[Misc] Things that you've done that could have killed you, making you die to death

[spongy]

I do a bit of manual lathe and milling at work. Scary machines as once I went to flick a bit of swarf from a countersink tool whilst it was still spinning and it caught my glove and pulled me into the machine. Luckily I was at quite a high speed and managed to stall the machine out.

Seen some horrific videos of people being dragged in to lathes. It NEVER ends well.

 

[zefarelly]

Fair play, that's incredibly cool.

I once did a corporate day at the Palmer Sports race track in Bedford and got to drive a Le Mans style car that day. I'm assuming it was somewhat less powerful than the real thing but it was still absolutely rapid and way beyond my natural driving ability - I managed to pull off at least a couple of pretty spectacular spins.

It was brilliant and terrifying in equal measure - just total adrenaline overload. I was shaking like a dog shitting snowballs for some time. I gained a new respect for racing drivers and the limits they push; incidentally they shared the telemetry from our cars which overlaid our performance with that of a professional driver and it was remarkable how much slower we were going and how much earlier we were braking.

I was pretty slow when I started, and used to wonder how the hell other drivers did it . . . . it takes time, some skill and confidence, in your ability and machinery. THe most satisfying thing for me is building/preparing the car as well . . .I've not won that often but when you do, its oh so sweet.

I spun at Brands Hatch and very narrowly avoided getting smashed to bits by a good friend, and customer in a car I built for him! that would have been embarassing. I alsoi had a wheel snap off doing 90 at Goodwood in his car! luckily the wheel didn't hit either of the 2 cars up my chuff. One f them was Nick Masons daughter Holly. the other was a £2m ferrari!

 

[zefarelly]

I do a bit of manual lathe and milling at work. Scary machines as once I went to flick a bit of swarf from a countersink tool whilst it was still spinning and it caught my glove and pulled me into the machine. Luckily I was at quite a high speed and managed to stall the machine out.

Seen some horrific videos of people being dragged in to lathes. It NEVER ends well.

THis.

wearing a tie is a massive no-no in the workshop!!!

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

Kayaking on a swollen river, and got jammed under a bow
Coasteering, fun but can be a bit head damaging
Hill climbs are not without danger, and,
Once went out on the Wife's Birthday and didn't get back until late, only those that know Mrs OW will understand the risk!

 

[Brian Potter]

Getting mortared in Crossmaglen at the age of 19 was nice. I remember thinking at the time that it in now way resembled the pictures of wind-surfing in Cyprus that I had seen on the recruitment leaflet One of numerous scrapes I had in my tours in NI back in the 80's.

 

[Hampden Park]

Rig run in Auckland, New Zealand. popped into an off-license to get some drinks for the cinema trip. coppers came into the shop and told us to stay put as the 'Black-Power Head Hunters' were having a shoot-out with the old bill. we waited, got bored and left in full no.1s and made our way to the cinema. shooting stopped, let us passed and continued when we were out of the way. incredible.

 

[schmunk]

THis.

wearing a tie is a massive no-no in the workshop!!!

Yes, it's bow-ties only on my factory floor. Strict rule, but everyone wears one now.

 

[zefarelly]

Yes, it's bow-ties only on my factory floor. Strict rule, but everyone wears one now.

Good call

Cravats in the office here.

 

[Pint of Ale and a Burger]

I do a bit of manual lathe and milling at work. Scary machines as once I went to flick a bit of swarf from a countersink tool whilst it was still spinning and it caught my glove and pulled me into the machine. Luckily I was at quite a high speed and managed to stall the machine out.

Seen some horrific videos of people being dragged in to lathes. It NEVER ends well.

Yes,I've seen some lathe accident videos.
I would never have thought some of them possible had I not seen it myself.
Not a nice thing to happen,and a reminder of how vigilant the operator has to be at all times.

 

[sydney]

Getting mortared in Crossmaglen at the age of 19 was nice. I remember thinking at the time that it in now way resembled the pictures of wind-surfing in Cyprus that I had seen on the recruitment leaflet One of numerous scrapes I had in my tours in NI back in the 80's.

ah yess....!! wakey fuuuuukin wakey.......

 

[jonnyrovers]

Stayed up all night in Bali to watch England vs Greece, the one with Beckham's incredible free kick. About 7am after 15 hours on the piss some Aussies convinced me to come surfing with them. I cannot surf. They said I'd pick it up easy. I paddled out through MASSIVE waves then spent an hour trying to get back in. I have run marathons in mountain ranges and never been close to that level of sheer exhaustion and despair. I was convinced I was dead, almost accepted it, then somehow caught a slushy wave on my belly and was unceremoniously dumped on the beach to be dragged to safety by some locals. Have not been near a surfboard since. There are some things that fat northern lads were not programmed for.

