BS: Don't argue with an axe

Subject: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 09 Oct 21 - 11:38 AM

My finger did and the axe won! Nowt serious I'm glad to say but quite a nasty gash. Got it checked out and there was no ligament or bone damage. Didn't even get stitches as they used adhesive strips and the cut pulled together very well. In and out of A&E within an hour including x-ray and a tetanus jab. Wonderful NHS service:-)

I was lucky but it is a reminder for us all to be careful with the firewood now that season has arrived!

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Senoufou
Date: 09 Oct 21 - 11:47 AM

Ouch Dave! Glad there's no permanent damage, but I bet that hurt!
Good thing A&E sorted you out so quickly.
Round here, everyone sees to be chopping up their firewood, but some have machines which whizz round cutting up the logs, which you feed into the circular blade. Even more dangerous than an axe I reckon!

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Rain Dog
Date: 09 Oct 21 - 11:53 AM

Even when you have an axe to grind?

My father lost his sight in late life due to a stroke. One of his neighbours used to have kittens when she saw him chopping firewood. His biggest problem was finding the axe again if he set it down anywhere.

As i used to tell people, he lost his sight not his mind.

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 09 Oct 21 - 12:47 PM

Funnily enough, no, it didn't really hurt. Still doesn't. You know what they say - where there's no sense, there's no feeling :-D

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Donuel
Date: 09 Oct 21 - 01:39 PM

Do you play an instrument? Will it matter?

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 09 Oct 21 - 01:43 PM

You don’t have to chop gas. Just sayin’… ;-) :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 09 Oct 21 - 02:16 PM

I'm not going to be the one making crude jokes about
being more careful what you do with your chopper.....

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 09 Oct 21 - 02:54 PM

I play a bit, Donuel. Mainly accordion and concertina. I will have to rest up for a week or two but should regain full mobility. Doesn't make much difference at my level anyway :- D

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: G-Force
Date: 09 Oct 21 - 03:47 PM

In and out of A&E within an hour

Blimey, you did well. I went to A&E not long ago, gave up after 5 hours and went home again (wasn't prepared to pay for any more parking).

At least they rang me up a few hours later to see how I was.

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Mr Red
Date: 09 Oct 21 - 06:04 PM

Don't argue with an axe

axiomatic?

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: JennieG
Date: 10 Oct 21 - 02:17 AM

Mine was not an axe, rather a rotary cutter.....a gadget resembling a pizza cutter but smaller, used for cutting fabric for sewing. It can cut multiple layers quicker and more accurately than scissors.

A couple of days ago I was cutting strips of fabric to bind my latest quilt, had the long ruler lined up, was cutting.....when I sneezed.....fortunately quick reflexes saved the day.

I can see the headlines now: "Woman injured by rotary cutter while stripping".....

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 10 Oct 21 - 02:47 AM

my latest (paper) cut was from a baked bean lid!

But it frightened the cashier at my supermarket when I made a whimpery noise as I caught it while pulling out my receipt - he probably had visions of a customer suing them for an injury.

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: BobL
Date: 10 Oct 21 - 03:36 AM

Had an argument with a rogue angle grinder a year or two back - result: dirty great abrasions all over my tum! If I ever again need to use it one-handed, I'll find a way not to.

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 10 Oct 21 - 03:50 AM

I got smacked in the face by a big Makita angle grinder in the early 80s. I only got a bleeding nose but I've not used a tool I feel is capable of kicking back (that includes a chainsaw) since then.

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 10 Oct 21 - 04:36 AM

No messages from Eugene?

I am banned from even thinking of using a chain saw after having an accident with an angle grinder; it bounced and came down on my wrist. Lukily it missed the tendons. I spent quite a time waiting in accident and emergency then, some years ago now. I don't think they realised at first how deep it had gone.
All healed now but there is one small area with no feeling and another that is extra sensitive.

Robin.

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 10 Oct 21 - 04:47 AM

Ended up in the minor injuries unit a few weeks back after I reached across a boiling kettle to grab a tea bag. Got a beautiful scald on my forearm that turned into a great big blister. It's OK now but I think I might be keeping the red blotch for life...

I've done that manoeuvre several times a day for decades without incident...

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 10 Oct 21 - 05:35 AM

earlier in the year I wanted to know if the stove was heating & instead of holding my hand over the plate as I've done for 40 years, I put 3 finger tips lightly on it, then whipped my hand into a jug of water.

it is not easy (& very painful) replacing a raggy house skirt with a respectable one & slippers with velcro fastened sandals & putting on a jacket & unlocking the door & going down the stairs with hand in & out of a jug of water. All with my left hand!

I met a neighbour on the street who fastened my sandal so I was able to make a bit more speed as I headed for the medical centre in the next street. Covid entry took a few mins then I was sent to the nurses room where I waited for a doctor to be free. My instant first aid meant I didn't badly blister or damage my finger tips, & I went home with lumps of bandage on 3 fingers.

sandra (off to the kitchen to make dinner!)

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Donuel
Date: 10 Oct 21 - 11:26 AM

Mine was a whirlpool in a lake in Maine. I got out of the canoe and thought the whirlpool might be a wild ride. It was, I went to the bottom where broken bottles were naturally gathered and severed tendons and nerves in my left hand. The challenge of healing and surgury may have helped my playing as far as I know. Common sense was only slightly improved. Even small whirlpools are dangerous. Same with Black Holes.

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Thompson
Date: 10 Oct 21 - 02:32 PM

Ouch! Glad you're all right, Dave.

My father lost his sight in late life due to a stroke. One of his neighbours used to have kittens when she saw him chopping firewood. His biggest problem was finding the axe again if he set it down anywhere.

As long as those kittens didn't sit on the wood being chopped!

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: gillymor
Date: 10 Oct 21 - 06:26 PM

In my early 30's my partner and I were contracted to build several log cabins in the Texas Hill Country and one at Lake Medina. I bought a hammer hatchet for the job and kept it very sharp, the logs came milled but needed a bit of fitting here and there. On the last one we built I somehow, I don't remember exactly what happened, managed to clip myself in the forehead with the blade end when the tool rebounded off a member. I was out for a few minutes, bled all over the place and it took 30+ stitches to close up and left me with a vertical scar that was about 2 1/2 inches long and nearly dead center in my forehead. The most painful part was being called Hatchet Face until that morphed into just plain "Hatch". I was lucky to get a good doctor and the scar is barely visible.

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Rapparee
Date: 10 Oct 21 - 09:47 PM

My late littlest brother could sharpen things -- knives, axes, wedges, whatever.

One time he came visiting and offered to sharpen the knives. He did, and I asked him to sharpen the knife blade on my Leatherman multi-toom. He did, and said it was good enough. Inquiring what he meant he said that he never sharpened anything as well as he could because it would be "dangerous."

Of course, I convinced him to go all the way. It took some talking, but he brought the blade up what he called "dangerous."

A week later I was standing at the counter in a hardware store (ironmonger's shop) and took out the tool to cut something. Before you knew it I was bleeding all over the counter. Just a bad cut and the store had a first aid kit, but my brother certainly did say, "I told you so."

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an ex
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Oct 21 - 06:00 PM

.

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Raggytash
Date: 11 Oct 21 - 06:03 PM

Perhaps thats the most sensible thing you've posted for months Donuel!!

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Senoufou
Date: 12 Oct 21 - 04:09 AM

Every week we buy some Purina cat food as a little treat each morning for my neighbour's cat Pippin. But every blooming time I open the small cardboard box and take out all the sachets to put on the shelf, I get several paper cuts. The sachets are made of a kind of aluminium foil, and the edges are razor sharp. My fingertips are cut to ribbons. I feel like writing to Purina to point this out.
If he's around, husband grabs the carton, rips it apart and gets the sachets safely onto the palm of his hand. He reminds me of those 'strong men' who used to tear a telephone directory in half with their bare hands!

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 12 Oct 21 - 09:05 AM

Purina are probably angling to market a specialist sachet opener at an inflated price!

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Senoufou
Date: 12 Oct 21 - 11:19 AM

I feel like writing a letter of complaint to Purina using a quill pen dipped in my blood Robin!

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: leeneia
Date: 12 Oct 21 - 01:16 PM

Hey, Dave. Can your retire that ax? I bought a curved handsaw at the garden store that can cut through a good-sized limb quickly. If it would work for you, it would be a lot safer.

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Helen
Date: 12 Oct 21 - 03:08 PM

Which limb do you want to cut, leeneia? An arm or a leg? :-D

For you, Black belt caterpillar wrestler

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 Oct 21 - 03:26 AM

I have a good bow saw that I cut wood across the grain with. The axe is to split it down the grain and that is what I was doing to make kindling. The problem was that I used a portable workbench for the sawing and I tried to split the wood on it too. It was too unstable for chopping and "bounced" back. I'll stick to the patio steps for splitting in future!

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 13 Oct 21 - 06:37 AM

We just buy kindling these days.

For cutting small limbs, I don't fancy using one but my gardener brother recommends this Stihl mini chainsaw

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Donuel
Date: 13 Oct 21 - 06:46 AM

Pros have been using those for years while suspended high in the trees on safeety lines. Its a game changer.

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 13 Oct 21 - 09:45 AM

This thread reminds me I need to look at the Clarke log splitter round the back to find out if it is still useable. It was bought new a few years ago but never used other than to test it and has just sat under a tarpaulin cover.

If it is still in reasonable condition, would any one here be interested in it? I'd be happy to let it go for free (or perhaps a small optional donation to a charity) to someone who'd collect it. Cromer area UK.

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 13 Oct 21 - 09:50 AM

Cromer to Cornwall? If you were next door I'd buy it from you. Do you think it might go large letter rate? :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 13 Oct 21 - 09:56 AM

I've just looked for a route on Google maps. Bude to me is 390 miles!

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 13 Oct 21 - 10:30 AM

And now it has come to mind, I've had a look at it (picture here)

There is a fair bit of rust on the top left part that pushes into the logs but I think a bit of sanding and Hammerite would do there. Other than that, it needs a good clean. I've tried it with a log and it seems to be working well.

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: Rapparee
Date: 14 Oct 21 - 09:19 PM

Jon, if you can get it to Idaho I know someone who'd be interested (no, not me).

Subject: RE: BS: Don't argue with an axe
From: leeneia
Date: 15 Oct 21 - 05:42 PM

That sounds like a good idea, Dave. I'm glad you have a safer way.