Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

My stepdad always used to tell me stories about people who wore rings in the garage and ended up losing a finger cause the ring got caught on something. Have YOU or someone you know personally ever injured themselves because of a ring. How about any other injuries while working on mechanical stuff? Besides using jack stands does anyone have any safety tips for working on vehicles?

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

there is actually a whole section dedicated to shop safety on here.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/f...splay.php?f=89

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

Thread moved to shop safety

There are times when it can be dangerous.

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

the only jewlery i own is a medical alert bracelet and only wear it on trips or out to events (stays in my pocket at car shows as i dont want to repair paint)// was brought up with the no jewlery or baggey clothes in the shop syndrome from a very early age// saw a guys longsleeve shirt get caught in a lathe once, another guy trip over his untied shoelaces and fall on a hot exhaust collector , those are two that come to mind

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

I knew a guy. Who was an owner of a service station. He was wearing his class ring, While working on a car. Some how it got caught not sure on what, But it didn't just take his finger. He lost his hand as well.

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

3 different horror stories here...

A friend of mine was adjusting the timing on his 460 Falcon. Somehow he got his wedding ring between the positive side of a 12 volt coil and a ground. It burned about a 1 inch section out of the ring. After the 3rd degree burns healed, ne never wore it again. It was VERY nasty !

My boss at my off duty job jumped down from a stake bed truck and hung his ring on the bedside about 8 feet from the ground. It was a tilt bed style 1 ton with 4 foot metal sideboards. The weight of his body coupled with the ring hung on a bolt end yielded a degloved ring finger. Degloved means turned inside out. It was VERY , VERY nasty !

I had just removed a car from my flat bed trailer and was picking up the chains , ramps etc... As I threw the ramps on the trailer, my ring got caught on the angle iron ramp and cut my finger to the bone from the middle knuckle to the knuckle nearest my hand. I've never worn one while working since and I don't wear one when on duty at the FD.

Each of these stories are 100 % factual. I was present during all 3 events.

Just my .02 , Dean

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

Well, If Dean comes around, I think I'll take mine off from now on!

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

I usually take mine off mostly for safety reasons but also to avoid damaging it OR anything I might touch. Ive been careless when wrenching, had my hand slip and hit my truck...left a nice ding where my ring hit it. FOD

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

I have been married for 5 years and dont own a ring for that very reason. I work with my hands all the time.....I told her not to waste her money. If your signifacant other does not understand the hazards...dont marry her.

I bought a 1968 1 owner parts truck in Tn. a few months back. We cleaned it out a low and behold in the glove box was a wedding band. I contacted the guy I bought it from and he sounded puzzled. His dad was the original owner had taken it off working on it in the garage 10 years earlier and could not find the ring. He was glad to get it back!!!

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

That is a neat story. Those other stories were all pretty nasty. Thanks Dean. I will make sure to take my ring off from now on. I can be a little accident prone sometimes. A couple of weeks ago I was drilling some holes and I was holding onto the piece with my left hand and as the bit was going in it caught something and the whole thing I was holding spun around. My left thumb got caught between two pieces of metal. It caused a deep cut and almost tore the nail off. It is getting better now.

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

Ive been working on cars for almost 30 years & now run CNC machines & have always worn a ring. Never had any problems but I can also see the danger in it. Anything can happen, with or without a ring as far as that goes. Ill take my wedding ring off the day Im no longer married.

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

I wear mine on a chain under my shirt, always, unless I'm going out to dinner or such. I work around a lot of electric equipment and power, making it a real hazard. My wife completely understands, she bought the chain.
I also won't wear any passes or such on a lanyard around my neck, I always clip it to a belt loop. I got hung up once by a lanyard, and had to break it to get loose.

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

i have to go with wyoroad dog i am not married but i have had many rings my exgf gave me a ring to ask me to marry her and she gave it to me on a thin chain because i work on airplanes if it is a easy to break chain it gives befor your neck just make sure it breaks easy hehe i had to find that out the hard way hehehe thay hurt if thay dont give

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

I agree w/ Corn, I realize the dangers, but I plan to stay married also :lol:

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

Many years ago I accidently touched the negative and positive terminals of a battery with a combination wrench. The wrench touched my ring, while hot, and shorted out. Needless to say the silver ring was an excellent conducter and heated right up. It melted into my finger. I stress the into portion. It had to be surgically removed ... the ring, not the finger. For many years after I never wore a ring.

I do now but I don't do much mechanical work anymore ... which is why my truck still isn't done.

Maybe if I took the ring off .....

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

Safety is the first thing we cover in class. I have a picture that was distributed by the Royal Air force that shows a hand with skin on the ring finger up to the first joint, just bone up to the second joint and the rest of the finger laying beside along with the ring that pulled it off. It really gets the point across.

Oh yeah, mine comes off and goes on my key ring when in the shop.

