4 ms·

Any advice on technique with the splitting axe? Use the same way as the maul?

by gkfasdfasdf 5y ago

mtreis86 5y ago
Put a heavy bungee cord (the rubber type) around the log a bit above the bottom, then the pieces don't go flying.
- bstpierre 5y ago
  Even better, use an old tire. I like to set the tire on a large round, place a few smaller pieces inside the tire (so they don’t go flying out) and then chop them all before clearing and refilling. Also works with a single medium piece inside the tire. Large pieces you can quarter first, I don’t have much trouble there with pieces flying around.
jcims 5y ago
So happy to see the Fiskars mentioned. Grew up with farmers in the midwest US but love my fancy little splitter hitter from across the pond. I find a subtle lift on the handle right at the end of the stroke, almost like a whipping action, seems to help a little. It may be in my head, but it seems to stick less. Use the full length of the handle, the horn at the end provides a positive grip and you get more speed. On large rounds don’t start in the very center, bisect the round but start near near the far rim so the crack is only supported on one side and has a better chance to propagate through the length of the round. Work your way back towards you and repeat if needed. Always focus on where your strike lands. Most smaller logs will be one hitters but aim precisely anyway. On larger rounds stitch strikes together in one continuous line across the face. Don’t get sloppy, if you’re more than an 1/8” off left or right hit it again. Repeat across until she gives. Precision beats percussion. Set your rounds on top of the biggest round you can find when splitting. This flattens the contact (tip #1) and the large round below provides some inertial resistance. Splitting directly on the ground provides more bounce, reducing effectiveness, and the bit gets dulled by contact with dirt and rocks. Keep the cover, its durable, provides a great hanging handle. The blade doesn’t need to be razor sharp like you would want with a cutting axe, but it should be sharp and clean.
- Toutouxc 5y ago
  > start near near the far rim so the crack is only supported on one side I have no professional background, so maybe I'm totally wrong, but I would advise against that, because if you aim a bit too far or the wood gives too easily, most of the impact will be against the haft instead of the head, and the haft can break this way. I usually start at the near side and then work towards the far side, which is only dangerous if you don't have a wide base (another log maybe) under the piece you're currently splitting, because if you miss the near side, the axe is flying towards your feet.
  - jcims 5y ago
    Good to call this out because it’s something people should think about. > because if you miss the near side, the axe is flying towards your feet. Had a close call here once and have gone the other way ever since. I’ve missed long and broken old wooden handle splitters this way, but the Fiskars are incredibly tough and just sting the shit out of your hands if you miss.
- bregma 5y ago
  > Set your rounds on top of the biggest round you can find when splitting. That's fine advice for someone who wants to burn a campfire for a night. I heat with wood in remote Canada and I estimate I split somewhere between 600 and 800 bucks for a season's supply of firewood. If I had to lift each one of those into the air and balance it (if possible, and it's often not possible) on another piece of wood I'd never get enough split to warm me the whole winter while my back recovers. I just tip the buck up on the ground and use a dull maul because I don't have time to baby the edge of an axe. Mostly these days I just use a hydraulic splitter because I'm old and grumpy especially when I'm as behind in getting my wood in as I always seem to be.
  - KineticLensman 5y ago
    I also use a manual hydraulic splitter as I never developed axe skills when young. It works fine for most sections of trunk and gives a nice upper-body workout. If I load it with two sections of trunk the rearmost one significantly reduces the distance I need to move the ram before the section at the front makes contact with the splitter.
japhyr 5y ago
I split about three cords a year, all by hand. It's mostly hemlock and alder. The biggest rounds are 24-30" in diameter. I thought I'd need a heavy maul for the large rounds, but I use the axe for everything. On the larger rounds, start at the edges and work your way around. One nice thing about working in from the edges is that the edge pieces with bark are thin and have lots of split surface area, and all the inside pieces have no bark. So everything dries faster. I don't have any trouble missing strikes with this method. The knottiest pieces for me tend to be spruce rounds from mid-trunk. I use the axe to get as much off as I can, and then either stack the larger knotty pieces in one area and burn them whenever they've dried enough, or use the chainsaw to cut through them one more time. I haven't picked up my maul in 3 years.

