When cutting along the edge of a ruler, I've nipped the tip of my index finger so many times I've lost count. One night I managed to do it twice--once on the index finger, then on the middle finger I was using instead. In over 30 years, though, only one cut required medical attention--I put a bad slice in a finger when changing a blade. These days, if it happened again, I'd do what the docs now do in the ER--superglue. I'd urge folks to use extreme caution with superglue--if you are not comfortable using it, don't! Every wound needs to be cleaned thoroughly, or you could just seal the infection inside.
After cleaning real well I hold the wound shut and bridge across the cut with the super glue. I try not to get any down inside. Don't know if that would be very good. The way I do it the super glue kind of makes a butterfly stitch across the top. When I was little my Mom would patch me up with these. A piece of white medical adhesive tape cut so it was narrow in the middle to bridge over the cut. I have used the super glue method a few times in the last year with good results. I replace it at least once a day and make sure there is no infection. Just too lazy to go in and get real stitches.
I use surgical scalpels, not exacto's, so I don't have the 'rolling off the bench' problems I do sometimes manage to cut my fingers when changing blades though Trouble is, these blades are so sharp you don't feel any pain and only notice when blood starts showing up on the workpiece
Interesting tidbit guys about superglue. It got its start in hospital operating rooms, and Army M.A.S.H. units. The used it for sealing up incissions. So as for superglue doing any damage if you get it inside the cut, not a problem. I have had to use superglue many times to seal a x-acto cut in one of my fingers. Now if only we could stop cutting ourselves.
As prone as I am to slicing myself with the X-acto knife, I feel like Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor in the ABC show "Home IMprovement". Only thing I don';t have is my own personalized coffee mug at the hospital ER.
For you accident prone, look of comericial food service equipment dealers...there are steel mesh gloves designed for cleaned slicer blades, etc. might help, then again might not.l...lol
Wow, chain mail. I wonder how hard it would be to pick up small parts and work with them while wearing those.
The boyfriend of one of my daughters got a nasty cut above his eyebrow, and I brought him to the ER. I was chatting with the ER physician who superglued it shut. He said it's faster for the doctor, faster to heal, and there's less scarring than with stitches--you cannot tell today where the gash was. He said to make sure the wound was clean, then held tightly together when applying. He also said to make sure the glue was dry before releasing. I believe he was using very thin glue--I could tell it certainly stung when applied. The last time I did it to a fingertip, I think it healed in less than a week
I can remember first seeing this thread and thinking, "Who is this guy?'. I didn't dare reply just in case I was reading him wrong. Hmmmm. I haven't seen him in a long long time. I hope all is well. Fotheringill? Are you out there?
Cut myself a plenty as well!! Had an x-acto roll off a table at work years ago, falling blade down, right into the side of my shoe! Didn't realize I had actually cut myself, until 6-8 hours later, when I got home from work. Nothing quite as bad as others though! But, I guess when you get into your work, you get INTO your work!! hboy:
