WOOD ! Which Splitting Axe do you use ?

[Zimmerframe]

Wow didn’t know that about e- spefic trousers at least your pupster doesn’t run round the garden hiding logs

I think because cordless chainsaws are light and quiet, they're doubly dangerous. I know I make the mistake of treating it with less respect than the petrol ones sometimes, just because it seems placid ! Stupid really !!!

Fortunately not, would be nice if I could train him to bring some back though .......

 

[urastus]

As if I would ever say something like that ! Trust me, it took a lot of self control ....

The Fiskars Axes work on the principle of being razor sharp. On most woods they'll make short work compared to a much larger axe. I'm slowly getting more ability with my rotator cuff and managed a few decent tests with the Maul - that works better on the stringy pine - it literally comes down to mass with something like that. I just don't have enough strength in the shoulder yet to do it for hours on end with the Maul - or flexibility - or pain threshold ...

Which is now causing a backlog ... literally !!

View attachment 50239

Almost got through cutting up the old chestnut posts the farmer donated though. And after doing my EMTB cow herding after his cow's escaped he brought up my last 3m lengths of Beech tree up, so that will save be god knows how many wheel barrows up the hill.

And yes splitting, some wood has an easier way up, so if it's not obvious on shape and it doesn't go on first hit, it gets flipped !

Look at you with your fancy e-chainsaw ! .. is it de-restricted ?? Great aren't they ! Remember, they have higher torque than a petrol saw so you actually need to use them with more respect ! or buy e-chainsaw trousers - which are more resistant ... - they go through normal chainsaw trousers without stopping.

Happy to see you got to keep the dog

 

[Waynemarlow]

You lot are heathens, anything with a handle less than 18" is a Tomahawk, choppers are well you know and those crappy bikes we all hankered after in our youf.

 

[KenX]

I've got a dog like that! Briquet de Provence, great deer hunter! Plus a Boxita and two cockers........And a Leborne maul

 

[Zimmerframe]

Leborne maul

I've not heard of a dog like that, sounds like a great guard dog though

I've got a dog like that! Briquet de Provence, great deer hunter!

Mine seems to be a bit of a mix, found him at the SPA (French RSPCA) he was 6 months old, full of worms, hugely underweight. Think he'd lived tied up in a barn as someone's anger outlet. He was terrified of anyone with big grey hair and anyone with a stick. He had no idea at all what kettles, TV's, bikes, horses - anything was. He does love chasing deer scent though. And deer (normally at least two in the garden most days, so he's normally got warmed up before we even get on a proper dog walk). If they don't run though, he'll just sit and wait. If they stop running, he'll just come back because they don't know how to play properly. Daft dog.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Seems to be constant torrential rain still in Northern France so my sourcing of dry wood is getting harder every day. As I'm a dick, I'm refusing to buy firewood on principle as I live in a woods !

Today, an alternative source came along. Get paid to cut up someone's old beams and take them away ! OK

200 year seasoned chestnut. Some a bit rotten at the ends from wall leakage/condensation. Some like Iron. All with enough nails to setup your own steel works - so there was a lot of chainsaw sharpening...

I can't help but think that some of these are going to be an absolute b4stard to split .. The solid bits are about 30cm*30cm and weigh a tonne.

 

[Mabman]

Those should put out the BTU's! I agree they may be a bear to split so just get a bigger stove

 

[Barbara_Reed]

Coming late to the party here. Leborgne 3.5 kilo merlin with the fibreglass handle, cheapo Chinese electric chainsaw to cut the 1 metre logs in half. 50 cm logs hit once in the right place will usually fall into two pieces first time. I use a big chunk of wood to stand my half log on to get the right height so i don't have to lean forward. The axe works better for splitting if its not too sharp.
If they have big knots and resist then stick the twisted wedge in the split and whack it with the flat side of the merlin. Its technique, not brute force, use the weight of the axe and hit the wood where it wants to split. But then I get properly dry oak, ash, and chestnut. Not crappy resinous stuff that cruds up the chimney.
Work in the barn out of the weather.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Jesus @Barbara_Reed we don't want to get on your wrong side !

Work in the barn out of the weather.

As a man who used to own a hamlet with more barns than I knew what to do with and a house too large for any rational life - who then sold it all so a lady could have more land for her horses .. and who now lives in a cabin in the woods so said lady can have all that to herself ... I can only say, I wish I had a barn again. But some of us must make do for our sacrifices to the fairer sex.

