# splitting kindling



## DianeB (Aug 7, 2012)

now that we don't have our old fisher stove that would burn anything, I need to start thinking about all the kindling I will need for the new stove- although advertised as 8 hr burn time, expect I will be starting a lot of fires.  My husband does all the splitting and I would like to help with the kindling making but need a tool that I can handle.  What do you recommend?  I see many of you having fiscar in your handles - I don't think I could wield the 25 or 27...what about their smaller hatchets?  I also saw a product called the smart splitter - anyone using this?  I don't mind physical work and being outside, actual enjoy it to the inside stuff.  My husband has an old splitting maul with a welded handle - he loves it and I have suggested he look at the 25 or 27 but he broke so many handles when he was younger, he died and went to heaven when his friend welded a pipe handle on his splitting maul.


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## glennm (Aug 7, 2012)

I split kindling every day with an electric splitter in the garage. It works great, is very convenient and only takes a minute or so. I wouldn't be without it!


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## DianeB (Aug 7, 2012)

glennm said:


> I split kindling every day with an electric splitter in the garage. It works great, is very convenient and only takes a minute or so. I wouldn't be without it!


 what splitter do you use?


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## glennm (Aug 7, 2012)

Mine came from Canadian Tire on sale for $199. I see lots posted on this forum from Lowes, Home Depot, etc that are the same. I have a big gas splitter as well but it is amazing what the little electric ones will do. Mine sits on a table in the garage and I use it all winter for kindling and making smaller splits if I need them. I keep a trailer load of well seasoned wood in the attached garage all winter so no need to take off my slippers when I need to fetch some kindling or splits!


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## Wood Duck (Aug 7, 2012)

I have a Fiskar's Splitting Ax that I use to split kindling. The head is, I believe, 2.5 lbs (could be 3.5 lbs, I am not certain). The ax is light enough to use with one hand, but I also use it for a lot of the heavier rounds too. Fiskar's makes several axes with similar names, including the super splitter, which is heavier. There might also be a Pro Splitter. I am pretty sure mine was simply called the Splitting Ax when I bought it a few years ago. For splitting kindling I like to use the almost full-sized splitting ax rather than a hatchet because with the long handle I can split tough pieces easily, yet also use it one-handed for splitting kindling.

I use the ax with two hands for larger pieces. When I find a nice straight-grained, easy-to-split piece that I want to make into kindling I can hold the ax in one hand, hold the piece of wood up to the ax blade with the other hand, and tap the wood onto the splitting block. At the same time I am tapping the ax onto the wood, and the wood splits.

Picking the right pieces of wood to split for kindling is more than half the battle. If a piece won't split easily throw it back on the pile and try another piece. Short rounds with straight grain are what you are looking for. I usually split pine or spruce for kindling, but aspen, soft maple, or anything else that splits well could also be used. You will want to dry the kindling in a sunny spot until the fall weather turns cold, then put it under cover. Dry kindling is key to easy fire starting. If you have some space to store wood near the stove, use it for kindling.


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## DianeB (Aug 7, 2012)

Wood Duck said:


> I have a Fiskar's Splitting Ax that I use to split kindling. The head is, I believe, 2.5 lbs (could be 3.5 lbs, I am not certain). The ax is light enough to use with one hand, but I also use it for a lot of the heavier rounds too. Fiskar's makes several axes with similar names, including the super splitter, which is heavier. There might also be a Pro Splitter. I am pretty sure mine was simply called the Splitting Ax when I bought it a few years ago. For splitting kindling I like to use the almost full-sized splitting ax rather than a hatchet because with the long handle I can split tough pieces easily, yet also use it one-handed for splitting kindling.
> 
> I use the ax with two hands for larger pieces. When I find a nice straight-grained, easy-to-split piece that I want to make into kindling I can hold the ax in one hand, hold the piece of wood up to the ax blade with the other hand, and tap the wood onto the splitting block. At the same time I am tapping the ax onto the wood, and the wood splits.
> 
> Picking the right pieces of wood to split for kindling is more than half the battle. If a piece won't split easily throw it back on the pile and try another piece. Short rounds with straight grain are what you are looking for. I usually split pine or spruce for kindling, but aspen, soft maple, or anything else that splits well could also be used. You will want to dry the kindling in a sunny spot until the fall weather turns cold, then put it under cover. Dry kindling is key to easy fire starting. If you have some space to store wood near the stove, use it for kindling.


 We lost an apple tree a couple of years ago and it is cut and split in our barn - would that be soft enough for kindling?


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## firefighterjake (Aug 7, 2012)

I split quite a bit of my kindling using my hydraulic splitter . . .

And the rest I get with a small, cheap hatchet.

That said . . . two words -- SUPER CEDAR.


