A good friend of mine, is sitting at home with a fractured skull today. A certified Arborist, and Nationwide educater on tree health..and no stranger to a log splitter.
Sunday he was splitting wood and POW! got a face full of metal, seems his log splitter’s FLYWHEEL exploded. His safty glasses saved his eyes ( they too, exploded) and his skull was fractured with serious lacerations.
I don’t know the rest of the details yet, he just got released from the hosp yesterday, and I didn’t want to pester him, talking is even difficult for him.
What I do know is it is not a little Chinese POS splitter, a Vermeer about 15 yrs old..and what causes a flywheel to lunch is still not known. I know he has split hundreds of cords of wood in his time..this is a strange one.
Once agian, be careful out there, ya never know when something will reach out and touch you.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
“Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire”
Replies
damn man, truly a bummer.
be still trying to rationalize the use of the woodstove and all it involves while sitting here with a sore back from chainsawing lumber yesterday
Peaceful,
easy feelin'?
eh...sometimes.
Edited 1/30/2008 2:14 pm ET by rez
Chainsaws are what we think of when we think "I'm gonna die" doing this..not splitters
Peacefull easy FELLINGSpheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
"be still trying to rationalize the use of the woodstove and all it involves while sitting here with a sore back from chainsawing lumber yesterday"I know what you mean....I've been on the floor a couple days from a bad back after cutting/splitting/stacking firewood. Do your back a favor and take a look at a coal stove instead of wood. I can testify that it is much, much easier on the back. It is less messy that carrying cordwood in the house, my wife can testify to that. My Harmon Mark III puts out enough heat for our 2,000 sq ft ranch that the furnace doesn't need to kick on. Mine is a hand fed, but you can get hopper or stoker fed. Mine burns wood pretty well also so I can get rid of the blow downs when I feel like it.
Edited 1/30/2008 3:37 pm ET by bp21901
I used coal for 3 yrs in Pa. It was plentiful and $$$ about the same for a ton of chestnut coal or a cord of wood. I will never go back to coal, it was way way more dirty and never free , like wood can be.
One year we didn't get the 4 ton delivered in time before an ice storm and subsequent snow after snow made my long lane impassable to the delivery truck. I hauled 100lb bags in my Toyota 4wd as far as I could make it, and then loaded thebags on a sled and drug it upto the house. Ride the sled a 1/4 mile back down to the truck and repeat..that kinda suckked. Big time, and the next time too, and the time after that.
For sure the next year we had the coal room full in SEPT. LOL.
I average 1-1.5 cords a month here, depending on the temps and wind..I think I stoked in a 1/2 cord just last weekends 3 days with lows in the singles..
Back to the subject, I don't own a splitter except for the slege and mauls and a goofy slide hammer type doo dad I got as a gift..I buy presplit wood, and it's still a bargin at just about 90 a cord for a new contact I made..he delivers for that. My old supplier was more like 60 a cord, but bigger not as dried and I load and haul 10 miles.
Even if I did want coal here in KY, I don't think it is anthracite (hard) it is bituminous and not nearly as good per BTU/Ton.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
I'm surprised you found it dirtier, I guess it is all in the storage set up that makes it better or worster. I keep my pile outside in an old garage and bring it in using 5 gallon buckets, keeps all the dust outside. Bringing in cordwood to the basement is way dirtier (and "buggier").It runs me about $175 / ton if I get it delivered and I use about 2 ton a year. Propane furnace only gets used if I'm sick or away for a couple days. Keeps the house at around 70 - 72. Only down side is that there is no off switch! On New Years Eve we had the windows open, we had a "warm front" come in late in the day and it warmed up to about 55* outside and about 78* inside! LOL
Mine was dumped into small room built into the basement for that purpose, had a hose bib there to keep wetting it down to slow the burn and help with the dust.
Used 2 ,5 gal buckets a day, one in the morning and one at night. So yeah, coal dust was everywhere.
But that one year, my lane was like the luge, aand cutting standing dead wood was the only real option after dragging up the sacks..man we were cramming pallets into the fireplace that year..'92 I think it was. Electric back up heat is no good when ya have rolling blackouts too..the Delaware River froze up down in Philly, and no fuel for the power plants was coming in..I mean it was a killer winter.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
I remember that one, you are right, either '92 or '93. We had about 3 ice storms come through in a row. We lost power for about 4 days, although when the sun shone through the iced up trees it sure looked purty! Heated & cooked on the coal stove (we hadn't swapped out the electric stove for the lp yet). Had the generator hardwired to the well pump (yes, it was disconnected it from the panel so it wouldn't backfeed). Emptied the refrigerator & freezers into coolers on the deck. For weeks after that we would lose power about once a week for 8 hours at a clip when more damaged tree branches would come down on the wires. I use the same strategy for my coal stash as you did, get it filled up by September!
