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General Forestry => General Board => Topic started by: js2743 on September 27, 2008, 12:33:23 PM

Title: wood splitting accident
Post by: js2743 on September 27, 2008, 12:33:23 PM
talk about a freak accident this is it.


HOULTON – Police said Tuesday that a "tragic, unforeseen" accident led to the death of a Monticello man.

David Violette, 58, was killed Monday afternoon after a wood-splitting accident in a wooded area approximately one-half mile east of U.S. Route 1, Houlton Police Chief Butch Asselin said Tuesday.

According to Asselin, Violette had gotten off work and had been in the woods using a sledgehammer and a wedge to split wood. As he was splitting a piece of wood, a piece of the wedge apparently broke off and shot into Violette's leg, severing his femoral artery.

Asselin said Violette got into his truck and tried to get help, but lost consciousness before he could do so.

His son, who was nearby, called 911 and reported he had discovered his father and thought he was dead.

During the incident, the truck caught on fire. Asselin said Violette's standard-transmission pickup was still in first gear when police found it. Investigators believe the vehicle became stuck as Violette was trying to summon help and he lost consciousness before he could dislodge it. The rear tire caught on fire due to the spinning, but the fire was extinguished quickly and Violette was not burned.

Asselin said Houlton Police Officer Ezekiel Collins and State Police Trooper Dennis Quint were credited with pulling Violette from the burning vehicle.

Asselin said a physician arrived on the scene and told police he had seen similar injuries over the course of his medical career. Violette's body was taken to Houlton Regional Hospital for a leg X-ray, and a piece of the metal fragment was found in his leg.

"This was a tragic, unforeseen accident," Asselin said. "A lot of people have used sledge-hammers and wedges to cut wood in Maine. This was just tragic."

Title: Re: wood splitting accident
Post by: Toolman on September 27, 2008, 01:12:39 PM
I heard one a few weeks ago. A customer told me of a guy who lives near him was attempting to split " green" elm with a splitting maul that was extremely dull. The guy made numerous attempts to split with no success. He apparantly tried again giving it everything he had . The maul bounced back up and crushed his fore head. He is reportedly laying in a coma right now.  :o

I know from experience that attempting to split elm that is green is like trying to split a car tire. I hope the guy pulls through. What a freak accident. :(
Title: Re: wood splitting accident
Post by: beenthere on September 27, 2008, 01:22:10 PM
js2743
An accident I'm sorry to hear about.

I'd suspect the steel wedge being used had a mushroom'd top, that lends itself to breaking off. Need to keep those mushroomed edges ground off, but sure see a lot of them that are not.

Not that it would have helped, but having a compress to stop bleeding may have helped. Things to carry in a safety kit, and know how to use when that time comes.

I nearly lost a bow hunting partner from bleeding.
Seems he lost an arrow on his way into his stand in the dark. It fell out in some tall grass/weeds and he stepped into it on his way back out to the truck. He thought it was a sticker bush that he felt poke the inside of his thigh. Figure it lay at an angle pointing up at him as he walked into it. 

When at the truck, he couldn't figure out why his boot was squishy, until he dumped the blood out. Managed to make a compress and get him to a Dr. for emergency treatment.. and they said "just in time".
Title: Re: wood splitting accident
Post by: thedeeredude on September 27, 2008, 03:26:29 PM
Wow, that is one set of odd circumstances for sure.  Old rule, never strike iron with iron applies here though. 
Title: Re: wood splitting accident
Post by: logwalker on September 27, 2008, 03:31:31 PM
I have a chunk of wedge in my belly that came off while splitting wood when I was 20 years old. I always grind the mushroom off since then. Joe
Title: Re: wood splitting accident
Post by: Tom on September 27, 2008, 03:44:55 PM
IT's not that hard to make a Maul from a small tree.   Cut a ring around a small log that is the depth of the handle.  Subsequent rings are then made at small  intevals to the end of the handle.  This allows the bulk of the wood to be pared off with a hatched.  Smooth the handle with a drawknife and polishe with a belt sander if you like.   The head of the maul is not touched.  Favorite mauls are made with the root crown being the striking head.  Hickory, gum or other locked grain woods work best. 

They are free and only cost some time;  Time that you may be spending watching TV anyway.   It's the only safe way to hit a metal wedge.

Mallets with shorter handles can be used to hit homemade chisels.
Title: Re: wood splitting accident
Post by: rebocardo on September 28, 2008, 10:34:36 AM
I think I am going to go check my wedges.
Title: Re: wood splitting accident
Post by: Maineloggerkid on September 28, 2008, 11:26:47 AM
This is only about 45 minutes from my house. Real unfortunate, I feel bad for the family
Title: Re: wood splitting accident
Post by: thedeeredude on September 28, 2008, 01:41:53 PM
For anyone who has or can get the Woodwrights Workshop book by Roy Underhill, he gives a good read on make a wooden maul for hammering wedges and gluts.  or check out this page     http://www.ropeworks.biz/reader/mauls.pdf
Title: Re: wood splitting accident
Post by: RSteiner on October 01, 2008, 06:30:57 AM
A friend had a similar thing happen.  He was splitting with a sledge and iron wedges.  A piece of the wedge broke off went through his pants and lodged quite deeply in his leg requiring surgery to remove it.

Randy
Title: Re: wood splitting accident
Post by: SPIKER on October 01, 2008, 08:46:21 AM
I work in industry, this was 2 yrs ago, working night shift, we had a bearing go bad on a large blower fan, 2 guys working on it, one was using hammer & punch to beat the bearing off the fan shaft. the bearing broke and hit the assistant and stuck into his arm hitting artery he bleed pretty bad but was OK in long run just 2 days later on day shift same exact thing different people different fan, bearing part went into the hammering guys leg required surgery to remove he also bled really bad.

so is is not always hammer or chisel that breaks off!

mark
Title: Re: wood splitting accident
Post by: Mtnjack on October 01, 2008, 12:22:26 PM
Had a fella come up to my forestry crew one day, and told us to never hit 2 hammers together.As hes telling the story he is undoing his drawers{this on the side of the road no less} showing us his dinger with stiches across the bussiness end. Ouch He tells us he is diging a well by hand and needed to straighen some old nails for the shoreing laying one nail on the hammer and hitting it with the other. A peice left the hammer and went through his paints into the above mentioned soft part.{still hurts when i think about it} Mtn Jack
Title: Re: wood splitting accident
Post by: Gary_C on October 01, 2008, 03:03:03 PM
Quote from: Mtnjack on October 01, 2008, 12:22:26 PM
Had a fella come up to my forestry crew one day, and told us to never hit 2 hammers together.As hes telling the story he is undoing his drawers{this on the side of the road no less}

If I was standing there with a chainsaw in my hands when a "fella" started taking off his drawers, I believe I'd have started my saw to see how fast he could run with his pants down.  :D :D
Title: Re: wood splitting accident
Post by: Mooseherder on October 01, 2008, 06:05:26 PM
Dats Funny Gary. :D :D