# I am new at this forum but have experience from Arboristsite Forum



## akkamaan (Apr 16, 2015)

Hi All!
I am new to this forum but have a past at many other forums. Arboristsite is the one of them, where I spent most of my time. I like to give my input on splitting equipment like mauls, axes and hydraulic splitters. I am a retired Swedish forest engineer, and teaching logging and forestry, between 1975 and 2000, and I have lived in the US since then.
I have been using a Fiskars 28" splitting axe and a bungee cord the last 7 years....
I will start little slow, checking out the past year of posts here, and see what new I can learn...

Per A
Port Angeles WA
USA


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## DoubleB (Apr 16, 2015)

Hi Akkamaan,
Welcome to Hearth!  I am sure learning a lot here, so hopefully you'll find it interesting too.

Take care,
DoubleB


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## Ram 1500 with an axe... (Apr 16, 2015)

Welcome, share your wisdom.....


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## DougA (Apr 16, 2015)

Welcome


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## akkamaan (Apr 16, 2015)

Thanks folks! I appreciate it!


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## Mag Craft (Apr 16, 2015)

Welcome to the forum and hope to see more of your posts.


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## Jags (Apr 17, 2015)

Welcome aboard.


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## Oldman47 (Apr 17, 2015)

Welcome to this forum.
I don't recall seeing your logon ID on that other forum but all of my time there is spent in the wood heating section, not the other sections.


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## TreePointer (Apr 17, 2015)

Welkome, Akkamaan!   There are many folks who check in here to take a break from the AS insanity.


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## akkamaan (Apr 17, 2015)

Oldman47 said:


> Welcome to this forum.
> I don't recall seeing your logon ID on that other forum but all of my time there is spent in the wood heating section, not the other sections.


Hi! Thanks for your response. I kinda "left" before the hacking started there about 3-4 years ago. I am still a member there, but I only go in there twice a year, and check for PM's
The entire site there is screwed up, but most of my posts have seems to be there still.



Login into Arboristsite to see my posting history...
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/search/1186745/


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## Jags (Apr 17, 2015)

I remember you.


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## Diabel (Apr 17, 2015)

Welcome to the forum!

This might be a silly question...
What is the bungee cord for?


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## BrotherBart (Apr 17, 2015)

You put around a round when splitting to hold it together so you don't spend your time standing pieces back up to get the whole thing split.


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## Diabel (Apr 17, 2015)

Got it
Thanks BB
Like the old tire thing
Cheers


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## Diabel (Apr 17, 2015)

Diabel said:


> Got it
> Thanks BB
> Like the old tire thing
> Cheers




IKEA thing!!


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## highanddryinco (Apr 18, 2015)

Welcome to the forum.
I've been away a while myself. Been over at the Ram EcoDiesel forum contemplating a new ride. What a pleasure it is to come back over here where mostly friendly folks wanting to help each other reside.
Still burning here in Denver. Played golf last weekend. Chilly nights and snow storms rolling through now. Springtime in the Rockies.


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## 1kzwoman (Apr 18, 2015)

BrotherBart said:


> You put around a round when splitting to hold it together so you don't spend your time standing pieces back up to get the whole thing split.



Welcome!!
Thank you for bungee tip, kinda a well duh, after you point it out!


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## akkamaan (Apr 18, 2015)

1kzwoman said:


> Welcome!!
> Thank you for bungee tip, kinda a well duh, after you point it out!


I posted first bungee video in march 2008...


the 2nd in August the same year


After that, Lifehacker.com found out, and it went viral over a weekend. A year later other bungee videos started to show up on Youtube.  
http://lifehacker.com/5404331/use-a-bungee-cord-to-chop-wood-more-efficiently

A german guy, replaced the rope with a 1" link chain, and that's what I am using today. 
http://lifehacker.com/5801326/chop-wood-more-efficiently-by-wrapping-a-chain-around-a-log

Another guy in Oregon, picked it up and made a much larger wrap around on his driveway, like a 1/4 of a cord, and that video have 1.8 million views today.