The twisty wedges are great for the gnarly stuff - but equally, if you have really really gnarly stuff, beware that on the 3rd or 4th major whack (of more than technique) that they don't miraculously launch themselves out at 1000mph and pretty much cut through anything in their way (this is the only downside of twisty wedges) other than that, they are truly amazing.

I first read your thread that you were cutting through 1m diameter logs .. then worked out it was 1m cord length. I have to agree I have a cheapo chinese saw here which is actually quite often my preferred option on big but quick stuff. It actually starts easier than my husqvarna's (it's an old husky copy, but somehow better) but sucks fuel like my farmer neighbour can devour whisky)

Pine sucks .. but if burnt hot and seasoned properly, it still burns well (ideally mixed with other woods) .. but as a peasant scrabbling around for any heat I'm just a regular chimney cleaner at the moment

I'm crippled at the moment as have infected myself with sciatica - for another thread - once I work out how to fix it Seems quite common after a forum search ...

Your chopping block is 100% on the ball. On my Sciatica day I was helping a friend cut down some 2m high stumps (?!) of upto 80cm diameter and spilt all his gnarly bits. He didn't have a block and hadn't ever used a block, so after some explanation, he's now using a block and splitting far more far easier !!

If you guys find yourself a bit further north, you're welcome to pop in, split some wood, drink wine and fall off bikes

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[Zimmerframe]

Swapped the wood burner out yesterday, which was probably not a good idea with my back, or maybe it was .. either way .. it was in the van and needed doing and the "colonial" one here in the cabin was 99% inefficient.

Felt more mobile again today so decided it was finally time to get swinging again.

The challenge .. x25 vs 200 year old seasoned chestnut which is hard as iron !

Del monte X25 says "YES" ..

With how hard it was to cut, I thought I was going to have to chainsaw an "X" in and then use spiral wedges .. but it actually split really nicely !

Same block split :

 

[Waynemarlow]

Del monte X25 says "YES" ..

With how hard it was to cut, I thought I was going to have to chainsaw an "X" in and then use spiral wedges .. but it actually split really nicely !

In my apprenticeship as a motor mechanic, one of the abiding lessons learnt from my mentor was " if it doesn't move, hit it with a bigger hammer" Axes are no different.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Isn't it time you also went electric for log splitting....?
I did with this model - it is a game changer! Same as my Rail was.

Well, I gave in ... I had some bits which were taking so long to split that it just wasn't fun anymore .. so after a recommendation from @dobbyhasfriends I went for a little 6.5 tonne electric hydraulic splitter and have to say, I've been really surprised with it - to the point I'd say it's almost as effective as my big old three phase one - though nothing like a nice tractor mounted one, it's split everything I've thrown at it.

 

[Ogofmole]

I just use a chainsaw and axe, but we do own our 12 acre woodland.

 

[2WheelsNot4]

I picked up an old hand axe the a month or two ago. Well not that old really.
It was an old military one, dated 1950. Elwell, so going to be of good quality and appears to have been well looked after.

The handle was a bit dry so i've taken that off, just need a piece of ash or something to make another and I was thinking of it being about 20" for a kind of forest axe length.
I've a couple of others. A full length felling, and a hand size, the latter incorporating a hammer head.

 

[RustyIron]

You ride an electric bike but use a manual wood splitting axe?
A long time ago I split a few pieces of wood.
It was horseshit.
So I got an app for that.

 

[Zimmerframe]

You ride an electric bike but use a manual wood splitting axe?

Yes. But I like splitting wood.

There isn't an uphill and a downhill. With the bike I like going downhill, but still want to go quickish going up - so ebike.

Though there are some evil gnarly bits of wood - hence the new e-axe..

 

[Healy]

I got kiln dried stuff this year. Splits with a kindling axe. Zimmer lives in France. He needs the wood burner if they rely on chaffetaux boilers. I have fixed a few in my time

 

[Pdoz]

As Paul Hogan would say .... That's not an Axe ... this is an Axe.....

Thanks for the chuckle.

We made the mistake of planting ( Australian) native trees a few decades ago. Every time they drop a widow maker , I look at the pissy hand splitters and wonder if I need a pto driven splitter or just petrol powered......

Then I just toss them on the bonfire pile - life is too short to stuff around burning kindling

 

[Zimmerframe]

I just use a chainsaw and axe, but we do own our 12 acre woodland.

I like the mini quad with the chains. I have a friend who did something similar and just put chains on an old ride on mower with a wrecked cutting deck. It's pretty much unstoppable.

