stellanelson•2d agoOG Member

Hit my thumb with a 3lb hammer so hard I saw stars...

Was working on a rail spike knife last night in my garage shop and got distracted by my phone ringing. Took me 20 minutes to stop shaking and get back to the anvil - has anyone else ever had a goof like that ruin their whole rhythm?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_grace2d ago

Wait, are you saying getting shaken up by a close call is a bad thing? I actually think that's your body telling you to slow down and pay attention. If you saw stars from a hammer hit, you got lucky you didn't break your thumb or worse. I've had a few close calls myself where I shook for a bit after, and that's a good sign you're not totally numb to the danger. The rhythm can wait, your fingers can't. Wouldn't you rather take 20 minutes to calm down than spend weeks healing a broken hand?

jake9862d ago

Read somewhere that experienced carpenters say that shake after a close call is just your survival instincts doing their job. Better to listen to that than to push through and end up with a busted hand.

lucasschmidt1d ago

3lb hammer on a rail spike isnt exactly a light tap but I dunno man, I been hitting my thumbs with ball peens since I was 14 and I never had to take a whole 20 minute breather. Maybe its just me but sometimes I think people blow that "close call shake" up into something it aint. You swung a hammer and hit your thumb, you didnt almost lose a finger to a tablesaw or something. I say shake it off, maybe ice it for 5 minutes, and get back to it before the steel cools off.