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## Billybonfire (Aug 7, 2012)

You could try using a frow -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Froe
several videos on utube -

Hope this helps

Billy.


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## DianeB (Aug 7, 2012)

If this 3 year old can do it, guess I can too.  Looks like the Dad situated a splitting axe in a vice and then let his son use a mallet - little boy is so cute, but he lasted a long time splitting, regaining his power when dad encouraged him.


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## jeff_t (Aug 7, 2012)

DianeB said:


> We lost an apple tree a couple of years ago and it is cut and split in our barn - would that be soft enough for kindling?



No way. Save that apple for the cold nights. As firewood, it is among the best. It's just usually really hard to work with, and get a decent quantity, due to the way it typically grows in orchards. I really like soft maple for kindling. 

Buy an X-27 as a present for your husband. Make him try it, and he will appreciate it. He won't break the handle.


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## thewoodlands (Aug 7, 2012)

Hi DianeB, I use the splitter when splitting our kindling, the first couple of years we used basswood that was down on our property, last year we used quaking aspen and this year we have both quaking aspen with some white pine mixed in.

zap


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## Billybonfire (Aug 7, 2012)

The video of the little lad chopping the kindling is fab, thanks for sharing it with us Diane.


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## DianeB (Aug 7, 2012)

Billybonfire said:


> The video of the little lad chopping the kindling is fab, thanks for sharing it with us Diane.


  Definitely made me smile.  Glad you liked it.


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## DianeB (Aug 7, 2012)

jeff_t said:


> No way. Save that apple for the cold nights. As firewood, it is among the best. It's just usually really hard to work with, and get a decent quantity, due to the way it typically grows in orchards. I really like soft maple for kindling.
> 
> Buy an X-27 as a present for your husband. Make him try it, and he will appreciate it. He won't break the handle.


 we lost a couple of maples too so will try getting some of that down to kindling size.  the splitter in a vice with a mallet (see video) might work if I could get the dog to hold the log!


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## DianeB (Aug 7, 2012)

firefighterjake said:


> I split quite a bit of my kindling using my hydraulic splitter . . .
> 
> And the rest I get with a small, cheap hatchet.
> 
> That said . . . two words -- SUPER CEDAR.


 just ordered the free sample for hearht members - they sound great to have in a pinch.


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## ethanhudson (Aug 7, 2012)

DianeB said:


> If this 3 year old can do it, guess I can too. Looks like the Dad situated a splitting axe in a vice and then let his son use a mallet - little boy is so cute, but he lasted a long time splitting, regaining his power when dad encouraged him.




This is what I do, but my helper is 5.  I put my axe in a vice and hold the splits while he hits them with a dead blow.


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## JeffRey30747 (Aug 7, 2012)

I have a couple of the Fiskars hatchets, the smallest splitter, the pro splitter, the super splitter and the X27. I use one of the hatchets on non-PT KD lumber scraps to make my kindling along with any "splitter trash" that results from normal operation of the hydraulic splitter. If I split up pine pieces smaller for a hotter fire in the shop, I'll use the smallest splitter for that.


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## Jags (Aug 7, 2012)

DianeB said:


> just ordered the free sample for hearht members - they sound great to have in a pinch.


 

Try them.  You won't be making any more kindling.


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## jwoair23 (Aug 7, 2012)

I use the Fiskars hatchet in my signature, it is fantastic! I used the Fiskars axe for awhile to split kindling, with the X7 hatchet its so much easier. The balance is perfect and it is super sharp.


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## bogydave (Aug 7, 2012)

A typical winter, I don't use much kindling. The fire never goes out.
Even when it's time to empty it, I rake the hot coals to one side & the other as I shovel out the ashes.
Throw some wood on the hot coals that are left & a new hot fire in no time. 

Scrounged left over construction wood makes good kindling. Easy to split the 2X4s, 6s & 8s .... into nice kindling with a small axe.


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## Backwoods Savage (Aug 7, 2012)

Diane, Jake suggested the Super Cedars and I'll second that. If you do get the super cedars then you will not even have to use kindling! Saves a lot of work and these things work great. We get 4 starts out of one super cedar.


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## Realstone (Aug 7, 2012)

Click here for a 'Wood Shed' thread on using a tire to aid in splitting


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## Gark (Aug 7, 2012)

Diane, if you and hubby gather any of your own firewood, there's always the option of taking home some of the smaller branches and sticks down to 1/2 inch thick. They dry fast and otherwise just go to waste left behind  in the woods  I cut them down to length using a long handle loping shears.


