Making Firewood can be Hazardous to your Health!

I got lackadaisical with the Fiskars yesterday. Split a piece of cherry from yesterdays score, the axe continued downward and hit my foot. The log split a lot easier than i expected and i wasnt positioned correctly. I wasnt rushing or being careless either. I had been splitting for a couple hours already so maybe a bit tired.
Sliced the toenail and skin, but no stitches needed (i decided not to post the actual wound)
Put on a field dressing (napkin) and split til i finished the cherry score. Surprised it hardly hurt even later on last night.
I dont like steel toed boots as i have to kneel a lot and need flex in the toes.
We all get our share of cuts, bruises and other minor injuries, but sometimes need a GOOD reminder that what we do is DANGEROUS and take it for granted, especially with a lifetime of doing it. For me this was that time.
Be safe my fellow hoarders.
I hit the boot last week too. Ive been switching between the Fiskars and Collins axes and i wonder if that has something to do with it?
The offending log. The other cherry shorts werent splitting that easily, but this one did

 

Glad no serious damage.

 

Hmmmmmmmm, doesn't look like it is the first time that foot/boot has been hit. Yes it happens fast, glad it wasn't serious.

 

I hit it last week JWinIndiana (it was stated under first pic) Ive been switching between two axes...mebbe that has something to do with it?

 

"Some folks'll never lose a toe, but then again, some folks'll..."
Glad it wasn't worse. Question, do you split on a block, or on the ground, or in a tire? Trying to visualize what happened.
I split on a block. It's slow, but my axe head winds up hitting the block, well away from the ground and my feet.

 

Glad all is ok buZZsaw BRAD !!

 

That was a relatively gentle reminder and I'm glad it wasn't worse! I have had a few of those myself when I get a little cavalier with tools I have used my whole life!

 

I have a pair of waterproof steel toes for cutting and splitting. Just dropping a heavy green oak split on your toes can make you rethink wearing the right shoes. High shoes to protect the ankles can be nice too. Yeah they're not always terribly comfortable, especially in warmer weather but toes are valuable. You really do need them to walk properly.

 

If you are working with very heavy logs, (or other dense heavy objects), a log dropped on the toe of a steel toe boot can cause toe amputation whereas a foot in a non steel toe boot will receive a crushing injury. Your call on what you prefer.

When I split by hand, I try to lead the swing downward with my hands. If at the point of impact with the round, my hands are high enough to allow the axe head to continue along the radius formed between my stationary hands and the moving axe head and impact my feet or shins, then my hands are too high. As a rule of thumb, I make sure my hands lead the swing and end up at a point at which unobstructed the axe head would impact the ground in front of me and not my body. For a longer axe/maul, my hands can end up higher due to a longer radius. For my 23” splitting axe, I ensure that my hands end up a couple inches below the top of the round at the time of impact. I started this after I shaved 1/16” off my right pinky toe and part of my shoe when the X-23 deflected off a stubborn oak crotch piece and continued along the path of least resistance.

 

Glad it wasn’t worse and that you’re ok. My friend was trying to show off with his Fiskars and tried to split some red oak one handed and got above his ankle good.. needed stitches

 

Yep I had a pair of boots just like that.

 

Glad all is ok. Definitely take that extra time to avoid problems. Honestly I’d figured a way to bend with the steel toes. Better that a split open foot. Be careful sir, that honey hole wood supply needs you healthy and strong!

 

I use unloaded rounds as a "one time use" block in some cases as well as chop with log on ground. I prefer the block but still have to bend to PU splits. In this case i had the piece (it was a sliver of cherry that needed halving) on a smaller round and rather lazily swung the axe a bit choked up and it flew apart, much to my surprise. The head didnt hit round underneath.
Seems that experience has taught me how much "oomph" to put in my swing, but then im getting old, tired and lazy
My chopping block is a huge 36" sugar maple round i scrounged last Summer and has rested where it was dropped. Works great for noodling too.
My wood loads are dropped in several spots around my processing area Midwinter so they get split close to their final resting spot. Problem is i keep needing more resting spots!
Ive tried to work smarter and not harder, but you know how that can be tough with a limited space and LOTS of wood.

i guess im comparing it to a golfer switching putters, baseball player switching bats etc, Backwoods Savage

 

I did this with a Fiskars - sometimes I'll split ash by hand instead of hydraulics because it's fun. On this particular occasion, I was tired from lugging it out of a muddy roadside ditch and bucking up when I got home. So.. Tired, wet, slippery.. Broke a lot of personal rules, but thankfully not the one that reads "wear steel toed boots when swinging sharp things at your feet." Without the steeltoes, I would be walking funny and likely divorced. My wife's version of a pre-nup was that if I lose any digits or limbs through stupidity, she's out.

Not telling you how to live, please don't take it that way - the plates are definitely uncomfortable when doing a lot of squatting!

ALso, very glad you're ok!!

 

Need the flex to bend foot on roof and carpentry. GF got pix of baltimore oriole yesterday. Ill send one shortly from her phone Ctwoodtick

 

Sweet!

 

Glad your ok pal!! Be safe gentlemen

 

No offense taken at all BigPapi
It was raining and wet when it happened, but wasnt the cause. I was nearing the end of two hours of splitting and luckily it wasnt one of my "driving home a railroad spike" swings. In that case i would be "assuming the position" with legs apart. More i think about it was a lazy sort of sidearm swing and the log flew apart easily. Did the mrs. really say that? I wouldnt define what happened to you as doing something stupid.

 

I can't help it..



I'm really hoping that's a joke, but if not, then she has a particular set of standards that must be upheld.