Shrapnel wound while splitting with maul.

[Darkslider]

We've got heavy duty fencing mauls at work which are made of a softer metal, some kind of alloy I'm guessing. Still got the weight of a Sledge but bulkier and less chance of fragments, the head deforms slightly on impact. Might be worth you getting one.

 

Think yourself lucky it was just your leg, think I'll be keeping a closer eye on the condition of my splitting gear and wearing safety specs when the going gets tough after reading this!

[Al Cormack]

Next trip away via an airport could be interesting....

[Cae Ffynnon]

If you keep hitting something it will break eventualy...

Some nice well seasoned oak wedges, for when something needs that bit of help.

 

Or a battery drill, 25mm auger and some blasting gelatine and Roberts your Mothers brother.

 

Look on the brightside it wasn't an eye or in the plums...

[openspaceman]

This is why metal wedges for felling are no longer used

 

I was still felling with steel wedges till I packed up work 7 years ago but I did keep them well dressed and I never bothered using wedges for splitting nor hitting a maul with a hammer, just not worth the effort. If I cannot split it with 3 hits it gets left or sawn.

 

Back to the OP: I started work with two guys who were 64 and had worked as a team since the war years (reserved occupation) both had bad injuries but Ted had lost an eye when Fred was knocking the wedges in an a piece of wedge hit him.

[UK Guy]

Try a wood grenade..

 

At least if you get shrapnel in your leg again you can say it's from an exploding grenade.

 

Sounds more hardcore.

 

:rofl:

Class......

[pyro_John]

Won't be doing it again. I have a couple of wood grenades which I don't use very often. Are they made from a softer metal? After all they are designed to be hammered into the wood.

[Daythe trees]

I have a maul which has a hardened rear face as it's intended as a hammer face, all my others are mild steel rear faces so can be hit. I try and avoid it and keep them well dressed with the grinder. I once bought a cheaper maul without any warning stickers so I used the rear face as a hammer to smash some concrete, it didn't deform therefore it had a hardened rear face. Maybe the same issue hear. Never hit. Hardened steel together, hardened against mild no problem if you keep it dressed.

[Breezeblock]

i had something similar when i was an apprentice i was knocking out a track rollers hard steel with a 4lb mash 2 bits came off one went in my cheek and the other sliced my ballsack hydraulic presses only now because of this

[martin p]

Did the same myself years ago knocking track pin on old cat dozer.

fragment lodged in my forearm and worked itself to the surface after about 2yrs so I cut the skin with a razor and removed it myself.

I've always thought how lucky it was not one of my eyes that copped it,

[Mark Bolam]

This is why metal wedges for felling are no longer used

 

Say what?

 

 

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