Back in the 70's right after the first oil troubles a lot of people started to burn wood. Prior to that I had never seen a wood stove of any kind, just fireplaces. The first thing to come out on the market were Franklin stoves which were next to useless and after nearly setting fire to my new house with one I started to look around for alternatives to stoves and wood.
Being brought up in England I remembered we only used coal so I started to look around for a coal supplier. To make a really long story short, we ended up in the coal business and used to bring coal up to Canada from Pennsylvania. We learned more about coal than most people. We also learned what you can burn coal in.
Basically there are 4 types of coal :anthracite, bituminuos, sub-bituminous and lignite and they basically need different appliances to burn them in for proper efficiency.
I hadn't thought of burning coal for a long time but now that I am living on the west coast where our provincial flower is mildew I think I'm going to look at coal again. The main reason is that living on the west coast it rains 200% of the time and that all wood must be sheltered. With coal, rain is never an issue. It always burns.Again provided you have the right appliance. As an example, in most cases if you put anthracite in a fireplace it acts and burns like gravel.
Anthracite has more BTU's per pound but is very hard. Under proper conditions it gives a more even clean heat over a longer period of time. The other end of the scale, lignite burns very easy but is super dirty and has less BTU's per pound.
It brings back memories.
roger
The way I mix into wood and keep things clean is to use brown paper bags from teh grocery. I fill eth bag halfway with the coal nuggets and roll the top, then lay it the bundle in on top of the wood coals
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I never think of wood as free, een though I have never paid a diome for it.There is the chainsaw, the sore back, the time spent getting and splitting and feed it.And of course, the occasional thing like a fractured skull. dqamn. That's the kind of thing you never anticipate! He got insurtance and family?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
No dependant children at home, and scads of INS. due to his Tree Business , lucky for him.
His wife is retired from working for the State Dept. for the Aging or something like that, so she is home FT to help him.
He's only 55 or so. From what I can gather there should be no long lasting permanent damage, but he ain't too happy right about now.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
only bones I've broke have been a couple fingers and toes.
I can only think of two bones I would hate to have broken.One is my skull
And the other would move this thread to the tavern.best wishes to him.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
had a friend 58,broke that second one you listed.atcually have a name for it. what a man at 58! guys 30 years younger can't top that one. larryif a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
>>>One is my skull
And the other would move this thread to the tavern.LOL, you sick fekker.Sphere, I wish your friend a speedy recovery.Scott.Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.”
I average 1-1.5 cords a month here
In Kentucky? Do you keep all the windows open?
I knew a guy in Tennessee who heated a pot-bellied stove with coal until it glowed red and regulated the house temperature by how much the front door was open.Riversong HouseWright
Design * * Build * * Renovate * * ConsultSolar & Super-Insulated Healthy Homes
Ha, you never saw the thread on my house.
150+/- year old saddle bag log home 16x42 1.5 stories, with a 16x42 stick frame addition ( poorly built) to total 2400 sqft of nightmareish hell.
If you want a chuckle I'll find the link.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
150+/- year old saddle bag log home 16x42 1.5 stories, with a 16x42 stick frame addition ( poorly built) to total 2400 sqft of nightmareish hell.
I hope if you go to sell the place some day you leave that out of the advertisement!
Yeah, that doesn't really say "Buy me" very well does it? LOL.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
Back to the log splitter incident... Wish your bud a speedy recovery...
Regarding the log splitter, I've rented and/or used log splitters a number of times although I gave up messing with fire wood a number of years ago, but anyway, I'm having a little trouble envisioning a flywheel on a log splitter - unless it is just the regular flywheel on the gas/diesel engine... If that is the case, it almost sounds like he musta had the engine shroud off or something... ????
I don't know. I have not been up to his house to see the carnage, but I should be there soon.
It does sound as if it was an open spinning thing..not good, but hes not the kind of guy to go taking off safty parts ( unlike me).Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
I was impressed that you said the guy was wearing safty glasses...
makes you think that the only safe thing to do is sit in front of your TV. Even then you end up dying with a atrophied and bloated body due to the chips and beer... ;-) Me? I'll take my chances in the real world...
