Lungimsam Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Every time I do a set up on my basses I get a metal sliver in my finger while playing afterwards. The kind you can feel, but not see. Any one know any tricks to getting it out? I have tried: Duct tape Tweezers Meddling around with a pin Magnifying glass- but cant see it.
BigKahune Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 . Soak in epsom salt solution, take two asprin. That'll be $175. . . .
stein Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 in my line of work i get those all the time. the only way to get it out is to dig it out with a needle or a screw tip or a knife. wetting your finger and drying it clean makes it more visable.
neilpanda Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Mega Super Jumbo Powerful Magnet will pull that sucker right out
Lungimsam Posted March 4, 2011 Author Posted March 4, 2011 I actually tried the mega-magnet I have, but no dice. It must weigh about 5 lbs. Big magnet. Hard to pull off metal surfaces. My sister and I used to attach it to our braces when we were kids!
Searcy Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 I use an Xacto knife and just dig it out. Hurts a little now or a lot later.
Versatile Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Remember to sterilise any surgical instrument...alcohol/ethanol or in a flame A sewing needle works well for me.... V
strat-o-steve Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 soaking in the epsom salts will do alot.....it will help draw it out, especially after infection and puss sets in ;) I;d just keep digging at it with a needle and tweezers.
saturn Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Every time I do a set up on my basses I get a metal sliver in my finger while playing afterwards. The kind you can feel, but not see. Any one know any tricks to getting it out? I have tried: Duct tape Tweezers Meddling around with a pin Magnifying glass- but cant see it. I get them all the time since I work in a machine shop. I fine point needle is all that ever works for me. Sometimes I have to dig a hole many times bigger than the actual sliver just to extract it What I want to know is why you get these after setting up your bass?
Lungimsam Posted March 4, 2011 Author Posted March 4, 2011 I don't know why, but my guess is one of two things: 1. Slivers from screwheads or from cheap feeler guage after running it between string and fret. 2. Fragments of steel wool used (unbeknownst to me) by a tech in the past. I would never steel wool a fingerboard. Maybe my tech guy did in the past.
Artie Owl Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Are you sure it's a sliver and not just dry skin? Dry skin from exposure to certain metals and woods can make your skin feel like it's got a sliver or splinter in it to the touch but there's nothing physical there. I had a wood splinter in my foot when I was a kid that I got from a pool deck, because it was wet and I decided to shuffle along the boards. Ended up with a splinter in the middle of my foot, while on vacation to cottage country PEI. My mom was dating my now Stepdad at the time. Poor Bas*ard, I was screaming so loudly in this cottage surrounded by other cottages in a quiet country area that the other cottage go-ers thought they were murdering me. My soon to be step-dad outside with three cigarettes in his hand, trying to relax, waiving to the other guests while my mom dug around my foot with tweezers. Good times.
TommyK Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 The only tweezers that were ever worth a darn were made with two flat strips of stainless steel, connected at the butt end with a cylindrical spacer. Then the two tapered halves were squeezed together, then a very sharp point was ground in the two joined tips. This will dig out the smallest sliver. They used to be sold everywhere. I heard they went out of business. I bought one like it with an magnifying glass attached at a swap meet. The guy had dozens. It was branded as a Fiskars, you know the scissors people. Good luck finding one. These look similar: http://www.herrschners.com/Product/Tweezers+with+Magnifier.aspx?keyword=ca+thefind , but they don't appear to have had their tips ground to a point.
MANNIC Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Put sugar on the pad of an Elastoplast and then place over the splinter, it should start to draw it. Takes a while like.
TommyK Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Every time I do a set up on my basses I get a metal sliver in my finger while playing afterwards. ... You think the sliver is coming from the new strings? Is it possible you impaled yourself with a string end? (not likely, though as big as bass strings are) Maybe you need a better brand of strings.
Bowdiddley Posted March 5, 2011 Posted March 5, 2011 I have a cigar cutter that would work but it might mess up your picking.
Crocstar6 Posted March 5, 2011 Posted March 5, 2011 just cut off the tips of the fingers with splinters and learn to play like Tony Iommi hahahaha :D but seriously dont do that
Lungimsam Posted March 5, 2011 Author Posted March 5, 2011 just cut off the tips of the fingers with splinters and learn to play like Tony Iommi hahahaha :D but seriously dont do that I guess Tony never has to worry about splinters! ha ha!
Lungimsam Posted March 5, 2011 Author Posted March 5, 2011 Are you sure it's a sliver and not just dry skin? Dry skin from exposure to certain metals and woods can make your skin feel like it's got a sliver or splinter in it to the touch but there's nothing physical there. I had a wood splinter in my foot when I was a kid that I got from a pool deck, because it was wet and I decided to shuffle along the boards. Ended up with a splinter in the middle of my foot, while on vacation to cottage country PEI. My mom was dating my now Stepdad at the time. Poor Bas*ard, I was screaming so loudly in this cottage surrounded by other cottages in a quiet country area that the other cottage go-ers thought they were murdering me. My soon to be step-dad outside with three cigarettes in his hand, trying to relax, waiving to the other guests while my mom dug around my foot with tweezers. Good times. I do have eczema on my hands, so maybe there is something to that. Remember, when pulling a splinter out of bottom of foot - pull as fast as possible. Slowly pulling makes it hurt - alot! I found this out when pulling out a nail in my foot. Tried to pull slow and it was terrible. My friend yanked it really fast and I didn't even feel it when it came right out.
Lungimsam Posted March 5, 2011 Author Posted March 5, 2011 Victory!!! It is out, whatever it was. I can play again. I am so happy. I don't know why this happens so much. I scrutinized my fingertip under magnifier for 20 minutes today in the sunlight and could see nothing. I used the pin trick and started lightly pulling up areas of suspect skin (the areas that hurt when I ran my finger over it). Whatever was in there seems out now. Thanks for the great tips everyone! I will keep them in mind the next time this happens. Hopefully others can also benefit from all the wisdom and tips you imparted in this thread!
Lungimsam Posted March 5, 2011 Author Posted March 5, 2011 Maybe you need a better brand of strings. This used to happen with my Fender flatwounds. Now I have LaBella flats.
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