Using wedges

[hareball]

I have a few old wedges and some really stubborn rounds that my maul and little splitter can't break. The rounds have been just absorbing the wedge on the splitter and stopping and I've been doing a balancing act with the big rounds and chip away producing small splits (wasting wood).
I was thinking about using some wedges but have no idea how to use them. Any advice is appreciated.

This is what I have to work with

 

[Rustaholic]

First those little ones are not much use splitting that tough round.
If the wood is swallowing the splitters wedge on the end,,,,
Do you have any sign of a split on a side?
That is where I would put a wedge.
If you can work a split down one side by leap frogging the wedges then go across an end.
Never drive a wedge in too far.
If it doesn't split it can be a real bugger getting the wedge out.
I have four of those bigger ones and sometimes it takes all four to split a knarly piece of Chinese Elm.

BTW, Have you tried standing the round up in your splitter?

 

[Gary_602z]

Eye protection!!

Gary

 

[smokinj]

Those look very old may by worth collecting.

 

[hareball]

Rust- Yeah I was having to use the back side of the maul to release the round from the wedge. Some took a few good hits to release. I always look for cracks but on the silver maple I have there are none

Jay- They've been in a tool box for about 35 years along with assorted files and an old sledge hammer.

 

[smokinj]

Rust- Yeah I was having to use the back side of the maul to release the round from the wedge. Some took a few good hits to release. I always look for cracks but on the silver maple I have there are none

Jay- They've been in a tool box for about 35 years along with assorted files and an old sledge hammer.

I know at least a couple are felling wedges and they could be 100= years old any markings at all?

 

[hareball]

Rust- Yeah I was having to use the back side of the maul to release the round from the wedge. Some took a few good hits to release. I always look for cracks but on the silver maple I have there are none

Jay- They've been in a tool box for about 35 years along with assorted files and an old sledge hammer.

I know at least a couple are felling wedges and they could be 100= years old any markings at all?

I'll give them a good look today. I also found 3 Quaker State oil cans still full and probably from the mid to early 80's.

 

[smokinj]

Rust- Yeah I was having to use the back side of the maul to release the round from the wedge. Some took a few good hits to release. I always look for cracks but on the silver maple I have there are none

Jay- They've been in a tool box for about 35 years along with assorted files and an old sledge hammer.

I know at least a couple are felling wedges and they could be 100= years old any markings at all?

I'll give them a good look today. I also found 3 Quaker State oil cans still full and probably from the mid to early 80's.

display them in the man cave!

 

[hareball]

Found some stamping on the largest wedge but no company info.

 

[zzr7ky]

Hi -

I would spray the wedges a BRIGHT color... It prolongs the time you visit with them (before they return to the earth).

I have about 3 felling wedges (plastic), splitting wedges (Steel), and another 3 large wooden wedges of Elm and Hickory. The wooden wedges are for 'helping', ussualy to retreave a stuck wooden wedge. They are pretty handy. I've even split a few stumps I was afraid to risk a chain on and could not lift.

AFB,
Mike

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Hareball, when asking about splitting a round you should tell us what you are trying to split as it would make it easier. However, without knowing what you have, my first inclination would be to take the smallest wedge and drive it in at least half way or maybe 3/4 (if you can use the bigger ones then use them instead). From there it would depend on what the log does.

Another thing you might do to start is to drive in 2 wedges, maybe 6" to a foot apart (again, I don't know what you have). Hit one wedge then the other to drive them down evenly. Sometimes the wood will try to split apart but not want to give. That is when I take two wedges and drive them in together....in the same spot. This can be tricky but it works nicely because it will force the wood apart further.

Another question is, should I try to split through the heart or more towards the side? Knowing what size the log is and the type of wood helps with this decision.

 

[hareball]

Thanks guys!

Dennis, I'm splitting some silver maple thats all twisted and about 16"- 20" across. After that I have some red pine about 20"-22" across.

 

[Rustaholic]

Rust- Yeah I was having to use the back side of the maul to release the round from the wedge. Some took a few good hits to release. I always look for cracks but on the silver maple I have there are none

Jay- They've been in a tool box for about 35 years along with assorted files and an old sledge hammer.

I know at least a couple are felling wedges and they could be 100= years old any markings at all?

Yup, Jay I didn't go that far.
On that other topic,,, The tree that turned around on the stump,,,,,
My step-father had two of those steel felling wedges and one plastic one in that tree.

Hareball, Treat those little felling wedges nice. They really are antiques.
They are from the days when trees were cut down with a two-man crosscut saw.

 

[smokinj]

Rust- Yeah I was having to use the back side of the maul to release the round from the wedge. Some took a few good hits to release. I always look for cracks but on the silver maple I have there are none

Jay- They've been in a tool box for about 35 years along with assorted files and an old sledge hammer.

I know at least a couple are felling wedges and they could be 100= years old any markings at all?

Yup, Jay I didn't go that far.
On that other topic,,, The tree that turned around on the stump,,,,,
My step-father had two of those steel felling wedges and one plastic one in that tree.

Hareball, Treat those little felling wedges nice. They really are antiques.
They are from the days when trees were cut down with a two-man crosscut saw.

yep thats man cave stuff, sit back and tell the storys they can tell.

 

[Rustaholic]

Rust- Yeah I was having to use the back side of the maul to release the round from the wedge. Some took a few good hits to release. I always look for cracks but on the silver maple I have there are none.

I still would try splitting one from the side.
Insert first wedge near an end then drive it in and see if you get a crack to follow with your second wedge.
If you don't get a crack I would knock the wedge out and try a different spot.
It is easy to knock a wedge out IF it is near the end of the round.

Now let's just head into fantasy land.
What you really need is a 35 ton splitter.
You should have seen the knarly 500 pound rounds a borrowed 35 ton splitter split for me.
It was Chinese Elm.
What couldn't be split that beast just cut it's way through.
It would just laugh at that stuff you are trying to split.
Now I want one like it.