Axe mavens--do you try to "deadeye" your whacks in the cracks, if you need them?

[red oak]

I don't use a chopping block - I just use a maul and am going into just ground - not asphalt or anything. I like being able to get more behind the swing, plus the larger pieces I don't want to have to pick up to put on a block.

I've split when the wood is horizontal, but only if I already have a good split started, and a knot is holding it together. I don't do this often but it does work.

 

[Danno77]

Not the greatest example, but I'd say I split at least half of my wood like this:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/good-laugh-for-backwoods-and-quads.75160/#post-75160

 

[Lumber-Jack]

Thanks for the video link Danno, nice video BTW, but as you demonstrate in the video, it only works for very straight grained, easy to split, wood. Start swing a maul or a Fiskars like that with the force that would be necessary to split more tighter grained wood and somebody would end up getting hurt. Even you recognized that, that's why you stood up that one stubborn round to split it. And then when you started using the Fiskars vertically you can see it embedding into the soft ground after going through the round, it you tried that on rocky ground or asphalt your Fiskars would end up all dinged up.
That's why I use a chopping block.

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[Danno77]

The fiskars was for show, 90% of what I do is with a maul.

 

[mecreature]

I strike it then rotate. Repeat. Then if I am luck the last wack will bust them all up. less bending over.

Doesn't always work. When it does, its beautiful.

 

[mecreature]

Black walnut easiest wood in the world to split.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

Black walnut easiest wood in the world to split.

Sure looks like it, that straight grained stuff Danno is splitting looks like you could give it a good kick and it would split apart.

 

[mecreature]

Sure looks like it, that straight grained stuff Danno is splitting looks like you could give it a good kick and it would split apart.

I could set up two busting stations and run them both myself with that wood..

 

[Danno77]

Sure looks like it, that straight grained stuff Danno is splitting looks like you could give it a good kick and it would split apart.

Some of the walnut IS pretty danged easy. Besides, I just make it look easy.

 

[glenncz]

I've been using a big red maul for years. Is there any reason a Fiskar would do the job better?
I enjoy splitting wood. Saves me a health club membership, but the negative is I think I've done some damage to my back.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

I've been using a big red maul for years. Is there any reason a Fiskar would do the job better?
I enjoy splitting wood. Saves me a health club membership, but the negative is I think I've done some damage to my back.

If your big red maul is working for you, no real reason to Fiskars maul would do a better job. As I mentioned in an earlier post, either the heads came loose, or the necks broke on all my standard mauls, but the way the Fiskar's handle design is wrapped around the head it won't (can't) come loose, that's basically why I made the switch (no more loose heads).
If all the wood I split was like Danno's black walnut, my old mauls would probably still be in perfect shape, and a Fiskars wouldn't be necessary.

 

[Danno77]

I use the maul on just about everything except stringy stuff. I like splitting elm, pine (read that as the really knotty stuff), and sometimes that stringy oak you get with the fiskars. Since walnut is only easy to split until you get to where the knots are I find its just easier to start with what I know I'll need. I can split just as fast with a heavy tool as a light one if the wood is mixed difficulty. I never have to split for more than a few hours, though, maybe it would be different if I was splitting all day.

 

[Thistle]

Rarely use this much anymore,but in almost 33 yrs its NEVER got stuck.I cant say that about the X25 or any other of my splitting tools.Most of the time now if I have a real gnarly/stubborn/extra large one that gives me fits,I'll break out the 288XP.Much easier letting it do its thing for 30-45 seconds than swinging that 20lb beast as I get older....