 

[Ogofmole]

I like the mini quad with the chains. I have a friend who did something similar and just put chains on an old ride on mower with a wrecked cutting deck. It's pretty much unstoppable.

It started life with a 50cc two stroke engine, but I ripped that out and managed to wedge a 125cc four stroke motorbike engine in, strengthened the frame more, fitted a toe hook and it will go almost anywhere now. Plus it just fits in my van to take back home.

 

[2WheelsNot4]

Quite a number of standard axes and mauls, but who has one of these ?.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Quite a number of standard axes and mauls, but who has one of these ?. View attachment 75427

Blimey, I always thought they only existed over the pond...

Similar in principle to the Chopper 1 :

CHOPPER 1 AXE

www.chopper1axe.com

 

[Jackware]

Blimey, I always thought they only existed over the pond...

Similar in principle to the Chopper 1 :

CHOPPER 1 AXE

www.chopper1axe.com

So is that a mechanism to stop the blade jamming in a log that didn't split?

 

[Zimmerframe]

So is that a mechanism to stop the blade jamming in a log that didn't split?

Nope .. The idea is that as you strike, the blade begins the split and then the sticky out bits hit the wood and are forced to splay outwards like any lady's legs within 100 meters of @BAMBAMODA's pheromones. As they spread out they force the wood apart helping the split. Not sure it actually works that well - like all axe's I'd guess it's better on some wood than others - there's a nice slow mo video on the link above showing how it works in theory.

 

[Mabman]

Seems like this time of year when folks minds turn towards wood as a heat source, here in the US at least. someone has a better mousetrap ready to go. As seen at the local market....

If anyone can explain to me exactly what recycled firewood has to do with any type of reality I am open to hearing it....

Last year Home Depot had pallets full of wood from the EU on sale for about the same price which is the equivalent of $260 usd/cord.

 

[Zimmerframe]

If anyone can explain to me exactly what recycled firewood has to do with any type of reality I am open to hearing it....

We have some similar things here :

There's a place not far from here which makes them. They have mountains outside of broken pallets and the wood which gets dumped in the "wood" container at the decheterie (tip). It gets muched up and then stuffed through a machine which compresses it into little logs. The energy from compression releases lignin ? in the wood which acts as a bonding agent and the pressure creates enough heat that the wood is dried in the process. So basically a bit like "pellets" except larger and using scrap wood.

 

[Mabman]

I guess mostly I just thought it was a strange way to word it because once wood has been "fired" it is ash no?

Compressed logs have been a thing since at least 1934..........



I personally have never partaken but have burned many a cord in my life done just how you are still doing it, by hand from "real" wood.

 

[Zimmerframe]

I guess mostly I just thought it was a strange way to word it because once wood has been "fired" it is ash no?

Yup, "Recycled Fire Wood" does give the impression that someone magically took a pile of ash and recomposed it magically into fire wood again .. Maybe they're not compressed scrap wood, maybe it's a pile of ash which has been mixed with old engine oil and compressed into logs

 

[Pdoz]

We have some similar things here :

View attachment 75473

There's a place not far from here which makes them. They have mountains outside of broken pallets and the wood which gets dumped in the "wood" container at the decheterie (tip). It gets muched up and then stuffed through a machine which compresses it into little logs. The energy from compression releases lignin ? in the wood which acts as a bonding agent and the pressure creates enough heat that the wood is dried in the process. So basically a bit like "pellets" except larger and using scrap wood.

Did someone really package 4 pieces of wood in plastic and call it " eco" ????


I shouldn't complain....I just filled my ford ranger with kiln dried hardwood off cuts. Perfect for the pizza over or a quick top up heating on those evenings when the sun isn't quite enough.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Did someone really package 4 pieces of wood in plastic and call it " eco" ????

I guess it could be a plant based, but reading their web site eventually you find a bit which says they're wrapped in a film which is recyclable.

Ideally you think they'd clip or slide together, or at least be wrapped in some combustible eco sourced waxed paper packing which would double as your fire lighter.

I just filled my ford ranger with kiln dried hardwood off cuts. Perfect for the pizza over or a quick top up heating on those evenings when the sun isn't quite enough.

I guess they kiln dried the hardwood for whatever they needed that for, rather than just kiln drying the off cuts just for your BBQing pleasure
Still must be better than you sitting there surrounded by a dozen ornamental flaming gas burners, unless of course you just set the whole car on fire with the wood in it ...