Where Do You Stand?

[TreePapa]

When operating a log splitter?

I got hit in the leg a little over a year ago by a piece of eucalyptus that slipped (at rather high velocity) off of a horizontal splitter (rental) 'cuz I was too close to the business end of the machine. Didn't break anything, just a serious bruise that had me on crutches for a few days and using a cane for weeks. A few inches higher, it would have hit my knee and prolly done serious damage. 16 inches higher and I'd be talking a couple octaves higher. Since then I always stand behind the machine when splitting. Sometimes I'll stand in front long enough to get the wedge to "bite" on wood that won't stand on it's own; then I stop and move behind the beam and start again. That way, I'm out of the line of fire. I've also seen some wood (eukie, gum, pine, and some "unknown" species) seemingly "explode" when splitting and I don't want to be where that wood wants to be.

If this guy ain't careful, he might be speaking in a higher voice:
http://www.sunbeltrentals.com/Equipment/equipment.aspx?itemid=0700060&catid=s456

So where do you stand?

Peace,
- Sequoia

 

[burntime]

I stand..."out of teh way!" Seriously, I am right up close and personal. I use my body to hold logs in the splitter. I am usually splitting bigger pieces.

 

[savageactor7]

Just keep your hand on the near side.

I sit on a log real close...the only explosive wood we have is apple. I keep my hand on the split aimed toward me and there's nothing to it...the away side might go a ways. All our other wood is OK.

 

[Gooserider]

I run in vertical mode, which I think is inherently safer in addition to its other advantages... Normally I sit on a short round or stool with my legs on either side of the beam, so that my feet are about even with the platform, or sometimes using the splitter tank as a foot rest. I move around a bit, but essentially I am directly behind the beam.

If it's a big round that I can't muscle into place while sitting, I'll stand in about the same place, or move around to wherever I need to be in order to keep the round positioned where I want it - but those big rounds don't move much when they pop.

I wear my chainsaw boots when splitting, which are tall (17"?) boots with plenty of padding, so if a log "explodes" and hits them I hardly feel it...

What I've observed is that if you get an "exploding" round, it will blow out to either side, parallel with the wedge, not back at the operator. Every once in a great while a chunk will slip out from under the wedge and come back, but not very far or fast...

Gooserider

 

[crazy_dan]

I stand right next to the split and usually have a hand on it but with Oak you generally dont have to power all the way threw the round. usually just getting the wedge started in will break oak so i find it faster to stay with the round

 

[TreePapa]

I guess that since I gather and split "whatever the f*** I can scrounge" in an urban environ, I never really know what's gonna pop in what direction. Even in the vert. mode, I've see splits fly off at odd angles due to whatever stress factors in the grain or whatever. This last time I was splitting mostly green pine and green eukie (well, the splitter was more tearing the eukie than splitting it). A lot of green pine was rather stringy and I had to use my axe to get some of it apart after it was split. Still, there were 2 or 3 pieces that went flying in odd directions and made me glad I was standing behind the handle (which also meant I was behind the axle, so the wood would have had to fly UP and backwards to hit me).

I wear my steeltoes when running a log splitter, but they're relatively low and when that piece of eukie hit me last year, it was a bit above the top of the boot.

Peace,
- Sequoia