wood splitting

Having worked my way through college doing it, I'd say "AMEN".......

When my wood grenade gets broken, I buy another one.
The last 2, it was DH who broke them...HM.

Work smarter, not harder.

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Cows may not be smarter than People, but some cows are smarter than some people.

That way one would have time to go a to gym for a workout.

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United states of America

Born July 4, 1776

Died November 4, 2008

Suicide

Here are your answers:

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This is the government the Founding Fathers warned us about.....

Wedges, single bladed axe, sledghammer. Or rent or borrow a wood splitter.

i think i mis-read the OP. i thought we were splitting 30 inch long wood. oops...hehe.

yeah...chip off the sides. one good target is the area where the heartwood meets the sap wood. sometimes you just can't split it no matter what you do. i still have chunks from last year that i had to cut with a chainsaw. i had large knots going in every direction and there was no way to split it without making small chips.

about the tools...

i prefer a maul that is about 8 pounds and has a composite handle. the sleeve they use to mount the head acts as good protection to keep from destroying the handle when the swing goes wrong. a composite handle works better for me as it takes more of a beating and doesn't splinter and break as easy. also, keep your eyes open for old wedges at estate sales and such. i hate the newer wedges that have such a steep point on the business end. they tend to bounce out off hard wood. they are a bit too hard to sharpen the way you want them. i probably won't have my newest wedge sharpened the way i want it for a few years yet.

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this message has probably been edited to correct typos, spelling errors and to improve grammar...

"All that is gold does not glitter..."

I'm like Meloc, sometimes it is easier to just use the chainsaw.

I give it to my 8 year old grandson. That boy can break anything he can reach.

If you can't split a 12" long piece of wood with a sharp ax, you are better off buying an electric baseboard heater....

Just found one of those grenades at a yardsale for 50 cents...works pretty darn good. Don't ya love it when folkks don't even know what they have?

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Iris
The Last Straw (aka Helinbak Farm)
Once a Marine; always a Marine

Well Yesterday I broke Single bit ax. Took it back and got a 6lbs maul was going good and the handle broke today. The amazing thing is I wasn't missing. So back to the store for another replacement this time a composite handle is in what I am getting. How do you use one of those grenades?

We did the wedge-axe-sledgehammer method all last winter. DH and I "took turns" splitting wood, with me spending the greater portion of my "turn" finding ways to convince him that it was really his "turn" again. This year, we're just building a great big pile of wood that needs to be split, then renting a gas powered splitter to get it all split and stacked in one weekend.

just pull the pin and throw it at the woodpile.*



i have had nothing but success with the composite handled maul and axe that i have. expensive, but worth it.

*oh you were all thinking it.

My boy gave one of those wood grenades. Id give it to anybody who came here and asked for it. I use a 22lb sledge, I call the Commander, a 10lb sledge, and an 8. I started this fall with the 8 and could barely get in one wedge a night. The handle broke on the 8 and so I went to the 10. Im gonna put a small length handle, say 2ft or less, for starting wedges on the sides of logs. BUT, when I go to work with the Commander, things give way pretty fast. I also have an OLD cast iron ratchet jack I call a tractor jack. when Ive got a log to where I can run 2 wedges side by side in it, then I place the jack in, and just start jacking the log apart. I have a doz regular wedges, and ive seen the time ive used them all. I split the entire length of the log, and the longer, the better, up to say 25ft. I split them thin enough for me to pick up. When ive got the splitting done, I belt up the buzz saw to the tractor and have at it. on a long length, and by myself, Ill run it inside the woodshed as far as I can say around 10ft and make a cut, then do it again, till the entire length of the slab is cut, then I take the 10ft lengths and make 2ft lengths out of them. The saw blade actually sets inside the wood shed, so, all I got to do is give each piece a sling, and its on the pile, high and dry.

FBB, that is too much work for me!
Those wedges always bounce out and nearly hit me in ths shin or knee. Or they go in crooked. Or they get buried. THEN what?, Hmm?!
You put in a DOZEN wedges...? A ratchet jack too...
Wouldn't it just be easier to cut the logs smaller before you start splitting?


No. Wait. I get it now. This is a Guy Thing.
Nevermind little old me.
Have at it! Make it into a fun game for yourself.

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Cows may not be smarter than People, but some cows are smarter than some people.

I have never owned a wedge and i rarely pick up a maul. I chip away little pieces off the outside and work my way in with an axe. It takes too much energy for me to try to split the thing in half.
If i just can't get it with an axe, i may pick up the maul to get it started, but usually, it just gets tossed in the bonfire pile.

The type of wood will make a big difference. Sycamore is very tough to split. Ash probably the easiest. I've split many cords through the years and only had the luxury of using a hydraulic splitter twice. I Use a heavy maul and have three wedges with me, whenever I split. Be sure your piece is sitting on top of another piece that hasn't been split yet. If you try to split a piece that's on the ground, the soft earth will absorb much of the impact on the blow and you'll find it takes a lot more time to get R done.

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"Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow the fields of those who don't."-Thomas Jefferson

Try splitting green poplar! My Grandpa used to say you could put hell out with that stuff!

Sledge and wedges.

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