Recoil Starter?

We were heading out to have a little fun with the ATV's.  They were all started, idling, & ready to go except the little 70.  I pull the started to get it going... it recoiled leaving the pull handle in my hand!  I pull the housing unit (or whatever it's called) off hoping the rope is still long enough to get it going.  Casey & I rethread the rope through the handle getting it secure.  During which I shove a screw driver into his hand... great mom moment(GMM).  Luckily it didn't do to much damage a good scrape & a small chunk of skin.  Unfortunately, the rope wouldn't recoil all the way.  After about 10 min. I pull the coil off... HUGE mistake.  Now for the next hour I am trying to get the darn thing recoiled... this is a lot harder than I thought.  I sent the girls on without us.  Samantha got everyone to our "fun spot".    Casey was such a sport.  The girls were gone having fun & he was stuck with mom experimenting on ways to get this thing back together.  He made the comment later that day I had said a bad word...  crrAP!  If that's the worst he hears come out of my mouth I will have succeeded.  Another dad moment...  I have been blessed with my fathers temperament.  My entire adult life I have been trying to gain even an ounce of patience!  It must be comical up there looking down watching me struggle so!  It reminded me of Dad all those times working on cars, smashed fingers, expletives, & flung tools.  Believe me, I definitely thought about it.  My hands still hurt.  I am signing up for a small engines class this fall!  Ryan finally came home & headed out with Casey on the dirt bikes.  I struggled a little longer & then inspiration came... take it to the shop just 3 miles down the road... well it wasn't a quick fix there either.  It took the guy 30 minutes plus a few choice words, a smashed finger, & a well placed vice grips.  However, to fix the initial problem... 5 seconds!  I now know how to get the slack out of a recoil starter.  Ironically, the man didn't tie a tight enough knot... one good pull & the rope was gone, the handle in my hand.  This time, 5 minutes & it was running.  Lesson learned.