Like 4 years ago, someone third actually did commercialize the idea and have marketed it as the "Woodstrapper Firewood Strap". But I can't see it on the market in US. Only in UK for £16.50 ($25)...
The chain and bungee cord is <$5...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/WOODSTRAPPER-FIREWOOD-LOG-STRAP-CARRIER/dp/B00HNP5X7U









I believe this guy shows the best how it can be used, I think it is an almost perfect tool today, but as I said the chain bungee, only cost a couple of bucks, and the chain can not be cut off....LOL


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## colin.p (Apr 22, 2015)

BrotherBart said:


> You put around a round when splitting to hold it together so you don't spend your time standing pieces back up to get the whole thing split.


The only problem with that is with my "dead - on" aim, I keep cutting the darn bungy cord.


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## akkamaan (Apr 22, 2015)

colin.p said:


> The only problem with that is with my "dead - on" aim, I keep cutting the darn bungy cord.


Another reason to hit the far away side...


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## KenLockett (Apr 22, 2015)

akkamaan said:


> Another reason to hit the far away side...
> View attachment 157355


In my case no matter how I strategize the aim I ultimately end up hitting the bungee and with the sharp fiskars it chops it right in two!


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## akkamaan (Apr 22, 2015)

well, you have some home work to do[emoji19]


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## maple1 (Apr 23, 2015)

akkamaan said:


> Another reason to hit the far away side...
> View attachment 157355


 
That's gotta be harder on axe handles though?


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## akkamaan (Apr 23, 2015)

maple1 said:


> That's gotta be harder on axe handles though?


1. Fiskar promise "liftime" warranty on the handle, no questions asked
2. If you watch my videos, I don't hit the handle into the wood, right?


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## maple1 (Apr 23, 2015)

Do you have any videos of splitting hardwood? Or stuff that doesn't split that easy? I don't think there is anything growing here that would split apart that easy, except maybe a chunk of windfall spruce with absolutely no knots. Usually needs more than one hit, or a deeper one that would make the handle hit the wood.


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## akkamaan (Apr 23, 2015)

maple1 said:


> Do you have any videos of splitting hardwood? Or stuff that doesn't split that easy? I don't think there is anything growing here that would split apart that easy, except maybe a chunk of windfall spruce with absolutely no knots. Usually needs more than one hit, or a deeper one that would make the handle hit the wood.


I only split Douglas Fir and occasionally Western Hemlock and Cedar.
But youtube is full videos people splitting all kind of hardwood
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=splitting+hardwood


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## Diabel (Apr 23, 2015)

The hemlock here on the east coast is not easy to split. The 40" rounds will only give in to a hydrolics


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## ambull01 (Apr 23, 2015)

maple1 said:


> Do you have any videos of splitting hardwood? Or stuff that doesn't split that easy? I don't think there is anything growing here that would split apart that easy, except maybe a chunk of windfall spruce with absolutely no knots. Usually needs more than one hit, or a deeper one that would make the handle hit the wood.



lol. That's exactly what I was thinking. Those "swings" looked more like love taps. I think I would barely make an indent if I swung like that. Also, can't believe people are buying that freaking magic strap thing. 

Putting the round on another round seems to make a big difference vs splitting it on the ground. That's about the extent of my splitting knowledge


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## akkamaan (Apr 23, 2015)

ambull01 said:


> lol. That's exactly what I was thinking. Those "swings" looked more like love taps.


I do not over swing, waste of energy. These logs are pretty easy to split



> Also, can't believe people are buying that freaking magic strap thing.


So you don't agree the bungee is OK? You said "can't believe..." LOL



> Putting the round on another round seems to make a big difference vs splitting it on the ground. That's about the extent of my splitting knowledge


Safety since you give hands a chance to be level or lower with axe head at impact , but also make the axe edge square to the log which improves efficiency


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## sequoia (Apr 23, 2015)

Could you include a link to the arborist forum website?


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## BrotherBart (Apr 23, 2015)

http://www.arboristsite.com


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## ambull01 (Apr 23, 2015)

akkamaan said:


> I do not over swing, waste of energy. These logs are pretty easy to split
> 
> 
> So you don't agree the bungee is OK? You said "can't believe..." LOL
> ...



Oh I totally agree. Using too much energy to split something is a total waste. I'm just saying the stuff I run across would never split that easy. I have some white oak that is a pain to split. Sweet gum is nearly impossible to hand split. The easiest thing I've done so far is pine and maple. 

The bungee is ingenious. I've been using a tire but I'll try a bungee or maybe a ratchet tie down strap. Can't tell if you're making a joke or if you're serious lol. If you're serious, paying for that contraption is a total waste of money. 

