Wood-Splitting Help

[Shangas]

Hey Folks,

I wasn't too sure where to post this...so...I am posting it here.

Long story short - Once more, it is Winter in Australia, that crazy land where everything is backwards.

I have several large cross-sections of tree-trunk down the side of the house which have been sitting there for ages.

Next week is my cousin's wedding. My father and I are hosting the pre-wedding family reunion dinner at our house. As it will be extremely cold (by Australian standards, anyway), I want to get some firewood into the house for the fireplace in our living-room.

The problem is...these fat sections of trunk. They weigh about 30+lbs each, and they're much too big to fit comfortably in our fireplace.

I don't have an axe. We did have one, but we broke the handle off it, and the head was half busted anyway.

I wanted to hear from folks on the board who split their own firewood.

The local hardware store does sell axes and hatchets. They also sell steel log-splitting wedges.

How easy is it to drive a wedge through a log with a sledgehammer, and split it? I'm thinking of buying two or three wedges for this job. The sledgehammer I have already.

I'm useless with an axe. I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, so I figured this might be a safer method.

Which would be better?

An axe?

Log-splitting wedges? (And how many?)

Which one is easier?

Opinions, please!!

Here's our fireplace. As you can see, it ain't that huge. Most of the fat chunks of wood I have downstairs would hardly fit in that grate. Hence the need for an axe and splitting irons.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Around here everybody who burns wood uses a splitting maul, which is a sledgehammer where one face is a wedge. It's much heavier than an axe, and it will usually split the log with one good stroke. You need a good firm surface on which to stand the log you're trying to split -- a big tree stump is the best choice, because it won't dull the edge of the maul when it goes thru the log.

Go to the hardware store and test the mauls they have, and get the heaviest one you feel comfortable swinging. That should do the job.

 

[Renault]

What Lizzie said above!

If you can't get a splitting maul , you will be suprised what you can do with a couple of splitting wedges and a sledge hammer. I recommend two wedges as you will eventually hang one up in a stump. The second can then me used to free up the stuck one. And wedges are t too expensive.

But a maul is by far easier. Get you a good split in the wood started with axe or mail and then get the wedges in the split. Other words of advice. Do not hammer on a stick axe or maul with another metal implement. Use a piece of cut firewood or a wood mallet if you must whale away on it!
Good luck withthe cooking! And regardless of how cold it is, have an adult beverage of choice handy AFTER the splitting and such is done!!!

 

[Rudie]

How about a Leveraxe?
http://www.leveraxe.com

[video=youtube;SaEHuDsSVog]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaEHuDsSVog#t=13[/video]

 

[Hercule]

We always used to do it with wedges and a sledge. Then I broke my father's thumb (what... I was 9 at the time!) thereafter we used a splitting maul and a sledge. Never did the big swing and split in one stroke type of thing. We usually did the splitting in the winter or at least colder weather. The wood tended to split better then. In later years I've used a hydraulic splitter , which was pretty amazing and made real short work of it - did a chord of wood in less than an hour if I remember correctly.

Any rental places that cater to the weekend-warrior homeowner that rent log splitters? If not a good sledge and a couple/few wedges (helpful when you bury one in a log and it doesn't split) would do the job.

 

[HudsonHawk]

I've always used a long-handled axe. You don't have to swing it like you were Lizzie Borden either. Let the tool do the work.

 

[MikeKardec]

Let the tool do the work.

With a little practice you can get both the weight of the head and the centrifugal force of you swing to strike very hard and accurately. Feeling the weight at the end of the radius of your arm and the tool handle will allow you to sense how to increase velocity. Most of your muscle power is just hauling the head into position to start another swing. BE CAREFUL! It's best to work in a way that makes it very hard for you to hit yourself. After I got good at it I had a number of near misses and now take it all VERY seriously. A maul, for some reason, seems less likely for me to hit myself with, all my scares were with an axe before splitting. Life: Do Not Try This At Home!

 

[hatsRme]

I still enjoy the ritual, which was a favorite way for me to "evaluate" my daughters' boyfriends during that teenage period. Whenever one of those young bucks would catch sight of me splitting, they (in the spirit of Tom & Huck) always were intrigued enough to be reeled in for a few swings, or more! For your purpose, Shangas, I think a maul would be enough. And I disagree with the narrator of the video above, who said that using a conventional maul requires splitting from the inside. The simple physics of the process seem to work best when striking the outer portion, or edge of the wood. Exactly the same principle used to ring the bell at the fair, where I never failed to do so.

And it must again be added to the conversation, wood heats TWICE.

Good luck, and remember to count your fingers when finished!

 

[WesternHatWearer]

I still swing the axe to split wood but I will admit that I wear shin guards (the type football/soccer players wear.) I am fairly well versed with an axe but I still take some precautions.
As a reminder, if the axe becomes wedged in the wood, it is not the maul. Most axes do not hold up well with repeated blows to flat edge. If the axe becomes wedged, do not attempt to drive the blade the same as you would a maul. Free the axe using as little force as possible, then either re-strike with the axe or use a maul with a hammer.

