Splitting by hand

[Wood Duck]

I think for most guys a hydraulic splitter is not necessary. I don't have one and I have split about 25 cords of firewood in the past four years. My firewood includes small trees and rounds as large as 40 inches. You can split almost anything by hand if you really want to.

 

[8686]

I found the blade on the x27 is fairly soft. Have a few flat spots on it. I have not hit the ground or anything other than wood. Fiskars sells a sharpener on amazon too for like $10.

 

[8686]

I wonder where to get pallets from. I've seen those thick blue ones. They seem very heavy duty. Every place I can think of would recycle them and not toss them.

 

[farmboy05]

I wonder where to get pallets from. I've seen those thick blue ones. They seem very heavy duty. Every place I can think of would recycle them and not toss them.

Try manufacturing places. They usually have a large dumpster where they throw wood and pallets, but the pallets might be broken so it would take some sorting.

 

[BrotherBart]

I can't remember what they are called but the blue ones are expensive and reused over and over. Our ACE Hardware store always has a ton of regular pallets and welcomes somebody hauling some off since they have to pay for disposal of them.

 

[KD0AXS]

If you want pallets, check the free section on Craigslist. There's always people looking to get rid of pallets, at least around here anyway.

Pallets are an odd commodity. We get lots of them at my work from deliveries we make. To some places they're like gold and they'll gladly take as many as we can give them. Other places want nothing to do with them and will do anything to get rid of the ones they have laying around. (That's where the ads on Craigslist for free pallets come in)

 

[bigbarf48]

Schools also have lots of pallets. Or anywhere with a cafeteria

 

[8686]

uh oh, my neuroses is kicking in again. I would be hesitant to bring pallets home from a place that processes food. I wouldn't want to be bringing any egg larvae (roaches) into the yard. Whether or not they would take up residency in my yard.......maybe I'll just spray the pallets with insecticide,

I like the idea of using the pallets since laying a bunch of them in a row makes it easy to measure out a cord.

 

[blazincajun]

I better like splitting by hand - that is the only way I can get it done. My lady likes the disfigurement it causes me.

 

[Sinngetreu]

Speaking of bending at the knees, I saw this video and tried it. It actually worked well for me. It kept my back from hurting and added power to my swing. I was able to bust though some pretty gnarly wood.

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[8686]

Speaking of bending at the knees, I saw this video and tried it. It actually worked well for me. It kept my back from hurting and added power to my swing. I was able to bust though some pretty gnarly wood.

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Yes this is similar to how I do it. My whole body goes down with the maul. I don't know which is worse, squats or bending over

This is the video that should be taken down. This technique is bound to help people lose their toes.

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Plus his chopping block is very high.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Speaking of bending at the knees, I saw this video and tried it. It actually worked well for me. It kept my back from hurting and added power to my swing. I was able to bust though some pretty gnarly wood.

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And all this time I figured this is how most everyone did it....

 

[Sinngetreu]

Yes this is similar to how I do it. My whole body goes down with the maul. I don't know which is worse, squats or bending over

This is the video that should be taken down. This technique is bound to help people lose their toes.

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Plus his chopping block is very high.

Holy Smokes there is a lot of problems with this video. Apparently there are as many misconceptions about splitting as there is about seasoning wood. I love how its time to split because its time to burn.
That reminds me of a phone conversation I had this week with a guy that I cut with. I told him about my Mulberry tree and his response was about like some about Tree of Heaven. Then he told me that I better hurry up and burn my Ash wood because it will be too dry after next burning season. Also, Pine is bad.
Its so hard to bite my tongue.

 

[Sinngetreu]

I don't know which is worse, squats or bending over

When I first stated doing this, my legs hurt soooo bad. I'm finally used to it, but man do you use some hidden muscles.

 

[jatoxico]

And all this time I figured this is how most everyone did it....

I agree, yet I consistently hear people say they need a longer splitting ax because that way they can't hit their feet. You can swing a hatchet and never come close to hitting yourself as long as the head does not get below your hand. Bending at the knees maintains good position and adds power (head speed) to the stroke. I'll get down from my soapbox now.

 

[northwinds]

Just saw this thread. It takes me a lot longer to split a cord than Big Redd, but I take my time. Listen to the game on the radio. Sit on the stump and look out over the hillside. Plus, I'm not done until I've had a beer on a big round.

 

[smokedragon]

.....

So I'm wondering how big of rounds I can expect to split by hand. Most of those today were only 8-10" at the largest. I'll also invest in a new axe; everyone here seems to rave about the Fiskar X27. Should I get anything else? A Maul? Wedges? I'm just excited that it actually worked.

I have split as big as 28". That is so big you have to roll it (cause you can't pick it up). IF it is straight grained, the size of the tree doesn't matter for splitting.

I got the X27 as a Christmas present. I have been splitting all my life by hand, and I will NEVER be without it again. I can split twice as long as I did with my maul without getting tired, and it takes the same number of swings as with the maul.

That being said, I have an 8lb maul, and it does work better on the really stringy stuff.

If my Fiskars sticks a lot, I break out the maul. The maul will not stick, it will either bounce off, or it will blow through.

With nice straight grained wood, I can split faster than a hydraulic. But the first time you get a really knotty, or really stringy tree.......the guy with the hydro will be laughing at you while you curse every piece you pull down to split.

As for wedges.....They are for the really awful stuff. If you have a very abundant wood supply, don't buy wedges. If you can't split it, throw it back in thew woods and let it feed the bugs and worms. If you need every piece of wood you get, then good luck......wedges and a sledgehammer will work you to death.