I wondered the same thing Matt did. Might be one of those peculiar splitters that uses a flywheel instead of hydraulic pump? Super-fast. A buddy here had one but would never loan it to me.
This makes my PTO screw spinning at 200 rpm look extremely safe.
Down to 1.5 cords/mo... Tell River about your first years' consumption here:PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Tell River about your first years' consumption here:
What am I looking at? A heavy stick frame with wood slab and stone infill? That must have been cozy!
As for the flywheel incident, I'm assuming it was the engine flywheel that failed and blew through the crankcase. It can happen. On old highschool buddy, whose drag strip pit crew I was sort of on, had his clutch fly apart as he was shifting into 3rd gear. Since he didn't have a steel bell housing, it could have taken his leg off, but all it did was torque the Hurst shift lever into his leg and almost knock him unconscious.Riversong HouseWright
Design * * Build * * Renovate * * ConsultSolar & Super-Insulated Healthy Homes
94969.2
Sphere's house is 'Kentucky Home'.
Peaceful,easy feelin'.
Nope..THIS is the one..
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages/?msg=38593.0Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
Take a peek at the thread. Those are logs.
IIRC, it was something like a cord/wk to keep water in the pipes liquid.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
it was something like a cord/wk to keep water in the pipes liquid.
I worked years ago at an apple orchard near the seacoast of NH, which had a 3-storey farmhouse that was a stagecoach inn once upon a time.
There was a wood-burning furnace in the basement that would hold about 1/5 of a cord at a loading. To keep up with it, we had to chuck green 4' logs down the bulkhead every day, and it consumed about 30 cord a year.Riversong HouseWright
Design * * Build * * Renovate * * ConsultSolar & Super-Insulated Healthy Homes
No, it's all log there, Those "studs" were nailers for the Yellow Poplar beveled siding that was added in the 20's.
Best is to gaze at the thread pics..it's a work in progress..LOLSpheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
Sorry, that was not the right thred..here YA GO
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages/?msg=38593.0Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
Ya, but I have free firewood except for the trade off on the labor getting it from outback.
Buddy using coal mixed with his firewood and likes it.
Me I'm too poor for anything but the labor trade off.
Time to get creative if this is how it is going to be.
be dreaming flatbeds, winches, and hoists to get the logs up off the ground so I can cut standing up...and a slew of other creations
I once had aPeaceful,easy feelin'.
Edited 1/30/2008 4:14 pm ET by rez
"be dreaming flatbeds, winches, and hoists to get the logs up off the ground so I can cut standing up...and a slew of other creations "Here is an idea for you to improve upon....http://www.interpretermagazine.org/interior.asp?ptid=43&mid=12531At $175 / ton you could sell off your wood and subsidize your coal usage!
That's a sweet contraption.
View Image
be 3 Stils, a Poulan and a Craftsmans
Peaceful,easy feelin'.
Edited 1/30/2008 5:20 pm ET by rez
where do you get coal ?.
.
., wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?
outta the ground...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Thank You Mr. Helper ! let me know the next time you need questions..:).
.
., wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?
any time....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Obvious answer.....coal dealer..... ;-)We have a few of them around here. When you get a little further up in northeast and north central PA there are a lot of them. I buy in bulk, a couple ton at a time, they deliver or you can pick up. You can also buy in bags which is a good idea if you want to check out the quality of the coal they are selling before committing to a couple ton.
I asked because it appears there are no dealers in Indiana.
.
., wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?
There are a couple out there, one in Topeka, IN even sells anthracite. But it's harder to find there than in the PA area thats for sure.
Topeka is Amish country about 60 miles from me........should have guessed it. many Thanks.
.
., wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?
Check you yellow pages. I have never lived anyplace i could not buy it, except that I never tried in Florida, so I don't know about that....
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
since my in-laws are in Fla.I'll never find out either.
.
., wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?
There is a lot to be said for coal. I use it occasionally mixed with the wood.But onwing a woodlot and driving past lots of downed trees along the road, and occasionally taking trees down for building, means it would be irresponsible for me to heat without using wood primarily
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Also, I would think coal is pricey on your island. Can't be too cheap to barge it in and unload it.I too have never paid for the wood - unless you count the chainsaw, splitter, fuel & oil for both, time involved, extra chain & files for sharpening, bottles of advil for the tendonitis, etc.But then balance that against all the health club membership fees I didn't have because of the exercise I got and its a wash.
I think I found it..http://www.clickstoves.com/
I'll call them tomorrow.
.
., wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?
