Bucking wedge to the lip

[RAYINTOMBALL]

Well may have to reconsider getting a face shield, I always wear safety glasses never liked face shields. Had about 10 ,24'' diameter 8 foot pieces to buck to 16 inches and was using 5'' wedge to keep kerf open. Got to the bottom of one cut when kerf opened and wedge fell thru hitting chain. Damn things usually go forward but this one came back like a guided missile right to my upper lip. Well after I got the bleeding to stop wound up with a 3/4'' cut thru the lip to the gum. ( damn that hurt.). Did have safety glasses ,gloves and chaps on. Guess I will buy a face shield. This ever happen to anyone else out there. I learned a cheap lesson, just cost me a little blood and some pride posting this here, but if one person decides to use a face shield it is well worth it. But I did get to burn about 2 gallons of mix in the ms361 this weekend.Man I love this saw. And yes I was off to the left of bar.

 

[Stihl 041S]

Well may have to reconsider getting a face shield, I always wear safety glasses never liked face shields. Had about 10 ,24'' diameter 8 foot pieces to buck to 16 inches and was using 5'' wedge to keep kerf open. Got to the bottom of one cut when kerf opened and wedge fell thru hitting chain. Damn things usually go forward but this one came back like a guided missile right to my upper lip. Well after I got the bleeding to stop wound up with a 3/4'' cut thru the lip to the gum. ( damn that hurt.). Did have safety glasses ,gloves and chaps on. Guess I will buy a face shield. This ever happen to anyone else out there. I learned a cheap lesson, just cost me a little blood and some pride posting this here, but if one person decides to use a face shield it is well worth it. But I did get to burn about 2 gallons of mix in the ms361 this weekend.Man I love this saw. And yes I was off to the left of bar.

Kudos for sharing, glad it was a cheap lesson, thats how I got chaps.

 

[Erick]

Thats why I wear my "forestry" helmet.

Glad it wasn't to hard a lesson to learn the hard way.

Never took a wedge to the face screen, but I did have one hit the helmet on the way down after being popped into the air trying to pound it into an already closed kerf to free a pinched saw. Made a good loud thump but that was all, no blood loss and all I got out of it was a good chuckle.

PPE ya gotta get it and ya gotta use it.



.

 

[blsnelling]

Your title sounds like something a sicko drill seargant might yell. "Bucking wedge to the lip in series, MOVE! Glad you wasn't hurt too bad.

 

[COLD_IRON]

I have found the face shield quite useful. Last year I had 2 rocks get past my safety glasses and hit me in the lower eyelid. If the rock deflected up another 2 or 3 mm it would have hit the eyeball itself. With the face shield - much much better. I even use my forestry helmet with faceshield for trimming lawns and brush now - its saved my face and head from branches and all manner of brush.

 

[Festus Haggen]

Glad you're gonna be ok, thanks for sharing. My friends have even given up picking on me for all the PPE I wear, I don't care what I look like and I've seen enough chainsaw/logging accidents for real. Been hit in the head with a tree, trust me just keep the helmet on, it sure ain't no fun!

 

[wdchuck]

THanks for sharing, glad you'll heal with little more than a learning experience for your pain.
While I've not had any bloodletting, yet, my first tree AFTER getting a helmet system, was a weeping willow, what a pita, then a bunch of buckthorn, was I glad as can be for that wire shield, doesn't fog up, and keeps the hurt down.

PPE can sometimes be inconvenient, or uncomfortable(summer), it certainly has its purpose.

If one :newbie: learns from this thread, it was a cheap lesson.

 

[Evanrude]

I just used my new forestry helmet for the first time last weekend. I love it! Sure, my buddy kinda gave me a hard time at first, but when we were de-limbing and bucking a huuuge hickory and the wind was blowing the chips right up into his face and eyes, he shut up. I'm not much of a safety nut, but I wont cut without this thing, its great.

 

[BaldSawRunner]

Well may have to reconsider getting a face shield, I always wear safety glasses never liked face shields. Had about 10 ,24'' diameter 8 foot pieces to buck to 16 inches and was using 5'' wedge to keep kerf open. Got to the bottom of one cut when kerf opened and wedge fell thru hitting chain. Damn things usually go forward but this one came back like a guided missile right to my upper lip. Well after I got the bleeding to stop wound up with a 3/4'' cut thru the lip to the gum. ( damn that hurt.). Did have safety glasses ,gloves and chaps on. Guess I will buy a face shield. This ever happen to anyone else out there. I learned a cheap lesson, just cost me a little blood and some pride posting this here, but if one person decides to use a face shield it is well worth it. But I did get to burn about 2 gallons of mix in the ms361 this weekend.Man I love this saw. And yes I was off to the left of bar.