My $0.02

 

[8686]

I have split as big as 28". That is so big you have to roll it (cause you can't pick it up). IF it is straight grained, the size of the tree doesn't matter for splitting.

I got the X27 as a Christmas present. I have been splitting all my life by hand, and I will NEVER be without it again. I can split twice as long as I did with my maul without getting tired, and it takes the same number of swings as with the maul.

That being said, I have an 8lb maul, and it does work better on the really stringy stuff.

If my Fiskars sticks a lot, I break out the maul. The maul will not stick, it will either bounce off, or it will blow through.

With nice straight grained wood, I can split faster than a hydraulic. But the first time you get a really knotty, or really stringy tree.......the guy with the hydro will be laughing at you while you curse every piece you pull down to split.

As for wedges.....They are for the really awful stuff. If you have a very abundant wood supply, don't buy wedges. If you can't split it, throw it back in thew woods and let it feed the bugs and worms. If you need every piece of wood you get, then good luck......wedges and a sledgehammer will work you to death.

My $0.02

Yeah, it's the logs that have knots that give you the problems. For me, it's tough on the back. Bending over to put the log on the block, bending over every time they split and fall off, ect. I have to get a tire.

 

[Rebelduckman]

I've been splitting using a 'shooting position' where I have one foot ahead of the other. But tried going more square and like that more. But I also just broke my brand new cheepo 8lb maul w/ a wooden handle. Split the handle under the head. Didn't even overswing and it was on its 7th-ish round! So I just ordered an x27 off of Amazon...

I love mine! Had it for a week. Bought from amazon too. I haven't split anything but straight grain stuff so far and it's effortless. I was really amazed, still am. You won't regret it, it performs as advertised. Very well made too and lifetime warranty

 

[Rebelduckman]

I have split as big as 28". That is so big you have to roll it (cause you can't pick it up). IF it is straight grained, the size of the tree doesn't matter for splitting.

I got the X27 as a Christmas present. I have been splitting all my life by hand, and I will NEVER be without it again. I can split twice as long as I did with my maul without getting tired, and it takes the same number of swings as with the maul.

That being said, I have an 8lb maul, and it does work better on the really stringy stuff.

If my Fiskars sticks a lot, I break out the maul. The maul will not stick, it will either bounce off, or it will blow through.

With nice straight grained wood, I can split faster than a hydraulic. But the first time you get a really knotty, or really stringy tree.......the guy with the hydro will be laughing at you while you curse every piece you pull down to split.

As for wedges.....They are for the really awful stuff. If you have a very abundant wood supply, don't buy wedges. If you can't split it, throw it back in thew woods and let it feed the bugs and worms. If you need every piece of wood you get, then good luck......wedges and a sledgehammer will work you to death.

My $0.02

+1

 

[blazincajun]

Speaking of bending at the knees, I saw this video and tried it. It actually worked well for me. It kept my back from hurting and added power to my swing. I was able to bust though some pretty gnarly wood.

Loved the video - great pointers. Telling it like it is.

 

[tsquini]

For me, chopping wood is knowing which rounds to spend energy on. 1/4 of the rounds have knots and twists in the grain which slow me down. I put them to the side and keep moving and finish them off with a splitter at the end.

 

[bob burke]

How much splitting are you doing? I split a lot of wood (10+ cord per year) and by my gorilla math I split 20-25 hours per year which is nowhere near enough to effect my waistline.

Depends on how the wood happened to show up in your yard! I've been cutting/hauling/splitting 10 cord/year for an eternity. I may have to buy a power splitter, as my joints are getting a little old.

I've driven through a few logs, and hit the ground a few too many times. My left elbow is giving me a lot of trouble now.

I like the speed at which hand splitting gets the job done, but I might have to break down, and go the 'old person's' route in the future.

 

[bob burke]

I tried the old car tire on the ground trick for the first time today. I took down an ash in the yard - maybe 15" DBH - and split the rounds right inside the tire. Of course it's ash so it was easy splitting for the most part - but that tire made the job a whole lot easier. Bout the hardest part was yanking the splits from the biggest rounds out of the tire when I was done.
Gotta get a piece of plywood for underneath it too - that Fiskars goes right through and keeps on going - tire or no tire.

Interesting idea. I've seen a great 'invention' in a video.

Take a light gauge chain, and use a bungee cord to connect the two ends around the base of your log. The bungee makes the chain adjustable, to fit any diameter log.

Then just split away. None of the chunks fall away from the log, and when you're done, simply open the chain. I keep saying I'm going to make one, but I still go back to splitting/chasing/bending.

Although, I do use a pulp hook for handling all my wood...split and unsplit. I HIGHLY recommend it.


http://www.amazon.com/Peavey-T-000-000-0606-Pulp-Hook/dp/B005J511RC

 

[BoiledOver]

First and most important to me is to split in cold temperatures, fifteen degrees F, and less if possible. The red oak logs I get in are 8 foot and a couple or so inches long. They are harvested in November or December and I get them in late January. So they are not soaking wet but have enough moisture to get cold hard and mostly split like a dream. I buck em 19-20 inches. I see no need for a block or stump. If it is a large round, I stand it on end and work the edges first, with the smaller stuff laying flat on the ground is good.

I used to have a block but the lifting was the worse part of the whole thing. Fugetaboutit. Wedges, nope, used to but that was just extra work too. Finished a 10 cord load last week without lifting one piece up on a block and have just 4 pieces laying there from crotches. Whittled what I could off of em and will burn em in a campfire.

The stuff ya have to wrestle with in warm temps will explode at 10 degrees F. Knots, burls and bent stuff.

And I have a question. Why would someone want to split their foot?