Dip bucket biohazards

Matt Shade

Matt Shade

Joined
Nov 24, 1999
Messages
4,981
warning this is kind of gross

It hasn't been confirmed by the CDC but I think there's something living in my dip bucket.

For the past week the knuckle of my right middle finger has been cracking open and bleeding. At first I thought it was dry skin, but the rest of my knuckles are absolutely fine. Then it started turning red and swelling, I broke down and put some salve on it. Then it starting growing blisters and bleeding all the time from multiple spots.
Popped one of the blisters and nasty **** ran everywhere. So I started scrubbing it with peroxide a few times a day and its almost back to the normal size and color but still bleeding.

Got to thinking about it and it all started around the time I was grinding blades and had that hand in the dip bucket all the time (folder blades, dropped a few)so I think I've got some kind of flesh eating disease growing right now. Apparently it takes a special blend of O1, 440C, dish soap and water thats been sitting for a couple months.

I'm not sure what to do from this point.If I dump it out, it might get back to our well. If I keep using it I might lose my arm :rolleyes:

I guess maybe I should get fresh water in there a little more often :)
Anybody else have any issues with their dip bucket trying to kill them and take over the shop?
 
I've seen a couple of makers buckets that look like good breeding grounds for Polio, Cholera, Bubonic Plague, etc.

I change mine daily.;) :D
 
ha, I try to change mine more often than that. Of course, I tend to spill mine every other time I work on knives anyways, so have to refill it. :)
 
Ha, with everything thats in mine I dought bacteria has a chance! Lets see, steel dust, brass and nickle silver dust, wood dust, amonia residue, feric cloride residue, bleach residue, borax residue, fire scale, dawn soap, a hint of aceatone/mineral spirits/mineral oil, tabaco juice and only a chemist knows what else!

It's still pretty gross though!:barf:
 
I keep a bucket under the grinder to help catch dust. I use a large cup sitting on the counter to actually dip the blade in and cool it. I change out the cup very regularly but hardly ever change the bucket on the floor. There are beasts living in that large bucket, but the cup is relatively clean.
 
I dread changing the water trap under my grinder, damn nasty smelly crap in there. Never had a disease problem with it though, but I have thought about it ( and my water bucket as well ). If something was going to grow in there it would have happened by now I guess.
 
I usually just leave mine set because I am too lazy to walk outside and do not want to pour it down the drain.

I'd say leave it as is and periodically check samples with a microscope in hopes of proving the theory of primordial life evolution. It could be worth enough dollars later on to earn you a new arm. In the mean time, it seems like you have an infection that only cleaning with hydrogen peroxide may not cure.

Mix about 1/2 cup bleach in it and let set a few hours and pour it outside. That way it won't hurt your well water. (keep it outside the house after applying bleach. It could put off harmful gases if certain other chemicals are in the water.)

RL
 
Matt,

That sounds nasty! :o:o:barf:

Pour some bleach in that water and then get rid of it. Then bleach everything! (Bleach kills just about anything - virus and bacteria)

Yuck!

BTW I don't want to go to your house .... anymore.

Steve

Of course if you were able to re-create life in there, as Roger said, you'll make more money on the lecture circuit than any knife maker in history.

edit - Roger and I had the same idea at the same time. I tell you we are joined at the .... not going there.
 
If you have something that bad, you have an infection and need to go get some antibiotics.

Don't clean it with hydrogen peroxide. It kills EVERYTHING, both the bad bacteria you want to kill, but also the good bacteria trying to help you heal. Go buy some Hibiclens at your pharmacy/drug store (Olympic drug carries it around here). And clean it with that!!!!

Nick
 
BAH! Be a man! Just heat up a chunk of steel to red hot an cauterize that funky knuckle.

As for the slack tub - I toss a couple water-purification tablets (like the kind you would take on a long hiking excursion) in mine once in a while. Pool treatment works too. I shy away from bleach because it is rather corrosive.
 
I don't think I'd use bleach while steel is in the water :(
at least that much,

if I recall bleach in contact with iron/steel makes acid
Chuck may comment on this?
if you put soap in the water anyway use antibacterial soap.

Matt I'm thinking you had a cut or steel splinter in it and it got infected.
that loose skin on the knuckle is a great place
to store puss .:barf:
make sure you're up to date on your tetanus shot I think they're good for 10 years.

if you just won't go to the doc. run hot tap water over it
test the water just as hot as you can stand it on the other knuckles
because it's going to hurt like hell till it numbs some.:(

if you heat the aria up over 108 deg you'll kill the germs
remembering your body is trying to cool at the same time
so you need the water much hotter than 108
I do it all the time. think about it women that
have their hands in hot dish water all the time don't get infected very often.
 
I've started pouring my grind water on my wife's roses. Someone suggested it made for red coloring because of the iron (maybe Ron Reed?). It works! The bush that is close to my shop has a better color than the one farther away. Does that show how lazy I am?
Later, Lynn
 
Originally posted by Graymaker
I don't think I'd use bleach while steel is in the water :(
at least that much,

if I recall bleach in contact with iron/steel makes acid
Chuck may comment on this?

Click to expand...

True enough, Dan. I don't think a teaspoon or so would be enough to cause any etching at all, especially if baking soda was added to balance any acidity and bring it back to around to neutral (7.0ph I think?). Anyhoo, pool salts aren't supposed to be corrosive like the old chlorine kind and will take care of any nasty cooties. Supposed to be a lot more skin-friendly too.
 
The thing in my dip bucket is claiming equal rights and now it wants to VOTE!!!

If you want to make sure nothing grows in your dip bucket all you need is a teaspoon of copper sulfate to a 5 gallon bucket of water, turns a nice blue and NOTHING will grow in there. I wouldn't trust pool chemicals as i have found them to be some of the most corrosive things that you can buy off the shelf.

Alan Folts
 
I had a dead mouse in mine.

He got in, couldn't get out. Poor little bastard...
 
Originally posted by Wulf
I had a dead mouse in mine.

He got in, couldn't get out. Poor little bastard...
Click to expand...

see it kills things rrr ohhhh never mind,,,Mice can't swim :D

I started fishing in mine just need a small hook...:D
 
Thanks guys
I'm not really worried about it getting into our well or any of that....now the neighbors, they would be terrified if they read this thread after seeing what I just did ;)

I'm going to dump the water out before I get to using the grinder again and I'll probably scrub the bucket out with something. Maybe I'll throw a chunk of steel in there hot enough to boil it.


Can't beleive you guys would actually suggest I go to a doctor. Those sons of bitches are evil! He'd probably do something that hurt like hell and charge me $100 for it.I can hurt myself for free anytime I want and if it doesn't heal up I'm sure it will fall off and quit bothering me ;)

Most of the redness has gone away and I got some antibiotic salve to put on it.
While I'm at it, I think I'll add keeping it elevated to the treatment being THAT finger and all. Should be fun :D
 
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