[Racer X 69]

I was a medic in the USAF. It was a requirement of the job.
I truly, truly, feel sorry for the recipient of the first shot of APPG that I gave for GC. (Okay, maybe only one "truly" )

This must have been in the days before the pneumatic injection guns.

[Racer X 69]

Back in '88 we were at Big Bend and riding in the back country full of cactus and brushy plants...rough terrain. Mrs Rupert was wearing the boots shown here and complained she ran into a cactus and got a "sticker". I took a look and found a long sharp spline through her right boot and the calf of her leg and out the back of the boot. I had bike tools and took a pair of pliers and very carefully pulled it out. It was almost 4 inches long. She never squealed and we pulled the boot, took a look and it had gone through the meat of her calf. Fortunately, it never caused her a problem, but pulling it out really freaked me.

Was this just before, or just after you took the photo of her standing in the desert smiling?

[Parallax]

This must have been in the days before the pneumatic injection guns.

We used the guns during the annual flu season shots, mobilization immunizations, etc.; but that was done by the immunization techs.

[MarkJerling]

My oldest son, 42, will need something along those lines done to both feet in the future.
He said he started watching an animated video of the procedure and had to stop, it was too gruesome.
He's kind of squeamish about any type of medical procedure.

It's carpentry with cleaner tools.

[bertwert]

Medical operations fascinate me, hence why I'm currently interested with becoming a doctor in the army. I find I generally have a high pain tolerance - as long as I'm not expecting it. If you know it's coming you build it up and it hurts more than it actually does - if that makes sense? On another note, the tractor starts perfectly now - the connection between the solenoid and starter was dirty and just needed cleaning.

[Racer X 69]

It's carpentry with cleaner tools.

And a lot less sawdust.

[Racer X 69]

I find I generally have a high pain tolerance - as long as I'm not expecting it. If you know it's coming you build it up and it hurts more than it actually does - if that makes sense?

Makes perfect sense.

On another note, the tractor starts perfectly now - the connection between the solenoid and starter was dirty and just needed cleaning.

Clean and tight.

I usually coat all electric connections with dielectric compound too. Keeps oxidation down and preserves a good connection.

[rod_grant]

It's carpentry with cleaner tools

And a lot less sawdust

Yeah, the first time I saw a medical doco on TV, it was a knee replacement; knife to cut skin, saw to cut bone, hammer to insert new joint into bone.
Easy-peasy! I could have done it on the bench in my shed.

As far as injections go; I avoided a flu shot for 45 years - not because I am frightened of needles, but because I was at a new job and flu shots were being offered around by the health dept staff, and my workmates told me not to agree to a flu shot "Wally had one last year and nearly died!"
After two bouts of pneumonia my doc convinced me to take every precaution against winter infections and so I get an annual shot.
Doc always warns of a sharp prick/sting: so far nothing! I really don't know whether he has given the shot or not. True.

[MarkJerling]

Needles don't bother me. I have had so many stuck in me for giving blood, I've lost count. And, with blood tests, around 108 in the last 2 years or so.

[Parallax]

Makes perfect sense.

I usually coat all electric connections with dielectric compound too. Keeps oxidation down and preserves a good connection.

+1
I never make a connection without that or soldering it, depending on which is more appropriate.

[Rupert]

I never make a connection without that or soldering it, depending on which is more appropriate.

Poor old Tony.....wanted to solder the connections on his batter terminals a few years back. Borrowed my mini plumbers torch and some solder. It was my understanding that he was soldering a broken ground wire...but it was more than that. Yep, batteries are explosive and he exploded his. He was damn lucky he survived with only minor acid burns. The battery blew all to hell.

In another soldering episode, a guy called me with a house full of leaks. It was one of those "do-it-yourself" vacation package homes and he had done most of the work himself, including the plumbing. He had done a good job and the place looked very nice. He had used copper lines for the plumbing and run the trunk lines in the attic and down through the walls to the various fixtures in the house. That is a very unusual way to do it in this area, but not unheard of.
The ceilings were stained everywhere. When I got in the attic I found joint after joint separated in the 1/2 and 3/4 inch copper lines. They had some residue on them but did not look to have ever been soldered? Turns out he had used tubes of "liquid solder" he had purchased at a Hobby Shop because he didn't know how to solder with a torch and was afraid he would burn down his house. Reflecting back, he was probably better off than if he had tried to use a torch in the tight attic space. After cleaning the joints and ripping out the lines coming down the walls, we re-soldered all the joints and it was fine. With all the repairs and sheetrock repair/replacement/painting ...it was a pretty expensive mistake.

Regards!

[Racer X 69]

Poor old Tony.....wanted to solder the connections on his batter terminals a few years back. Borrowed my mini plumbers torch and some solder. It was my understanding that he was soldering a broken ground wire...but it was more than that. Yep, batteries are explosive and he exploded his. He was damn lucky he survived with only minor acid burns. The battery blew all to hell.

