[sdiy] Resisting UberDIY (More soldering)

[Glen]

At 07:30 PM 9/21/02 , Scott Evans, Gen Mgr wrote:
>Years ago, I had an injury that damaged many of the nerve receptors in
>my left hand. Still functions, mostly, but it feels "asleep" most of the
>time and I have very little "Heat Sense".


I was working underneath my girlfriend's vehicle when one of her cheap
tools slipped, and my left hand went flying into a hard, narrow
reinforcement rib on the side of her automatic transmission. I slid out
from under the vehicle and shouted for a moment or two. (It really hurt!)
It was the back of my hand that had struck the steel. I think it might have
even possibly bruised or cracked a bone.

Since that day, my little finger and the one next to it (to a lesser
degree), always feel like they are asleep. There is no pain, and I can move
both fingers *almost* as well as I could before the accident, but a lot of
the feeling is gone now.

That's the end of my "family designated mechanic" status. I'll no longer
attempt repairing something if I don't have all the proper tools to perform
the job with. That rules out repairing automobiles, even if it is for my
girlfriend or family members. I simply don't have the proper tools or
environment for that sort of work.

To show that this story is actually on-topic, it is an example of what
working with cheap tools can do for you. It can leave you permanently
injured, perhaps seriously. (I consider myself somewhat lucky in that
regard.) It could also get you killed, if you're not so lucky.

So when we were urged to throw away our cheap tools earlier in the UberDIY
thread, there is indeed some merit to the idea. Certainly throw away any
tool that might ever be considered a safety risk for either yourself, or
the equipment you are working on. 

Also, don't work on something potentially dangerous if you don't have the
proper tools and knowledge required to do it as safely as possible. Just
being a generally wise and resourceful fellow doesn't guarantee a safe and
successful repair. As always, if ever in doubt, enlist the services of an
expert.

I'm not trying to scare off any new people, but I just hope that they fully
appreciate the value of using well-made tools, designed for the job at
hand. (No pun intended.) Also, a cheap tool isn't a bargain if it breaks
the first time you really need to use it, leaves you crippled, or damages
some expensive piece of equipment.


later,
Glen Berry