A Slight Mishap

[K1JJ]

Yesterday I had a rather eventful day.

I was poking around behind my computers trying to solve a problem. They both sit  on a high shelf which also holds parts to my new 4X1 X 833A's project.  On this same shelf sits a sheet of aluminum screen and three 4-1000A's with three 4X1 chimneys.

As I made my way from behind the computers I knocked my forehead into the sharp edge of the aluminum screen. It gouged out a nasty cut and I saw blood immediately. I lost my temper and wanted to kick the screen's ass, so I slammed it with my hand. That felt good for a few milliseconds.

Then to my horror I saw a 4X1 AND glass chimney topple off the opposite side of the shelf onto the computer desk and smash. They continued to the floor to smash some more. They also cracked the glass sheet on the desk. The other two 4X1's and chimneys followed and almost fell over too. They teetered at the edge and stopped.

My desk was covered with pieces of glass as well as the floor. I could smell the odor of the insides of the 4X1, whatever that contains. I had blood running down my face from the gash. Just like a Three Stooges scene.

The 4X1 had been near perfect - a newer 4PR-1000, the best of the best. The chimney was an official Eimac, and one of the older thicker glass types.  I was Yellified.

I have another tube, but now short a chimney. Does anyone have a 4X1 chimney for sale? They measure 7.5" from the base to the top inside circle. A 3-1000A chimney measures 6.5" tall and is too short.  I have access to a 3X1 chimney that I could swap if desired.

What a whirl, what a whirl.

T

[W1RKW]

Hi Tom,
Yep, good ole gravity. That rots.  FWIW, be glad you didn't take an eye out on that sharp object. The parts are replaceable (well some are anyway) but an eye no-way.  Glad you're OK otherwise and you walked away with a cut.  Hopefully you didn't need stitches. 

I had a similar event with some mirror blanks I was grinding several years ago.  Pulled something off a shelf and smash. All that time was wasted.  I've also have gotten pissed off at things and end up breaking something else instead of the thing I wanted to beat on.

I now put fragile items in boxes with padding and place these items in an area away from areas that have constant access and have a potential to hit cement.

Sorry don't have a chimney to offer you.  I haven't upgraded to the big stuff yet. Still messing around with the little stuff.  If I had one I'd give it to you. Again, glad you're OK.

BW

[Jeff OGM]

Ve see een dis eensident, a tentency to be enraged at dee screen.  But dee screen ees hartly dee proplem.  Vaht ve are deeling veeth, uf course, is en exhample of Intermittent Explosive Desk Disorder, und a measure uf de exhample uf some additional bloodletting.

- Dr. Gruembelschtrieker

[WA3VJB]

I'd rather have the root canal.

[W1RKW]

LOL

I'd rather have the root canal.

[WA1GFZ]

Tom,
I broke one once myself so can't bust your butt. I also suffer from too many projects going on at the same time.
I had a boss who had a thing on his wall. A clean desk is the sign of a sick mind.
Hang in there........

[KB2WIG]

I abused a new-in-bag Mouser Catalog yesterday... threw it on the floor and kicked it accross the room... wife told me to eat something as my blood sugar must be getting low.... gud times...    klc

[W9GT]

I totally understand the feeling!!  I broke the top off of a 75TH recently.  It was an almost new modulator tube in my 30K-4.  In a resulting fit of dissapointment and rage, I also broke the arm on my desk chair.  I ended up having to replace the 75THs with 100THs which are much easier to find and cheaper too.  Also had to fix the chair.

Lesson learned.   

73,  Jack, W9GT

[Herb K2VH]

I have broken the grid leads off of a 250TL, a 100TH, and a 35TG.  You'd think I would have learned after the 250TL.  I didn't.  I think men should not be afraid to cry.  You're better off crying after you've sh.. canned something valuable than throwing a tantrum and sh.. canning something else valuable.

Tom, at least your head will heal.

K2 Very Horrified

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Then to my horror I saw a 4X1 AND glass chimney topple off the opposite side of the shelf onto the computer desk and smash. They continued to the floor to smash some more. They also cracked the glass sheet on the desk. The other two 4X1's and chimneys followed and almost fell over too. They teetered at the edge and stopped.

Don't feel bad. I once burnt up some 811s.

[K1JJ]

Hearing these stories makes me feel better. Misery likes company.

Yep, it seems the worst damage gets done after the initial "jab".

It reminds me of those tacky Kung Fu movies where two guys are fighting. One gets hit hard and flies into a rage while the other remains calm. The crazy guy charges the calm one and gets hit again, even harder. Blood is drawn, he tastes it and then charges again like a wild bull. He gets knocked out this time.