I agree with HatsRme, I split from the edge and then further into the wood.
Employ a means you are comfortable and safe with. The wrong way is the one(s) that has you in the hospital explaining some injury.

 

[Nick D]

I've split an awful lot of wood, and I've taught a lot of people how to split wood over the years. Everyone has their own method (and opinion). I would say, that it's only hard if you're doing it wrong, and there are a lot of variables. I have several tools (various axes, mauls, hammers, and wedges), and I choose the appropriate one for the wood. My favorite, though, is a relatively heavy double bit axe. It's a bit too heavy in head and handle for an efficient felling axe IMO, but the balance and weight make it a good splitter.

 

[Stanley Doble]

You will need a good axe a splitting axe a couple of wedges a sledge hammer and possibly a chain saw.

The wood should be cut to the appropriate length for your stove

Wood splits easier when frozen solid (possibly not an option for you)

It splits easier from the bottom up. In other words turn the wood upside down. Compared to the way it was when it was in the tree.

Do not try to split big pieces down the middle. Split small pieces off the outside. Keep whittling away until it is small enough to split (like a foot across or smaller)

A branch creates a knot that inhibits splitting. Avoid if possible.

You should only need the wedges if you get your maul stuck.

Wear steel toe work boots and keep your feet away from anywhere your axe might land.

If there are very many wood burners in your neighborhood you may be able to rent a hydraulic log splitter from the usual rental places.

In the old days one man could cut and split a cord of wood in a day. A cord is a pile 4' high, 4' wide and 8' long.

 

[Talbot]

Congratulations on your cousins nuptuals.

A sharp axe and soft wood is one of lifes little pleasures. So is a crackling fire in Melbourne right now - with jaffle iron.

Pine, Aspen, or Willow are relatively soft and split fairly easily.

Gum is not difficult to split when its green, but when it is more than 6 months old it starts to get challenging. It doesn't easily split like you see on TV shows. Its unlikely you'll have Redgum, but if you do, good luck

If it is Arbutus, or older Gum, I use a combination of axe, splitting maul (aka logsplitter), wedges and 5kg hammer. If I have a lot (tree down - I'm on an acreage in Mt Eliza) I hire a powered unit from Coates, or pay a bloke.

You could always get some Briquettes for that vintage touch. Nothing like black smoke to clear your lungs

I like the Bhuddas Belly BTW!

 

[Shangas]

Thanks for the responses, guys!!

I had thought of getting a dedicated splitting-maul, but I really wasn't sure if I could justify the expense.

The sledgehammer I already have. As well as a crowbar for prying/easing apart stubborn splits.

I think my approach will be to get one decent axe and two or three splitting wedges. Any idiot can pound in a nail. A wedge and sledgehammer is just a huge bloody nail.

The axe we used to have (I'll call it a hatchet, really. I doubt it was a full-size axe) was a tiny little thing and the handle cracked off after the first serious use. It did the job it was meant to, but it wasn't very good at it. The head was really too narrow to cleave the logs properly. I don't think it had sufficient weight on it either.

 

[St.Ignatz]

I'm sure you have plenty to do before the guests arrive. Rent a splitter for the big stuff and get a maul for kindling. Save you back and utilise your time with the sundry touch ups we all find last minute. Most importantly enjoy your guests.
Tom D.

 

[sheeplady]

Is the wood dry? It sounds seasoned (it will be checked) but if the wood has been exposed to rain lately it will be difficult to burn. While it's not too much of a concern to have smoldering wet wood burning outside, it can get quite smoky and ill smelling inside.

If it's under cover and has been for some time (without ground contact) you should be fine.

 

[Shangas]

Got myself an axe and three splitting wedges.

So far I've cleft my way through three fat logs. It's a hell of a workout, but it's not too bad! Harder than I expected, but not impossible. Considering I have all the upper-body strength of a bunny-rabbit, I surprised myself with what I accomplished. This is my first real time splitting wood!!

I got about three or four good splits out of each log, so about a dozen or 15 pieces of usable firewood, on top of what I had already. So that's about 20-24 pieces.

I couldn't find my dad's fatass sledgehammer, so I'm using his small one...I'm tempted to turn the axe over and use the flat head as a hammer, but thusfar, the small sledge is proving adequate.

 

[Shangas]

My main tools...

...and the result of one hour's heavy pounding...

Not bad for a first-timer!

Once my arms recover, I'll have a whack at the two larger pieces on top and try and split them up a bit more.

 

[Shangas]

Start...

...Finish:

 

[scotrace]

Well Done!
I think The Art of Manliness had a tutorial up at some point.

 

[hatsRme]

It's a hell of a workout, but it's not too bad! Harder than I expected, but not impossible.

Now you understand how wood heats twice! First when splitting, then when burning... Or three times if you have to handle and restack it again.

Well done Shangas!