Unfortunately, I can now add another item to the list from first hand experience. It kind of goes along with Chris Ohmess' "A man has to know his limitations."
- Know when you are getting too tired and either start paying double attention or don't hesitate to call it a day!
Prime example: I had been working overtime the last few weekends as I have to finish the mechanicals of the car asap because of an impending move. I have the front of the car jacked up high so I can easily slide under and work there. In order to go topside in the (empty) engine bay I had a small ladder next to the fender and would use that to climb over the fender and into the bay. Last night, after another 10-11 hours straight, I knew I was tired but still rushing to get as much done as possible, I was getting out of the bay too fast and my foot missed the ladder. My whole body fell overboard and in the process, my shin hit either the wheel lug bolts or the disk brake (the wheel was off). Next thing I know, I'm on the floor with blood all over the place. After several moment of trying to get my brain rebooted, I realized the bolts (or disk, not sure) had cut a serious gash in my leg and it was pissing blood all over the place. Fortunately my wife was doing some gardening nearby so she rushed me some old t-shirts to wrap around it and try to stop the bleeding. She then took me to the emergency room. Fortunately, when you are either bleeding or having chest pains, you get to the front of the line in the ER. So, 14 stitches and many precious lost hours later, I can add one more tip for weekend warrior restorers! When you get tired and you are working with stuff against which your skin and body do not have a fighting chance... hang up the torque wrench and go get a well deserved end of the day beer!
PS: I was thinking of posting the gruesome pics to illustrate but some may not appreciate the results.