That's how I felt. The screen was the calm guy and I was the crazy bastard.

Normally when I accidently ruin something or destroy a device, I remain calm and just go about fixing it. But when it "attacks" me and I feel pain, I lose my mind for a few seconds.... 

A similar thing happened fifteen years ago - thought I learned my lesson to back off.  But this screen was just axing for trouble -  just HAD to teach it a lesson....

T

[The Slab Bacon]

Breaking a 4X1   Shame on you, Tom Vu!! This is punishable by 40 lashes with a wet noodle!

OOOoooooooooohhhh........................ I hate when that happens!!

But, dont feel too badly, I had a WE 204-A roll off of the bottom shelf of my tube cabinet and EXPLODE! It fell about 1 1/2 - 2" to the floor and went off like a friggin bomb! Vortex Joe still cries every time I tell that story

                                                                    The Slab Bacon

[w3jn]

Frank, I was hopin' you'd tell the story about how you got pissed at that Invader 2000 and almost heaved it across the room 

[The Slab Bacon]

Frank, I was hopin' you'd tell the story about how you got pissed at that Invader 2000 and almost heaved it across the room 

Naaaaa, I'll save that one for later. However, it was only a few cigarettes away the BFH 

[K1JJ]

 

Yeah, how crazy we can get sometimes.

Pete/VZR often tells the story of when he was working on his FT-101E.  The mobile power supply transistors were shorted or something like that. As he "fixed" it it got worse and worse. He finally got so frustrated he grabbed the rig by its rear cable and went outside. He swung it around his head a few times and let it go....

Wouldn't we all love to do that from time to time?  Free ourselves from that special rat rig for good?

T

[KB2WIG]

looks like it needed killin real bad

[wa2zdy]

At least that Gooney Box isn't hearing airplanes anymore  . . .

My wife still reminds me from time to time of the night she had to go downstairs and outside to bring back my inkjet printer.  Now both my younger sons (ages 5 and 7) have inherited my unfortunate tendency to throw things when angry.

There was the night I was driving and the guy I was talking to said I was noisy into the repeater.  The officer behind me at the light wasn't amused about me littering with a Motorola microphone he pointed out looked suspiciously the same as his.  Resoldering the connector on taht one was tricky too.  Ma M uses that ribbon-like wire.

Oh and the printer still worked.  In fact I still have it here now.

Glad you weren't seriously hurt.  That's the important issue there.

[K1ETP]

I once dropped a 50C5, pins first.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

During a contest, I once tapped(with a screwdriver) my Western Electric 417A tube in the front end of my 6 meter converter. Not hard, but enough to crack the glass, burn up the filament and make it turn white on the inside. No replacement was handy.

I once ran over all my Mother's flowers with a lawnmower; I was cutting grass in the dark and they looked lke weeds. One, too many beers that day.

[flintstone mop]

Tom
I've been there myself.
I have to remember not take my anger out on inanimate objects. They NEVER learn to behave or not hurt you. My temper has cost me dearly!!!!

Fred

[kc2ifr]

I cant believe this post.........someone looking for attention maybe???

[Carl WA1KPD]

There was the Friday night back in the late 60s when a beer bottle was tossed out of the window of my fathers car. Forgot to open the window first.  Course it wasn’t me as I would have been only 17 at the time....

I had some fast talkin and 'splainin bout the vicious night vandals who must have hit the car while we were at the movies. then splanin to do bout why I did not call the cops

[K1JJ]

I cant believe this post.........someone looking for attention maybe???

Well, you've got my attention, Bill. Just what don't you believe and who are you referring to?

T

[W1RKW]

Had a small portable solid state GC receiver with a very hard to find, annoying and frustrating intermittent. Don't know how many times I thought I had the problem licked. While it was open and trying to trace the fault I got so annoyed I cursed at it a bunch of times, looked at the hammer on the bench, reached for it and proceeded to hammer it into little bits. 

My first car was a 69 VW beetle.  I bought a second as a parts car to fix up the VW.  I was doing some body work to my VW and got mad for some stupid reason. Rather than taking my frustration out on the good car I took it out on the parts car with a sledge hammer.  The energy release felt so good I was able to finish the job after cooling down.

[kc2ifr]

Just a little tweek Tom.........I have done stupid things when I got a little pissed and made things worse. After the damage was done....I looked for a shoulder to cry on and kicked myself in the ass.
I think we have all been there....