I was at a train store in Houston one time shooting the breeze with the guy behind the register when he took a phone call. The guy on the other end of the phone was at his workbench doing something when his Xacto knife rolled off. He just let it go and it landed, point first, on top of his bare foot. From my overhearing only one side of the conversation, I eventually was able to figure out what had happened. Finally Marty hung up. One of his last comments before saying good-bye, was EEEWWWW. I asked what happened. He said the blade squeaked when the guy pulled it out.
One of my biggest fears and I have dodged the bullet more than once. Gotten very religious about putting it back in case when done but still. And they always seem to land point first.
< not trying to go to far off topic but given that this is about lessons > My father talked in metaphor quite a bit such as: "There ain't no free lunches." meaning "for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction" and "you ain't gettin somethin for nothin." The "falling knife" metaphor was used as a caution when feeling impulsive. Didn't work then but today in the kitchen if _anything_ falls I back away and let it happen. On a whim I did a quick search. "Bob Pease" (pronounced like the vegie), was a very close friend of my fathers. Here is an article on the subject we have touched on. http://www.national.com/rap/Story/0,1562,13,00.html The website is "National Semiconductor and is work safe. There is one caution. Bob Pease tends to wander quite a bit in the article. If you like just do a search for, "Frank Goodenough".
This is a true story, only the name has been changed to protect the stupid, (me). I was using a 3/8" paddle bit to drill through a 2x4 mounted in a vice. I wanted a clean hole in the 2x4 so I backed it with a piece of 3/8" OSB. The battery on my drill started dying so I put my free hand on the OSB just opposite of where I was drilling the hole and pushed really hard on the drill. For some stupid reason I thought I would be able to feel the difference when the drill went through the 2x4 and started cutting the OSB. Before I new what happend the 3/8" paddle bit cut through both pieces of wood, entered my hand at the web between my left pinky and ring finger and stretched the skin way out on the backside of my hand. It never broke the skin on the back of my hand. It took a second for me to realize why there was a big bulge sticking out the back of my hand. I was amazed how far my skin had stretched. I had to let go of the drill, and use my right hand to pull my left hand off the bit. I used tweezers to pick out the pieces of wood. I picked at something I thought was dirt and pulled a clot off a very small artery and it squirted like a small gauge hypodermic needle then thankfully clotted again It never really hurt, even picking out the wood. When I poured peroxide into the wound to clean it. THATS WHEN IT HURT! So the next time I drill into my hand cleaning it with peroxide; I'LL NEVER TRY THAT AGAIN Leason learned. When a battery powered tool needs to be recharged don't use it.
