Lesson learned

[suprz]

I have some scrounged wood that i got from the recycling center, CL etc... No real junk wood. Anyways, i got to splitting some more of it today, and got a surprise when i put on 8 inch round onto the splitter, it split nicely the first time but the second time, it just popped and jumped off the splitter and snapped my head back hitting me on the right side of my face just missing my eye but cutting my cheek and splitting my lip, so now i look like i lost a bar fight... Well, i have a full face motorcycle helmet that i will be wearing from now on. Andyone that sees me and laughs can go pound sand for all i care! Once bitten twice shy... Be careful out there.... Here is the pic of some of what i got done today though

 

[fespo]

Oh yes the wood flying out of the spliter, it has happen to me before. On my splitter, I have two welded pieces of metel about inch or so long and about 1/4x1/4. The way they are welded is when the wedge is all the way down through the wood. Each piece of split wood is held on so it can not fly out. Now on the wedge, it has bevel, then 2" long , then it spread perrty wide. The Idea is the wood will grip first, then push through the split. I don't have the spliter at my house, once I go over to my Dads, I will take some pictures. I hope this helps. Frank

 

[bogydave]

I've had angle cuts slip & fly but not straight cuts.
Don't blame you for wearing PPE now. Prudent

Good days work ! Amazing weather

 

[weatherguy]

Your not the only one to get hit by a piece of wood popping of the splitter, I got its in the knee a couple weeks ago, dang maple, it always pops when it splits, I should have known better, had a good bruise on my knee and shin from that one.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Something just does not sound right here. But, perhaps this is horizontal splitting? One good thing about the vertical splitting is that if one goes flying, it goes sideways and that is not where my body is. That again is one reason why I split like I do and urge others to do the same.

 

[weatherguy]

Something just does not sound right here. But, perhaps this is horizontal splitting? One good thing about the vertical splitting is that if one goes flying, it goes sideways and that is not where my body is. That again is one reason why I split like I do and urge others to do the same.

Now you tell me!, I was not quite all the way to the side but a little to far from the front because I was grabbing rounds from my right, last time I did that, now I just sit in the front all the time.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Ah ha! One other thing. Because the control lever is on the right, I reach for the wood from the left which means I throw the wood to the right. It just feels right that way because many times I'm reaching for wood with one hand and shutting down the control with the right. I rarely let the ram go all the way back up unless I'm finished for the day.

 

[Jacktheknife]

Your not the only one to get hit by a piece of wood popping of the splitter, I got its in the knee a couple weeks ago, dang maple, it always pops when it splits, I should have known better, had a good bruise on my knee and shin from that one.

Same thing happened to me, but I was using the maul.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

For sure maple is one that likes to throw things. We one time had a contest to see how far we could make a split go! Split them really small and then have some fun. Just keep the legs out of the way.

 

[bogydave]

Curious what brand of splitter & type of wedge ?

 

[suprz]

Curious what brand of splitter & type of wedge ?

Task Force 5 ton electric horizontal splitter. It was black locust that popped off the splitter.

 

[nate379]

I had one get me in the man bits this summer. Dropped me right to me knees and tears blowing out my eyes before I even realized WTH happened!
I was sure something on the splitter let go and got me!

Backwoods Savage... I know several dozen folks that heat with wood and none of them split wood vertical on the ground. Why work at your feet when you can have it at waist level?

 

[bogydave]

Does this recall effect your model ?
http://wemakeitsafer.com/Task-Force...rs-Recall-173071-529540#RecalledProductImages

Can you drill & put some studs or pins in the shoe to stop logs from slipping off ?

 

[suprz]

Does this recall effect your model ?
http://wemakeitsafer.com/Task-Force...rs-Recall-173071-529540#RecalledProductImages

Can you drill & put some studs or pins in the shoe to stop logs from slipping off ?

