turkey hunter

My Feedback: (10)

Now I know why the call APC props, "Fillet Knives."

BR289

My Feedback: (106)

LOL, That was always my understanding... that grafts on fingers don't take well if at all. How many times has one sliced their finger with an Xacto knife and used CA to close it only to have the skin come off anyway?
I know I have many times...

rino

My Feedback: (121)

Good luck. I did that one a few years back. I have a numb finger tip now. I call it my little reminder.

Get well soon.

mystsoftyme

ADVICE!

raptureboy

OWWWW!I'm squirming in my seat. I always sand my APC's down just to take the edge off, so I don't cut myself handling them. Think running lawnmower on it's side when your around a spinning propI wish you a speedy recovery, and the other guy is right about the skin graft, my son cut the tip of his finger off with a knife and the doctor told us the same thing, it will just fall off.

kenh3497

i have about half a fingernail and that is damaged. we'll see what he says tomorrow. what upsets me, he was in the er when i was and wouldn't/couldn't look at it. it still hurts like crazy and is so stiff it will hardly move.

thanks for the heads up on the graft thing.

ken

Teachu2

My Feedback: (133)

Ahhh - the surgical asst. weighs in, pitting weeks of training and psychic ability to evaluate your injury without even a picture Vs. the years of training and first-hand evaluation of your doctor. An epic battle, only on the Internet...

I had a similar experience last July, using a fresh APC on a slightly rich Saito 82 at full throttle. Drove myself to the ER, as the guys at the field all looked like they were goint to faint! Right hand, cut all 5 digits but the ring and middle ones took it hardest. Ring got hit twice from pad to nail, and broken radially. Middle took at least 4 hits, lost a chunk of bone and chopped the meat to where it looked like I'd have no nail. Luckily, the doc in the ER was a two-tour Iraq/Afghanistan vet who was working until his third deployment. He spent somewhere between 45 minutes and forever rearranging the debris at the end of my middle finger, found the pieces of nail bed, gave it 35+ stitches. Ring took 25. He insisted I go see a hand surgery specialist the next day - who confirmed the combat doc did a great job.

I ended up with no feeling at the tips of both fingers, and the middle is ~1/4" shorter and has two nails that may or may not eventually become one. It can take years for the healing to complete. I'm dealing now with a lump on one side where skin cells got mixed into the lower layers and are continuing to produce skin. The specialist tells me that it will stop on it's own or get large enough to warrant a bit of surgery. I didn't ask the lady who hands the surgeon stuff what she thought...

The day after the accident, I shot a .45acp in a pistol match. The day after that, the wife and I left on a 2k mile motorcycle ride. Life goes on.

Best wishes for a complete recovery!

muddslinger_lp

Dang, hope everything heels like it should and fast!

joebahl

My Feedback: (2)

30 years flying and 29 years as a carpenter i have seen alot of guys hurt them selfs ,some by accidents some ,well they were asking for it. Blocking up the guards on saws was a big accident waiting to happen ,one carpenter on my crew who kept doing this after i had told him not to , the worm gear saw backed up going up his body causing over100 stiches and he had to hold his parts in while i drive to the docks. I have scars from normal wear on my hands and fingers but knock on wood i have never got cut from a prop or saw . Be real carefull in the future and heel up soon. joe

kenh3497

i started rc back in 1975. this is mt first incident[] what worries me is there was no rush to get anything done, i was taking my time as it was a bit windy and i wasn't in a big rush to get back in the air. it was just plain stupidity!!! live and learn

ken

Tarasdad

We all have those "oh crap" moments. Mine was a Dremel with one of those thin steel saw blades tuning at 30k RPM. Just about took my left thumb off with it. Fortunately the ER doc was a surgical resident and did an outstanding repair. Now all I have isa scar to show off.

So far I've been very fortunate with props, got the backs of my knuckles rapped a couple of times but have never drawn blood. Well, not with a running engine at least. Sliced a couple of fingers over the years with Master Airscrew composite props, and once a nasty cut from an APC - won't use them any more for that very reason. For me these days wood is the rule.

mustangmike

Ouch! I hope your hand feels better ASAP! I shaved a nice little chunk off the backside of my thumb the very first time I started the little .049 on my first plane trying to adjust the mixture. From then on I try to stick to remote needle valves as that was a tiny engine and they've only gotten bigger! I agree with all of you with the wood props, they're safer and c'mon- they just look cooler!

Airbear

I assumed everyone knew that on an APC prop you sand the edge to knock that edge off. Saves a lot of hurt.

kochj

I got hit with the very end of the prop (the sharpest) APC....14 stiches later....got very lucky...and it was idling...
Was a float plane, off a boat...A water patrolman followed me in to shore, incase I passed out...

kochj

There was a guy who loaded up a video of his creation/ "smarter starter"....
Unfortuniately it has been blocked by youtube...which isn't right....
My guess is that the company producing the exact same thing (which was after this guys video)
put up a fuss....
OR it was due to the "Gold FInger" song....Get it? You fingers are worth gold?....I guess that was the joke...

The cool part about it was, he had plans for making your own....
I downloaded them...and actually it is nothing more that a block or wood that moves everso slightly that causes to make the conection
that turns on the prop starter...When you push the spinner into the starter....
This can be done by holding the back of the plane...
only draw back, was that when I recently tried to start my saito 125 with a nice truturn spinner on the tip, the spinner moved and dented the spinner...
Darn near wrecked it... Perhaps it wasn't on tight enough?
I have been back flipping it with a chicken stick after that time (5 flights) and starts up right away as it is side mounted...
Most dangerous part was after the engine is running, and you move to the back of the plane...

