finger in log splitter

[unkerdas66]

well me and my friend were splitting a pickup load of firewood and he had his 12yr old son running the handle .while he was setting logs on splitter to be split and throwing them to me to be stacked next thing i knew my friend was white as a ghost holding his finger so i threw him in the truck and off to the e.r we went ... so now we don't have anyone other than adults running splitter and he is a little more careful where his fingers are View attachment 89201

 

[Ductape]

Ummm..........yeah, no one should be touching the handle except the guy holding the log. Ouchie!

 

[yooper]

yep gotta agree with ductape.....unless ya have allot of gorilla tape on hand....nothing funner then looken for a digit amongst a bunch of wood bark.
hope yer friend heals well.

 

[carvinmark]

Ouch!!!!:jawdrop:

 

[046]

ouch!!!!

no way anyone else is touching controls... with my fingers anywhere near the crush zone.

 

[fubar2]

A cousin of mine had his wife running the valve on his and she took off his finger. Someone else at the control is not something I recommend anymore.

 

[DAVID451]

well me and my friend were splitting a pickup load of firewood and he had his 12yr old son running the handle .while he was setting logs on splitter to be split and throwing them to me to be stacked next thing i knew my friend was white as a ghost holding his finger so i threw him in the truck and off to the e.r we went ... so now we don't have anyone other than adults running splitter and he is a little more careful where his fingers are View attachment 89201

I have always believed in wearing a pair of welding gloves doing these jobs, it gives you that little bit more of a chance of avoiding this. Just like rigging boots as oposed to laced ones, get pinched by a log and chance you can get clear before it crushes your foot, slipping out of the boot.

My friend ignored this advice 2 years ago and his friend bashed his finger with a sledge hammer, was getting married aswel and it was his ring finger, went up to about twice the size so it did. Two weeks later he got married in las vegas on line and we were all pissing ourselves.

 

[046]

welding gloves won't make a bit of different to a machine putting out say 20+ tons of force. think in terms of if it can split a knarly round with ease... your fingers will not slow it down!

now it might make the difference in a sledge hammer, but for a direct hit... nada...

don't get me wrong.. welding gloves are excelling for handling wood to keep from getting splinters... but that's about it

I have always believed in wearing a pair of welding gloves doing these jobs, it gives you that little bit more of a chance of avoiding this. Just like rigging boots as oposed to laced ones, get pinched by a log and chance you can get clear before it crushes your foot, slipping out of the boot.

My friend ignored this advice 2 years ago and his friend bashed his finger with a sledge hammer, was getting married aswel and it was his ring finger, went up to about twice the size so it did. Two weeks later he got married in las vegas on line and we were all pissing ourselves.

 

[385xp9106]

i bet he dint feel a thing jus alot of blood it happend so fast..probaly jus panicked

 

[(WLL)]

looks very minor considering what could have been split. glad he is ok be careful people!!!

 

[DAVID451]

welding gloves won't make a bit of different to a machine putting out say 20+ tons of force. think in terms of if it can split a knarly round with ease... your fingers will not slow it down!

now it might make the difference in a sledge hammer, but for a direct hit... nada...

don't get me wrong.. welding gloves are excelling for handling wood to keep from getting splinters... but that's about it

Trust me they make a difference,you dont stand there with your hand in the press as it crushes it, you pull back, and as it nips the glove you have a split second to get your hand out. Been there many times fitting road springs on trucks and got nipped. However there are situations where gloves are dangerous and can drag you in.

The difference wearing a glove with the hammer is that a glancing blow often leaves the skin on, and a direct hit is actually reduced a bit, and you can sit debating wheither to take the glove off or not to see the munched finger rather than see the devestation later while you roll about the floor in agony.

And I have been there aswel slowly taking the glove off hoping the finger comes out in one piece.

 

[Kydan]

Yes that finger looks sore, hope it heals back to normal.
I was working on my tractor last summer and of course it was running. And sure enough my thumb wanted a trip around the alternator belt and I had gloves on. I think the glove pull the thumb in the pulley but it didn't cut it as bad but more smashed and real quick, And O did that hurt for a long time.

 

[biggenius29]

Yes that finger looks sore, hope it heals back to normal.
I was working on my tractor last summer and of course it was running. And sure enough my thumb wanted a trip around the alternator belt and I had gloves on. I think the glove pull the thumb in the pulley but it didn't cut it as bad but more smashed and real quick, And O did that hurt for a long time.

I had gloves on and got them caught in a belt and around the pully my finger went. That was over 2 years ago. 3 surgerys later, along with a year of theropy my finger is comming off on Tuesday morning.

 

[046]

OUCH!!!!!

I'm wincing.... reading your stories

 

[carvinmark]

I had gloves on and got them caught in a belt and around the pully my finger went. That was over 2 years ago. 3 surgerys later, along with a year of theropy my finger is comming off on Tuesday morning.

Sorry to hear this. Hope it goes well for you.

 

[DAVID451]

I had gloves on and got them caught in a belt and around the pully my finger went. That was over 2 years ago. 3 surgerys later, along with a year of theropy my finger is comming off on Tuesday morning.

Yes you have to temper when you wear gloves as I said, rotating stuff and loose clothing aint good, neither is rings and watches if you are a mechanic.

 

[huskystihl]

That sucks! Been there before though and must say that a good pair of gloves has saved me from no more than a good smashing a few times. I split mostly in the winter so it hurts twice as bad with frozen fingers. No doubt this will stick in his mind and you can bet he's gonna know where that wedge is at all times from here on out.

 

[371groundie]

i grew up running the lever on a splitter for my dad, then about the time i was 12 my younger brother started on the lever while i was handling the wood and dad was cutting. none of us ever had a close call with the splitter, ever.

step one, never ever ever handle the log my the ends! only the sides! the splitter never touches the sides so your hads are safe.
step two, use a pulp hook. i learned to use a hook safely before i could run the splitter.

put them together. drive the hook into the side of the log and youll have no worries. not saying its error proof because mistakes happen. but as i said, none of the three of us have ever had a close call, let alone an accident.

 

[Raymond]

:computer:I've always had either my 10 year old son or wife running my lever for me. Even without experience at first.

The trick is to NEVER put your fingers on the top of the log, never.

I still have all my fingers.

 

[Raymond]

i grew up running the lever on a splitter for my dad, then about the time i was 12 my younger brother started on the lever while i was handling the wood and dad was cutting. none of us ever had a close call with the splitter, ever.

step one, never ever ever handle the log my the ends! only the sides! the splitter never touches the sides so your hads are safe.
step two, use a pulp hook. i learned to use a hook safely before i could run the splitter.

put them together. drive the hook into the side of the log and youll have no worries. not saying its error proof because mistakes happen. but as i said, none of the three of us have ever had a close call, let alone an accident.

Sorry 371goundie. I didn't notice your post till I did mine. :agree2:
Not only is this guy going though a tough time with a nasty injury like that but now his son running the lever has that guilt to live with the rest of his life, when really it wasn't his fault. :computer: