Axe rules you routinely break

Many years ago I worked on a survey crew and my axe was an intregal component to my daily work. I was usually assigned "point", clearing the way with axe and chainsaw for the transit to have a clear view down the line.
On a break, a new fellow worker insited on sharpening his axe with a stone working against the edge towards the handle. I cautioned him about the danger of slicing ones hand while sharpening that way. "Not to worry" he said, moments before I caught a glimpse of white bone as he sliced deeply into his hand.

...There was also the newby that swung an axe high in prepartation for a powerful downward stroke but he had failed to check to see if anyone was directly behind him. The back head of his axe made contact with the person behind him resulting in a concussion and many stiches to close a serious scalp/scull wound.

Chainsaws...how 'bout the time on the crew when another newby was using a full-sized chainsaw reaching high above his shoulders to cut a large limb. We had often discussed the dangers of that practise but on this day we really learned why that's not a safe thing to do. The saw bucked back, he lost control and the blade caught him on the side of the face and then ran down the front of him from his shoulder to his navel...I forget the exact number, but I think he needed over 200 stiches. Fortunately, the blade did not dig in and cut deeply enough to make a mess of his inards.
 
I believe whatever rules you brake or have broken Rule #1 should be something like

"Whatever you think, however you feel, no matter how much or how many substances you have abused in the past few hours/days/weeks/years. Wood will always be tough and Humans will always be squishey with a bit of crunchyness spread unevenly inside of them."
 
leebrewer said:
Dont sharpen your axe / tomahawk while laying in bed watching TV. Dont fall asleep with your axe / tomahawk in bed.
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Good advice, and a rule I have broken more than once.

Also, slightly off topic, never fall asleep while actually holding an unsheathed sword in your hands above you!

I did that once too, and luckily it was the flat of the blade that smacked me right in the face, not the edge (it was pretty blunt, but would have split me wide open anyway).

I woke up suddenly thinking some one had punched me in the face!

My dad was a logger for a while. I grew up cutting our own fire wood. We have cut down trees bigger than 4 foot across the base. When we do trees like that, you really, really need to pay attention. Number one rule I learned.........figure out how tall the tree is first, then park at least twice that distance away when felling. We had a guy park is rig too close. He did not think the tree was going to go that way, and he thought he was far enough away. He was wrong on both accounts. Totaled his vehicle, it was smashed so bad, it could not even be driven back down the 15 miles of logging road! It was an expensive tow!

Another rule was good gloves for using the chain saw.

My dad always used those fluffy slippery cotton gloves (his were always yellowish orange) I don't know what you call them. I have seen him get kissed by the chain saw and the gloves just slid the chain. Scary, to say the least, but no cut on his hand.

I have seen the same situation with a regular leather glove. Went through like butter. That friend (also a life long logger, though has not done it for a living in a very long time) really badly cut his hand with just a bump. He had leather only gloves.
 
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Bigfattyt said:
Also, slightly off topic, never fall asleep while actually holding an unsheathed sword in your hands above you!

I did that once too, and luckily it was the flat of the blade that smacked me right in the face, not the edge (it was pretty blunt, but would have split me wide open anyway).

I woke up suddenly thinking some one had punched me in the face!
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Hahahaha! I know what you mean.:o
 
I am sure I break most of them. The number one for me though is heavy leather boots. I just can't wear them. It is what it is.
No guards on my saws. Hard hat never, unless I am forced. Gloves no. Eye protection only if I pick up a grinder or high speed tool. In fact when I was employed where eye protection was manditory I simply knocked the lenses out of them.
I am pretty aware. I never have been in a work related accident. As many years as I have run saws, nail guns ect, that says something even if I break saftey rules.
The thing that I have learned more often than not is that the guy that cuts himself or nails his foot to the deck is the same guy that will do it again. You would think that it would be a lesson learned the hard way but it doesn't usually work that way.
 
I don't mind hardhats at all. And I prefer full brim. I plan on getting one of the micarta ones (Skull Guard) that MSA makes. :D
 
M3mphis said:
2. Always kneel when chopping with an axe shorter than full size.
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This one. It's one I only came across recently, but I thought people were a little crazy for being so on about it. Just bend your knees and make sure the blade stays on a horizontal plane. Doesn't seem that complicated! People shouldn't be swinging axes in big arcs anyways.
 
I routinely run chainsaws cutting and splitting firewood wearing nothing more than barefeet, shorts and sometimes go as far as wearing flip flops. I'm well seasoned doing this and never had an accident, as others have said pay attention to what you are doing at all times. I've been running chainsaws since the 1970's cutting wood for the family camp and for heating my home with wood as my main heat source. The only safety gear is some tissue paper in the ears for ear protection as that Jonsered super 63 is a loud saw, and my leather welding apron to shield me from sawdust.

There was one time though while splitting wood with a loose axe head. It was a 5 pound splitting head on a wooden handle, and finally came the day when the axe head went flying up towards the big window on the house and hit the wall only inches away from the glass. I stopped right then and bought a better axe. I
 
fast14riot said:
For me its mostly with storage or leaning axe against something.
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That's one I occasionally break. I need to build a rack.

Another rule I occasionally break is never leaving a sharp tool in the vise. Sometimes when I'm sharpening an axe I get momentarily distracted and walk away without first removing the axe from the vise. It would be very easy for someone else to walk by or stumble into that sharp bit.

I try to remember to wear a glove on my filing hand, especially when the edge is finally get sharp. But sometimes I forget. Wearing a glove while using a hammer or hatchet can increase the risk of tendinitis/carpal tunnel. But I haven't found that to be an issue when swinging a full size axe - different grip - different sets of control muscles at play.

I'm pretty religious about eye/ear protection. The construction trade has ingrained that in me.


Operator1975 said:
I don't chop like a girl.
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There's a girl at the Washington Trails Association that I wish I chopped like!
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
I don't mind hardhats at all. And I prefer full brim.
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They shed the rain onto your slicker rather than down your neck. That's a good thing.


garry3 said:
No guards on my saws.
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You wouldn't be allowed on my jobsite.


I never have been in a work related accident.
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The above almost guarantees that you will be. Good luck with that. The number one 'no guard' accident on the jobsite is somebody shimming the guard on a wormdrive saw. Chop saws and tables saws are next on the list. I've seen some bad accidents and seen way too many guys missing portions of their hands.
 
Square_peg said:
The above almost guarantees that you will be. Good luck with that. The number one 'no guard' accident on the jobsite is somebody shimming the guard on a wormdrive saw. Chop saws and tables saws are next on the list. I've seen some bad accidents and seen way too many guys missing portions of their hands.
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I used a really nice Milwaukee wormdrive saw on a volunteer framing project a couple years ago. The guy had the guard wired back, and I didn't have any other saws with me. I hated it. I can't see any benefit to it either. That's one rule that I won't toy around with. I don't even own a guard for my table saw, but I wish I did.
 
Eye protection is so damn easy to wear...I can't understand that one either.
 
Yeah that reminds me that I need to put a pair of safety goggles back in my pack. Took 'em out to do a project and they never went back in. PPE is my friend.
 
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