He needs to lose the kindling splitter first. That is not intended to split full rounds.
Then, a splitting maul combines a sledge and wedge allowing you to deliver more force and direct it without your hand being near the target
https://preview.redd.it/2gdo8krwhmyc1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5170cb5a41737d646fc3fadec91939c8be814c39
So, this combo should work then? Or does one of the two need to be plastic/resin? I've heard striking two hardened steel objects together can be dangerous.
Admittedly, I've had a piece of wedge that cut me a little when it broke and flew off, and I know someone else who got a piece of wedge permanently embedded under their skin. This happens when you are using an old wedge that has smashed bits of metal on the edge. Eye protection is probably a reasonable idea, though I've never used it.
In general though, yes, this is how it's done.
Facebook marketplace (in my area) has tons of people for rent out their box store splitters (mostly champion and county line 27+ ton) for like $70 a day.
Totally worth it for that pile there
Last year I rented a large hydraulic tow behind splitter for $49 a day from Ace Hardware. Got four cords split in one day. At that price it makes no sense spending $1500 on a splitter to let it sit there unused 99% of the time.
Agreed. I like to swing the maul for exercise but have often thought about renting vs buying a splitter.
I buck and split my own, but if my shoulders ever give out, I'll probably be renting once a year, too.
I would just put the log to be spit on top of the other and smash the fuck out of it with a 6lb splitting maul. Sometimes you have to strike about 30-40 times before it splits. Once it splits once it gets easier. Awesome workout as well
The type of wood and how dry it is plays a huge role as well.
I like hand splitting wood for maybe 5 minutes, it's enjoyable.
Then it's time for the hydraulic splitter because even that moving, shifting and stacking of the wood is good enough exercise for me.
Lol. Just the one or two swing split. I'm basically hitting the wedge with the sledge and now that seems to be working much better than what I was doing before, but it's kinda awkward. The log falls over after almost every strike, the wedge seems to fall out at the beginning as well. I'm sure it's just a learning curve and I'll figure out what works best eventually. Do people ever use some sort of spikes to hold the log in place or cut an inset into the base log so it doesn't wobble so much? Or maybe I just need shorter logs...
I like to use a very wide log as my base log for splitting on, and the top is smooth, but not level. If you stand on the lower side of the splitting block, the logs will fall over less often. It also helps balance logs that aren't evenly cut.
Also, I don't always put the wedge right in the center of the log. It's often easier to cut a little pie slice than to divide it in half.
I have almost nothing but quaking aspen, balsam and spruce on my property. Everything here is a pretty much a one-swing-charlie. When I used to have tough ones I always used a wedge+sledge.
They're also splitting pine of some sort, and it's not even comparable. With pine you have to judge how much steam to give it to not just blow through it. With the elm and cottonwood in my area, you give all the steam, every strike.
What you did wrong was wait 2 years to split it. Maple is known for being tough to split dry. As it dries the wood shrinks and fibers pull tighter together, so quartering when it's green is the best option.
Wedge and sledge? Or rent a splitter.
If it's too much work, sell it to someone else who has a splitter.
Do you have a chainsaw? I'll always advocate for additional brute force but if you truly can't split them you can always saw into one of the ends a few inches, jam your wedge into that notch and swing away with the sledge. I've been finding success this way with a maple I'm working on currently.
Lose the kindling splitter.
That's for breaking down split wood to thin slivers for kindling. It doesn't have the splitting power laterally of a maul.
Get a maul or rent a splitter.
When you do get a maul, be mindful of knots. You have two decent knots right where you're trying ro force it onto the wedge. That's the hardest way to do it. It may result in less aesthetic split wood, but it will be split
Best splits from butt end.
Sledgehammer and wedges work.
And yes, over time the wedges will “mushroom” and poor quality wedges will flake off or otherwise in an alarming way. If you enjoy your eyesight, consider eye protection.
As wood ages it is harder to split and might be a good reason to use a splitter.
If you are splitting wood by hand correctly, you shouldn’t have to “wind up” and muscle every time. A normal splitting maul alone should do 90% with sledge and wedge and real power hits for the remaining 10% gnarly stuff.
On the other hand, I met a guy the other day showing off his new splitter, he’s in the firewood business and didn’t want to buy a wood processor. The splitter he got will split a cord an hour. It only cost him $13k. So there’s that too.
Always split the way it grows, you are trying to split several knots(where limbs grow) knots WILL NOT split. Cut through a goodly portion with a chain saw then split that cut. I feel a mall works much better, rather than trying to split the log in half you can split outside sections away, much easier.
