Splitting wedges

[jj3500]

What is the norm when the head of these starts to "mushroom"? Do you just take a grinder and smooth it out? Does it weaken the head?

Thanks

 

[smokinj]

I just smooth out any jagged edges so it dont cut anyone and that doesnt happen often

 

[Jags]

What is the norm when the head of these starts to "mushroom"?

To throw them away and get a hydraulic splitter. :cheese: I kid...I kid

 

[LLigetfa]

Grind a distinct bevel on the edges to resist further mushrooming. I mostly use my old wedges as doorstops.

This is my favorite wedge. %-P

 

[DaveBP]

The most important reason to grind off the mushroomed edges is that if they have cracks in them those edges can split off and fly like a bullet.

Years ago I had on old yard sale wedge with badly cracked, almost rolled over edges. I hit it a "little off center" once and a piece of that edge flew off with the buzzing sound of a ricochet bullet. It made an entrance and exit wound through my jeans and a wicked gash across the side of my kneecap. If that had been a kid standing nearby or a vehicle window it would have been real trouble. Wish I could have run that shrapnel through my chronograph, it was more like a bullet than I ever would have believed.

 

[jj3500]

DaveBP...I would think they travel pretty fast but not nearly as what you described. Scary!

 

[LLigetfa]

I saw a guy take one in the willie one time. Wear protection!

 

[smokinj]

I saw a guy take one in the willie one time. Wear protection!

sound like a jack@ss movie!lol

 

[LLigetfa]

It was no movie and nobody was laughing. We were splitting a huge boulder bigger than a pickup truck using feathers and wedges. It was the last vacant residential lot in a new subdivision with all new homes around it so they wouldn't let us use dynamite.

 

[Gooserider]

Grind and bevel as mentioned - both for safety reasons and to keep the mushroom from preventing your driving the wedge below the surface of the wood on the tough splits...

Gooserider

 

[Bigg_Redd]

What is the norm when the head of these starts to "mushroom"? #1 Do you just take a grinder and smooth it out? #2Does it weaken the head?

Thanks

1) Yes.

2) No.