ow!?

[dragonlady7]

i am in need of instruction on 2 things and ask you, o internet an f-list, to share your knowledge.

1) i have an oldskool sewing machine & just broke the needle. where can i find a tutorial on replacing it?

2) i broke it by running it completely thru my left index finger. i jerked it out before the shock wore off & it came out clean, & i'm soaking the finger in rubbing alcohol & have taken 2 ibuprofin, should i do anything else?

Comments

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

1) What's the brand of the machine?
2) ow ow ow ow ow. I've done that, too. It takes awhile to heal; you should be up-to-date on your tetanus shot (for any puncture wound, whether in the garden or not) and other than that just wait.

[dragonlady7.livejournal.com]

It's an obvious Singer knockoff-- the black metal with chrome details and a gold painted logo, but a different name. It looks just like the one in this tutorial (http://www.burdastyle.com/howtos/show/811) so I assume it's a knockoff of that variety of Singer. (It was Great-Aunt Matilda's and she was very thrifty so I bet she comparison-shopped for the cheaper off-brand.)

Hm, tetanus. Sounds delightful. Thanks for the advice, you're right. I should look up when I last got that one, though I recall getting it as an adult at some point and being amazed at how little they hurt now.

I have put a pirate-themed sticky bandage on it so I can at least feel badassed. Arrr!

Thank you for the advice. Now I realize I had spare needles for the machine somewhere and now don't know where I put them. :/

[(Anonymous)]

Okay. You see that little screw on the left of the presser foot? There are two screws. The one on the left should release the needle. Hold the needle with your right hand and unscrew the screw. When the needle begins to fall into your hand, pull it out, NOTICING WHICH SIDE IS FLAT. As I recall, the flat side goes to the back, but your machine will know best.

Now go buy some "Singer needles", put one in in the same orientation as the old one, tighten the screw, and Bob's your uncle.

Note that to avoid sewing problems, you change the needle before each major project to be sure it's sharp.

[heebiejeebie.livejournal.com]

last tetnus shot?

[greenworldgirl.livejournal.com]

OW! Yes other people are right. Puncture wounds are bad, mmmkay? If you are trying to avoid dr's bills the only other advice I have is not to put any of the other speedy healing disinfectant type stuff on it like neosporin. Punctures need to heal from the bottom up so they should only be kept sterile.

[dragonlady7.livejournal.com]

There is no 'bottom'-- there's just a hole clean through.
It's closed up on the skin side, but it punched straight through the fingernail and that side's still bleeding a bit. So I guess I'll have to kinda work on keeping it clean from that side.

I'm actually shocked at how much it doesn't hurt.

I think I've had a fairly recent tetanus shot, actually...

[greenworldgirl.livejournal.com]

Ah, perhaps I should have said, from the inside out. They need to be able to get any septic stuff leak out if it's going to, instead of being closed in. But since it's thin hopefully it will be ok. I'm cringing at the fingernail though. I'm glad it doesn't hurt, but you can still feel normally with the tip of your finger, yes?

[dragonlady7.livejournal.com]

Yes-- my older sister badly broke her middle finger in a car accident and they burned through the nail to relieve pressure, but she got permanent nerve damage anyway in the tip of that finger, and it was ugly for a long time. Mine is just a little hole and it doesn't look bad at all. Which is lucky-- if the nail had shattered or something it would've been much more painful.
There is a scab under the nail, it looks like... but it's small. The whole thing doesn't hurt much so I'll count my blessings and swear off body piercing.