In another soldering episode, a guy called me with a house full of leaks. It was one of those "do-it-yourself" vacation package homes and he had done most of the work himself, including the plumbing. He had done a good job and the place looked very nice. He had used copper lines for the plumbing and run the trunk lines in the attic and down through the walls to the various fixtures in the house. That is a very unusual way to do it in this area, but not unheard of.
The ceilings were stained everywhere. When I got in the attic I found joint after joint separated in the 1/2 and 3/4 inch copper lines. They had some residue on them but did not look to have ever been soldered? Turns out he had used tubes of "liquid solder" he had purchased at a Hobby Shop because he didn't know how to solder with a torch and was afraid he would burn down his house. Reflecting back, he was probably better off than if he had tried to use a torch in the tight attic space. After cleaning the joints and ripping out the lines coming down the walls, we re-soldered all the joints and it was fine. With all the repairs and sheetrock repair/replacement/painting ...it was a pretty expensive mistake.

Regards!

My shop rates.

[Rupert]

Not much happening here....so I'll throw in another soldering story that comes to mind. I was always decent with sweating copper, an old guy taught me and he taught me well. It wasn't uncommon for a few other plumber friends to ask me to assist them when they had a copper job. I had the right tools for most any copper job and was always glad to assist.

Had one of those friends call me and said he had a copper line leak under an older lady's mobile home....he was afraid of burning the place down...could I come help him? He was a young guy and had little copper experience, since other products had mostly replaced the use of copper. Plastics and polyethylene were all many of these young guys worked with. We set a time and I made plans to be there, but due to things out of my control, I was about 40 minutes late. I saw his truck was gone and knocked on the door.....took a while to get an answer, the elderly lady was taking a nap. She said Chris had left about 20 minutes ago and had made the repair. I thanked her and headed out...but as I rounded the corner I smelled a slight aroma of wood smoldering? I walked around to the other side and sure enough there was a little stream of white smoke coming out around an access door. There was a garden faucet and hose nearby and I turned it on, opened the access door and smoke billowed out. Up toward the right of the door, a red flame erupted. I pointed the hose and stared soaking the area, hoping it would be enough. As the flame diminished I crawled in and pulled back the belly paper and pulled out the insulation....two floor joists were slightly charred and smoldering in about a 6 foot area near the copper lines. I soaked and soaked, got out and got my big light and waited for over an hour watching the area of concern. Went back in and soaked it again.

He was more grateful than you can imagine, and he paid for the repairs to her belly covering and insulation. When you are on your back in the darkness under a house, using a torch and even with good light....it is hard to see what might be happening with the belly paper and insulation. There is a way to do it safely, but even then I was always leery and highly concerned in such situations. I never left a scene like that until I was 100% certain there was nothing going to burn. I sometimes left a helper with fire extinguishers and came back in an hour or so to pick him up.

We never told the old lady, I didn't see any reason to alarm her after the fact. All was properly repaired and she never knew how close she came.

Torches and welding.......lots of sad stories concerning both of those. Gotta be super extra careful...every time!

Regards!

[tim60]

Poor old Tony.....wanted to solder the connections on his batter terminals a few years back. Borrowed my mini plumbers torch and some solder. It was my understanding that he was soldering a broken ground wire...but it was more than that. Yep, batteries are explosive and he exploded his. He was damn lucky he survived with only minor acid burns. The battery blew all to hell.

Regards!

Sure you spelled his name right? I thought it should be spelled "Ricky".

[tim60]

Not much happening here....so I'll throw in another soldering story that comes to mind. I was always decent with sweating copper, an old guy taught me and he taught me well. It wasn't uncommon for a few other plumber friends to ask me to assist them when they had a copper job. I had the right tools for most any copper job and was always glad to assist.

Had one of those friends call me and said he had a copper line leak under an older lady's mobile home....he was afraid of burning the place down...could I come help him? He was a young guy and had little copper experience, since other products had mostly replaced the use of copper. Plastics and polyethylene were all many of these young guys worked with. We set a time and I made plans to be there, but due to things out of my control, I was about 40 minutes late. I saw his truck was gone and knocked on the door.....took a while to get an answer, the elderly lady was taking a nap. She said Chris had left about 20 minutes ago and had made the repair. I thanked her and headed out...but as I rounded the corner I smelled a slight aroma of wood smoldering? I walked around to the other side and sure enough there was a little stream of white smoke coming out around an access door. There was a garden faucet and hose nearby and I turned it on, opened the access door and smoke billowed out. Up toward the right of the door, a red flame erupted. I pointed the hose and stared soaking the area, hoping it would be enough. As the flame diminished I crawled in and pulled back the belly paper and pulled out the insulation....two floor joists were slightly charred and smoldering in about a 6 foot area near the copper lines. I soaked and soaked, got out and got my big light and waited for over an hour watching the area of concern. Went back in and soaked it again.

He was more grateful than you can imagine, and he paid for the repairs to her belly covering and insulation. When you are on your back in the darkness under a house, using a torch and even with good light....it is hard to see what might be happening with the belly paper and insulation. There is a way to do it safely, but even then I was always leery and highly concerned in such situations. I never left a scene like that until I was 100% certain there was nothing going to burn. I sometimes left a helper with fire extinguishers and came back in an hour or so to pick him up.

We never told the old lady, I didn't see any reason to alarm her after the fact. All was properly repaired and she never knew how close she came.

Torches and welding.......lots of sad stories concerning both of those. Gotta be super extra careful...every time!

Regards!

Heat and flammable stuff mix to provide disasters. How generous of them.