Watch out for the big rounds!!

[charlesfarm]

This morning, I was cutting firewood. Some tree guys had come through after our last ice storm, did a lot of drop it and leave it work. An old lady in town had a number of Ash trees (and cottonwoods) dropped at her place and she has been letting me come in and cut all I want -- FREE WOOD and loads of Ash to boot!!! The guys had topped out a big old ash tree, but left the trunk and crotch standing. She had wanted the entire tree down, and asked if we could get it on the ground. So, I notched it, made the back cut and dropped it while leaving only about 2" above ground! Tree was 48" in diameter when I measured it. Ms361 w/ 24" bar worked like a charm and I sure was happy!

Cut the trunk into rounds and was moving them around to quarter them to load up my Amish friend's wagon who was going to take them to my house for me in exchange for cutting a load for him. Was moving the bottom round around to lay it out of the way, and it dropped really fast when I had almost layed it down on the cut stump. Got my right hand out, but my left wasn't so lucky. The round smashed my middle finger at about the first knuckle and popped the end of it like a grape . Didn't feel it for about 5 minutes or so, until when my body's endorphines wore off. Man does it hurt!!! I'm just glad it wasn't worse.

I've been more worried about hurting myself with the chainsaw than with the wood, but that stuff is heavy, especially those rounds -- I'll certainly be a lot more careful in the future!! Thought I'd share so it might help somebody else avoid this same type of thing!

God bless,
Chris

 

[Wood Scrounge]

Ouch, hope all is ok

 

[charlesfarm]

It's all wrapped up right now with gauze and tape. I'm just trying to keep it held together, so hopefully it will heal. It tore the flesh right out from under my nailbed and ripped it back a ways down my finger tip. Looking at it after I got home, it didn't appear that there's any place they could actually stitch it back together -- I think they'd have to pull out the fingernail to do anything to it

I think I'll have a pretty nasty scar from it. I had on chaps, steel toe boots, forestry helmet w/ screen and ear protection. Do they make steel finger gloves?????

God bless,
Chris

 

[greengoblin]

well atleast you got a piece of ash off an old lady? :greenchainsaw: lol

 

[farmking]

I know what your talking about, I did a similar thing and drop a big round on my index finger. I'm glad I had my leather gloves on, even then it took about two weeks to get all the feeling back!

 

[Sprig]

Aw man, ouch! Crushed fingers (esp tips) are a biatch, my left index has 1/2 its feeling from closing my car door on it (really, really dumb as I was inside with the window down and grabbed the top ta slam it shut, oopsy), hurt so bad I near puked and my bud had to open the door to free me/it, after he got up offa the ground from laughing (grrrrrr), the worst part was loosing the nail a couple of days later, couldn't help but whack the poor thing on everything Comparable instant pain is whackin' yer shin bones, another not my favorite! When I shattered my leg/ankle in '93 it didn't hurt near as much, and that was 47 compounds, hm, lot ta say about shock and the bodies ability to shut things down, yay body!
That blather over, glad it wasn't worse for ya, I'm rolling around some very heavy rounds lately and am extra extra carefull, only takes about 8lb per sq inch to break a bone btw and a 100lb+ roller can really wreck yer day fast if you're in the bite.
Take care and heal well man, I feels for ya!



Serge

 

[greengoblin]

Aw man, ouch! Crushed fingers (esp tips) are a biatch, my left index has 1/2 its feeling from closing my car door on it (really, really dumb as I was inside with the window down and grabbed the top ta slam it shut, oopsy), hurt so bad I near puked and my bud had to open the door to free me/it, after he got up offa the ground from laughing (grrrrrr), the worst part was loosing the nail a couple of days later, couldn't help but whack the poor thing on everything Comparable instant pain is whackin' yer shin bones, another not my favorite! When I shattered my leg/ankle in '93 it didn't hurt near as much, and that was 47 compounds, hm, lot ta say about shock and the bodies ability to shut things down, yay body!
That blather over, glad it wasn't worse for ya, I'm rolling around some very heavy rounds lately and am extra extra carefull, only takes about 8lb per sq inch to break a bone btw and a 100lb+ roller can really wreck yer day fast if you're in the bite.
Take care and heal well man, I feels for ya!



Serge

its a compound facture one that breaks the skin? if so, i call BS!

 

[Sprig]

its a compound facture one that breaks the skin? if so, i call BS!

No, its one thats broken all the way through. If you consider it one that breaks the skin then I only had the tib/fib go through, and go 2" into the ground, my ankle, well, the doc stopped counting at around 46+ pieces, ain't bullchit man. My terminology could very well suck too



Serge

For Greengoblin & the morbid> View attachment 65115
I don't jog.

 

[greengoblin]

No, its one thats broken all the way through. If you consider it one that breaks the skin then I only had the tib/fib go through, and go 2" into the ground, my ankle, well, the doc stopped counting at around 46+ pieces, ain't bullchit man.



Serge

Alright, I believe ya...i know you sprig and i know that you dont bs on purpose but here is what i was always taught...http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=8083



i guess i have got to know a break all the way through as a clean break and one not all the way through as a hairline

 

[Mike Van]

Chris, I know where you're coming from - I smashed one years ago, and you're right, for just a little while it doesn't hurt - You think you got away with a close call - Then, man does it throb. Hey, take tomorrow off -

 

[Ken05]

There are a lot of nerve endings in your finger tips. It really hurts intensely when you smoosh 'em.
Most of us probably have some dinner evacuating stories to share along these lines. I'll pass on sharing mine.

