Grumble Thread

[eighthobstruction]

....push it through and out the other side surely....then you can thread a needle and cotton through wound and back and forward till clean....

....spent many a £££ getting Hawthorn thorns out of dogs feet....(paws even)

[Old Grumpy]

Oh NO!!! Try using a sharp pointed knife, stout sewing needle or knitting needle to prize it out.

Thought about something similar, but it would leave a larger hole in the sole of the shoe, through which water would penetrate. I can't even get to the protruding thorn inside the shoe as it is quite forward (adjacent to the where the base of the great toe sits) and the tongue of the shoe is sewn in.

For 8tho: the residual thorn I have tried to remove is in the sole of the shoe and not my foot

[eighthobstruction]

Aaaaah well there you have me.....how about something red hot and sealing ....while burning said thorn on toe side....

[Dave2002]

For 8tho: the residual thorn I have tried to remove is in the sole of the shoe and not my foot

Maybe some kind of glue could be used to seal the hole in the shoe?

In the first instance though it sounds as though getting the thorn out is tricky. Can you poke at the top of it with something like a piece of wood and try to break it off? If most of it is then removed the residual might not matter - particularly if glued in place. Some form of tweezers maybe?

[Dave2002]

Click on a link and get a message like "We need to talk about your ad blocker". Two things - no - "We" do not need to talk - about ad-blockers or anything else.
Second thing, I dislike adverts with a vengeance, so 99% of the time I'll not remove the ad blocker for those sites.

[Cockney Sparrow]

...thorn came straight through the sole of my walking shoe:yikes......Got home, can't get the thorn out with pliers either- just breaks off. Result one pair of quality walking shoes destined for the skip.

My two penn'orth – and sorry if this is getting tedious…… I recently decided to try to repair a parted sole – because the trouble in getting a replacement in my (presently out of stock) size and cost made it worthwhile taking the chance.
Seems to me some form of excavation might be needed to enable a tight grip or purchase on your thorn but I understand you most of all need to get it out on the interior side. Maybe try to find a non-chain shoe repairer and ask if they can think of a way to help extract the thorn, they might have the right tool and be able to seal the hole. (Given what I say below, in the last resort I might even try drilling it out - with a spur point drill.....)
As to the resultant hole in the sole – for a small hole I might consider plugging it with Evo stick contact adhesive, trying to ram some down inside, not just on the surface . Or this adhesive I found seems the best available for shoe repair – it says it can rebuild (as in build up) parts of a sole as well as glue together. This description from the river people:

“GearAid by McNett Aquasure+SR Shoe Repair Adhesive

The durable, flexible, and shock-absorbing, Aquasure SR Urethane Formula Shoe Repair is made from the same material as most shoe soles, so it can quickly reattach soles, rebuild worn heel and toe areas and create tough toe caps…….. to reattach and rebuild the soles of your boots and shoes…….
Works on all types of footwear, including boots, athletic shoes, climbing shoes, rollerblades and more……….a patented urethane rubber repair system designed to restore and rebuild all types of footwear………. cures to a flexible thermoset rubber product providing superior adhesion, wear resistance, flexibility and waterproofing. The highly concentrated formula has minimal shrinkage: thick repairs can be made with only one permanent application. Ideal for worn heels, toes, sole and ski delaminations……….. “

I have used it (tremendously sticky) but only last week and its worked so far. 2 points if anyone uses it -
- make sure the description (Aquasure+SR) is correct as there are variants for wet suits etc
- Once used follow the instructions for sealing and capping the remainder. It begins to cure on exposure to moisture – from the air, and will harden in about 6 months. Mine went into a sealed (ex-coffee – 2 layers) bag with plenty of silica gel to delay the process, I hope.

[smittims]

Thanks for that, CockneySparrow. A really good glue is worth shouting about these days, when there are so many cheap ones that simply don't work.

I used to live in Stafford,the homeof EvoStik. Vascha Vorahlik, the boss, was a well-known local figure, and a violinist of no mean ability; his daughter Julia a fine cellist, incidentally .

[Pulcinella]

Thanks for that, CockneySparrow. A really good glue is worth shouting about these days, when there are so many cheap ones that simply don't work.

I used to live in Stafford,the homeof EvoStik. Vascha Vorahlik, the boss, was a well-known local figure, and a violinist of no mean ability; his daughter Julia a fine cellist, incidentally .

A shout for Gorilla glue, recommended to us to (re)attach the feet on the board covering the drain hole in our shower.
Different types for different jobs.

https://uk.gorillaglue.com/

[Cockney Sparrow]

I have used Gorilla Glue - as indicated its a brand, with various types. I used some which (IIRC) needed a very slight wetting of the surfaces on application. But then next time the bottle was solid - of course, activated by moisture. I'm not ruling it out, but I will check that aspect for a glue, so I know its a one-off or limited life before I start.

Generally the most common I'll use for more difficult repairs are epoxy (as in Araldite) or evo stick contact adhesive (beware its not cheap PVA masquerading under the brand name). The particular difficulty with footwear is with joining different materials - such as leather and plastics, or rubber soles - and the repaired area needing to be flexible and under constant changing loads. I tend to wear black trainer soled type shoes for comfort and repairers just shake their head and say they can't be repaired.

[Dave2002]

I renewed my driving licence online today, and was asked to cut up my previous one and return it to DVLA. I was "horrified" to note that I was expected to put a stamp on the return envelope - which I thought used to have a Freepost address, but I saved [hopefully] a bit as Mrs D had been tardy in sending hers back, so I reopened the envelope to tuck the fragments of mine back into that one, and stuck a new 2nd class stamp on.

I did also briefly consider putting an old stamp on the envelope, but I thought that might lead to further unnecessary complications, so refrained.

[Serial_Apologist]

I renewed my driving licence online today, and was asked to cut up my previous one and return it to DVLA. I was "horrified" to note that I was expected to put a stamp on the return envelope - which I thought used to have a Freepost address, but I saved [hopefully] a bit as Mrs D had been tardy in sending hers back, so I reopened the envelope to tuck the fragments of mine back into that one, and stuck a new 2nd class stamp on.

I did also briefly consider putting an old stamp on the envelope, but I thought that might lead to further unnecessary complications, so refrained.

I still have several second class stamps left over from last Christmas, which I hope are still valid currency? The rule used to be that so long as the price was not stated on the stamp it could still be used.

[Dave2002]

I still have several second class stamps left over from last Christmas, which I hope are still valid currency? The rule used to be that so long as the price was not stated on the stamp it could still be used.

If they are second class Christmas stamps I believe that's OK, but if they're regular 2nd class they shouldn't be used, though it might still be possible to swap them for the new 2nd class stamps.

[Nick Armstrong]

I still have several second class stamps left over from last Christmas, which I hope are still valid currency? The rule used to be that so long as the price was not stated on the stamp it could still be used.

You can. I have. It’s got the computer code strip next to the stamp - as long as it has that, you’re fine

[Old Grumpy]

I still have several second class stamps left over from last Christmas, which I hope are still valid currency? The rule used to be that so long as the price was not stated on the stamp it could still be used.

Does this help?

https://www.royalmail.com/sending/ba...0for%20postage.

[french frank]

I still have several second class stamps left over from last Christmas, which I hope are still valid currency? The rule used to be that so long as the price was not stated on the stamp it could still be used.

If they are last year's Christmas stamps they will have a bar code strip attached. I've just used up all mine. As far as I know the only ones no longer valid are the stamps without bar codes.