But is the saw ok?:hmm3grin2orange: Just kidding. I am glad you are ok for the most part

 

[Log Splitter]

I'm not sure a face screen would have stopped a wedge headed towards your face at 60 mph.

I'm not the safety police by any means, but I usually try to avoid any situation where a wedge is allowed to drop on my bar as I finish a cut. Plastic wedges get chipped up, metal wedges wreck chain, neither is good, IMO.

Try stopping all the bucking cuts on the top side of the log short, then roll the log and finish up.

 

[056kid]

Try and stay behind the saw,and to the side.

 

[PA Plumber]

Glad your okay, mostly. Thanks for sharing.

 

[BostonBull]

2 years ago I was felling a 30" cherry with a decent back lean, for a friend. I had 4 wedges in the kerf. 2 were stacked and 2 were in bore cuts below that. I hit the stacked ones all the way in, making sure to bring the others below it in enough to not lose the kerf on them as I went. I got one more all the way in and the last one in 1/2 way. As I was going at the last wedge it backed out some. I kept putting it back in its place with the maul but it seemed to keep coming back at me. I got extremely frustrated with this and grabbed the maul like a bat, swung back as far as I could and hit the wedge with everything I had.
I remember getting hit and the next thing I remember I was on all fours on the ground staring at a puddle of blood. My green ground hand I brought along asking you OK? I said you tell me and stood up and looked at him. I could tell from his face all was not well.

I took the wedge off the apex of my chin, and was rewarded with 6 stitches and 2 hours in the ER......fun times! I now have a 1/4" wide x 2" scar to remember that day by.

Be careful!

 

[PA Plumber]

2 years ago I was felling a 30" cherry with a decent back lean, for a friend. I had 4 wedges in the kerf. 2 were stacked and 2 were in bore cuts below that. I hit the stacked ones all the way in, making sure to bring the others below it in enough to not lose the kerf on them as I went. I got one more all the way in and the last one in 1/2 way. As I was going at the last wedge it backed out some. I kept putting it back in its place with the maul but it seemed to keep coming back at me. I got extremely frustrated with this and grabbed the maul like a bat, swung back as far as I could and hit the wedge with everything I had.
I remember getting hit and the next thing I remember I was on all fours on the ground staring at a puddle of blood. My green ground hand I brought along asking you OK? I said you tell me and stood up and looked at him. I could tell from his face all was not well.

I took the wedge off the apex of my chin, and was rewarded with 6 stitches and 2 hours in the ER......fun times! I now have a 1/4" wide x 2" scar to remember that day by.

Be careful!

Wow.

You know, BostonBull, your avatar hardly shows the scar!:greenchainsaw:

 

[Sprig]

Your title sounds like something a sicko drill seargant might yell. "Bucking wedge to the lip in series, MOVE! Glad you wasn't hurt too bad.

+1
I generally don't wear my face sheild when bucking on the piles as I find my vision is more limited (just me I think), now I re-thinking this now as I am often using wedge to keep the cut open, but, once I place it I don't do a burn-out through the bottom either, soon as I'm through saw is outta the way and idled down, brake on. I have yet to see the wedge drop into the chain, thanks for a heads up on that, never thought of it. Glad ya only got nipped man, lips r a pain ), I have a lob-sided smile, not a saw, swimmin' pool, stupid story), the Harrison ford look?



Serge

 

[BostonBull]

Wow.

You know, BostonBull, your avatar hardly shows the scar!:greenchainsaw:

My fair, pink, Irish skin hides it well

 

[PA Plumber]

My fair, pink, Irish skin hides it well

 

[RAYINTOMBALL]

I'm not sure a face screen would have stopped a wedge headed towards your face at 60 mph.

I'm not the safety police by any means, but I usually try to avoid any situation where a wedge is allowed to drop on my bar as I finish a cut. Plastic wedges get chipped up, metal wedges wreck chain, neither is good, IMO.

Try stopping all the bucking cuts on the top side of the log short, then roll the log and finish up.

I try to stop before the kerf opens to much but this time just got away from me. Sometimes it takes a shot to the head to knock some sense into this polack! ( okay everybody go for it I'm a polack) Will be getting a face shield.Hey Bostonbull I know how you feel man it can happen so fast you don't see it coming. Thanks for all the info everyone that's what this boards is all about.

Thanks Ray

 

[Lewis Brander]

Hit in the head:

Just was reading this thread and glad to hear you weren't hurt too bad. Things can happen in a hurry, so best to plan ahead and keep an eye on what your doing. We all learn from our mishapes. They call that experiance. You take care. Lewis.