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## DianeB (Aug 7, 2012)

Gark said:


> Diane, if you and hubby gather any of your own firewood, there's always the option of taking home some of the smaller branches and sticks down to 1/2 inch thick. They dry fast and otherwise just go to waste left behind in the woods I cut them down to length using a long handle loping shears.


 we do have a pile of branch debris we collected from last year's wind storms and we planned to burn the pile in the spring in a bon fire, but never got to it - could be useful now or perhaps those super cedars people rave about


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## Wood Duck (Aug 7, 2012)

I don't think apple will make good kindling, mainly because it will probably be knotty and hard to split. Maybe if there are some straight pieces that split easily you could make some kindling, but most apple trees are very gnarly.


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## Shadow&Flame (Aug 7, 2012)

Look for some local cabinet shops or construction sites to gather a bit of kiln dried stuff.  Little hatchet and you are in business.


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## firefighterjake (Aug 8, 2012)

Jags said:


> Try them. You won't be making any more kindling.


 
Unless you're like me and like to use kindling . . . I'm old-fashioned in that way . . . plus it gets the fire going that much quicker . . . but many members here simply use the Super Cedar and some small splits to get things going.


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## firefighterjake (Aug 8, 2012)

DianeB said:


> We lost an apple tree a couple of years ago and it is cut and split in our barn - would that be soft enough for kindling?


 
As others have said . . . save the apple wood . . . this wood is often knotty and twisted . . . not a very good wood for kindling. Plus it's pretty hard and good for those longer burns . . . or even better save the wood and toss some in your BBQ to give the porkchops a nice hint of apple wood smoke.

For kindling I tend to use dimensional lumber scraps, softwood slabs or the occasional softwood tree or large branch that I take down (i.e. white pine, white cedar (one of my favorites for kindling), spruce, fir, etc.) . . . poplar and basswood are also good for making kindling.


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## Jags (Aug 8, 2012)

firefighterjake said:


> Unless you're like me and like to use kindling . . . I'm old-fashioned in that way . . . plus it gets the fire going that much quicker . . . but many members here simply use the Super Cedar and some small splits to get things going.


 
I didn't use any kindling last year.  No paper, nothing but a fire starter.  I found that if you bridge one side up (with a small split or on ash, etc. and set the starter under the gap created, it would light pretty darn fast.  Just another option.  Kindling sure ain't gonna "hurt" anything.


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## ROVERT (Aug 8, 2012)

Here's one way to do it:



It's easy and it keeps your hands away from the hatchet.


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## Realstone (Aug 8, 2012)

ROVERT said:


> Here's one way to do it:
> It's easy and it keeps your hands away from the hatchet.


Hey Rovert, welcome to the Hearth 
I'm going to be trying that this year. I would use a car/truck tire for splitting regular rounds. I was thinking an ATV or small trailer tire would be better suited for making kindling.


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## ROVERT (Aug 9, 2012)

Thanks for the welcome, Realstone. 

I guess the size of the tire depends on how much kindling you want to make. If you go with a smaller diameter tire, I would try to get a wide atv tire. A trailer tire might not be tall enough (when on its side) to hold the wood well.

Overall, using a tire to split wood has saved a lot of time. It's really nice not having to pick up and reposition with every swing of the maul.


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## WES999 (Aug 9, 2012)

I use a lot of pallets for kindling, just cut to length, and split with a hatchet if needed. I keep them inside, so they are nice and dry, no problem with any bugs.
Also small branches work well, just cut/break them to length, pick them up anywhere.


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## smokinj (Aug 9, 2012)

In years past I would fire the wood furnace late Oct. and it would go out in mid April. This year I will be one of you epa kindling fools!  120,000 btu back-up plan.


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## MrWhoopee (Aug 10, 2012)

I vote for the electric splitter, you can do it indoors in mid-winter. The Ryobi/Homelite, also available under 20 other names, is 4-6 tons depending on who you believe. I love mine, it's done all my splitting for 3 years. At $300 it's hard to go wrong.


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## Retired Coal Miner (Nov 3, 2018)

Billybonfire said:


> You could try using a frow -
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Froe
> several videos on utube -
> 
> ...




The guy in the video has an update. He makes this method look clean and easy.  I'm gonna have to poke around some yard sales and flea markets for a froe.


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## Wickets (Nov 3, 2018)

the $4-5 per sack sounds best to me!  I do think that that the tidbit about birch bark is worth its weight in gold.  

thanks for the video


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## MissMac (Nov 3, 2018)

DianeB said:


> just ordered the free sample for hearht members - they sound great to have in a pinch.





DianeB said:


> just ordered the free sample for hearht members - they sound great to have in a pinch.


How’d you do that?


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## rwilly (Nov 4, 2018)

I use a small hatchet I got at an estate sale for $2.00.
The wood I use is cedar fencing that I get off Craigslist for free.
Get an old fence panel and saw the boards to length.

Cedar is the perfect kindling.

Or keep an eye on Craigslist for cedar roofing shingles.

When I was a kid, my dad had his house re-roofed and we had a huge stack of shingles that lasted for years.


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