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

At work it is advised in safety meetings not to wear rings or necklaces.
the safety meeting roster is signed by all.
at least then the Big Corp. has all possible legals covered.
my Wife used to be the Human Resource/Safety Director at the same place so
she understands.

i am getting a little better at remembering to wear it at other times though.
i did not get a wedding ring till i was 39 yrs old so it is not habit yet.

i love my Wife and Son

life is good

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

I had my class ring turned into a taco from a PTO shaft on a tractor. I am a righty and the wedding band is on the left, so I do not usually have wrenches in that hand. I know it can happen, but my dayjob is behind a desk in an air conditioned office, so I only machanic in my spare time. No, you shouldn't wear any jewelry when doing phisical stuff, but to each their own. BTW degloving does not sound fun.

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

I with you Cornfed and XCLR8 - been married going on 7 years and my ring has NEVER been off my finger. I guess I'll wear it to my grave. I've parted out and wrenched on 60+ trucks since I've been married and have had no issues, yet!!!
Joshua

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

When I was a lot younger (and could jump) we were playing basketball. I went up above the rim a little and when I came down my ring caught on one of the little curly que thinks that held the net and ripped off much of the skin and meat from the finger. I was lucky it didn't rip the finger off, Or leave me hanging.
Also, my dad was using a torch cutting something and some slag got in his glove somehow and stuck to his gold band. It burned his finger to the bone all the way around his finger cause gold is such a good conductor.
if you are wearing a ring while working on moving machinery or on electrical stuff, it can cause a bad injury. Where I worked for many years, you were subject to discipline if wearing rings or jewelry while working on moving equipment.

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

I tried to explain to my wife that not wearing a wedding ring was not a negative butttt---I worked on machines for a few years. One day we were visiting some busienss and when we left, we had to walk down several flights of metal stairs with a metal bannister. Well in our rush, my wedding ring got caught on the banister, cut the finger to the bone and the ring went from round to egg shaped. I bleed like a pig (what does a pig bleed like?) anyho
A year or so later, my dad who worked on cars/trucks all his life, managed to short out his battery with his metal band watch--he got a permanent tan all the way around his wrist. Actually melted the watch movement!!
My wife doesn't seem to mind my ringless finger anymore---and in fact, cares less and less the older I get-----I often wonder why this is but then I forget what I was wondering about!!hehehehe

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

I have been an automotive tech for 16 years now and been married for 10 of those years. 5 in the begining and 5 now (much better wife now) I have done all fields but specialized in light line for most of it. I haven't had an instance where my ring has gotten caught yet....... yet. I know it can happen I have been lucky i guess. I do have to agree with Cornfed, I adore my wife, who has a degree in industral safety actually, and chose not to take mine off. Just my opinion.

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

A guy I used to work with lost his whole ring finger and they couldn't sew it back. He was working at Boeing here in Wichita, and was coming off of the jig that he was working on. It was a raised platform tool and as he was coming down from it he reached up and grabbed some part of it. His feet went out from under him so I guess he must've been moving quickly. Anyway the ring caught on to something and stripped the flesh from the bone. Nothing left to sew back on. I didn't feel to bad for him because he was screwing around on his old lady, and in my book had it coming. I don't wear a wedding band even though that pizzes the wife off. I told her hey I'm married with one or without one. I hate wearing rings anyway I just fumble with them by spinning them around on my finger which drives me crazy. Plus I told her that story so no rings for me.

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

I've always felt safe wearing rings while working as long as I have work gloves on over them. One thing I won't do is wear a ring while playing basketball...:eek:

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

I have a desk job, so I wear my ring nearly all the time. I do take it off when I do any electrical work or heavy wrenching on my truck. I used to worry about it getting beat and scratched, but now I figure the scratches just give it character. I guess that isn't much different than me and the ole lady getting fatter and grayer as the time goes by.

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

I do alot of paint and bodywork so I can't wear a ring doing that. I don't even wear my necklace while doing that either. My wife doesn't mind at all. I used to wear it when I was a cable tech installing computer network cable. Learned my lesson there let me tell ya. It goes into my left front pocket when I am working and then right back on when I would hit the timeclock. Now I lost some weight and that big size 13 won't stay on my ring finger anymore so I have to wear it on the middle one. I have yet to have someone see it and think I was single. Besides my wife and I have been together for 13 yrs. We even got divorced once and she didn't even take her engagement ring of the whole time we were apart. I wore mine around my neck for the whole year.

My brother on the other hand wears his wedding ring on his necklace. He lost a butt load of weight and it will not fit ANY finger. He does wear another ring on his ring finger on the left side though. He is married to a red head and thank goodness they been married dang near 16 yrs or should would have done shot him.

I respect those who will not take their's off reguardless. Actually it is admirable.

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

My hubby, centsless actually owes most of the fingers on his left hand to his wedding ring. Not long after we got married he was working for a company that makes tin signs. He was repairing one of the presses when the safety cut loose and a 400lb+ die dropped on his hand. The only thing that was holding the plate from crushing his hand was his wedding band. He was able to wiggle his hand free, and then got help to lift the die and retrieve the ring. It's still a little egg-shaped, but he has all his fingers!

