Back in high school, summer job working for my cousin's construction firm, dropped a plank on my thumb. Hurt like crazy, started swelling, and my cousin offered to take care of it for me. I said no way...until about a half hour, 40 minutes later it hurt so bad I said go ahead. He took a propane torch, heated the paper clip, and started to melt his way through the nail. Took three or four heatings to get all the way through, and hurt while he was doing it, but once it got through the nail, the release of pressure was instant and it was like all the pain disappeared. (OK, it hurt a bit still, but nothing like the heartbeat by heartbeat throb it had earlier).

And Benjammin's right - it does make a splash.

Dave