Weird welding injury - wire puncture wound (minor)

dieselcrawler · Apr 9, 2019

Industrial Toys said:
Never mind that. I cringe when I see a man working, wearing a ring!

That was me, for several years. Wore my wedding band thru many dangerous situations, and finally did what I've told my wife I would do when it went on my finger.... tattoo.

As to the OP injury, I too have had a MIG wire burn thru a leather glove, and puncture/ burn my finger. Puncture wounds hurt bad enough as it is, add a burn to it, and its awful how such a tiny spot can hurt so much for so long... takes forever to heal.

orezok · Apr 9, 2019

Years ago I was gas welding and in a moment of brain fade passed the tip of the torch over my rod hand. OUCH!

Mace Canute · Apr 9, 2019

orezok said:
Years ago I was gas welding and in a moment of brain fade passed the tip of the torch over my rod hand. OUCH!

That reminds me of what a guy I used to once know apparently did. Seems he was using a cutting torch to cut off a piece of metal and somehow managed to pass his off hand directly into the path of the flame. It did a lot of damage to his hand but he finished it off a few years later when he was using his rifle to dig his tractor out of a deep snowbank he got stuck in. He was using the butt end to scoop out the snow and had had taken the magazine out but forgot one in the chamber. Apparently he hit part of the receiver against some solid part on the tractor and it discharged. Of course his good hand was half way down the rifle and his previously buggered up hand was over the end of the barrel. After that his hand was pretty much just a claw. We use to call him Willy the Wizard...

GaryM · Apr 9, 2019

Industrial Toys said:
The welding wire accident will probably never happen again. The ring is an accident waiting to happen.

Silicone rings for me!

RandyT · Apr 10, 2019

orezok said:
Years ago I was gas welding and in a moment of brain fade passed the tip of the torch over my rod hand. OUCH!

Here's one for you

Welder Eats INSANE Amount of Fire From a Welding Torch - YouTube

Deere Dude · Apr 10, 2019

As a pipefitter working with a welder and helper, the welder was using a wire welder while the helper was standing nearby. After a weld the welder simply turned the wire and poked the helper in the gonads through his jeans with his hot wire. Everyone had a good chuckle except the helper.

Yah yah yah, I shouldn't have chuckled but at the time it was funny.

lakeside · Apr 11, 2019

Rings, jewelry and watches in the workshop are accidents waiting to happen. I once worked with someone who'd lost his ring finger in a workplace accident. He was jumping off a piece of equipment when his wedding ring caught on a stud and ripped his finger clean off. I heard of a very similar case but this time the ring ripped all the meat off the finger and all that was left were the bones. Needless to say, what was left of the finger had to be amputated.

Metal rings and watches or other jewelry also conduct electricity. Welding, electrical work or just doing auto electrical work can cause a short or, depending on the amperage, an arc. Heck, I do model trains and I once laid my wrist across the tracks. I was suddenly waving my arm in the air when the DC (only 12VDC) voltage shorted out across my metal watch band and heated it right up.