 

[Ken05]

Ah maybe just one. My friend Buck got two of his fingers caught in between the ram and the log just as the splitter was doing its stuff. Popped both fingers like balloons.
He passed about 10 years ago of age and life. God rest his soul.

 

[Dr. Hackemoff]

This morning, I was cutting firewood. Some tree guys had come through after our last ice storm, did a lot of drop it and leave it work. An old lady in town had a number of Ash trees (and cottonwoods) dropped at her place and she has been letting me come in and cut all I want -- FREE WOOD and loads of Ash to boot!!! The guys had topped out a big old ash tree, but left the trunk and crotch standing. She had wanted the entire tree down, and asked if we could get it on the ground. So, I notched it, made the back cut and dropped it while leaving only about 2" above ground! Tree was 48" in diameter when I measured it. Ms361 w/ 24" bar worked like a charm and I sure was happy!

Cut the trunk into rounds and was moving them around to quarter them to load up my Amish friend's wagon who was going to take them to my house for me in exchange for cutting a load for him. Was moving the bottom round around to lay it out of the way, and it dropped really fast when I had almost layed it down on the cut stump. Got my right hand out, but my left wasn't so lucky. The round smashed my middle finger at about the first knuckle and popped the end of it like a grape . Didn't feel it for about 5 minutes or so, until when my body's endorphines wore off. Man does it hurt!!! I'm just glad it wasn't worse.

I've been more worried about hurting myself with the chainsaw than with the wood, but that stuff is heavy, especially those rounds -- I'll certainly be a lot more careful in the future!! Thought I'd share so it might help somebody else avoid this same type of thing!

God bless,
Chris

Ouch. I put a half inch gash in my eyebrow last Sunday while splitting kindling (a chunk blasted back somehow). If I was 20 years younger I would have sought stitches, but, well, maybe older chicks dig scars (?).

I would ask in your situation that you would get an x-ray, and otherwise make sure you'll heal right.

Good luck (BTW a few ibuprofen and some hi-point brews will help)

 

[Sprig]

Alright, I believe ya...i know you sprig and i know that you dont bs on purpose but here is what i was always taught...http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=8083



i guess i have got to know a break all the way through as a clean break and one not all the way through as a hairline

My bad, I stand corrected, never really had it explained ta me, so 2 compounds and a shattered mess then Whatevah!



Serge

 

[City Slicker]

Heal quickly!

Hope that finger is feeling better! I try to look for possible problems that can come up when in the woods. Its worth while sometimes to take a break, drink a cup of coffee and access the situation. I like placing big cut wood wedges so things don't roll around on me. Good luck to ya!

 

[MATTYB11]

You should have an x-ray done on the finger. I had a similar injury last year and the doc told me if there are any fractures in the bone when you have an open wound you can end up with an infection in the bone. Especially when the injury gets contaminated with organic matter (such as wood) Luckily my X-ray's came back negative but the doc gave me a course of antibiotics after he was done stitching my fingertip up anyway.

 

[alan mesmer]

2 summers ago my neighbor calmly cell phoned me and asked if I could shut off his running lawn mower in his yard. The conversation was quick and he abruptly hung up the phone. I went and shut off the mower and it was an odd situation as his wife walked out of the house saying his name over and over.
As I was trying to figure what was going on he called her again. She then asked me to go look for his 2 fingers that he lopped off cleaning the grass catcher chute out with the mower running! I looked all over the place for those fingers reminiscent of when I was a kid looking for Easter eggs in the yard except with more urgency as time was running out by the minute for those fingers. I looked but couldn't find them and decided to look in the house. It then hit me that Carl always wears a nice pair of leather gloves when doing his lawnwork. I asked his wife if she had seen his glove and she said she it was bloody so she threw it in the garage. Although I found the remains of fingers in the glove the fingers resembled raw meatloaf but the whole situation left me with a renewed respect for how quick stuff happens.
All I could think of was what a shame he didn't spend a few more seconds and shut things down.
Be careful out there; take the extra few seconds think about where your fingers and limbs are and be safe!

PS - take care of those smashed fingers!

Alan

 

[larman]

that makes both my hands hurt was working in a sawmill and got my fingers on my right hand between rollers and a 4 by 6 - 20 foot long oak ouch!!!!then year later got index and ring finger on right pinched never dreamed of a blood blister under the skin that was riped off the tip of a fingerthat was from a 4by 20 cottonwood i was sawing for pallets hope they feel better be safe.
ps i try to take my splitter to get the big rounds where they lay alot easyer on this old man

 

[RaisedByWolves]

For Greengoblin & the morbid> View attachment 65115
I don't jog.

Damn!

Its like you have 3 knees!


You could play hockey without a stick with a leg like that.


Btw, what did you do?


.

 

[RAYINTOMBALL]

You should have an x-ray done on the finger. I had a similar injury last year and the doc told me if there are any fractures in the bone when you have an open wound you can end up with an infection in the bone. Especially when the injury gets contaminated with organic matter (such as wood) Luckily my X-ray's came back negative but the doc gave me a course of antibiotics after he was done stitching my fingertip up anyway.

What he said. Hope it gets to feeling better soon. Keep it clean and watch for infection. Things can go bad real quick. Good luck.