Dressing your wedge

[Emdiesse]

Hi All,

Got some logs I want to split up to about 8" round but I haven't really got the tools I need to split them, I was thinking I'd get a sledge hammer and a couple of wedges since I figured with that combination you could split anything! However in my search for the tools I stumbled across a few references to people being injured by shards of metal flying off their wedge and into them!

http://harmonioushomestead.com/2011/06/29/log-splitting-accident/
http://www.bcforestsafe.org/files/2010-06-01 Steel Shrapnel Injures Worker When Repairing.pdf - not a wedge, but still metal against metal

It seems that both these cases the victim was using hardened steel against hardened steel - and a wedge is probably softer steel - but I suppose the risk still exists.

Anyway, I don't know how common this type of thing is but I read it does no harm to dress your wedge - that is to grind off any of the splayed edges off metal before you strike it and I guess putting a chamfer into the edges.

I've always understood there is a rule of never striking metal against metal - and I actually feel sorry for the tools I see abused like this - watching people hammer the poll of one axe with the poll of another really sets my teeth on edge ! I guess wedges are the only exception to this rule (except I suppose forging - but the soft hot metal is a cushion here)

Anyway, since it must be the season to be splitting logs ready for the winter I figured this was a worthwhile post - if it makes people think about wearing glasses and tending to their wedges!?

However, my experience here is ... none ... so I just wondered what the experienced amongst us make of this?

Safe splitting

 

[mrcharly]

I guess you don't have an axe. What tools do you have?

8" logs aren't all that big. I'd get a simple axe and use that. Do you know what sort of wood it is?

Wedges should be made to stand up to being hammered. Most sledgehammers have case-hardened faces and if you hit one sledge against another you might get splinters.

If you are really worried and want to use wedges, make one of your logs into a maul for striking the wedge.

 

[uncleboob]

Can't you use wooden wedges for splitting, I've split along the grain before using a wooden mallet and wedges


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[Emdiesse]

Yeah, I have a hultafors long chopping axe which seems great for the majority of tasks I need to do when I am camping and I know with a few wooden wedges I could tackle anything of any size - but since this is just me wanting to split logs at home it didn't seem the right tool for the job so I figured I'd look at getting a maul or a sledgehammer and wedge and the latter just seems more versatile for other duties - like driving tent pegs into hard ground... hahaha, I kid

Also, I just found these example about people being hit by fragments of metal so thought it seemed a worthwhile post as there seems to be a lot of examples of this sort of thing happening when you search online - but this is the internet after all

I don't know, maybe it's all a fuss about nothing? Either way, I'd sooner keep two eyes and an in tact femoral artery as I'm sure most would

 

[British Red]

As you say, wedges are not hardened steel. This is what I use on firewood

5) Hand tools by British Red, on Flickr

Proper splitting wedges will split anything

12) Fitting a wedge by British Red, on Flickr

I have split rounds 3 foot and more across with up to 4 wedges. No axe or maul would split those rounds - but enough wedges did.

I confess I use a pneumatic splitter too these days

Log Splitter by British Red, on Flickr

To answer your question the strike face of the wedge does mushroom after lots of pounding and you can indeed grind that of if it worries you. I have never even seen a metal shard come off one - but I have seen plenty o splinters ly so eye protection is a must.

Wedges are a useful tool used right for the very toughest of wood to split. Traditional and very effective.

 

[Emdiesse]

Excellent, I think that sort of settles it for me as I was toying between a maul or a sledge hammer and wedges. The maul, I just don't think I'd have very many uses for asides from splitting wood - at least I could drive some posts into the ground to grow my peas up with the sledge without having to think about the sharp end

 

[British Red]

I'm not "dissing" the maul - they are useful tools - but won't split the largest rounds. They are faster on medium sized straight grained wood though. An axe is faster still - on yet smaller and straighter wood.

Your wood, your back, your call

 

[Big Stu 12]

I wonder if these Shards are from non maintained wedges..

What I mean about this is that as you hit the wedge/chisle the top will slowly deform.. and become Mushroomed, this should be ground off as it happens, if its left bits will fly off and this is whats probley dangerous

I use hamers and steel wedges and have no problems....

 

[Monikieman]

I have a lump on my leg from 8 weeks ago.

It was a 6lb shard off a 6lb wedge!!!!!

Sore....

 

[Dave Budd]

Nothing to add to the info on using wedges above, just a general one about the original mention of burrs.

ANY tool that has got a mushroomed end should have the burrs ground off regularly! This goes for wedges, axes, cold chisels etc. With time the bits of metal curl around until the elastic limit of the work hardened metal is reached or you strike awkwardly and lumps WILL fly off. If you are lucky they will vanish harmlessly into the distance, but I know people who have had them hit them and cause very nasty wounds! I have a small (5mm) scar on my arm from a curl of metal that came off a pin many years ago this way. Blacksmiths will have a lot of tools that are struck with metal and they should be dressed. Obviously we are lazy and have other things to do, but once in a while something happens to make you stop and cut the burrs off

 

[Teepee]

Not just little bits that fly off!

 

[ozzy1977]

I guess I had better get the grinder out on mine then, the old boy how gave them to me had welded over the mushroomed edges to stop the bits coming off, only problem is I have around 10 to do all have 1/2" of weld to remove

 

[Dave Budd]

I normally cut them off with a slitting disc on the angle grinder. Just place the tool mushroom up in a vice and slice of burrs like carving a cake, then tidy up with a grinding or flap disc