Well, chalk this up as "one of many dumb things" that I've done while restoring my truck. This weekend, while cutting the rear corner out of the cab, a rusted piece of metal made its way into my eye. Of course it got into my eye, because my safety glassed were on the floor, rather than on my face! Didn't think much of it though, it will feel better in the morning. NOPE! Nor did if feel better on Monday morning. After a trip to the Urgent Care Center at the clinic, they determined that a piece of rust made its way smack dab in the middle of my pupil! Bullseye! The only way to get that kinda thing out, is to drill it, yes I said drill. A very very tiny tiny drill. Try and hold your head still when someones coming at your eye with a drill, no matter how small.

Needless to say, the wife decided to buy a full face sheild for me (what a doll). The cornea will heal, over time, sez the Dr., but my full vision may never return to where it was before the rust. It's not quite as bad as it sounds, but it certainly could have been a whole lot worse, from what I am told.

One of two things are going to happen:

1) Time well spent on a beautiful 55 F100, flawless paint, etc. etc.
OR
2) It will kill me.

I certainly hope its the former.

 

Thank you for the reminder. I dont even own a pair of safety glasses, but I can bob and weave.(yeah right) I will get a pair on my way to work in the morning. A trip to Home Depot sounds like way more fun than a trip to the E.R.

I had a friend of mine trying to remove a parking brake (while engaged) The thing loosened, and sprung back in his face, causing him to lose 4 front teeth.

OUCH!

Safety first guys, safety first!

Rich

 

Glad to hear you're doing OK now. Wear the eye protection folks, you only get two eyes. Also it's not super expensive to get an eyewash bottle in the shop if you want to go the extra mile.

Ron

 

Glad to hear the eye will be ok with time. I've learned that you never take your sight for granted, you can lose it in an instant! I'm a Diabetic (40+ yrs) and I've had more surgeries on my eyes than I can count. 1500+ laser tratments in each eye for bleeding, 2 cateract surgeries, eye fluid removal, detached retina repair, etc.. The old eyes aren't what they were as a kid, but I can still work on my truck! I always wear protection no matter how uncomfortable they are. I'm only 50, so I've got a ways to go, so I need these 2 eyes to get that truck finished!

Barry

50 F-1

 

Glad to hear that you are recovering ok. I learned this painful lesson years ago, still have a scar on my eye that sort of floats around in my periferal vision. They tried to take mine out with that drill thing and the rust broke into 3 pieces. If only we could learn about these things the easy way. For a couple of years I spent so much time at urgent care I had my own coffee cup there!

 

I was porting a head without goggles when I took a flake in the eye. They just scraped that out. No drilling (thank God!). But I learned the lesson. Never been without goggles or a shield since especially when using a wire brush on the drill motor or grinder. Boy, those wires hurt!

 

Randy hit that one on the head. Just the sound of that 8" wire wheel on the bench grinder always gives me the creeps. Been lucky so far, only took one wire through my pant leg and drew blood. Got a full face shield on whenever I use that baby for sure.

 

Ditto all the above safety rules, and I'll add that any time a grinder, or any other rotary tool is spinning, the glasses need to be on (i.e., even while coasting down). A guy at work caught a screw in his safety glasses when a bench grinder he had shut down was coasting down, and a screw vibrated off the shield and fell into the wheel. He was clear across the room. They posted a picture of his glasses with a big crack in the lens, dead center on his eye!

 

I am glad you are ok.Years ago when I was in the Marine Corps,you could rent a stall to work on your car.I was doing some exhaust work and all was fine.Later that night at about 2 or 3 in the morning my eye just would not stop watering.I went the sick bay(emerency room)and the doctor said I had metal chips in my eye, so he put the deadner stuff in there and got a needle and dug it out.And then he looked in my other eye and said there was chips in there also,so he digs that out.He puts patches on both my eyes and says remove one patch at 12 hours and the other at 24 hours because he had to dig more on one.So of course I can not see a thing and he starts writing on the patches that are on my eyes.Being in the military I figure he is writing the date to be removed etc.My buddy that brought me there starts to laugh.The doctor tells him, don,t tell him.My friend is helping me back to the barricks so I ask him what where you laughing at.He say he drew you some eyes.Sure enough my friend took me back to the barricks and set my alarm for 12 hours so I could remove the one patch.The doctor drew two big eyeballs with really big eye lashes,just picture eyeballs a 4 year old would draw.I never knew military doctors had such a sense of humor.

 

The second day out hurts the worst. Thats when all the meds wear off. I'd almost rather have another flash burn or flush with bleach.

 

Ya know, I've been working on ships and in the aerospace industry without proper eye protection for years. Too many years! I'm stoipping by Home Depot on my way home tonight too. Gonna change that stupic behaviour right now. Thanks for the reality check!

Craig in Campbell

 

One of my first jobs outa school was as an apprentice auto painter, I learned long ago to wear eye protection...Have about six pairs of safety glasses laying around all over the place and pretty much always use them. Even bought AND USED a full face shield when I did my portin and polishin. Have trouble enough seeing these days without making it worse due to laziness.... (Gawd, maybe I'm finally growin up ARGHHH!)

And to 55Forder - While I could, I have NO intentions on taking my teeth out to work on the truck though. That would just be too redneck!

 

some time ago i went through the induction thing at an open cut coal mine so i could drive on site, the only thing i remember 10 years on is a pair of safety glass's with a peice of metal cought in them dab smack in the middle of one lense, it potruded an inch and a bit, the guy wearing then kept his eye they said, best lesen anyone could ever see.
while being a first year mechanic, they show u safety films ondifferent things, if u think only safety goggles can help, watch some of these, to this day (25 years on ) i still will not waer jewelry/watch/loose fitting cloths, u may be supprised at how quick u could loose a finger .
cya...gary

 

ive had a few close calls....being young and stupid, ive had a few things come off the hand or bench grinder, even the cutoff wheel a time or two...nothing that major, just something i go into the bathroom and scrape out with my eye....so far so good, but ive got a few more years to go, and need my eyes....what i need is a GOOD pair of glasses, one i can actually see through....(scratches bug the hell outta me)...i should wear them all the time, and maybe some day i will

 

while i was in korea i jumped off of a stake bed truck i was 19 at the time so i was bullet proof you know. anyhow, my ring got caught on the slat and luckily it was a home made ring made from an aluminum nut (shop training) it broke instead of taking my finger off. so, i make it policy to not have jewelry of any kind on while working on anything. especially metal watch bands while working around electrical stuff. instant tatoo!