I am going to make that starter now...I want to keep my fingers, and yes, I may still use APC props...

You can se the setup here....
http://www.youtube.com/user/kregan63...&view=0&page=2

flyoz

My Feedback: (7)

After an altercation with a circular saw I know how painful a chop can be. Even a paper prop could slice to the bone at our RPMs

Guitarman52

My Feedback: (2)

Been there done that. Lost the end of my little finger and tore the skin off of 3 more. They took a graft from the inside palm of my hand to cover it with. Everything healed fine except I have never got the feeling back in the finger... been 3 years. Easier to do than you think.. be careful all.

Father Time

YUP!!! Only thing sharper than an APC-E prop at speed would have been my grandfathers straight razor & man could he fly that thing! Ran down a Nimh pack powering a 12x8 prop on a Nexstar (before you could afford lipo's) with the plane sitting on a card table. Bloody thing came back to life before my son killed the throttle - had visions of becoming the second Mr. Bobbit, standing there in my shorts, as this thing came straight at me at crotch height. Smart place to stand eh! Stuck my right hand down there to stop it and yup, 1/4 inch of right thumb, gone just like that! Doc sewed the end back on and I got really lucky - feeling returned - nail grew back - all the good stuff! Wife's still miffed about the red spots on the ceiling. Son is chuckling cause he finally got to take the old man for a sewing lesson. We all suffer, occasionally, from "Dumb Thumb" syndrome and all that costs is a trip to the build table - but guys! - we need those thumbs to fly!!!!

So yes, PLEASE! - BE AWARE! - or it will cost you!

As you can see from above, you are not alone. We all manage to fall out of the stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down "at least" once in a life time. Heal fast and well!!!!

kenh3497

off to see the vet. to be continued..........

ken

kenh3497

went to the vet today. surgery on friday for my fingers. he thinks there may be a problem with a tendon cut on my index finger as it doesn't work right. he will reopen cut and look and fix what is needed. also take skin from my palm to graft onto the finger tip. what is left of my finger nail is in three pieces. he may remove the nail bed. won't know for sure until he is done with surgery. the nurse said everything looked ok for what happened. so far so good. i was surprised at how swollen my hand was back behind my knuckles. may be off work for a week or so depending on what gets done. hope not.... have to pay for this some how.

contacted ama inquired on the ama insurance. paperwork in hand to fill out once my primary is done. will be interesting to see how it all falls together.


ken

kregan

That would be me...

I believe the video is blocked in certain countries because of the Gold Finger song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q0q5E2IMR4

I still have the plans posted for free here:
http://www.cnceffects.com/

No one is after me as far as I know but I would be happy chat with them if they are.
I posted that video in 2007 and that was 6 or so months after I designed it.

I contacted AMA in 2007 and they never responded to the idea so I figured they really
didn't care to much if you guys are chopping your fingers off.

kochj

Cool...
Was that a os1.40 2stroke w/pipe in that video of the smart starter??

Someone has kited something very simmular to your plans...I don't remember where...

ScottMcM

My Feedback: (66)

I had a run-in with the prop on my KMP Cessna 337 today. Was tuning the rear engine (Saito 130 twin cylinder), and stumbled. Right hand, index finger, to the first knuckle..GONE...not a good day.

kregan

Yes that is a os1.40 with a carbon fiber pipe. I use a geared starter and run it with 4 A123
cells. I can honestly say that since 2007 I have never started a glow engine in any other
way. It is only a matter of time before it gets you.

I must say I was shocked at the lack of interest in such a simple and effective tool. One
1 person in my club built one one and in 5 years I have only heard of 1 person that built one.
Maybe if it was an ARF! LOL

I just hope it saves one finger or hand.

kenh3497

On week today (5-18) since the surgery on my hand for the prop strike. Went to the vet (doctor) this morning for the first checkup. I count 38 stitches to close up the wounds and still oozing some fluid. The ex-tensor tendon was cut and had to be fixed. I was informed tendons take 12 weeks to heal completely[] Now I need to work on mobility of that finger so the tendon does not heal in a fixed position. I'm telling you it hurts worse than I can use words to post here to bend it and I have to be careful not to over do it!! I still have a finger nail though it is sewn on for the moment. The nail bed had to be repaired and the new nail will replace the temporary one. Skin was taken from the outside of my hand to graft on the tip of my index finger. It is pink and the doc says it should take OK. The adjacent two fingers and thumb also were involved to a much lesser degree. Only three stitches on my middle finger and minor lacerations on the others. They all hurt and are stiff to some degree.

Not done yet. There is an impact on my employment as I'm a mechanic for a living. With only one good hand......... You know the story there[]

I would sue myself for pain and suffering, but I can't afford a lawyer now. Knowing my luck, I'd loose anyway

I have no idea what this is going to cost me. Though I do have insurance and I'm checking out the AMA side also, I'll bet I could have bought a pretty nice plane for this incident.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE be careful around props. I'm very lucky to have gotten off as easy as I did.

Ken

PS. my fingers hurt like #^%#&^$* from typing this. Not complaining, just letting you know what it's like.