Any advice on technique with the splitting axe? Use the same way as the maul?

mtreis86 5y ago

Put a heavy bungee cord (the rubber type) around the log a bit above the bottom, then the pieces don't go flying.

bstpierre 5y ago
Even better, use an old tire. I like to set the tire on a large round, place a few smaller pieces inside the tire (so they don’t go flying out) and then chop them all before clearing and refilling. Also works with a single medium piece inside the tire. Large pieces you can quarter first, I don’t have much trouble there with pieces flying around.

jcims 5y ago

So happy to see the Fiskars mentioned. Grew up with farmers in the midwest US but love my fancy little splitter hitter from across the pond. I find a subtle lift on the handle right at the end of the stroke, almost like a whipping action, seems to help a little. It may be in my head, but it seems to stick less. Use the full length of the handle, the horn at the end provides a positive grip and you get more speed. On large rounds don’t start in the very center, bisect the round but start near near the far rim so the crack is only supported on one side and has a better chance to propagate through the length of the round. Work your way back towards you and repeat if needed. Always focus on where your strike lands. Most smaller logs will be one hitters but aim precisely anyway. On larger rounds stitch strikes together in one continuous line across the face. Don’t get sloppy, if you’re more than an 1/8” off left or right hit it again. Repeat across until she gives. Precision beats percussion. Set your rounds on top of the biggest round you can find when splitting. This flattens the contact (tip #1) and the large round below provides some inertial resistance. Splitting directly on the ground provides more bounce, reducing effectiveness, and the bit gets dulled by contact with dirt and rocks. Keep the cover, its durable, provides a great hanging handle. The blade doesn’t need to be razor sharp like you would want with a cutting axe, but it should be sharp and clean.

Toutouxc 5y ago
> start near near the far rim so the crack is only supported on one side I have no professional background, so maybe I'm totally wrong, but I would advise against that, because if you aim a bit too far or the wood gives too easily, most of the impact will be against the haft instead of the head, and the haft can break this way. I usually start at the near side and then work towards the far side, which is only dangerous if you don't have a wide base (another log maybe) under the piece you're currently splitting, because if you miss the near side, the axe is flying towards your feet.
- jcims 5y ago
  Good to call this out because it’s something people should think about. > because if you miss the near side, the axe is flying towards your feet. Had a close call here once and have gone the other way ever since. I’ve missed long and broken old wooden handle splitters this way, but the Fiskars are incredibly tough and just sting the shit out of your hands if you miss.
bregma 5y ago
> Set your rounds on top of the biggest round you can find when splitting. That's fine advice for someone who wants to burn a campfire for a night. I heat with wood in remote Canada and I estimate I split somewhere between 600 and 800 bucks for a season's supply of firewood. If I had to lift each one of those into the air and balance it (if possible, and it's often not possible) on another piece of wood I'd never get enough split to warm me the whole winter while my back recovers. I just tip the buck up on the ground and use a dull maul because I don't have time to baby the edge of an axe. Mostly these days I just use a hydraulic splitter because I'm old and grumpy especially when I'm as behind in getting my wood in as I always seem to be.
- KineticLensman 5y ago
  I also use a manual hydraulic splitter as I never developed axe skills when young. It works fine for most sections of trunk and gives a nice upper-body workout. If I load it with two sections of trunk the rearmost one significantly reduces the distance I need to move the ram before the section at the front makes contact with the splitter.

japhyr 5y ago

I split about three cords a year, all by hand. It's mostly hemlock and alder. The biggest rounds are 24-30" in diameter. I thought I'd need a heavy maul for the large rounds, but I use the axe for everything. On the larger rounds, start at the edges and work your way around. One nice thing about working in from the edges is that the edge pieces with bark are thin and have lots of split surface area, and all the inside pieces have no bark. So everything dries faster. I don't have any trouble missing strikes with this method. The knottiest pieces for me tend to be spruce rounds from mid-trunk. I use the axe to get as much off as I can, and then either stack the larger knotty pieces in one area and burn them whenever they've dried enough, or use the chainsaw to cut through them one more time. I haven't picked up my maul in 3 years.