After I retired in 2009, I had a Tuff Shed building installed in my backyard for additional workspace and storage. The building features a gambrel roof, and I had already converted the attic space into extra storage. I had built workbenches along the east and west walls and was building shelves to go on the walls beside the windows when I made one tiny mistake.
I was using Rick’s nail gun to assemble and install the shelves when I did a double-tap. “Double-tapping, the unintended firing of two or more nails with a single trigger pull, is a frustrating and potentially dangerous problem with nail guns. Eliminating this issue requires a systematic approach, addressing potential causes ranging from worn internal components to incorrect user technique.”
That was not the first time it had happened to me; however, it was the first time I had put an 8-penny nail into my finger. So, there I was, it was October, I was hot, covered in sawdust, with work shorts and a T-shirt on, sweaty, and it was clear that I would not be able to pull the nail out of my finger by myself. I had already tried. My first problem was going into the house and telling Eva what I had done.
I had Eva call Dr. Oakman’s office to see if he would see me or if I had to go to the ER. They said to come in, and he would see what he could do, but come right away. I brushed off as much sawdust as I could, and Eva drove me to the office. Dr. Oakman had a practice by himself and a small waiting room. There were only a few people in the waiting room when I walked in and sat down, but everyone noticed how I was dressed. A sixty-six-year-old who looked like a bum on the street.
Eva then came in and sat beside me. When I got up to sign in, I was holding my left hand up out of the way when I heard a sigh from the woman across the room. She had noticed that a nail was sticking straight up from the knuckle of my index finger on my left hand. As she pointed out to her husband, everyone in the room noticed. I showed my finger and said, “Nail gun, it really does not hurt much.”
The nurse took me to one of the exam rooms so the doctor could check me among other patients. He had his nurse take a picture similar to an X-ray to see what to expect if the nail was driven into the bone. His nurse gave me a Tetanus and Diphtheria shot and prepared the area for possible bleeding. Dr. Oakman was like an old country doctor, always friendly and with a story or two to tell. When he came into the room, he sat down and said, “Now tell me how a smart man like you managed to do that to yourself.”
After looking at the nail and how firm it was in the finger, he explained it was jammed between the bones in the knuckle, but he was not sure what to use to get it out. I said I should have brought a pair of pliers, that is what I thought about before I decided not to do it on my own. With his big grin on his face, he said, “I got a pair in my truck!” I’m laughing, he is laughing as he goes out to his truck, and his nurse has shock on her face. Eva is sitting there shaking her head.
Dr. Oakman comes back with the pliers and a camera and says I want a picture for my wall. The nurse wraps my hand so that my thumb will not get in the way and covers all but the nail area in case of a lot of blood. I am standing with my left hand on the exam table, and the nurse is also helping me hold it still. Dr. Oakman used the pliers from his truck to yank the nail out. Not one drop of blood came out, and the knuckle worked fine.
Nail guns are serious tools and can be very dangerous, but this story has a better ending and has provided a few laughs over the years. I hope it made you smile today.
Randy Travis – Drive Another Nail
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