 

[marcos3263]

Yes, it's bow-ties only on my factory floor. Strict rule, but everyone wears one now.

bow-ties only?

What stops your willy getting caught up then??

 

[schmunk]

bow-ties only?

What stops your willy getting caught up then??

Compulsary tuck. It's part of the induction, so there's no excuse.

 

[spongy]

Good call

Cravats in the office here.

We had a young lad start with us fresh out of college, who decided on his first day to rock up wearing a hoodie and use the lathe.

He got pulled off the machines straight away and got a proper bollocking. Just thinking what could have happened if one of the neck cords had got tangled up makes me feel sick.

 

[Oscar]

As a kid, during the Eighties and a year*or so after the Grand Hotel bombing, a mate and I were messing about on the beach near to where the Tory Party Conference was due to take place. We found a briefcase left discarded and, with no knowledge of the fuss about the conference, opened it. Inside was just a few clothes and what was left of a packed lunch. So we closed it again and left it.

That evening I'm watching the news while having my tea to find there had been a major security alert on Brighton seafront due to a suspect package being found. The beach was cordoned off and the bomb squad called to defuse the very same briefcase me and my mate had been kicking about. Of course it wasn't a bomb but it could have been. BOOOOOM!

Other than that, I was passenger in a car that went headfirst into a wall and I had a good few electric shocks while working in a lighting shop in my teens.

 

[zefarelly]

We had a young lad start with us fresh out of college, who decided on his first day to rock up wearing a hoodie and use the lathe.

He got pulled off the machines straight away and got a proper bollocking. Just thinking what could have happened if one of the neck cords had got tangled up makes me feel sick.

There was a guy at Sturtevant who had a close call with a tie and a pillar drill

Someone showed me a few pics of a mangled bloke in a large lathe. I'll never forget them and It reminds me to be careful every time I use mine or my mill.

I was at the machine shop once getting as cylinder head skimmed . . . Matt hadn't clamped it down properly . . . I was wartching the fly cutter zipping away, when all of a subben 17kg of cast iron launched itself at me, just missed and took a chunk out of the wall

 

[el punal]

Fortunately, this does not apply to me but a friend of mine who I worked with in the drinks promotion business. To keep the story short it involved working in a well known holiday camp where they used to hold regular wrestling nights. My friend was a bit of a ladies man and on this particular evening happened to (ahem!) pull Big Lil, one of the female wrestlers.

One thing led to another and Big Lil and my friend ended up in her chalet for a bit of grappling and groaning. Morning came and my mate looked across the pillow and viewed a photo of an enormous bloke in some sort of leotard. Whose that? He enquired. That’s Ron, my husband, he’s a wrestler as well and he’ll be here any moment.

My friend never moved so fast in his life, exiting chalet ASAP and carrying his clothes with him - just before wrestler Ron made his entrance.

 

[sydney]

Stayed up all night in Bali to watch England vs Greece, the one with Beckham's incredible free kick. About 7am after 15 hours on the piss some Aussies convinced me to come surfing with them. I cannot surf. They said I'd pick it up easy. I paddled out through MASSIVE waves then spent an hour trying to get back in. I have run marathons in mountain ranges and never been close to that level of sheer exhaustion and despair. I was convinced I was dead, almost accepted it, then somehow caught a slushy wave on my belly and was unceremoniously dumped on the beach to be dragged to safety by some locals. Have not been near a surfboard since. There are some things that fat northern lads were not programmed for.

similar experience at Bronte beach in Sydney 2002 .......4 mtr swell @ about 12 second intervals , absolutely washing machined , dumped and fecked up , landed on the beach no board , no rash vest and shorts round on ankle to tumultuous applause from all the grommets , i hadn't had a propper look before entering the water but there were only 4 or 5 other blokes mad enough to have a go ......i have a very healthy respect for the sea these days.

 

[zefarelly]

similar experience at Bronte beach in Sydney 2002 .......4 mtr swell @ about 12 second intervals , absolutely washing machined , dumped and fecked up , landed on the beach no board , no rash vest and shorts round on ankle to tumultuous applause from all the grommets , i hadn't had a propper look before entering the water but there were only 4 or 5 other blokes mad enough to have a go ......i have a very healthy respect for the sea these days.

I went for a swim at Byron bay, got about 30m out, and had to work like a trojan to get back to shore. powerful and scary stuff the sea in Aus, makes the English channel look like a puddle.

 

[papajaff]

Done a Harry Worth impression on the side of a Dover to Calais ferry around 1983. On the other side of the rail. With a few beers inside me. My brother couldn't look.

I still wince when I think of that.