That's exactly what I have been doing,every time I get a batch a wood I find what tool works the best starting with the lightest tool and setting aside the tougher ones for the heavier tools after awhile you get a pretty good feel for what works best.
Let's here from the small axe wood splitters
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alan, i agree with everyone, please use eye protection. you only have one set and once they get damaged, thats it! good luck and god bless!
I agree with everyone that a light axe isn't going to cut it when it comes to knotty and stringy wood, but it's far from worthless, which seems to be what some people think. When I first started scrounging wood this late summer I didn't know how much I'd be able to find so I took anything I could get my hands on, which meant a good bit of Elm and some really twisted up knotty stuff. I beat my brains out with a sledge and wedge and had no fun whatsoever. Now that I realize I can scrounge more than enough wood I've become much more picky. Just cruise the stump dump, cut out the nice straight pieces, and leave the tough stuff laying there. Thankfully the majority of our wood around here is white oak, ash and maple, which seems to split very well. I've also split a good deal of honey locust, apple, cherry, and walnut; all of which I found to split quite easily.
With so many easy splitting woods out there I'm happy to leave the tough stuff to those who like a challenge or use a splitter.
BTW, I had to break out the 5 1/2 pounder today for some more knotty maple rounds, the 3 1/2# one just kept bouncing off.
I should also point out that this isn't profiled like a chopping axe, it's made for splitting. It has a sharp edge and then quickly flares out.
Alan
With so many easy splitting woods out there I'm happy to leave the tough stuff to those who like a challenge or use a splitter.
BTW, I had to break out the 5 1/2 pounder today for some more knotty maple rounds, the 3 1/2# one just kept bouncing off.
I should also point out that this isn't profiled like a chopping axe, it's made for splitting. It has a sharp edge and then quickly flares out.
Alan
I watched NWA as a kid in Virginia. Didn't have AWA. But Sarge was in the NWA, too. He was a "bad guy" in my day. Had a sidekick named Corporal Kernoodle or something like that. Slaughter used to beat up on my favorite Rowdy Roddy Piper. Too bad he got you in the deadly Cobra Clutch. Otherwise, you were kicking ass.
In any case thanks for sharing the vids. Hope all your joints still work! ;-)
Am I the only person who uses a chopping block? That's the way I was taught to do it in the Boy Scouts .
I do spend a lot of time and energy picking the pieces up and putting them back on the block though.
The ground here is pretty soft.
But can't guarantee I won't hit a rock.
Should I dispense with the chopping block?
Or maybe just use it for the smaller stock?
I use a 6 lb Ludell
It's my favorite maul.
It works pretty well
On Red Oak and Silver maple
. I do spend a lot of time and energy picking the pieces up and putting them back on the block though.
The ground here is pretty soft.
But can't guarantee I won't hit a rock.
Should I dispense with the chopping block?
Or maybe just use it for the smaller stock?
I use a 6 lb Ludell
It's my favorite maul.
It works pretty well
On Red Oak and Silver maple
I also split using an axe when the rounds aren't too knotty or too huge. Then I'll use a wedge and sledge to get it down to size where I can finish it off with the axe.
RobinJoe said:Am I the only person who uses a chopping block? That's the way I was taught to do it in the Boy Scouts
I do spend a lot of time and energy picking the pieces up and putting them back on the block though.
The ground here is pretty soft.
But can't guarantee I won't hit a rock.
Should I dispense with the chopping block?
Or maybe just use it for the smaller stock?
I use a 6 lb Ludell
It's my favorite maul.
It works pretty well
On Red Oak and Silver maple
I use a block - usually only 12"-14" high. It hurts my back more to swing at rounds on the ground than it does to put rounds on the block.