I can see some added safety and improved efficiency with making the ax head square to the round. I was more referring to the fact that I feel more energy is driven into the round being split when it's sitting on another piece vs the ground. When the round is sitting on the ground I feel like some of the force is wasted


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## akkamaan (Apr 23, 2015)

ambull01 said:


> I was more referring to the fact that I feel more energy is driven into the round being split when it's sitting on another piece vs the ground. When the round is sitting on the ground I feel like some of the force is wasted


That's a very good point. Splitting on the "soft" ground, or ground that absorb part of the energy, instead of letting the axe head penetrate the log, is a total waste.
But, big logs do much better than small logs off the ground. That's because the mass of the large log creates more resistance from inertia than a small log.


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## Jon_E (Apr 24, 2015)

Familiar name on AS.  Welcome here. 
Read many of your posts and watched the videos on the bungy cord splitting method. 
I tried it and wrecked a couple of bungies.  I use a hydraulic splitter most of the time but when I hand-split I like to use a tire.


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## akkamaan (Apr 24, 2015)

Jon_E said:


> Familiar name on AS.  Welcome here.
> Read many of your posts and watched the videos on the bungy cord splitting method.
> I tried it and wrecked a couple of bungies.  I use a hydraulic splitter most of the time but when I hand-split I like to use a tire.


Thanks Jon_E!
yes I admit I have cut 1 or 2 cords aswell, but now a days I use a 9ft 1" link chain, attached to the bungee. I can wrap the chain twice around and keep the bungee cord below the chain.
Got a PM from a new member at AS yesterday. He had gone through a lot of old threads about hydraulic on log splitters. He wantad my input...LOL...
And I thought all old threads were destroyed since the hacker crash...
He got my input btw... LOL


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## ambull01 (Apr 24, 2015)

akkamaan said:


> Thanks Jon_E!
> yes I admit I have cut 1 or 2 cords aswell, but now a days I use a 9ft 1" link chain, attached to the bungee. I can wrap the chain twice around and keep the bungee cord below the chain.
> Got a PM from a new member at AS yesterday. He had gone through a lot of old threads about hydraulic on log splitters. He wantad my input...LOL...
> And I thought all old threads were destroyed since the hacker crash...
> He got my input btw... LOL



So if you wrap the chain above the bungee to protect it doesn't that leave your Fiskars vulnerable to a metal on metal strike? I think I would rather cut the bungee vs using chain to protect it.


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## Mellery (Apr 24, 2015)

Welcome   Can't wait to try the bungee cord method .. we are just a bit south of you and Douglas Fir has become my favorite wood to burn. We also chop and split cedar, pine, walnut, almond and assorted oak.


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## akkamaan (Apr 24, 2015)

ambull01 said:


> I think I would rather cut the bungee vs using chain to protect it.


 Then you get a dozen bungee cords for $24+...
No I rather have my Fiskars to poke that chain a little...I mean that chain is not laying on a concrete pad or something, it will move easy down if axe occasionly should hit it, and on my axe it's not noticably ...
I admit I ma not the most ambitious when it comes to sharpening my splitting tools, my Fiskars performance might be even better with a razor blade edge..
I just a cpl days ago sharpened my maul so I don't get called for cheating when I do my performance comparison between Fiskars and the 8 bs maul...



My Fiskars have only been sharpened once i 7 years...


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## Mellery (Apr 24, 2015)

I sharpen my Fiskars axe almost every time I use it. But I really need it to do all the work - I just lift it over my head with both arms and let it drop. Some how or other my aim has always been dead on, probably from so many years of playing tennis and developing hand to eye coordination.


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## akkamaan (Apr 24, 2015)

Mellery said:


> I sharpen my Fiskars axe almost every time I use it. But I really need it to do all the work - I just lift it over my head with both arms and let it drop. Some how or other my aim has always been dead on, probably from so many years of playing tennis and developing hand to eye coordination.


And I bet you know how to apply wrist action to increase your tennis racquet impact speed...


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## akkamaan (Apr 24, 2015)

ambull01 said:


> So if you wrap the chain above the bungee to protect it doesn't that leave your Fiskars vulnerable to a metal on metal strike? I think I would rather cut the bungee vs using chain to protect it.


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