Coal hauls same as heating oil - on a truck on the ferry
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
we all make assumptions everyday that something could go wrong, but a flywheel
I hope your friend will be OK Sphere,
.
.
, wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?
Not much you can do if its your day for the piano to fall on you.
jt8
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals." -- Sydney Smith
GREAT...a killer logsplitter thread the day AFTER I finish my splitter....good timing.
Nice! Oil in the frame like a Buell....Smart. Is that really a 5hp? How's it work for you?
Nice.
Put it together yourself? How'd you do it and about how many $s involved?
Peaceful,easy feelin'.
I got a W24 x 8 beam for free(left over from somewhere) that had been around for 30 years...took some grinding, stole the engine off the kids go-kart, the axle was a freebee from some old cart but had good bearings and spindles, had to get wheels and tires..$37 each.. Had to buy the pump(ebay) valve and cylinder at tractor supply and hoses. The rest I made from stuff around the shop. Lots of welding.....but it works good.
I pretty much just wanted to make one..I've got a BIG Rayco 13HP with lift and all that set me back $5000 3 years ago that stays at the wood lot...this one was for home and smaller stuff.
I've got less than $500 in it(that's what I started with in the envelope and there is still cash in there) Keith C
I just got a call with an update and more info.
It was the MAGNETO that flew apart / off and faced him..they found hunks like the screen over the pull rope , yards away..and shrapnel. Oh, and half a tooth..eecch.
Dave just doesn't recall much other than that.
The brain swelling is near his speech center, so he SOUNDS a lil goofy, but makes sense. He doesn't have a codone type pain killer , it is not good for closed head wounds. He was told.
He'll try to get back in the office next week and handle the phone work, he'll not be in the field for a while yet.
His demeanor is good tho' I had him laffing it up..plan is to get a new motor for the splitter, and have a target practice day with the old one..time to get the FMJ .223's dusted off.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
Glad to hear he's doing ok. That is the first magneto shrapnel injury I've ever heard of.....freaky.
Same here.
The last mower engine I tore apart had a keyway, and mabey a jesus clip holding everything on the shaft. Something let loose in a hurry by the sound of it.
I gotta tell the wife, I shouldn't be riding the 18HP lawn tractor this summer, might get hurt!Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
Got another cord today from fallen limbs just down the road. Trailer stayed on pavement the whole time. Maybe I should be charging for hauling it off.
Keep this up and I'll be sellin' firewood to the natives.
be campground ladies sing this song doodah doodah
Peach full,easy feelin'.
Cool.
I went out the back 40 and snagged more dead locust, doan wanna get afull load and have it hangng around in my way for summer siding work..cuz I KNOW I am done with the woodstove ANY DAY NOW Right?
Be please be anydaySpheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
It was a nice toasty 22 this morning here. No, we don't need no stinkin fires.
I think our low was 33 or so, we got a day or so of chilly, then it looks like moderate temps 40's/50's for a day or two, then I saw a 70 on thurs I think..on the 10 day forcast..but that warm means wet this time of year.
I am ready to be done with firewood now..the fun wears off by Halloween it seems.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
Wish I had a woodburner. I burn natural gas thankfully, but it's still an expensive way to heat. We certainly have had some weird weather lately. Light snow all day Saturday. Today was very nice and sunny.
Enough already. This is ME on Friday morning 11 o clock. Oh by the way..I burn wood and probably will still be doing so in May
Gary
I'm walking behind snowblower- not sitting
Edited 3/23/2008 10:38 pm ET by hartlandboy
Hee hee, that makes my flurries look like nothing!
Sorry to hear that -:)
Gary
One of those trees had a strange growth ring on it.
On some limbs after about a two inch wide heart center there was a quarter inch red colored ring then it resumed back to it's normal yellow/tan.
I was surprised at how red it was. I mean closer to red than a maroon.
True I might be a maroon but this was a shade of red like closer to a blood red.
What would cause a single area of growth ring like that? Overly wet or dry growing season?
be whatta maroon
Peach full,easy feelin'.
Rez,You asked, "What would cause a single area of growth ring like that?"Maybe some sort of red dye got into the tree's roots that year and stained the tissue as it grew. Somebody spilled a lot of red Kool-aid, maybe?Bill
Maybe tomorrow I'll get a pic of it
Peach full,easy feelin'.
Need a pic to be sure. Lightning strike sounds possible.
I am hooked up with one of the Country's best arborists..been seeing some pretty cool trees and lumber..and getting a hell of an education.
Get me a pic, I'll get you an answer.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"