Man vs. Log. A true story

[woodjack]

I was out in the forest outside my house scrounging for some seasoned firewood. I came a cross a dead tree on the ground. I don't know what kind it was, but it was dense and hard. i revved up my chain saw, cut it up and dragged it home.

So there I was, as always, splitting wood with my Fiskar's Pro Splitter (you got to get one of these). I split a few logs and my axe got lodged in a round. I reach with my left hand to brace the wood while I pulled out my axe. As I pulled out the axe the partially split wood closed and pinched about an inch of skin on my palm. I tried to pull my hand out, but couldn't. The log clamped shut. I tried to rip my hand from the log - and couldn't. As strange as that seems, it's true. Believe me, I wanted out of that log, but it grabbed my skin so tight i couldn't rip my hand out. The log compressed back to it's tight state with my skin inside.

I'm in pain and my hand began throbbing. I take the axe with my right hand and try to hit it where it was split to re-open the log. That didn't work and I nearly took off my thumb. Hmm. not a good idea.

I'm home alone, no one around for miles. . . and I got a log hanging from my hand that won't let go. I thought of the guy that got his hand stuck under a boulder and was there for days before he cut his own hand off to escape, but of course my situation was not that dire.

I went inside and got my small axe and one handedly nudged it into the split of the log. Then, I took my hammer and banged it in another inch or so. Free. Free. I'm free at last.

I went back outside and finished splitting, then took some in the house with me. Boy, does that pink wood burn good.

 

[Highbeam]

Whenever a piece of firewood leaps up and hurts me I find great joy in the revenge of burning it to death.

Where's the pic!

 

[burntime]

As kids my neighbor got himself in the shin with the axe when he missed. Of course as an adult a forklift squished his foot so he is not having a lot of luck with that leg

 

[LLigetfa]

Ja, I've had a split close back up on me trapping my fingers but in my case I was using the hydraulic splitter so it was just a matter of pushing the wedge back in to the reopen the crack. One of those DOH moments for sure.

 

[burntime]

A split second longer and you would have lost the ability to pick your nose! I have had rounds kick off the splitter and my shins get beat up pretty good...

 

[woodjack]

I've had a split bounce back at me when I threw it in a stack. I had no feeling in my pinky for about six months.

My shins are nothing to look at with all the scars I got - they take a good beating from splits hitting me while I'm splitting wood.

And I hit a split the other day and the plastic axe handle smashed on the wood - axe head never made contact. that vibration rung through my hand like when I was a kid playing little league and hitting a hardball on a cold day.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

woodjack, I'm glad it turned out okay in the end. No doubt that hurt like the dickens and you will probably have proof of it with a terrible looking hand for a while. Caulk it up to another lesson learned.

 

[woodjack]

i could start another thread on how many burn scars I got from my old top loader smoke dragon.

 

[jadm]

Where's the pic!

Now that is quite a request! I can just see it now....Running to the house - looking for a camera - posing and then trying to get the dang log off - or should the picture be posted here before the log removal. :lol:

Me, I just like the stories. My mind creates a great picture on it's own.

My 15 year old daughter was out splitting with our splitter today. No shoes on. No eye protection. :ahhh: How many times have I told her safety first? Just another opportunity for me to share some of the stories I have read here. She skedaddled in and got shoes and glasses....but I know I will have to tell her again in the future so keep the stories coming. I am putting them to good use. ;-)

 

[LLigetfa]

I can just see it now....Running to the house - looking for a camera - posing and then trying to get the dang log off - or should the picture be posted here before the log removal. :lol:

What, doesn't everyone carry a cellphone with built-in camera these days?

 

[savageactor7]

Yikes! fire wood gets revenge.

 

[Chief Ryan]

Same thing happened to me with 2 or 3 fingers on my left hand. I reached in to pull the split apart and WHAM!! My fingers weren't stuck that long (10 to 12 Sec) but it was long enough.

 

[Flatbedford]

My 15 year old daughter was out splitting with our splitter today. No shoes on. No eye protection. :ahhh: How many times have I told her safety first? Just another opportunity for me to share some of the stories I have read here. She skedaddled in and got shoes and glasses....but I know I will have to tell her again in the future so keep the stories coming. I am putting them to good use. ;-)

15 year old, daughter, splitting wood?? Wow! If my 17 y.o. son was splitting barefoot I wouldn't let him go inside for shoes, in fact I wouldn't do anything to stop him because I know I would never see him do it again. I might have him checked out by a doctor when he finished to find out of he was sick or something.

 

[Jay H]

I was out in the forest outside my house scrounging for some seasoned firewood. I came a cross a dead tree on the ground. I don't know what kind it was, but it was dense and hard. i revved up my chain saw, cut it up and dragged it home.

So there I was, as always, splitting wood with my Fiskar's Pro Splitter (you got to get one of these). I split a few logs and my axe got lodged in a round. I reach with my left hand to brace the wood while I pulled out my axe. As I pulled out the axe the partially split wood closed and pinched about an inch of skin on my palm. I tried to pull my hand out, but couldn't. The log clamped shut. I tried to rip my hand from the log - and couldn't. As strange as that seems, it's true. Believe me, I wanted out of that log, but it grabbed my skin so tight i couldn't rip my hand out. The log compressed back to it's tight state with my skin inside.

I'm in pain and my hand began throbbing. I take the axe with my right hand and try to hit it where it was split to re-open the log. That didn't work and I nearly took off my thumb. Hmm. not a good idea.

I'm home alone, no one around for miles. . . and I got a log hanging from my hand that won't let go. I thought of the guy that got his hand stuck under a boulder and was there for days before he cut his own hand off to escape, but of course my situation was not that dire.

I went inside and got my small axe and one handedly nudged it into the split of the log. Then, I took my hammer and banged it in another inch or so. Free. Free. I'm free at last.

I went back outside and finished splitting, then took some in the house with me. Boy, does that pink wood burn good.

You mean Aron Ralston... Now you'll have to write a book and become a motivational speaker Oh wait, you have to cut your hand off first..

Jay

 

[woodjack]

And of course they'll be a one hour tv special.

 

[struggle]

I can just see it now....Running to the house - looking for a camera - posing and then trying to get the dang log off - or should the picture be posted here before the log removal. :lol:

What, doesn't everyone carry a cellphone with built-in camera these days?

I know for safeties sake I try to always have my phone attached to me some how as I often cut alone. My wife always knows where I am at so at least they can identify the body location.