splinters

caveman · January 06, 2015, 10:39:55 PM

~~Giant~~, well medium to large splinter located. Saturday afternoon, I placed a split trunk of a cedar on the mill to try to make a useful slab. After much consternation attempting to clamp it and fearing ruining a blade if I did not get it clamped adequately I lifted it off the mill and proceded to carry it closer to my chainsaw so I could freehand rip it. When I lifted the slab, immediately I realized that I had broken off what felt like a kindergartener's pencil in my right thumb (do you remember the big ones?). After I carried the slab to the shop, set it down and looked at my thumb, I noticed that the splinter had broken off below the skin. No problem, I have a sharp knife and most of my permanent teeth--it would not be too problematic to remove. Following a brief, unlicensed or insured surgical procedure, the splinter was removed and unceremoniously spit out.

As the bleeding began, I expected the discomfort to abate. It became increasingly worse Saturday night and on into Sunday morning. I really felt like a wimp sitting in church thinking about all the other folks I know who have real problems. Anyway, later that afternoon, I soaked it in vinegar hoping that if something was still in there it would begin to work its way out--no dice. Two leftover pills from a knee surgery reduced the intensity of the discomfort. Monday-worked all day and convinced myself it felt better. Today-worked most of the day and while sitting in a meeting I decided to go to my office and get an egg candler and see if I could locate any foreign objects in my thumb. Within a few seconds, I saw a dark spot about 1/4" below the skin. With my very sharp Case knife (recently cleaned) I began a left handed attempt at excavating the cause of my discomfort. Within about 3o seconds, the offensive little piece of wood came out and rested on a napkin on my desk. It is amazing to me that such a small piece of wood, not more than an 1/8" long could smart so much.

Lesson: use the egg candler the first day. It is like having a personal x-ray machine.
Caveman

hunz · January 06, 2015, 11:25:27 PM

Good to know about the egg candler for future splinters. I once took a large palm tree thorn to the back of my left calf. After I told the old man that I think it broke off in my calf he said I was a crazy wimp. After having shooting nerve pain that literally felt like lightning at random, bringing me to the floor every time it happened, I went to doc to get probed. After local anathstetic and every set of foreceps he had, the consensus was either there was no splinter, or underneath my calf muscle beyond reach.

After almost 8 months had passed, I saw a black spot protruding from the center of the back of my calf....well I squeezed around it like you would a pimpel, and boom a literal 1/2" perfectly straight thorn shot out of my leg, still have it.

Moral of the story is if you can stand the pain, and can't find the culprit, just give it at least 6 months!

bandmiller2 · January 07, 2015, 07:40:40 AM

Guys will go to any form of self surgery to avoid the doctor, women on the other hand will scamper off to doc for the least thing. Probibaly why they live longer. Caveman you medical diploma is in the mail, good job mate. I have found a Exacto knife and a new blade the preferred tool. Frank C.

drobertson · January 07, 2015, 11:22:15 AM

It's a fact, splitters in the fingers or anywhere just plain flat, often times fester up. I too find it so hard to believe such a small, relatively speaking, object can cause such a ruckus, but they do, and it seems that at times it's always that little piece that breaks off and remains, that make the next few days(weeks) a royal pain. Even when you can see the object, getting a hold of it is a chore. Wood hurts, stings and burns, but I have found that metal slivers are even worse, it's like they have little barbs that just hang on.

StimW · January 07, 2015, 11:54:18 AM

My best tip is to get a set of Eye Loups from HF, some times on sale under $5.
That and a good light on the area I can remove them with a sharp needle.
Not sure about Vinegar but Hydrogen Peroxide is good for cleaning out a wound.

YellowHammer · January 07, 2015, 09:45:33 PM

I seem to get as many splinters as the next guy, but I always wear gloves when working with walnut, those splinters will really get to burning after awhile, so I go to extra effort to stay away from them.

caveman · January 07, 2015, 10:00:12 PM

The egg candler was certainly the ticket to locate the POS (piece of splinter). My thumb feels much better now. I occasionally get metal in my fingers but usually a sharp knife dragged across the offending sliver, in a scaling a fish fashion, will pull it out-no digging or poking is required.

Having palm tree spike/thorn in a leg for 6 months would be unbearable. I recently read about a fellow who was involved in a really bad crash over 50 years ago who recently had a turn signal lever removed from his left arm after over half a century. He did not know it was there or what it was until after the surgery. After the crash, they were working on the more severely injured parts of him and not his scratched left arm.

Hmm...Dr. Caveman M.D. Kind of has a ring to it. The patients will probably form a line. ;D

Alligator · January 08, 2015, 12:05:45 AM

"Unscientifically" But, I have been the victim of hundreds of splinters from 7 or 8 different verities of trees. Cypress and Cedar are the worst, your body sees them as toxic foreign substances and immediately begin an assault on the offended area. 30 minutes is all it takes for a reaction. I've had small pine, oak, ash, and their splinters for a couple of days before they become offensive, not cypress or cedar. Something to do with the repugnance that bugs, and almost any microbe that would rot them, is the same thing that makes your body react so badly to even the smallest little sliver of cypress or cedar.

An x-acto knife is best for these unprofessional surgeries.

WV Sawmiller · January 08, 2015, 07:57:48 AM

When I was kid I stepped on a piece of glass in a creek while catching crawfish and a piece about the diameter of a grain of rice broke off in the center of my foot. It healed over sort of like a callous. Felt it every time I stepped on a raised surface. After several years went to the Dr. but he could not see it on x-ray. Dug for it but missed it and healed back over. I remember putting iodine on it every night for several weeks and it worked way to surface and I got it out finally. I had a friend with a .22 bullet from a water ricochet. Broke his wrist but the Dr. left it in. Finally worked its way out. Worked with a guy in a plywood plant had a bullet in his chest just under skin from where BIL shot him. Too close to heart to operate but I guess he finally got it out. I saw the article about the shift lever in the guys arm. Pretty amazing these things can stay in there that long. Glad you got it out with no major issues.