View attachment 85219

Yes the recall is for my model, but from what i read, all it is for is for three stickers to be placed on the rail that circles the front where the ram slides underneath it, and mine already has the three "amputation hazard/serious inury may occur" stickers
Lol! I have noticed that some pieces of wood just "pop" apart instead of just splitting apart. The worst offender is poplar, but i have had locust do it also.
I dont think that anything would have helped save me from what happened today unless i had the helmet on or the splitter had a safety shield over the splitting wedge....but please lets not give the "safety police" any more reason to infringe on our personal rights.... But that is a whole other story

 

[ScotO]

My wife's aunt lost all her front teeth thanks to a round popping out of a log splitter. Messed her face up real good. Several reconstructive surgeries later and you'd never know it happened. Alot of potential energy in a round of wood (not just the BTU's either). Glad you're OK!

 

[mywaynow]

Worst wood I dealt with with regards to popping was pear. Almost every piece would slow the wedge for a second and then "bang". You learn to stand back when they start to act up.

 

[blwncrewchief]

I have the same splitter also and I have learned locust is a horrible one at popping and flying off the splitter. I have not been hit luckily but I do have a dent in my truck to prove locust can fly over 12' off the splitter. Green is not too bad but dead dry stuff just flies apart. I now know when it hits the wedge if it doesn't crack in the first .1 seconds to be ready for flying wood splits.

 

[velvetfoot]

I also have an electric splitter and it too shoots off a split once in a while. I think outs because of the flexibility of the thing.

 

[Woody Stover]

Something just does not sound right here. But, perhaps this is horizontal splitting? One good thing about the vertical splitting is that if one goes flying, it goes sideways and that is not where my body is. That again is one reason why I split like I do and urge others to do the same.

Yeah, but if we're double-teaming the wood, wife operating the lever and me slinging the wood, we have to be off to the side to some degree...
"Perhaps this is horizontal splitting?" You mean you've never done so? Try it, you might like it!

I know several dozen folks that heat with wood and none of them split wood vertical on the ground. Why work at your feet when you can have it at waist level?

Because you can sit down. But I can see why you wouldn't want to do that where you live; Your knee joints might freeze in the bent position, and you would get nothing more done until Spring.
When you are sitting on a 10" round, the work is still pretty much at waist level...

 

[bogydave]

[quote="nate379, post: 1299022, member: 14623"Backwoods Savage... I know several dozen folks that heat with wood and none of them split wood vertical on the ground. Why work at your feet when you can have it at waist level?[/quote]

After seeing how Dennis did it, I tried it. He was right, easier
I split vertical 100% of the time this year. Found it to be more efficient, no lifting the rounds & easy on the back.
Just easier all the way around for the way I'm set up. IMO

 

[Thistle]

When I owned that 20 ton Speeco from '96 to '05,I ALWAYS split vertical no matter how much I had to do or the time of year.Why mess up your back even more lifting those damn heavy rounds waist high up on that beam? If you have to 1/4 or 1/2 them with the saw or maul/sledge/wedges first,that kinda defeats the purpose dont it?

 

[oldspark]

I had one get me in the man bits this summer. Dropped me right to me knees and tears blowing out my eyes before I even realized WTH happened!
I was sure something on the splitter let go and got me!

Backwoods Savage... I know several dozen folks that heat with wood and none of them split wood vertical on the ground. Why work at your feet when you can have it at waist level?

Can you hear that, that is the sound of a can of worms being opened up.

 

[DanCorcoran]

I have the Pow'R Kraft 7-ton electric. I've had many flying splits, but I stay as far back (at the motor end) as possible. It's almost a necessity, since that's where both hands must be to reach the power switches. Every now and then a round will try to roll off, but I can usually balance it so that I don't need to be near the front end.

 

[velvetfoot]

Hardly happens with my gas splitter, just the electric, which I don't use much.

 

[firefighterjake]

It's been a long time since I've been hit by a split . . . I attribute this to lessons learned early while splitting wood as a boy with my father. You get whacked a few times or have some near miss pinches and you soon develop good habits, learn where to stand, learn how to handle the wood . . . or you become an eunuch.