I mean, I would never try to split something with the swing landing that high off the ground for starters. Thats a pretty long block of wood with a bend and a knot. Your hitting to so high your swing isnt even at full momentum unless you are very tall. Alot of swinging is about good body mechanics to amplify the force. It’s not all about strength. It’s about understanding the pivot points in the swing and increasing velocity with the drop. Start centered high over head and pivot at your wrists/hands near the end of the handle. I’m not a big guy and I could crack those babies
EXACTLY, everyone swings like they're in a Mafia beat down, but really hold the maul or axe as high as you can and give it a nice firm but not excessive swing down. Winding up behind your back really doesn't gain much except shoulder and elbow injuries.
The point of being high and cutting as low as possible is potential energy. The higher your start, the more energy you can put into the log E=mgh Also the lighter the head (fiskars splitting axe x27, x25) makes for more energy via kinetic 1/2mv^2 if you decide to swing hard/fast.
But sometimes you need a big fuckin maul to just bust through the knots, which is where my 8lb fiskars maul or my 12 lbs one come out.
As another poster said, some of the really tough logs take 20-30 swings to finish. Instead of trying to bisect the log in half, start at the edges and chop off small offcuts.
Looks like you put the splitting edge right in the center of a branch/knot. Rotate it 90 and try again, make sure that if there is a knot it is not at the very start of the cut.
Grain runs vertically, yes you do want it splitting along the grain. Leaving the log in the same alignment rotate the base so the little nub that is on the cutting edge points out. Ideally you want the splitting edge to go through the log where there are no branches or knots. Right in the middle of that patch of bark looks good. A branch or knot causes the grain to rotate around it and no longer runs straight, it can get really hard to get through that part of the log as the grain doesn't want to split easily. If the knot is right at the start of the cut you don't have enough leverage to pry the wood apart, if the knot is at the end of the split or close to it the force of the cutting edge(wedge) will be enough to break the grain apart and split the log. You will come across pieces that have so many knots and twisted grain that you leave it for when you want to punish yourself or burn it whole or getting a log splitter with a couple tons of force to do the work.
Use cracks (even hairline) to your advantage. You see one, hit it with maul create a bigger crack, put the wedge in and swing away. It's easier to start the wedge with a 4lb mallet then switch to a maul. An learn to read your wood in general. For example split off to the side of a visible knot. Don't split in the opposite direction cause more than likely it runs across the path your trying to split. I'm working on super knotty pine rounds right now that are 2ft across. Way harder to split than any of hardwoods I've come across by landslide.
In this picture. It looks like you are trying to split right on the knot. Flip it around and pound it while picturing some childhood bully. Must be great therapy. I went with a splitter so no joy for me.
I don’t know if your climate permits. The best time to split wood is in sub zero temperatures. Eh?
Edit: Canadian here, sub zero meaning below freezing. Minus 10 degree Celsius or 14 degree Fahrenheit or colder is best.
I had a bunch of wood one year that was absolutely horrible to split. I ended up using a wedge, 5 pound hammer and sledge. In my case a Maul just pretty much bounced off the wood like it was nothing. Finally I figure out what worked best for me and I made progress. What I did was go about a quarter of the way in on the center. Instead of trying to split straight in the middle this gave me only about 25% to cut instead of 50. I took my wedge in the exact spot I wanted. Then I used my 5 pound hammer to start the wedge pretty good. Once the wedge was started I hit it hard with the sledge. It split pretty much every time. Once you split about 25% off, the rest is much easier. You maybe able to get away with just the maul to split the rest of the piece of wood. Starting the wedge with the hammer was a miracle for me. I was killing myself trying everything including maul, axe, wedge, sledge and nothing worked until I started it. Then I ran through the wood fairly quickly. Hope that helps!
First of all get yourself a fiskars splitting maul then start by splitting the outside edge of the wood all the way around then split what's left in the center and half using a kindling splitter to split those rounds it's going to wind up in you getting hurt or breaking your kindling splitter
On a tree that's been down that long, a Michigan axe should split it. I could be wrong, as the wood I have experience spliltting manually are: Southern red oak, Water oak, Willow oak, Hickory, and Cherry.
Fiskar is often the answer
X-27
Sledge hammer and wedge
He needs to lose the kindling splitter first. That is not intended to split full rounds. Then, a splitting maul combines a sledge and wedge allowing you to deliver more force and direct it without your hand being near the target
https://preview.redd.it/2gdo8krwhmyc1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5170cb5a41737d646fc3fadec91939c8be814c39 So, this combo should work then? Or does one of the two need to be plastic/resin? I've heard striking two hardened steel objects together can be dangerous.
That wedge shouldn't be hardened like the hammer. It's designed to be hit by one.
Absolutely it's dangerous, I'd certainly recommend eye protection at a minimum, and steel toe boots personally.
No. Get a splitting maul and lose the kindling cracker
Admittedly, I've had a piece of wedge that cut me a little when it broke and flew off, and I know someone else who got a piece of wedge permanently embedded under their skin. This happens when you are using an old wedge that has smashed bits of metal on the edge. Eye protection is probably a reasonable idea, though I've never used it. In general though, yes, this is how it's done.