Alligator · January 08, 2015, 08:44:38 AM

Quote from: WV Sawmiller on January 08, 2015, 07:57:48 AM
Pretty amazing these things can stay in there that long. Glad you got it out with no major issues.

Your body will tolerate many foreign substances, but not cedar or cypress. You will get an immediate rejection of these.

ely · January 08, 2015, 11:47:55 AM

I get the walnut splinters mostly right now and think they hurt the worst... we have an item in out first aid kit that is called splinter out. it is a small punched out piece of metal that is sharp pointed and sharp edged too for opening up the channel. if I can touch the splinter with the point I can usually move it out.
I have started using the magnifier on my Samsung gal 5s. it is great for that small stuff.

Raider Bill · January 08, 2015, 05:17:40 PM

Custom Sawyer Jake gave me a couple sliver removers last year. Nifty little things wish I could remember the name but I used them all. Lorraine had a box full.

Jake, Help me out here on what they were

Alligator · January 08, 2015, 06:04:39 PM

I didn't know about this anti-bacterial anti-infection ointment when I was sawmilling, but I wish I had. I saltwater fish sometimes from the rocks shells and sharp edges that will cut you and get infected very quick. This is kerosene based but will knock down an infection within an hour. If it starts to heat up douse it good and it will clear it up. All my friends have abandoned Neosporine and other antibacterials for this stuff. As I have mentioned before my wife is Russian. (she kicks my shins Ukrainian)
Russian Rescue Ranger buy 4 tubes, 1 for the boat, 1 for the house, 1 for the toolbox, 1 for spare, and no I don't own stock, if there is a company. I can't read the tube, so I don't know.
http://gardenpharmacynj.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=420

WV Sawmiller · January 08, 2015, 06:17:54 PM

Alligator,

I sued to scuba dive in the Red Sea when I was working in Saudi Arabia. I went spearfishing and got badly stabbed by the tang on a unicorn fish's tail one night. I stopped at an all night pharmacy there. I showed the cut to the pharmacist and communicated to him it was from a "samak" (fish) and he sold me a can of spray antiseptic called Op-Site. It looked like a small can of WD40. You sprayed it on and it made a breathable plastic bandage. The more times you sprayed the thicker the bandage got. My hand never even got infected even though it was about 3/4" deep and fish cuts normally gave me a hard time. I kept that can in my dive bag and used it for coral cuts and scrapes such as you describe. It was great stuff but I have seen it here in USA. I think it came from the UK or such. There are so real good medicines out there we can't get here because of our regulations.

Alligator · January 08, 2015, 07:25:16 PM

Quote from: WV Sawmiller on January 08, 2015, 06:17:54 PM
Alligator,

I sued to scuba dive in the Red Sea when I was working in Saudi Arabia. I went spearfishing and got badly stabbed by the tang on a unicorn fish's tail one night. I stopped at an all night pharmacy there. I showed the cut to the pharmacist and communicated to him it was from a "samak" (fish) and he sold me a can of spray antiseptic called Op-Site. It looked like a small can of WD40. You sprayed it on and it made a breathable plastic bandage. The more times you sprayed the thicker the bandage got. My hand never even got infected even though it was about 3/4" deep and fish cuts normally gave me a hard time. I kept that can in my dive bag and used it for coral cuts and scrapes such as you describe. It was great stuff but I have seen it here in USA. I think it came from the UK or such. There are so real good medicines out there we can't get here because of our regulations.

Yea, it's amazing what the big pharmaceutical companies have sold us. This stuff heals you up really quick. keep it on about 3 days, it will amaze you. and cheap as well.

Russian Rescue Ranger
Indications for Use: wounds, burns, chilblains, inflammations, suppurations, livid spots, graze. The cream has powerful restorative and wound healing properties, protects skin, prevents bad scars.

Ingredients: sea buckthorn oil, lavender oil, tea tree oil, rose oil, vitamin E, bee wax, microdoses of natural naphthalene.
http://gardenpharmacynj.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=420

OP-Site is this it? http://www.amazon.co.uk/OPSITE-SPRAY-DRESSING-100-ML/dp/B0030EI92O

customsawyer · January 08, 2015, 07:41:12 PM

Raider Bill they was called "Splinter Out" they are some handy little devils.

Alligator · January 08, 2015, 08:19:50 PM

Quote from: customsawyer on January 08, 2015, 07:41:12 PM
Raider Bill they was called "Splinter Out" they are some handy little devils.

That is another handy looking piece for a First Aid kit.

bandmiller2 · January 08, 2015, 08:27:59 PM

I shudder just thinking about splinters under finger nails. Frank C.

drobertson · January 19, 2015, 06:49:36 PM

Well, it's not a wood splinter, but rather a sliver from what had to be several months ago? About as long as I have been in a machine shop. Well on a beautiful warm! January day, one where short sleeves are the norm, I grabbed one of my favorites, and as it were, I kept feeling this prick, prick, right around the left chest, where the pocket is on the tee shirt, finally I shed it off, and this is what I found, keep in mind, this is after multiple washings, with no sign of a prick,

a bit fuzzy, but the best I could do, it was a steel sliver, just glad to find the offender, no damage other than the usual "what the heck is going on here" I did fight it for over an hour before shedding the shirt.