# Finger tip squished in splitter



## tooold (May 18, 2012)

40 years of splitting wood and now this happens to me. I just got it pinched where it should not have been. The nail got yanked out, bones broke in tip, and now is flatter than it use to be. I got a great doc to work on it so we will see how it turns out.


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## Philbert (May 18, 2012)

OUCH!!

Sorry that this happened. Any more info you can give us on what led up to it?

Hope that you get back your full use of it.

Philbert


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## Jed1124 (May 18, 2012)

Wow, that's pretty bad. Thanks for the reminder to pay attention while using my splitter. Hope you heal well.


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## tooold (May 18, 2012)

I usually like having someone run the lever on the splitter so I can position the wood with both hands. The neighbor hadn't showed up yet so I started splitting my self. Everything was going great splitting normal pieces, then, I started splitting 3" thick oak discs from when I had tuned a saw. I had a regular hunk of wood on the beam and was putting the discs in front to split because my splitter wedge is on the cylinder. I caught the finger tip between the disc and the other chunk of wood. By the time my mind registered what was going on, it was done. At least the finger was still there when I pulled the glove off. I just hate using one hand to handle the wood while the other runs the lever. Most of the time I have my wife run the lever and she does a good job at it. With both hands free to handle the wood, I keep them out to the sides more and out of danger.


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## tooold (May 19, 2012)

The doc had to take the nail off to stitch where the nail bed is because it was ripped open. Then he trimmed the old nail and used 4 stitches to hold it in place. The old nail will just protect it for a while. This thing really started hurting once the numbing shot wore off. Good thing I had pain pills from a different surgery because the ones they gave me was not doing it.


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## Metals406 (May 19, 2012)

tooold said:


> The doc had to take the nail off to stitch where the nail bed is because it was ripped open. Then he trimmed the old nail and used 4 stitches to hold it in place. The old nail will just protect it for a while. This thing really started hurting once the numbing shot wore off. Good thing I had pain pills from a different surgery because the ones they gave me was not doing it.



Ouch! That's an old roofers injury. . . Pretty common in the days before roofing nailers. One missed swing, and smoosh, fingertip gone.

Hope it heals well fer ya!


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## shooterschafer (May 19, 2012)

When I am splitting I like to use one hand , but I always spin log from th outside, I try not to put my hand on top of the log. When I have someone else run the lever it makes me nervous as I dont have control. I smashed my finger by throwing a log on the plate and not moving my hand quik enough, the finger nail still dont grow right.


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## Garden Of Eden (May 20, 2012)

January 16 this year, I crushed my left thumb with a 3 lbs sledge hammer pressing a Ujoint out for a friend. Bone in 15 pieces, disconnected ligaments, no tendons left. 2 surgeries later, I still have 2 pins in my knuckle, won't ever use it fully, and am waiting for my third surgery. My doc is a godsend, and he hates me. Lol I pray its not as bad as mine brother.

Jeff


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## pdqdl (May 21, 2012)

That looks like you got a very nicely repaired finger. Keep that doctor's name on file.

Smashed fingers hurt just about worse than anything. You have my sympathy, that'll hurt for quite a while.


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## pdqdl (May 21, 2012)

Garden Of Eden said:


> January 16 this year, I crushed my left thumb with a 3 lbs sledge hammer pressing a Ujoint out for a friend...
> Jeff



Damn! That sounds pretty rough. At least you are left handed, eh?

I learned a trick about doing u-joints years ago, while watching a driveline mechanic at work. He had a steel bench with different stubs welded onto a bench, sized to allow him to pound out the joint without putting any hands at risk. He lined up the stubs with the bottom of the u-joint, then and he only hit down with the hammer on the yoke of the driveshaft, right beside where the u-joint is. No vises were used, no punches, no parts flying all over, and more importantly, no smashed fingers. 

He did the whole u-joint repair in about 3 minutes, and I had worked on it to complete frustration and given up. Once I saw the easy way, I have never paid for a u-joint repair again.


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## Garden Of Eden (May 21, 2012)

Not to hijack, but I had a press, 15 feet away, just too lazy to build blocks, cuz you know, that takes all of 30 seconds.

Jeff


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## tooold (May 21, 2012)

Thanks for the comments guys. I am very lucky all the damage is before the first knuckle and I am right handed, it could have been so much worse. It's funny when something like this happens, all my other aches and pains seem to disappear for a while.


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## Tree Pig (May 21, 2012)

I am sorry for your accident and hope all heals well. But I have to say if you get out smarted by a splitter with a 16 cycle time you may want to consider switching to a pellet stove.


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## tooold (May 21, 2012)

My speeco is listed as a 12 sec cycle time. When I was young, we would build different set-ups with different pumps. One time we had a large single stage pump running off the crankshaft of a large tractor. With about a 3 sec cycle time and 2 people operating it, we went through tons of wood. It was deemed too fast and changed later on. This is my first splitter injury after 40 years so my record is pretty good.


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## Rudedog (May 21, 2012)

tooold said:


> 40 years of splitting wood and now this happens to me. I just got it pinched where it should not have been. The nail got yanked out, bones broke in tip, and now is flatter than it use to be. I got a great doc to work on it so we will see how it turns out.



Ouch. I did the same thing but it was between the big joint and my hand on that same finger. I was able to escape with just 5 stitches because the wood I was splitting started to crush my whole hand and in my controlled panic I was lucky enough to reverse the splitter just in time. I never listen to music or anything like that when I'm splitting. I now have slowed down a little and am more deliberate. Good luck with your healing.


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## shooterschafer (May 21, 2012)

When I have a guy a new guy running the splitter I give him the demo of the 2 inch limb layed across the top of the log , I tell them see this is your finger or hand --- chop that quick-- DO NOT PUT YOUR FINGERS WHERE YOU WOUDN'T PUT YOUR D!(K:msp_ohmy:


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