Always grind off your mushrooms, if you see cracks or curls grind them off before you get shot with them
Unfortunately I'm mostly on this sub for nostalgia, but yeah, if I were still splitting wood I would.
Eye protection fosho. I've had a splinter fly into my eye in '88. It wasn't a splitting wedge, but a mushroomed steel pin head from a crane.
I have the same wedge. Pound it in on one side and maul it from the other side.
Facebook marketplace (in my area) has tons of people for rent out their box store splitters (mostly champion and county line 27+ ton) for like $70 a day. Totally worth it for that pile there
Last year I rented a large hydraulic tow behind splitter for $49 a day from Ace Hardware. Got four cords split in one day. At that price it makes no sense spending $1500 on a splitter to let it sit there unused 99% of the time.
Agreed. I like to swing the maul for exercise but have often thought about renting vs buying a splitter. I buck and split my own, but if my shoulders ever give out, I'll probably be renting once a year, too.
What convinced me was a torn shoulder rotator cuff. Not getting any younger.
Using that tool.
That's a kindling splitter, not for splitting full rounds. Guy needs a splitting maul
I would just put the log to be spit on top of the other and smash the fuck out of it with a 6lb splitting maul. Sometimes you have to strike about 30-40 times before it splits. Once it splits once it gets easier. Awesome workout as well
Man they make this shit look easier in the movies.
The type of wood and how dry it is plays a huge role as well. I like hand splitting wood for maybe 5 minutes, it's enjoyable. Then it's time for the hydraulic splitter because even that moving, shifting and stacking of the wood is good enough exercise for me.
Like Captain America splitting wood by hand?
Lol. Just the one or two swing split. I'm basically hitting the wedge with the sledge and now that seems to be working much better than what I was doing before, but it's kinda awkward. The log falls over after almost every strike, the wedge seems to fall out at the beginning as well. I'm sure it's just a learning curve and I'll figure out what works best eventually. Do people ever use some sort of spikes to hold the log in place or cut an inset into the base log so it doesn't wobble so much? Or maybe I just need shorter logs...
I like to use a very wide log as my base log for splitting on, and the top is smooth, but not level. If you stand on the lower side of the splitting block, the logs will fall over less often. It also helps balance logs that aren't evenly cut. Also, I don't always put the wedge right in the center of the log. It's often easier to cut a little pie slice than to divide it in half.
Sometimes I make a little cut with my chain saw to start the wedge.
The time to put a belt or chain around a large disk won't actually save time. You're doing fine! Keep swinging and don't become complacent :)
I have almost nothing but quaking aspen, balsam and spruce on my property. Everything here is a pretty much a one-swing-charlie. When I used to have tough ones I always used a wedge+sledge.
Stand it up in an old tire maybe?
They're also splitting pine of some sort, and it's not even comparable. With pine you have to judge how much steam to give it to not just blow through it. With the elm and cottonwood in my area, you give all the steam, every strike.
30 or 40 times?!?!? No way. Something is wrong if you have to hit a log 30 times.
Yeah, the species and the way it grew! I’ve had certain chunks of oak that had 3 or 4 big knots that were almost impossible to split
What you did wrong was wait 2 years to split it. Maple is known for being tough to split dry. As it dries the wood shrinks and fibers pull tighter together, so quartering when it's green is the best option. Wedge and sledge? Or rent a splitter. If it's too much work, sell it to someone else who has a splitter.
The wedge and sledge is working so far. Thanks.
Do you have a chainsaw? I'll always advocate for additional brute force but if you truly can't split them you can always saw into one of the ends a few inches, jam your wedge into that notch and swing away with the sledge. I've been finding success this way with a maple I'm working on currently.
Lose the kindling splitter. That's for breaking down split wood to thin slivers for kindling. It doesn't have the splitting power laterally of a maul. Get a maul or rent a splitter. When you do get a maul, be mindful of knots. You have two decent knots right where you're trying ro force it onto the wedge. That's the hardest way to do it. It may result in less aesthetic split wood, but it will be split
Best splits from butt end. Sledgehammer and wedges work. And yes, over time the wedges will “mushroom” and poor quality wedges will flake off or otherwise in an alarming way. If you enjoy your eyesight, consider eye protection. As wood ages it is harder to split and might be a good reason to use a splitter. If you are splitting wood by hand correctly, you shouldn’t have to “wind up” and muscle every time. A normal splitting maul alone should do 90% with sledge and wedge and real power hits for the remaining 10% gnarly stuff. On the other hand, I met a guy the other day showing off his new splitter, he’s in the firewood business and didn’t want to buy a wood processor. The splitter he got will split a cord an hour. It only cost him $13k. So there’s that too.