Short block. About 15"? Better than on the ground. Axes are fine, but I don't tend to get stuck as much with a maul. I can swing a 6# through all kinds of stuff.
alan, it seems like your production is really good so i wouldnt want to eff your ess up too much, but if you like the smaller axes you should consider the 2 1/2 lb fiskars its a great axe and it works on just about everything short of the real knotty stuff. you can pick them up at sears i believe.
also one suggestion i have, which helps alot in terms of chasing after the splits is to get an old tire and fill it up with the rounds or larger splits from the big rounds. just split them all to size and everything should stay wedged in the tire. no more running around chasing those stubborn splits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCfK1WVo9LQ
also one suggestion i have, which helps alot in terms of chasing after the splits is to get an old tire and fill it up with the rounds or larger splits from the big rounds. just split them all to size and everything should stay wedged in the tire. no more running around chasing those stubborn splits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCfK1WVo9LQ
I've heard about using an old tire as an aid to splitting but that was the first time I seen it demonstrated,looks very effective.
I need to get myself set up with a tire like that...I have a buddy who'd actually get mad at me if I didn't borrow his splitter for the bulk of my wood, but I have 3-4 cords here and there in 8-10' lengths that I'll split through the winter.
Also, I totally dig that song, who is it...Kid Rock maybe?
Also, I totally dig that song, who is it...Kid Rock maybe?
Great job not many young people would work so hard. I am in my---------50's and used to split like you are. Believe me and the other old splitters here.Safety first, I am missing half of my left middle finger from being stupid with a saw when I was young also spent 1 week in the hospital for eye surgery from not wearing eye protection now my right eye is done. A suggestion, save a couple of bigger rounds and use them to place the piece you are going to split onto it is better than splitting directly on the ground. You will get more force at the point of impact hence easier split. In my 50's I prefer a splitter.
sl7vk said:
Yes, which seems to be why some people think it's made to be looked at and not used. Hence, 'namby pamby'.
Alan
Alan Gage said:
Hmmm.... Seems like too nice a tool to just stare at....
After watching you freak out on those rounds with that splitting axe, I ordered myself the Fiskers Super Splitting Axe for Christmas..... Seems like a cheap version of what you were swinging there. They run about 40 bones versus 140, so we'll see about the quality....
OMGsl7vk said:
I don't think I ever bought an axe in my life and the thought of shelling out 140 smackers
My axe heads have either been homestead finds or freebees with a broken handle. I clean them up, grind off the mushroom, re-form the eye and put new handles on them. It seems like a lot of work but I like the end result. I've had to replace a few handles over the years but more often than not, it's visitors that try their hand at splitting that usually do them in.Oh, wait... I bought a new axe one time to split kin'lin but I don't know what became of it.
It's all a matter of perspective. I've never had a hobby where top of the line equipment sold for less than $3,000, which means I've never been able to afford it. Being able to buy a top of the line axe for $150 is chump change.
I've gone the used axe head route and put on new handles with decent luck but I don't do as good of a job as I should. The Gransfors are definitely better money spent than the couple hardware store axes that I've bought, which are pretty much worthless and aren't worth anything to me, though I'd feel better about a cheap maul than a cheap axe.
I've also got a Sweedish Forest Axe from Gransfors that I use for camping. It's small and light with a very narrow profile on the blade. Absolutely incredible what that thing can do. I think the head weighs 1 1/2 pounds and out chops most any other axe I've used. Comes from the factory sharp enough to shave hairs (as do all their axes). I wouldn't want to cut down a big tree with it but it goes through limbs like butter and can easily handle smaller trees.
Alan
I've gone the used axe head route and put on new handles with decent luck but I don't do as good of a job as I should. The Gransfors are definitely better money spent than the couple hardware store axes that I've bought, which are pretty much worthless and aren't worth anything to me, though I'd feel better about a cheap maul than a cheap axe.
I've also got a Sweedish Forest Axe from Gransfors that I use for camping. It's small and light with a very narrow profile on the blade. Absolutely incredible what that thing can do. I think the head weighs 1 1/2 pounds and out chops most any other axe I've used. Comes from the factory sharp enough to shave hairs (as do all their axes). I wouldn't want to cut down a big tree with it but it goes through limbs like butter and can easily handle smaller trees.
Alan
Goes to show ... When yer young ya work with yer back and the older ya get the more ya learn to work with yer head. I used to use a Chopper 1. I never hear anyone talk about them anymore. I found out that they are still available http://www.chopperaxe.com/ But now I let my homemade 16HP splitter do the grunt work. The 2 Chopper 1s just lean in the corner.
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