Installing Garage Door Openers

[Green Horn]

Over the past week, I installed a garage door opener at my house as well as my sisters. While installing mine, I slipped with the screw driver and buried it in the palm of my right hand. Nothing too serious, but it left I nice split about 2 in wide x about 1/2 inch deep. I usually very concious about where my OTHER hand is when using screw drivers, saws, power tools etc... but not this time. While trying to pry loose a chain guide from the steel rail, I slipped. I am actaully lucky that my hand was almost paralell with the screw driver as I hit it. With the force that my left hand slipped with the screw driver, it could have easily been much uglier.

Now, 2 days later I go over to my sisters house to install her garage door opener. My sister peeked out at one point and asked how everything was going. My bro-in-law piped up and said that all was well, and there was no blood letting. Sure enough, I peel back a few layers of skin with a knife about 5 min after he said that. Again, nothing bad though. Nothing like stripping wires with a lock blade. :) The worst part, is that I had to ask my wife to open my beer for me last night because I couldn't get ahold of the bottle good enough with my right hand. :( Never thought that day would come. :scream:

Oh well, better luck on the next project.
BTW, do chicks still dig scars or was that a '90's thing? :)

 

[Patman]

a.) Never give a sharp instrument to a dull mind.

b.) It's no suprise you cut those girly silken mitts of yours (must be from all the lotion :eek: )

c.) Your wife always has to open your beers who are you trying to kid?

 

[Michelle]

You're not alone in being a dumbass ;) My father-in-law (you may remember two? years ago when he decided to drink some chemical?) decided yesterday to attack his hand with a saw - 6 stitches. Luckily it's his left hand so my ma-in-law can still get him to do stuff ;) Patman, I have to agree with a). lol

Can't comment about b) and c).

Now do chicks dig scars? Depends on where & what? This sorta scar's boring, so nope, you won't get lucky with that :p hahaha
Have a good New Year's and all the best for 2003 (we're there already & so far it's beautiful weather).
Michelle

 

[Green Horn]

Patricia,

I know that your attacks are just a way for you to cover up your underlying concern for me. Don't worry though, Daddy is ok. :)

Michelle, Happy New Year! I kind of figured that stabbing myself with a screw driver doesn't turn on women. ;) The funnier part of this story is how my wife reacted to what I had done. Her words were "Good Job! Make sure you don't get blood all over the place." I laughed and told her I appreciated her being there for me. :)

 

[Speedway]

My Father rarely dispensed advice, however he did tell me never install a garage door opener. He was right, but I did it anyway, one of those screw types, caught my hair in the screw when the wife turned it on premeturely when I was checking why the light didn't work. I was on a ladder with no place to go, lucky my screams of help caused her to hit the button twice...add smiley face.

 

[Michelle]

Speedway - maybe you can explain something to me. When loading up the bikes, I get in the van so that we can load the last bike backwards. There's not much clearance between the bars & the roof and often my hand gets jammed. When I yell out "ouch, ouch, ouch, oooouch" (as the bike gets pushed in further, thus jamming my hand more), why is it I get told I should tell him to STOP? I'm sorry if I can't think of what to yell except ouch, but I thought that should give an indication something's going wrong & to stop pushing the bloody bike?
Your wife obviously (apart from her sadistic side lol) understands this - with her pushing the button when you start yelling/screaming. Can't males? (or is it just my husband being an ......?)

Greenie, Henk's mum had to clean up all the blood - she wasn't happy, but after 40 or so years marriage, I guess she's used to her husband doing dumb things. I'm just hoping Henk doesn't take after his father with his clutziness, but I think his brother has that gene ;)

 

[Speedway]

Michelle,
Its king of a caveman thing, we recently covered this in another thread but I think men are much better at dispensing pain, we hate to hear others screams...of pain, unless we are causing it. But, you husband is casuing it?Does this make him push harder...if so he has the caveman gene...sorry

 

[Danman]

Sure enough, I peel back a few layers of skin with a knife about 5 min after he said that. Again, nothing bad though. Nothing like stripping wires with a lock blade.

Dude that would fall under the right tool for the job. A pair of electritions scissers or a one of the cheap wire stippers and crimper combo is the best way to go.

I have to install an new one soon (mine crapped out), but the kicker is that I have to put a plug over it. The previous owner of the house put the plug up in the attic and then used and extention cord to run it over to the water heater closet and through the ceiling and to a plug. No need for all that complicated wireing :| Don't wory man your not alone I have messed myself up doing stuff around the house (I just don't confess to it most of the time).

Just remember if you don't draw blood or make at least two trips to the hardware store its not a real remodeling project ;)

 

[Green Horn]

Originally posted by Danman

Just remember if you don't draw blood or make at least two trips to the hardware store its not a real remodeling project ;)

I guess it was a REAL project then. Not only because I cut my hand, but because my Dad and I DID make TWO trips to the store. The first trip was to buy a voltmeter to test the wires (my garage is a 2 car w/ 2 doors and is prewired), and the second trip was to buy some shorter bolts to mount the bracket to the door itself. :) Oh yeah, and I have a pair of wire strippers but they don't have a small enough slot for the guage of wire I was stripping. I stripped somewhere around 10-15 wires between both installs, and only cut myself once. :) I consider that a job well done. :yeehaw: