Splitting wood - Grenade exploded

[Kenster]

This hasn't been my day. Besides discovering that the reason my good running saw wouldn't cut wood was because I had just installed a new chain backwards ( and publicly humiliated myself with this in another thread on this forum...)

I was splitting some wood earlier today, using an 8 lb maul and a grenade wedge. I had split several hickory rounds and was starting on a new one. I had the grenade well planted in the round and I raised back to smite it with a mighty whack. When I made contact, the grendade blew out a small wedge from the top of the round and then flew straight out and right into my kneecap. The wedge hit me, not the wood chip). Dropped me like a ton of bricks. I laid there almost in shock for several minutes. I just knew my kneecap was shattered. I eventually began to bend my leg a little and it didn't feel too bad. So I stood up and tested it. Seemed okay. So I finished splitting the rest of the rounds I was working on.
I guess I should wear knee pads now, as well as a helmet, ear and eye protection, chaps, steel toed boots. Maybe just get a hockey goalie outfit?
An hour later the knee is really hurting and hard to bend at all....

My motto for my life: It's Always Something!)

Kenster

 

[smokinj]

You might just grab a beer and call it a day!

 

[craigs]

Well, they do call it a grenade.....

 

[Kenster]

Sounds like a heck of plan, Jay.

 

[flyingcow]

Guy up here , about a yr ago, was splitting with a wedge. Piece broke off and cut his major artery in leg. He didn't make it. Be careful.

 

[LLigetfa]

I guess I should wear knee pads now, as well as a helmet, ear and eye protection, chaps, steel toed boots. Maybe just get a hockey goalie outfit?

Get an athletic cup too. I saw a guy take a metal sliver in the willie pounding on a wedge. There was a death reported a while back when someone severed a major artery.

Consider yourself lucky.

 

[quads]

Be careful with that thing! I have never used a wedge. I don't even own one.

 

[thewoodlands]

If you can why not rent a wood splitter.

zap

 

[leaddog]

I'm going to do it before any one else..............get a fiskar
leaddog

 

[Gooserider]

If the edge of the wedge where the chunk came off is "mushroomed" then you had the bad experience of having the "accident waiting to happen" happening...

Glad you weren't hurt badly, but take the learning experience of the lesson presented, and either toss that wedge, or put it on the grinder and get rid of that mushroom...

I recommend cutting it off at an angle so that you have a striking surface that is smaller than the wedge body - that will help to discourage more mushrooming... (Last time this subject came up, another poster pointed out that a mushroom headed striking tool on a jobsite was a big money OSHA violation - it's an important safety item)

Gooserider

 

[peterc38]

Guy up here , about a yr ago, was splitting with a wedge. Piece broke off and cut his major artery in leg. He didn't make it. Be careful.

Yeah, I heard about that. I don't like wedges for that reason.

 

[dave11]

Wow. I was also using a sledge and wood grenade up until a few months ago, along with the Fiskars Supersplitter. But the biggest Fiskars was still too small for taking apart a large round, so I'd have to use the sledge and grenade. Then I got a Snow and Nealley 8 lb maul, and I haven't had to touch the sledge or wedge again. Posts like this one make me really glad I did. Plus, I realize now the sledge/wedge route was slowing me down.

I have no affiliation with Snow and Nealley, but I love their maul. I don't know why it doesn't get more press.

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

Kenster,
I've split Hickory by hand before, it's no walk in the park (especially since I cut to 20") Couple grenades.... an 8lb/10lb mauls....6lb axe.
Used an old tire, bugee cords.....a handful of sand (to keep the wedge from popping out.....switching chopping block heights......working from the edge.......all the tricks.
The type of rounds that would just laugh at a FISKARS. I've been hit in the shin a few times with flying splits (mostly straight grain stuff like Ash.)

About 3-4 years ago we were all bucking on a grapple load. At the time I had a hand-me-down 42 cc craftsman (that I just tuned up) with 4 sharp oregon chains.
After gassing up the saw, I see my BIL's long time friend arrive with his brand new Poulan (never seen a red Poulan before)
(Now this guy always lends a helping hand I'm not picking on him) We commence to cutting, I'm throwing hamster shavings on all the older kids moving rounds out of my way. I'm in the zone
Non-stop for a good hour. I then turn to my side to see what looks like smoke coming from his saw. (remember it's been over an hour now) He walks up to me, relieves one of the kids and starts humping some rounds to the side. "Jesus that saw cuts like a ***** ape." "My saws cutt'in like sh%^." he says...... I hop down and walk to the other side of the pile and My BIL (Dave) with Red Poulan in hand says "I think the chains on backwards......I took one look at the teeth "yep"
It was a good laugh that afternoon.......


WoodButcher

 

[bogydave]

Be careful with that thing! I have never used a wedge. I don't even own one.

+1
To dangerous, to many moving parts that can move many directions.

 

[Tony H]

I always start the wedge with a small 3lb maul and get it well seated before going to the big sledge.
I agree with Smokinjay when things start to go wrong just put up the tools have a beer and go back to it another day.