# Sharpening my splitting maul



## wahoowad (Feb 23, 2006)

I have an Ames splitting maul with fiberglass handle. The cutting edge was looking a bit gnarly so I took it to my bench grinder to clean it up and try to put an edge back on it. Now I wish I hadn't because the grinding wheel removed more metal in some spots - it just happened super quick. So I'm thinking that is not the way to do it. The maul is still very servicable and I have continued to use it just fine, but I'm wondering how I should sharpen it? A stone? I'm thinking maybe I should take a sharpening stone to it by hand...?


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## babalu87 (Feb 23, 2006)

Use a bastard file

I wouldnt think you want a maul very sharp regardless


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## wg_bent (Feb 23, 2006)

My maul has never been sharpened, and I don't think it will ever need to be.  My understanding is a sharp maul tends to get stuck, a dull one is less apt.


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## Eric Johnson (Feb 23, 2006)

Warren hit the the chunk right square in the middle and split it with one swing.

The last thing you want is a sharp maul. Dull is good for the reasons he stated. If you take a grinder or a file to it, you should be taking the edge off the point.

Anybody want to hear my bastard file joke? It's the old standard--pretty obvious but funny if you've never heard it.


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## wahoowad (Feb 23, 2006)

Well, some of you probably have better aim than I. My maul has a few small chunks out of the sharp end as if it hit a piece of gravel or something. Nothing major, but enough I thought I would try to clean up. I understand now about it not being sharp. Mind you, this is my first maul so it has probably hit a few unintended objects as my aim has improved.


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## wg_bent (Feb 23, 2006)

Eric Johnson said:
			
		

> Warren hit the the chunk right square in the middle and split it with one swing.
> 
> The last thing you want is a sharp maul. Dull is good for the reasons he stated. If you take a grinder or a file to it, you should be taking the edge off the point.
> 
> Anybody want to hear my bastard file joke? It's the old standard--pretty obvious but funny if you've never heard it.



Never enough jokes, and actually this forum is kinda lacking in that department....Go for it Eric.


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## Eric Johnson (Feb 23, 2006)

OK, you don't have to twist my arm so darn hard. 

Sheeesh!

The head machinist in a machine shop goes into work one day to find he has a new assistant. "Know anything about machining?" he asks. Turns out the kid knows nothing but seems game to learn.

"OK" the journeyman machinist says, "go over to the tool cage and check me out a round file."

The kid goes over to the cage and tells the tool manager he needs a file for his boss. 

"You mean one of these flat bastards?" the tool managerr asks.

"No, just give me one of them round motherf**ckers, dude."


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## Sandor (Feb 23, 2006)

That is just too realistic to be a joke.

I thought Rat-tail would have been in the punchline somewhere!


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## Tedsokol (May 17, 2009)

If a maul is dull you are crushing the fibers and it takes more effort to split the log. A dull "maul" head on a log splitter might work well because it has tons of force splitting a log. Manually splitting with a maul works much better with a sharp maul...not razor sharp but not dull either. A sharp maul penetrates deeper into the wood for a better, easier split.

I work with a lot of different woodworking tools for a living and one rule of thumb I always follow is: a sharp tool is much safer than a dull one. 

Sharpen the Maul with a mill file. Much easier to control than grinding.

Ted
www.woodhomeheating.com


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## basswidow (May 17, 2009)

Sandor said:
			
		

> That is just too realistic to be a joke.
> 
> I thought Rat-tail would have been in the punchline somewhere!



Like the blue crab!  Ah Deltaville.  My folks had a place at Coles Point.  I sure miss the Chesapeake!  You're lucky.


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