Finger injury from prop change

[urbs00007]

Look up a metal cut glove, meat cutters use them. Looks like chain mail.

wouldnt those gloves dull the prop?

[rickwess]

Kevlar gloves.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=31215&cat=1,42207,45887

Not sure I'd want to use chain mail gloves on a sharpened prop.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=56153&cat=1,42207,45887&ap=1

[tlandauer]

Hi , OP, sorry to hear about this, I wish you a full recovery! And thank you for sharing this so we can all be reminded how dangerous this is and what care we must take to avoid such mishaps.
I try to be especially careful with my hands. After all, my hands are my livelihood, ( string player ), just last week I had a close encounter with an armed prop shaft! I bought the boat in and someone was asking a question, totally forgot that the motor was still armed, bumped the trigger, finger was within 1mm of the blade!

Thanks for the other suggestions!

[ls1fst98]

They haven't dulled our knives that I've noticed when using them.

[rabosi]

Leather gloves work great. You only need it for the hand with which you hold the prop. You can wrap the other glove around the prop as added protection for those extra sharp props. Good luck with your recovery.

[Spartanator]

I usually wrap the prop in a golf towel, well after my finger started to bleed....

It was an X442....

[ososlow]

Ouch. Being new to boats, I did something similar last weekend. I was trying to pull my flex shaft out at the end of the day with my sharp prop still on. It caught on the collet and my bare thumb slid across slicing it right open and rather deep. Not nearly as severe as your injury thankfully. I'll be using gloves/rags/dull plastic prop from now on!
I agree with getting it moving as soon as you can. I crushed the tip of my pinky finger flat at work last fall and waited to start working on mobility for a few weeks. Now I can't bend it like I used to.

[T.S.Davis]

Yikes.

I've done this too but nothing that sent me to the hospital. That sucks. Sorry man. Hang in there.

[siberianhusky]

Lots of nasty sharp stuff back there! Been wounded by rudders, turnfins, props, even the sharpened edge of a strut once.
Nothing this serious though, I'm very careful with the left hand, working musician.
Oddly enough I find a wad of damp paper towel to work really well for holding/removing prop nuts, dry doesn't seem to hold up the the knife edge as well.
I always have a pile around from drying the hull and hatch before I tape it up.

[RC fetish]

OK ok... now I'm scared to install my new Octura X435
(I really really HATE sharp things, including thin sheet metal... and have the scars to show why)

I think a rag AND leather gloves are in order'

THANKS guys for drilling-it into-my-head that I need to be SUPER-DUPER' careful when I install my new prop !!
(you may have saved me a trip to the ER)

Peace, Dave

[Fella1340]

Good luck with the surgery, it's a real big deal. A stubborn friend of mine cut the same tendon. Didn't know what happened until he went into shock. He had the surgery, didn't bother with pysio and now, 10 years later the finger isn't much good for anything. It's major surgery and proper recovery is incredibly important, don't let work or anyone rush you with things! Good luck.

[morewattsnow]

Had the surgery on the 25th and they already have me doing physical therapy- bend each knuckle and straighten it, 10x per hour. Little more complicated than that but you get the gist. When the swelling goes down I'll do the best therapy I know- operating the throttle with my left index finger! But you guys are right- the therapy is as important as the surgery, even if it does feel like it was attacked with a bag of hammers. Now, let's be careful out there, people.

[ls1fst98]

Yep and sticking with it is key. I did the same stuff, they don't want you moving it with the tendon, just your other hand to maintain range of motion. Fun stuff. Praying for a full recovery. It's a bad area for that type of injury. Only time my inability to move the tip bothers me is doing small things like working on my boats or cars

[Hydrozz]

I use a bent pair of needle nose pliers with a piece of hose on the ends to help grip, and to protect the prop. Seems to work with the really tight ones to get off. Gripping down close to the hub, haven't bent a prop yet using this method.
IMG_0001.JPGIMG_0006.JPG

[bigcam406]

I hope the OP heals up quick with no permanent damage.i have a question pertaining to INSTALLING a tight prop.i own a Fastech nitro and when I received my 2 new 435 series props from Octura (2 blade and a 3 blade),I wanted to try the 2 blade first.when installing on the propshaft,I found the prop had a tad too much material on the hub where it slips on the drivedog,preventing it to slip on properly.i tried pushing it on to seat it properly,but the material on the prop looks like it needs to ground or filed off a bit to install.im wondering if I remove this little amount of material,will it throw the balance off? any advice would be appreciated as I want to try this 2 blade prop to compare it to the 3 blade that is currently on the boat now.thanks in advance.