. Also burnt the web between my toes from hot slag, that was the last time I welded anything in sneakers(running shoes).

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Lucky you got away with that. I don't know what I would have done if I can't flip off jerks in their fancy pants Tesla's

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I've learned NOT to gas weld & cut in flip flops! Molten metal between the toes take FOREVER to heal! Now, when ever I'm cutting, I put a cookie sheet down with water in it, stops the traveling sparks & slag.

g.

Re: You ever do something really STUPID?
 

ouch... That had to hurt. but you made out better than Anakin did.

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My first lesson in loose clothing and an angle grinder with a locking switch and a wire wheel attached. I was about 16 working on who knows what trash I brought home. I just remember using the wire wheel to clean some rusty metal and the wheel caught my shirt. It proceeded to wrap itself into my shirt so tight so fast and right into my face. It was stuck unable to turn anymore making terrible noises and beginning to smoke. I couldn't hit the locking switch to turn it off. I panicked for a few seconds before pulling the plug. It took a minute or two to unwrap the grinder from my shirt. The shirt had only one hole in it but was stretched out an amazing amount. I had some scuffs and the grinder smelled terrible for the rest of its short life.

Good stuff Haha. I learned a lot that day!

Re: You ever do something reallySTUPID?
 

Synchro,

Ask Gary what his secret is. I don’t think Ryan has a limit on length.

David Serrano

You ever do something really STUPID?
 

I was married for 17 years to someone
who left the family & the family business
to pursue drinking full time.

Got Divorced.

Remarried her three months after the divorce.

Got divorced a year after the remarriage.

I Got You All Beat … :rolleyes:


Jim

Re: You ever do something really STUPID?
 

When in college I was home helping my dad build fence. We were digging a post hole with a tractor mounted post hole digger and it had no safety shields in the old days. I was using my arms to pull the dirt away from the auger as it turned into the ground. A bolt caught my jacket, instantly wrapped my jacket tight to the auger and spun me around 5 or 6 revolutions before my dad could stop the power take off on the tractor. A ruined jacket. A panicked dad and brother who had to unwind me from the auger and no broken bones.
My Dad, bless him bought a new post hole digger with shields and we always made sure all our farm equipment had shields in place after that.

Re: You ever do something really STUPID?
 

If I haven't done anything stupid for the day means I haven't gotten out of bed yet.
When I was much younger me saying "good morning" really translated to "Hey, hold my beer, watch this"

Re: You ever do something really STUPID?
 

I was fifteen when I bought my first Model A. I had the rear axle assembly out from underneath the frame to do so some repair work. I don't remember how I took apart the rear spring without killing myself but I was putting the leaves back together after painting them. I managed to get the main leaf assembled with the shackles on to the spring perch's. I then stacked the rest of the leaves on the main leaf and installed the long center bolt. I started to tighten the center bolt to compress the spring leaves. I know now that this is not the way to do it but I was young and invincible (STUPID). For some reason I was straddling the the spring assembly while tightening the center bolt. The leaves were almost compressed when I heard zzzzzzzzzzzz. The nut on the bolt stripped and slipped all the way down to the last thread before stopping. Did I mention that I was straddling the spring pack. I was fortunate for the last thread on the bolt so I was still able to produce two ex kids ten years later.

Re: You ever do something reallySTUPID?
 

Ditto

Re: You ever do something really STUPID?
 

No never had that problem! LOL!

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I've done lots of woodworking, measure 3X and cut once, but I always seem to cut on the wrong side of the pencil line and the damn board is still too long or too short. I do not see an end to this tradition either.

Re: You ever do something really STUPID?
 

Try using the other end of the pencil.

Re: You ever do something really STUPID?
 

Too many, but i was lucky. A couple :

crawling/inspecting a new 27" sewer with no breathing air protection or monitoring eqpt.

working up on a 250' refinery smoke stack without any fall protection; a light chain across the ladder/platform entry saved me from falling to death one time.


My grandfather lost three fingers in a lumber mill saw accident. My dad lost a couple fingers as a kid banging a quarter stick of dynamite between two rocks at a mining camp. People have been doing dumb things for centuries. It is sometimes amazing how resilient we are, and how long we do live.

i was much younger during both incidents, about half my current 75 years. Maybe the dumb mistakes teach us enough so we do live to old age.

Later as a general contractor, i viewed always keeping my crew safe to be my top priority.