Thread: !*@#ing Splinters!

Hi Col,

Black ointment and a bandaid for those that are deep in, otherwise I let them work their own way out.

Cheers,

eddie

Shave it with a Razor to remove Excess skin.
Then go in with what seems like a CrowBar.

ELSE

If if festers,
it ends up a case of,
Bite
Suck and Spit if SUCKsessful............:eek:

OR
Black Ictheol [Spell] Which is a Paultice;
and a Bandaid

Funnily enough Col I was just pondering splinters today, the reason for this pondering (multiple ponderings =ponderosa??) last week whilst using a spokeshave to take high spots off the new floor a lovely piece of E. Maculata decided to lodge in the flesh under my right index fingernail. Now normally not subject to great exclaimations on pain, as we are well acquainted, I casually proceeded to the nearest first aid station (kitchen cupboard) and totally butchered my finger, while managing to leave a skerrick embedded right up under the nail, "no wuckers" thinks I, "it'll come out eventually" 2 days later we (SWMBO) forcibly & not without discomfort removed it.
SPLINTERZ SUX, I can't remember a week in my life when I haven't had one even on my bleedin holidays fer Chris' sake.




the above spelling was for the grumpier PITA old guys spesh IVAN

Turps. As soon as yer realise there's something still in there, while the wound is fresh. It's an old bushies trick my Gramps taught me and it works for me.

I think the turps gives the splinter a coating which the body reacts to, encapsulating it in a clear antiseptic fluid (a bit like blister juice. ) that seems to allow it to work it's way out more easily. In much the same way that suppurating pus comes to the surface, but without quite so much of the pain or suppuration.

I guess it's also possible that it prevents the wound from closing over the splinter, lubes the splinters way out, may be just a placebo effect or some other esoteric explanation. Although I doubt it's doing any sterilising.

But, like I said, it works for me.

I always keep an assorted supply of sewing needles handy in the toolbox. A small needle easily removes the splinter before it has time to irritate the skin. My kids come to me as soon as they get one now, so I can remove it. Been using the same 20 pack of needles now for over 10 years.

Sharp chisel.....slice.....lift. :eek:

Recycled Oregon is the worst.:mad: Sometimes I get a hand full of these little bastxxxx in one hit. I use a fingernail cutter and chisel to get them out. And it doesn’t matter how small and how deep they are hiding, I WILL GET THEM OUT.:mad: :mad: :mad:

Some timbers seem to infect the wound, especially stuff like treated hardwood. Oregon can be a real font of splinters! Call me a wuss, but if I'm handling lots of old timber I wear riggers gloves
If they break off inside I use a needle to open the hole and a nice pair of tweezers from my old dissecting kit to retreive.
The worst ones are those that seek and find the underside of your fingernail:eek:

Cheers,

A pin and a pair of these:



have been successful so far. The tweezers are far better than the run of the mill things you get from the chemists: the point is very fine and closes tightly. See "sliver-gripper tweezers"

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...=1,43456,43464

Once I had to go to the doctor to remove a splinter under my fingernail. He used a pair of sharp tweezers with scissor-like handles, and just shoved hard under the nail. Nearly fainted from the pain.

I have a little pair of tweezers with quite fine/sharp ends. and that have an attached magnifying glass. Very nifty for dealing with the blighters!

I've been the lucky recipient of a small number of those sterilised, come-in-a-blister pack of splinter removers. Quite small but oh so very handy. I find them much easier to hold and use than a needle too. Other than that, it's the needle, tweezers or wait until it works itself out.

cheers
RR

After our recent hay carting escapades I got a bit of grass in the heel of my hand, couldn't see it or really feel it until I was driving, turn the wheel, YEE HAA, gotcha.
Felt like a girder from the Sydney Harbour bridge but couln't see it.
After a few days the area became infected and a squeeze popped it out with it's little yellow jacket on.
It was barely visible but by god I knew it was there.
Apart from that, a needle and a fine pair of miniature wire cutters which when wielded carefully can grip the little sod nicely and persuade it out.

Splinters stuck under the skin beyond self inflicted cuts can come to the surface if you put a band-aid over it through the night with magnaplasm cream liberally applied to the effected aera. This stuff is really good too if you get local infection such as from treated pine type splinter (asnic etc). It is also good for boils etc which is handy if the wound seals over and gets infected underneath.

To get at the splinter I use disposable surgical blades - so sharp you bleed just looking at them.

Also like the first aid kit splinter removers that are nothing more than a small halk-hook at the end of a plastic handle - easier to hold than needles.

Cheers

My scratch awl is good for getting them out. Failing that, I shove a pin in under the splinter and flick it out. If the skin is too thick or it's too deep, you can hack through with the pin and dig it out that way.