Wednesday 13 January 2016

If a picture paints a thousand words...

...do two pictures paint two thousand words?

Picture Number One is an illustration of the perils of removing a large vacuum pump from its housing...



1. Grasp handles "A" firmly and pull towards you.

2. The frame on which the handles are mounted will roll towards you on bearings located in the bearing-channel "B".

3. As the first set of bearings exit the bearing channel, the pump"C" will drop sharply towards the floor, as indicated by the large red arrow. You are now supporting most of the weight by the handles.

4. Failure to support the full weight (41kg) of pump "C" will result in your knuckles coming into rapid contact with frame corners "D". These corners are raw machined aluminium and may be sharp.

5. Seek medical attention.

Picture Number Two is an illustration of the outcome of Step 4 and Step 5:


Interestingly, the wounds are considerably worse than they look in the pictures. The nurse-practitioner who patched me up was quite concerned that the left hand might have nerve or tendon damage. They're now held together with steri-strips and glue, and I'm under strict instructions not to get them wet for the next five days. Both hands. Dry. For five days. With a 4-year old. That'll be easy won't it?

I think we can manage many things by such exciting departures as "skipping bathtime" when BigBear is still at work, and "eating things that don't need much work" since I don't seem to be able to hold a knife. Quite how I'm going to wash myself is beginning to concern me somewhat. I guess the bonds of marriage will be tested for a few days...

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