When craft turns bloody

[Wanderlost]

So last night I was inspired. I've made UCRs in the past to tinker with, but I never really had much look getting them to work for me. For some reason or another, they always slip. Last night though, I had the brilliant thought, "meh, let's make a couple and give them a go."

So I broke out my spool of Amsteel, my scissors, ruler, Sharpee, and trusty loop puller doohickey. Everything is going well until the loop puller gets stuck in the middle of one bury. Being the caveman I can be sometimes, I do the most logical thing: pull harder.

Welp, to make a short story long, I found the breaking strength of a loop puller. The pull loop's metallic shiny coating came loose when the loop pulled open and left a nice meaty slice in my finger. Needless to say, UCRs were not completed last night.

It turns out, the little flap thingamabob wasn't doing its job and the hook was getting caught on the strands inside the bury. Always double check your equipment before using.


ImageUploadedByTapatalk1410950615.806354.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1410950722.938399.jpg

On the plus side, it was a nice one-handed first aid refresher!

[Klaussinator]

My son (who's in the Army) has a t-shirt that says "Suck it up, princess!" haha

Ahhh, the joys of DIY. Been there.

-Klauss

[zooshooter]

I don't know what size rope you're pulling, but I use a coat hanger to make mine. I clip out the straight bit between the 2 shoulder ends of a coat hanger, smooth it off one a diamond hone to help prevent it hitching up on the dyneema strands while pulling, and (after cutting strands on the pull end of the dyneema to taper it) I just tape the dyneema right to the hanger wire with masking tape. It doesn't always work the first time but it does always work. For me, at least.

[Dead Man]

My son (who's in the Army) has a t-shirt that says "Suck it up, princess!" haha

Ahhh, the joys of DIY. Been there.

-Klauss

Sincerely sorry the OP hurt himself in the process of the DIY. To Klauss' post - we say around our house quite often, "Suck it up buttercup". It's usually my 9 yr. old "princess" that is saying it too.

[Hudsonhawk]

I'm an ER provider and tell people all the time to come back when they have something worth my time.

[MAD777]

Sounds like you left out one important piece of equipment: Band-Aids! I know I need them for most crafts, including sewing my fingers in the machine, and especially when sharpening knives (I have to test them, you know).

[Wanderlost]

It wasn't bad. It was a only bit deep. Scared my fiancee for a moment though since it was a bit of a bleeder. Once I cleaned it up, she chimed with a "suck it up, buttercup". She loves saying it, but I've learned to NEVER say it to her. There's a very rigid double standard in our house.

[nothermark]

If it doesn't draw blood it didn't happen. It seems every interesting project I get into collects some skin and/or blood as part of the process.

[IRONFISH45]

I keep my first aid kit handy, and I keep it well stocked.

To those people not initiated in self first aid, be sure you can use the contents of your kit with one hand, either hand.

Ice is a wonderful thing, I have save myself a lot of discomfort by keeping ice packs in the freezer.

I took a nasty fall last week while out in the bush, ice from our ice chest help stop the bleeding and swelling and a lot of the associated pain.

[gunner76]

No pain No gain.