[Shop-talk] Amusing problem for auto mechanics!

[Mike Rambour]

 Nov, 4 1974 about 3PM a 16 year old took a bath in one of those 
180degree lye hot tank, jumped out in seconds, burned on 80% of his 
body, somewhere around 15% 3rd degree, 40% 2nd degree and the rest minor 
but still burnt.  Mother was told at the hospital he would not live, he 
was wheeled out of the hospital 3 months later and took another 3 months 
to take his first steps again and about a year before he could walk 
pretty normally again.  3 surgeries for skin grafts, little trivia 
question, did you know your eyelids are the only place they can get skin 
sensitive enough for a certain part of the male body and it takes 3-4 
weeks for the eyelids to recover before you can redo the surgery ? and 
it took 3 times (like to brag it was due to size but bragging is not 
polite).

 Yeah, I HAVE A EXTREMELY HEALTHY RESPECT FOR THOSE THINGS !!!  The 
doctor told me and my mother I was really lucky my head never went 
under, the lye would have eaten the whites of my eyes in seconds and I 
would have shut down instantly and never come out, they never found my 
safety glasses even when they drained the tank.  I was throwing up bits 
of stomach for several weeks as I swallowed some that splashed into my 
face but my safety glasses saved my life.  The rubber soles of my 
sneakers never came out of the tank either, just the tops came out with 
me.  What saved me what I had a hook in my right hand that was 1 to 2ft 
long with which I was trying to grab the chain that was bolted the 
motors head in the tank, I am guessing I pushed off the bottom with that 
hook and that kept my head from going under and that is why my right arm 
was more burnt than my left arm, but I am only guessing that as I really 
don't remember much.  Not even sure how I fell in, I am guessing I was 
on a 55gal. drum next to the tank but don't know.

 Don't ever get into a "scar" contest when drunk with me, I win when I 
drop my pants :)

    mike

Bill Engle Sr wrote:
>    Speaking of cats and shop happenings, the worst one for the cat I ever
>    saw,  was  at the engine building shop of one of my friends.  He had a
>    hot  tank  (caustic)  he used to clean engine blocks, heads, etc.  The
>    tank was insulated and back then fuel costs where low so he kept it on
>    all  the time.  One of the mice catching shop cats (named Mrs. Gasket)
>    liked  to climb up on the top of the tank and sleep on the warm cover.
>    One  afternoon when we were cleaning some parts and had just taken the
>    parts  out  the tank the cat came bounding in the shop, jumped up on a
>    box  and  on  to  the  cover.  She hit the hot caustic and didn't even
>    struggle,  just  gone.  We always had a much healthier respect for the
>    injury potential of that stuff from then.
>    Bill