Read in the paper this week about a carpenter who got a 4 inch nail from an air nailer in his head right up through the top of his jaw. The account said that the nail gun he was using “backfired”. How does a nail gun backfire and shot a nail at the user’s face? I always figured that if I kept the gun pointed at the work and kept my hands out of the way, I was ok.
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"backfired" ? I'm thinking the author of the article just misused the term. The best scenario I can come up with comes from empirical experience.
I was nailing sheathing on an exterior wall prior to standing it up. (this was before we had a staple gun) I was using a senco framing gun with 2" nails, walking up and down the wall, nailing off the studs as fast as I could, I came to the top (or was it the bottom?) of the wall and caught the safety of the gun right on the edge of the plywood, (that's right, it was the bottom) thus firing the nail along side the bottom plate. It ricocheted off the floor and bounced straight up hitting me directly in the eye!
Fortunately it was tumbling and the pointy end didn't go into my eye, but it still required a trip to the e.r. and a week of wearing an eyepatch and saying "aarrrr" a lot.
Good story Mark.
I've bounced a few in the same manner.
I was thinking that maybe a doulbe hit but your explanation sounds more plausible. I just cant figure out how that nail buried itself after the bounce.
blueJust because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. There are some in here who think I'm a hackmeister...they might be right! Of course, they might be wrong too!
Heard about that guy, also heard he went to the dentist because his tooth ached - he didn't even know about the nail!Your story is yet another reason why I don't get on the jobsite without safety glasses. I've taken to wearing earplugs when I'm sawing too. The kind with a rigid plastic connector (like a set of headphones) - they hang around my neck until I saw. It's an extra second and a half for a few more minutes of hearing (man, and I thought I was losing my hearing from playing guitar!). those damn saws (esp. inside) are loud suckers!I worked with a guy who disdained safety gear, made him less macho, I guess. I figure, the jobsite ain't no fashion show, I'm not out to impress the other subs. If wearing that stuff makes it so I can continue to see my wife and boy(and hear them!), I'm all about it.Take it easy,Mac
I'm with ya on that one ! I wear the same type of ear plugs as you. and I now have several pair of safety glasses in the truck, the trailer, at home, tinted ones for working outdoors etc. just so I never have an excuse to not wear them on the job.
Those ear plugs, I had to try a couple of different brands before I found some that didn't hurt after a few minutes. So if anyone has tried them and they were uncomfortable, keep looking, they are not all alike.
It is such an amazing story that this is the fourth or fifth thrtead started here about the strange dental floss he was using, LOL
he has been interviewed by now and the story made more complete. He says that he somhow stumbled and bumped the gun into his lip. he knew he had bloodied the lip and hada sore tooth but did not know the trigger had depressed and shot off a nail. He kept eating ice cream for a few days to let the cold ease the soreness, but finally went to the dentist where an X-ray found the metal
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