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

Hey

Since I got married I never took my band off. In my family it is considered a sign of bad luck!

RF

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

I guess my working with electronics and such has kept me from thinking twice about it; too many picturres of the disembodied fingers of others to want to add mine to the collection. It's bad enough that I lost about 1/4" off the tips of my right index & middle fingers back in `89; no point in losing any more! ;) I don't wear any jewelery at all anymore (not even a watch) so it's not that odd to my wife of 21 years that I'm not wearing a ring anymore. It's not like there's anyone out there that's looking at my fingers longingly, anyway... :lol:

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

Been married 32 years and I will take my ring off when safety requires , but generally it stays on . For a few years it would not come off anyway due to me being a big fat guy !
On the other hand , my wife only wore her ring for about 2 years , then it went in the jewelty box , where it has resided for at least 29 years . As for sentiment , I have never depended on seeing a ring on my finger to remind me of the committment we made to each other .

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

I want to hear a horror story from a guy who got in trouble wearing it while working on his vehicle. I kinda think its so rare that it actually doesn't happen.

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

I don't take mine off. There have been 3 times in 13 years that I have taken mine off for anything other than a cleaning. While pregnant with our second son, I had a severe swelling problem, and one weekend my hands were swollen so bad I had to get my brother to cut my engagement ring & wedding band off with a pair of bolt cutters, as my finger was purple...after having to pay to have them repaired after he was born($$$), I wore them on a chain around my neck for our 3rd & 4th children...

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

I wear a wedding ring, but not the wedding ring. I have a simple, plain gold band that I wear everyday. My nice ring stays in the safe.

Story - My Dad use to work for the county road and bridge department. He was getting out of his road grader, turn around and started down the ladder with his back away from the grader, then went to jump off the last couple feet. His ring got caught on a small piece of welding slag on the ladder and left him hanging there with his feet off the ground! I was too little to lift him, but he was eventually able to get himself up and unhooked. I had to cut his ring off with a pair of side cutters. He still has the ring, both pieces of it :)

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

bulky class ring comes off when working on stuff that could grab it/or get it warm/or when painting

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

My thought is why are people sticking their hands around the fan and belts while a car is running? That seems to be the problem not the rings. Its almost like an "urban legend". The one where he's jumping off of a peice of construction equipment is somewhat different, as that type of thing seems to have happened out in the open.
The scare people tell me i syou will get your hand stuck (say behind a starter or something) and not be able to pull it out. Wierd stuff.:)

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

Sorry guys, I WILL NOT wear a ring when I am working in any type of physical environment. I work on my truck, jeep, and anything else that my wife and I own, I do carpentry an framing work, and I also to some electrical. Even when the gloves are worn, the ring comes off. I have had my gloves get snagged on a nail, or a wood sliver. I have personally seen my old shop instructor in woodshop actually lose a finger while spinning a lathe, the tool got lodged against the spindle and kicked the tool back. My instructor was left handed, which didn't help. Just imagine seeing all that blood when you're 16 years old and in school. My wife fully understands when I take my ring off, besides, it saves the finish on the ring when I don't wear it.

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

My brother got hung up by his wedding ring at work didn't lose the finger, but it was pretty bad. He still wears his everyday go figure. Personally I threw er away counld not stand her anymore the wife that is. My girl freind is much better and she did not come with a ring:lol:

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

As an electronics technician in the Navy working on high power radars, we had keyring hooks just inside the shops for both Seasparrow and CIWS. They weren't for your keys, they were for your rings and other jewelry.

We also had an area about 3' X 3' on the floor just inside the door marked off with red tape. You were facing disciplinary action if you stepped over that red line without taking any and all jewelry off.

And the rules applied to everyone. As a lowly E-4 (equivilant to a corporal) I asked the captain (ranked the same as a Colonel) to please step back behind the red line. When the puzzled look crossed his face, I reminded him he was still wearing his wedding ring. Amazingly enough, he agreed with me and removed all his jewelry before proceeding into the space.

Sometimes you can actually come across a good officer. Not often, but occasionally. ;)


I still to this day remove my wedding ring (I don't wear a watch or my dogtags anymore) when I'm doing anything involving electricity or moving parts.

Re: Who wears a wedding ring while working in the garage?
 

since ive been married to my second wife, who i adore i didnt want to take the wedding ring off until one day when i was upstate and i had changed the oil in my truck. I had oil on my hands and i went to wipe my hands well apparently the ring came off and went flying. I was frantic. My wife and i searched for almost 20 minutes before we found it. I was so glad to have this ring back...its a claddaah ring and she picked it out special for me.. she said it called her .. well since then when i work ( and she works with me) i remove the ring and she holds it for me.. sometimes if she is working on something messy with me she willplace the ring on her chain.. as soon as im done the ring goes right back on my finger

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We were too poor when we got married to afford wedding rings.A few years later I saved up enough to buy my wife a ring. I just don't care for rings so I got our weddding date tattoed instead.