Another "Note to self" :(

[Kubota_Man]

So there I was (You know it is going to be good when it starts like that).......

We are building a "Girl Den" because I NEED my "Man Cave" aka shop back. As I mentioned in another thread my Wifey-Poo and I are in the process of fostering to adopt a 7 1/2 year old girl and her 6 year old brother. With that we needed to adapt 2 more bedrooms in our house.

Anyways back to the story.....Doing the electrical portion you need to drive 2 ground rods that are 8' X 5/8" galvanized steel. While driving the second rod I must have slipped the driver off of the rod and you guessed it the next down stroke proved to be a bad one. I ended up driving the rod threw the palm of hand and out the top (INSERT A BUNCH OF BAD WORDS HERE).

Well a total of 7 stiches (5 in the palm and 2 in the top) and possible multiple hand surgeries later as well as a bunch of pain meds later I'm at home thinking what the HELL just happened.

So the note to self is. When you slip off on the up stroke be careful on the down stroke it can be a B****

Yes I took pics and video of the carnage

 

[Lil Foot]

Sorry to hear of your accident, sounds horrible. I wish you a speedy & (as much as possible) pain free recovery.
If it is not to painful to relive, I must admit I don't understand the mechanism involved.... what is this driver you mentioned?
I ask because I have a copper clad 5/8" X 8' steel ground rod installation pending when I bring power to my garage up north.

 

[bosshogg]

Sorry to hear that and hope your hand heals up nicely.

When I install ground rods I use nothing but my hand and a little water. Start a depression and fill with water. Re-insert the ground rod and work up and down until you need mre water. You would be surprised how easily it will go down in clay type soils...sand/gravel not so much.

 

[cabu]

...sand/gravel not so much.

Kubota_Man has a lot of rocks below his feet.

@Kubota_Man:

That is quit something. Did you go with the rod sticking through your hand to the doctor? You know that you should not take out thing sticking in your body that do not really belongs there...
Hope your hand will recover 100%. If it would have happend to me, after 'enjoying' that kind of pain, I would look at the rod-through-my-hand and say by myself, that this really hasn't happend yet. You know all the stories and know better, but then there was a second you do stupid things. Happen to the best of us.
After a beer or two, the pain is history. So let's show the pictures!!

At my last surgery, I took some pictures by myself laying on the table. And it was cheap in china, only 50$ for 1 hour surgery.

Your friend Carl

ps:
"We are building a "Girl Den" because I NEED my "Man Cave" aka shop back."
Is your shop now pink and Barbie smiles at you from every corner?

 

[hodge]

You can also get a drill-driven tool to drive ground rods in. Sorry that happened to you, Kubota_man. I would assume that this is your dominant hand. It sounds like an injury that will hamper you long after it is healed. It is amazing how a moments worth of complacency will affect you. We all have some story of how we didn't pay attention and got hurt, but probably not that bad.

 

[bcbull378]

You can also get a drill-driven tool to drive ground rods in. Sorry that happened to you, Kubota_man. I would assume that this is your dominant hand. It sounds like an injury that will hamper you long after it is healed. It is amazing how a moments worth of complacency will affect you. We all have some story of how we didn't pay attention and got hurt, but probably not that bad.

Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ..." I like it and not ashamed

 

[Lil Foot]

At my place in northern Arizona, there is so much rock that is is virtually impossible to drive a ground rod at all, let alone 8 feet. Code allows us to bend the rod 90 degrees & lay it in a 2ft (min) deep trench with just enough sticking out of the ground to attach a #4 ground wire to the service panel.

 

[Kubota_Man]

what is this driver you mentioned?
I ask because I have a copper clad 5/8" X 8' steel ground rod installation pending when I bring power to my garage up north.

The driver is very similar to a post/T-post driver. A round thick wall pipe with a 30 lb. chunk of steel welded on top of it

Kubota_Man has a lot of rocks below his feet.

@Kubota_Man:

That is quit something. Did you go with the rod sticking through your hand to the doctor? You know that you should not take out thing sticking in your body that do not really belongs there...

After a beer or two, the pain is history. So let's show the pictures!!

ps:
"We are building a "Girl Den" because I NEED my "Man Cave" aka shop back."
Is your shop now pink and Barbie smiles at you from every corner?

I grow rocks better than grass sometimes

I was in rythem so after the down stroke I was already in the mind set for the up stroke so before I knew what happened mt hand was already free of the rod.

The "Man Cave" is so full of stuff of the lovely Wife's crafting stuff as well as the non-necessary office crap that I can't even think let alone work in there. My recent oil issue was fixed outside

As far as pics I'll try to post them in another thread with a graphic warning.

Code allows us to bend the rod 90 degrees & lay it in a 2ft (min) deep trench with just enough sticking out of the ground to attach a #4 ground wire to the service panel.

Code for us is 8' rod straight down below grade if possible or it can be 45° if you can't drive it straight. Last resort it can be burried at 3' with proof it is impossible to drive

 

[skeets]

Ya do know if you dig a trench 8 ft long and a foot deep and lay the rod in it will do the same thing,,, just sayin

 

[Profnohair]

Ya do know if you dig a trench 8 ft long and a foot deep and lay the rod in it will do the same thing,,, just sayin

It may do the same thing but I don't think code enforcement will go for it. At least not down here in the the swamp.

 

[Kubota_Man]

It may do the same thing but I don't think code enforcement will go for it. At least not down here in the the swamp.

You are correct. My Father In-Law is an IBEW Journeyman Electrition and won't let let me do anything that may be illegal or unsafe. Not that I am complaining or anything. Plus we have very reasonable labor rates on electrical work