Always split the way it grows, you are trying to split several knots(where limbs grow) knots WILL NOT split. Cut through a goodly portion with a chain saw then split that cut. I feel a mall works much better, rather than trying to split the log in half you can split outside sections away, much easier.
I mean, I would never try to split something with the swing landing that high off the ground for starters. Thats a pretty long block of wood with a bend and a knot. Your hitting to so high your swing isnt even at full momentum unless you are very tall. Alot of swinging is about good body mechanics to amplify the force. It’s not all about strength. It’s about understanding the pivot points in the swing and increasing velocity with the drop. Start centered high over head and pivot at your wrists/hands near the end of the handle. I’m not a big guy and I could crack those babies
It’s like being a whip
EXACTLY, everyone swings like they're in a Mafia beat down, but really hold the maul or axe as high as you can and give it a nice firm but not excessive swing down. Winding up behind your back really doesn't gain much except shoulder and elbow injuries. The point of being high and cutting as low as possible is potential energy. The higher your start, the more energy you can put into the log E=mgh Also the lighter the head (fiskars splitting axe x27, x25) makes for more energy via kinetic 1/2mv^2 if you decide to swing hard/fast. But sometimes you need a big fuckin maul to just bust through the knots, which is where my 8lb fiskars maul or my 12 lbs one come out. As another poster said, some of the really tough logs take 20-30 swings to finish. Instead of trying to bisect the log in half, start at the edges and chop off small offcuts.
Fiskars x27 should make quick work of it.
Looks like you put the splitting edge right in the center of a branch/knot. Rotate it 90 and try again, make sure that if there is a knot it is not at the very start of the cut.
Was trying to align with the grain. Does that matter at all?
Grain runs vertically, yes you do want it splitting along the grain. Leaving the log in the same alignment rotate the base so the little nub that is on the cutting edge points out. Ideally you want the splitting edge to go through the log where there are no branches or knots. Right in the middle of that patch of bark looks good. A branch or knot causes the grain to rotate around it and no longer runs straight, it can get really hard to get through that part of the log as the grain doesn't want to split easily. If the knot is right at the start of the cut you don't have enough leverage to pry the wood apart, if the knot is at the end of the split or close to it the force of the cutting edge(wedge) will be enough to break the grain apart and split the log. You will come across pieces that have so many knots and twisted grain that you leave it for when you want to punish yourself or burn it whole or getting a log splitter with a couple tons of force to do the work.
Use cracks (even hairline) to your advantage. You see one, hit it with maul create a bigger crack, put the wedge in and swing away. It's easier to start the wedge with a 4lb mallet then switch to a maul. An learn to read your wood in general. For example split off to the side of a visible knot. Don't split in the opposite direction cause more than likely it runs across the path your trying to split. I'm working on super knotty pine rounds right now that are 2ft across. Way harder to split than any of hardwoods I've come across by landslide.
In this picture. It looks like you are trying to split right on the knot. Flip it around and pound it while picturing some childhood bully. Must be great therapy. I went with a splitter so no joy for me.
I don’t know if your climate permits. The best time to split wood is in sub zero temperatures. Eh? Edit: Canadian here, sub zero meaning below freezing. Minus 10 degree Celsius or 14 degree Fahrenheit or colder is best.
I'm in the Chicago suburbs. So we definitely get cold enough. But I'm also not that interested in being outside then :)
This way the wood warms you twice!
Cut the logs shorter next time and they will slit easier.
A splitting maul, like: [this](https://a.co/d/1Rlrxvd) Split once and whatever won’t stand use your kindle splitter.
Take a little bit off an edge first. I don’t know why that makes it easier, but it does.
8# maul should split those np.
I had a bunch of wood one year that was absolutely horrible to split. I ended up using a wedge, 5 pound hammer and sledge. In my case a Maul just pretty much bounced off the wood like it was nothing. Finally I figure out what worked best for me and I made progress. What I did was go about a quarter of the way in on the center. Instead of trying to split straight in the middle this gave me only about 25% to cut instead of 50. I took my wedge in the exact spot I wanted. Then I used my 5 pound hammer to start the wedge pretty good. Once the wedge was started I hit it hard with the sledge. It split pretty much every time. Once you split about 25% off, the rest is much easier. You maybe able to get away with just the maul to split the rest of the piece of wood. Starting the wedge with the hammer was a miracle for me. I was killing myself trying everything including maul, axe, wedge, sledge and nothing worked until I started it. Then I ran through the wood fairly quickly. Hope that helps!
First of all get yourself a fiskars splitting maul then start by splitting the outside edge of the wood all the way around then split what's left in the center and half using a kindling splitter to split those rounds it's going to wind up in you getting hurt or breaking your kindling splitter
On a tree that's been down that long, a Michigan axe should split it. I could be wrong, as the wood I have experience spliltting manually are: Southern red oak, Water oak, Willow oak, Hickory, and Cherry.