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Thread: Crushed Fingernail? Harbor Freight To The Rescue

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Crushed Fingernail? Harbor Freight To The Rescue

    Last week I was helping another driver pull a landing gear crank handle down that has gotten jammed against the frame and caught my finger between the handle and frame. It instantly turned black so not good. I put up with it the rest of the day but by the time I got home it throbbed like crazy. I figured it needed fixing and not having someone to put a finish nail in vice grips, hold it over a flame till red hot then melt a hole, yes did that with the help of Hans who showed me "how they did it on the Russian Front" no kidding as he was at Stalingrad, I needed a plan.

    Thinking about it got out the Harbor Freight drill press. Put a 1/64 bit in then doused with alcohol. Thinking I might need some drill lube I put some Ballistol on it then put my finger on the shelf and fired it up. Going slow I drilled a hole in the fingernail until blood came out and let it sit. Not all came out so drilled a second closer to the quick.

    During that the wife pulled into the yard.
    "Now what are you doing"?
    " Nothing"?
    She stood and watched in case 911 was needed, lol

    Much relief and when the pressure builds blood comes out the holes just a little. Still pink and doesn't look like I'll lose the nail afterall. Harbor Freight for the win!
    Last edited by jonp; 04-03-2021 at 07:24 AM.
    I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled

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  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master



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    When I worked in the machine shop I drilled dozens of fingernails for a bunch of hurting people. Only once for myself.
    Last edited by M-Tecs; 04-02-2021 at 10:17 PM.
    2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. - "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

    "Before you argue with someone, ask yourself, is that person even mentally mature enough to grasp the concept of different perspectives? Because if not, there’s absolutely no point."
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    Smashed my right thumb working on firewood last summer. Just now starting to look normal.

    DG

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    Harbor freight just called. You are now head of marketing!
    HOLLYWOOD Collector Left hawg 405#, right one 315#, had my elderly neighbors granddaughter treed and why I got the call. Both charged, one from 20' and one from 40'. Thanks to the good Lord and Samuel Colt I won. May God bless our Lawmen & Soldiers!

  5. #5
    Boolit Master rondog's Avatar
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    I've always just heated up a straightened-out paperclip on the stove to red hot and quickly burned a hole in it. Hate doing it, but the relief is worth it.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master RKJ's Avatar
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    I use a sewing needle. Just twist until there's a hole.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by John Wayne View Post
    Harbor freight just called. You are now head of marketing!
    Hey, I saved probably $1,000 over having a doctor do it
    I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled

    Fiat Justitia, Ruat Caelum

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    Texas by God's Avatar
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    Eddie from Alabama on the drilling rig told me to twirl your sharpest tip pocket knife on it while watching TV. Just let the weight of the knife do the work. It is a big relief to release the pressure.

    Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    it didn't hurt me feel fine

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    Heat a sewing needle until red hot, and very gently push onto the nail with pliers. The needle will melt through the nail. My wife somehow slammed her finger in the car door, and I used this method to redeem myself for everything I ever got in trouble for. Instant relief when the pressure is released.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master

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    Did that once when the flag nut on the rear shock on my truck spun on my while using the impact. Crushed my thumbnail between the flag and frame.

    Couldn't bring myself to do it with the red hot paper clip, and chickened out on the drill press. I was able to do the exact same thing by hand, spinning between my thumb and middle finger while applying pressure with my index finger. Wife watched in disbelief, probably waiting for me to pass out from the pain. By that time, the throbbing had gone all the way from my thumb up into my neck and was doubling me over in waves.

    When it broke through, blood hit the ceiling and the relief was absolutely euphoric. I'm not one for substances beyond whiskey and caffeine, but the rush I got from that has to be up there with some sort of drug!

  12. #12
    Boolit Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by ShooterAZ View Post
    Heat a sewing needle until red hot, and very gently push onto the nail with pliers. The needle will melt through the nail. My wife somehow slammed her finger in the car door, and I used this method to redeem myself for everything I ever got in trouble for. Instant relief when the pressure is released.
    Yeah, that "Pardon" will last for maybe a month. LOL.
    One of my father's favorite statements: "If I say a chicken dips snuff, look under his wing for the snuffbox" How I was raised, who I am.

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy


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    I had one of those fold up ladders and had my thumb in the wrong spot when it folded. Like putting my thumb in a 4 foot long nutcracker. Red hot paperclip to the rescue.
    "Only the weak blame parents, their race, their times, lack of good fortune, or the quirks of fate. Everyone has it within his power to say, this I am today, that I shall be tomorrow. The wish, however, must be implemented by deeds." Louis L'Amour The Walking Drum

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    I dropped a 55 gallon steel drum from a height of 4 feet onto my left big toe in my younger years.

    Waited in agony for 3 hours for dad "Doc Jamison" to come home. Thankfully he was prelubricated.

    He did the red hot paper clip in a pliers thing. When it went through I put blood on the ceiling. Mom was ticked, "How am I going to get that off?"

    Instant relief, no more pain.

    I remember waking up and "Hearing" dad use a new hacksaw blade on his hammer smashed left thumbnail one night.
    Terrible noises you don't ever want to hear coming from your fathers throat.

    Don't know where he found out about the paperclip trick but I praise the Lord that he did.
    I truly believe we need to get back to basics.

    Get right with the Lord.
    Get back to the land.
    Get back to thinking like our forefathers thought.


    May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you
    and give you His peace. Let all of the earth – all of His creation – worship and praise His name! Make His
    praise glorious!

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    I once dropped a full can of soda on one of my toes. spent the morning waterskiing at the lake, cold water made it tolerable, but that evening, while watching tv, my toe started throbbing big time. I got one of my wire sized drill bits, and drilled a hole through the toenail, by twirling the drill bit between my fingers. Once it broke through, and the blood sprayed like a fountain from the flutes, relief was instant.

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master


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    I once had the pressure relieved from my fingernail in a clinic of a third world country. They used a blue double edged razor blade held in their fingers! I then learned about the hot needle trick and did it many times to myself and others. It’s something the first time someone has it done, how freaked out they can be when you say what you are going to do.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    Note to self "Drill from the finger NAIL side, NOT the fingerPRINT side", OK, gotcha.

  18. #18
    Boolit Buddy Brassmonkey's Avatar
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    was the ballistol shop humor or did you really use it?

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy Brassmonkey's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Don Purcell View Post
    Note to self "Drill from the finger NAIL side, NOT the fingerPRINT side", OK, gotcha.

  20. #20
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I to use a small number drill like a 60 between the fingers to put a hole in works and when the small hole grows out it usually only one trimming to get rid of it. Several old timers had sewing needle with a flat stoned in the tip along the needle to make a spade drill for this.

    I have seen the drill press and a to big drill grab when it breacks thru and pull thru the finger be very careful doing this

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