My biggest woodworking problem!

[Mark Singer]

Splinters! I don't know why? They love me ....big huge Wenge splinters...Shedua.

The other day I was grabbing a small piece of wood from the pile and a huge Wenge splinter from another board went deep into the meaty part below my thumb! It broke inside and I can't get it out....it feels infected..

[Jeff Sudmeier]

It most likely is infected. Seems like every sliver I get, gets infected. Make sure that your tetnus(I know I spelled that wrong) is up to date. I try to wear gloves, but I still get them all the time.

[Jim Becker]

He who works with splintery wood gets splinters!! (Actually, just about anything can throw them off when you least appreciate it...) Get it looked at, Mark...infections are not a good thing to have anywhere and a nasty finger is no exception.

[Andy London]

I work a lot with wenge and have had my fair share of experience in the splinter department but one I will never forget, last spring my son and I were doing a craft show, an 8 X 10 Wenge frame slipped out of my hand but I cought it before it hit the concrete and drove a big splinter into the palm of my hand, off to emergency after setup, two docs tried for 45 min to get it but could not, due to where it was freezing did nothing and man did it hurt. They said to just leave it, about 10 days later I had to go to my own doc due to pain, I had blood poisining, had to do an emergency again, they put me out and removed it. It was three weeks before I could use the hand again and I have since learned, most of the time to wear gloves with certain woods.

Perhaps an extreme case but if you can't get it out, have it looked at...IMO

[Steve Jenkins]

As far as I'm concerned Wenge has to be one of the worst. They feel infected as soon as they enter and get worse. OUCH.

[Jim Young]

My hands too like splinters. The wood that gives me the most problems is mahagony.

[Arnie Grammon]

Somewhat related.......my daughter caught a splinter on the back of an oak church pew when she was about 8 yrs old. We tried to remove it, then took her in to the ER......they told us to leave it in......."it'll be okay" . 3 weeks later she had to have it removed surgically because of major infection. Turned out to be a $3,500 splinter.

Splinters are nothing to mess with.....I got one just the other day on WR cedar and it hurt like the dickens.

Arnie

[David Fried]

Again, have it looked at. I ignored one once. Next morning I noticed red streaks running up my hand toward the wrist under the skin. I remembered that description from a first aid class and got myself to the ER. Just a shot and a stern warning because I waited a bit. Good Luck!

[Jerry Clark]

I also get splinters- I guess it is one of the hazards of wood working-- I use a small pair of tweezers that has a small magnafing glass attached-- don't remember where I got it, but it helps with the little ones--

[Dan Mages]

I have had my fare share of splinters from splintery wood. I have found thin, knit cotton gloves reduce the likelyhood of getting splinters.

Dan

[Dale Thompson]

Mark,
Splinters are a "part of the game" so to speak. I like the big ones because they usually come out in one piece. However, regardless of the size, they must be removed. If I break one off inside, I close down the shop, slop down a Manhattan and either bite it out, tear it out with a tweezers or cut it out with a torch-sterilized razor blade. Using this method, I cry a lot but I make sure that no blood gets on the wood. I will heal - the wood doesn't.

Dale T.

[Jim O'Dell]

I don't know if wenge is anything like cedar or not, but you need to get it out. Cedar is very bad and can cause infection to the point of losing the index. I got two 3/8" splinters of cedar under a thumbnail one time. Almost passed out pulling them out, but knew that it had to be done. If any of the wood had stayed in the thumb, I would have been off to the emergency room to lose the thumbnail. I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but do what needs to be done to get it out. Jim.

[Dan Mages]

Mark,
Splinters are a "part of the game" so to speak. I like the big ones because they usually come out in one piece. However, regardless of the size, they must be removed. If I break one off inside, I close down the shop, slop down a Manhattan and either bite it out, tear it out with a tweezers or cut it out with a torch-sterilized razor blade. Using this method, I cry a lot but I make sure that no blood gets on the wood. I will heal - the wood doesn't.

Dale T.

You should NEVER use an open flame to sterilze a needle or blade. The vapors from the flame will only add to the dirtyness of the flame. The best thing to do is leave it in boiling water for a few minutes.

Dan

[Dean Baumgartner]

The best thing that I've found to remove splinters if you can find one is a needle pointed tweezers. They used to use them long ago for fabrication of transistors before they got too small.


The needle point works really well for geting in right to the splinter and pulling it out.


Dean

[Don Selke]

If it went in that deep, you may need an X-ray to determine if there is anything to be concerned about. If it starts to get red around the wound, get medical help as soon as possible. I agree with Jim, nothing to fool around with, get it checked out.