Log splitter and a flying log - safety

   / Log splitter and a flying log - safety #21  
I'm convinced the design of the wedge has a lot to do with whether the round will fly apart or not. The wedge on my splitter seems to release the tension in the wood much slower and the wood doesn't fly open, releasing the stored energy.

My old splitters had the problem, the Timberwolf I have now has never had any wood fly off it. The only difference is the wedge design it has.

SR
 
   / Log splitter and a flying log - safety #22  
The tip of my ring finger was knocked almost all the way off due to beech crotch unloading like that. Being younger and dumber, I used black tape to bind it. I thought it would die and have to be taken off, but it healed; sort of. It looks normal, but sometimes feels like I could shake it off with a few swift hand motions. Dangerous work; a lot of what we do is dangerous.

prs
 
   / Log splitter and a flying log - safety #23  
Today I was splitting wood with a 25-ton log splitter as I have done a 1000x before. I had a piece of oak in, and the ram was moving forward as normal when I heard a pop, then saw a flash of a log flying. When I came to, I was lying on my back in the pile of logs, blood dripping from my face, and unable to see very well. It seems the log hit me. Long story short, after the trip to the ER I ended up with a broken orbital socket, some stitches, and a mild concussion.

My question is, what would cause a log to come off the splitter like a rocket? I realize it is under pressure, but I never saw a 20lb log become a full-blown projectile. I was lucky; I had my safety glasses on (the lens was damaged from the log), but not sure how I would have prevented it or how I could have been better prepared. The machine was in the horizontal position where you pick the log up and set it in the machine when this happened. Thinking that having it in the vertical position may be better because if it spits one out it would at least be at ground level.

Pressure builds until a split starts and releases all at once, I have had several fly on on me. There is a safety defect built in on mosdt commercial spliotters - the wedge is on the ram and when a split 'lets go' it flies right at the operator - most times right in the groin. I home built my first splitt with the wedge on the beam. Any flyers go away8 from the ooperator. That splitter is still being used out in central washington somewhere.l I am on my 3rd commercieal one. I hate that wedge on ram design alllthough it does allow for splitting vertically. Something I have rarely had to do.
 
   / Log splitter and a flying log - safety #24  
Seems like it would be possible to build a bit of cage on 1 side. Even a a couple of bars placed at mid height of the average work piece could divert or arrest any flyers. No?
Maybe the diverter hinges and drops into place when splitting... I'm sure it would be an added inconvenince but so loosing your eye or worse.
 
   / Log splitter and a flying log - safety
  • Thread Starter
#25  
I checked the machine out, and nothing broke, bent, or damaged. Good idea to check it!

What was mentioned about the wedge is interesting and may be a possible answer.

I think I am going to finish the pile by working vertically and sit a big round on the ground between me and the splitting surface in case one of the green logs decides they want to launch. At least I have something to stop it before it gets to me. Also may start wearing the logging helmet for splitting - don't know if it would really have helped, but the mesh shield is one more layer of protection, at least.
 
   / Log splitter and a flying log - safety #26  
I experience this alot.... I split almost exclusively pine and don't get it when splitting green wood through my wood processor or through my 25 tonne log splitter.

Where I do get it alot is splitting dry pine quarters through my little electric splitter when I am turning 1/4 rnds into kindling.

Has me wondering if wood being dry/seasoned causes this more??
 
   / Log splitter and a flying log - safety #27  
We used to split some oak and elm that rediculously hard... had to freeze it before splitting for the easiest results.
 
   / Log splitter and a flying log - safety #28  
I checked the machine out, and nothing broke, bent, or damaged. Good idea to check it!

What was mentioned about the wedge is interesting and may be a possible answer.

I think I am going to finish the pile by working vertically and sit a big round on the ground between me and the splitting surface in case one of the green logs decides they want to launch. At least I have something to stop it before it gets to me. Also may start wearing the logging helmet for splitting - don't know if it would really have helped, but the mesh shield is one more layer of protection, at least.
My back is really messed up and lifting logs onto my splitter makes it hurt. So I sit on a round to split wood. I get a big pile on one side and throw the split wood onto a pile on the other side. My son splits wood with the splitter horizontally. He can split wood faster than I can but my back is much happier when I'm sitting and the splitter is vertical.
Eric
 
   / Log splitter and a flying log - safety #29  
I hope you are still recovering well. After about 20 years of using a splitter (Super Axe, an Australian machine 40 ton force, with bench top height table and hydraulic lift running off a Honda petrol engine) I recently found by accident that splitting a round, even containing a fork or knot, that the jump or sudden pop is avoided (most of the time) if you split from the root side of the round, that is from the bottom side downwards with the wedge entering the root side or surface. Big rounds 3 foot across by 18 to 24 or more inches high respond just as well and produce nice clean splits. I am going to check with a local (world) champion arborist and log splitter to see if this is how they do it manually. I have tried manual splitting using this rule, since this finding, and it certainly seems to apply though at 80 I am not that keen on giving up the hydraulic splitter.
To a professional woodsman this may be old news/information known by everyone, but I retired from office type city work to this style of living in the bush so was never taught the old ways.
I have found that wearing the logging helmet with a clear polycarbonate face mask, and/or mesh and ear muffs have saved alot of damage over the years, but painful finger splitting happens if you forget to keep hands clear!
 
   / Log splitter and a flying log - safety #30  
Glad to hear you're OK and weren't badly injured, sounds like it could have been much worse if you weren't wearing those safety specs.

I have a relatively small electric hydraulic splitter, and I've had logs fly off with incredible force sometimes. Usually knotted wood but not always. They always seem to go away from me, but have had the odd one come in my direction, but never make contact in any meaningful way.

I've thought that it might be worth wearing a forestry helmet with face guard, the kind that I use with the chainsaw, but haven't made a habit of it in the past when splitting wood. Hearing your story makes me think I should start!
 
 
Top