Soldering iron injury!

[StephenGiles]

My trusty iron died last week, so I thought I might transfer the bit to my spare one - different make and lower wattage. Now that was a big mistake because stem of the other iron was slightly thicker, and in my efforts to remove the retaining clip with a screwdriver, I managed to stab my thumb! This was quite a bloody business and very painful. Not only that, it became infected a couple of days later and was throbing. There has got to be a moral in there somewhere I think. Fortunately, my wife who keeps enough medication in her draw to run a small hospital, came to the rescue with Tea Tree Antiseptic Cream which cleared up the infection. So maybe something to remember for soldering iron injuries.

[petemoore]

Skin doesn't stand a chance.
 Better to find a pieces of metal to do holding of metal like that sometimes, especially if you're going to stress hard to it.
 I'm grieved at hearing of your injury, a good long soak in increasing heat salt water, to the point you can't stand the pain relieves the pain, and is known to decrease healing times, and make a better heal.
 Topical Vitamin E applications also reduce scarring and healing time. Aloe helps too, has an analgesic/pain killer.
 My left hand gets torn or inflamed sometimes, about what my right hand has done to it. [more often than my right hand does/I'm right handed].

[ErikMiller]

It's easy for me to understimate the damage I can do to myself with hand tools.

Holding the work in one hand and the tool in the other....the thing to keep asking myself is "if it slips, where's it gonna go?"

I do woodworking with chisels, etc., and that's a good one to remember.

"If it slips, where's it gonna go?"

[puretube]

get well soon, man!

[brett]

Nasty.  Get well soon.  

Tea Tree Antiseptic Cream

An excellent product, used for for thousands of years (tea tree - Melaleuca alternifolia).

It could have been worse;
Two old friends meet in a pub.  One has become a pirate.  The other one says "I see you're a pirate.  What's that with your leg?".  The pirate says "I fell overboard and a shark attacked me, so I've got a wooden leg".  "Ooh" says the friend "and what about that hook".  "Well, my ship got raided and my hand got cut off, so I got this hook".  "ouch" says the friend "What's that patch over your eye?"  "That was because I looked up and a bird pooped in my eye."  "A bird pooped in your eye and now you have to wear a patch??"  "Well, it was my first day with the hook"

[aron]

I'm glad you are ok.

I've done some really stupid things before... Well, we all learn one way or another.

[keko]

... and then the pirate asked the other guy:
"And what happened to you? Why are you wearing those bandages over both your ears?... the friend answered: I was ironing a PnP (a great complex board, btw) the other day, and the phone rang, but, stupid me, instead of picking up the phone I picked up the iron" 'Ouch!, exclaimed the pirate... but that explains just one bandage. How did you get the second one?", "easy, answers the friend. I got that when I picked the iron again to call for an ambulance" :shock:
get well soon pal!

[StephenGiles]

Thanks. It's almost back to normal now. I did the hot salt water routine as well so I'm sure that helped.

[theaxeman]

I seem to be fine with soldering irons, but woodworking tools epecialy chisels seem to dislike me!    Once i put a small (about 1/4 inch wide) wood chisel thru my finger, it stung a little!    I remember pulling it out and blood gushing down my arm.

Get Well soon!  
Rob

[Bill Bergman]

Glad is okay now!
What worries me the most is injuring a finger on your fret board hand. You can always find an alternative way to hold a pick, but an hurt finger pushing down on a fret is most painful if not impossible.

[Benny]

Glad you're ok!

What worries me the most is injuring a finger on your fret board hand. You can always find an alternative way to hold a pick, but an hurt finger pushing down on a fret is most painful if not impossible.

I did just that... last Valentine's day while cooking dinner for my girlfriend, my hand slipped while chopping herbs and I sliced off about 1/3 of the tip of my left middle finger!  I cook a lot and I'm usually very careful, but I just made a stupid mistake.  Not the best way to start a romantic evening!  Luckily my girl is a great cook and she finished dinner while I tended to my finger.

I didn't want to go to the ER at first, but by the next day I had enough time to think about what would happen if it didn't heal well, and could permanently impact my playing... so off to the ER.  They had this cool gel-foam bandage that they used, that hardens over the wound and stays on for about a week.  I was very careful to keep it clean, and about a month later I was (gingerly) playing again.  It's fine now, though my finger still looks a little funny.

Moral of the story, *PLEASE* be careful with knives/tools/etc!  And if you do have an accident, don't let your pride keep you from getting professional care.  It's not worth the gamble that your finger won't heal very well, and you have to become a drummer or something...

Benny

[Bill Bergman]

eeeeeeeK.....not a drummer! or even worse a lead singer :shock:  :lol: