Firewood the Old Way

Splitting oak firewood (mostly) by hand with a splitting maul.

[@bwillan]

Labour saving tip. Split your firewood rounds with they are freshly cut and green. It is much easier than when they are dry. Also when using your splitting wedge, start at and edge and look for a crack that has naturally formed. It makes the splitting easier.

[@Lauterbach24]

That doesn't work on some hardwoods. You have to wait until they checker well on the ends. Otherwise, your work is much harder when they are freshly bucked.

[@paulpowell9579]

Miss seeing your little boy. He is BEYOND adorable, and Daddy's big helper.

[@PrimitiveSkillsnet]

Hello, a very impressive video and a job that I often do every day like you, wishing you and your family good health

[@gokhangonullu5362]

Hello Duong, nice to meet you here, how is your work today?

[@annyballestas1327]

Nice to meet you here, I've also watched a few of your videos and find them very good

[@user-vj4ck9pr4r]

Hello friend I am a woman from England and have been following your progress and your 5 year journey has been great

[@numberone7141]

I'm also very curious about Duong's generator?

[@md.joshim9411]

Your videos are great and help me relax a lot

[@lanecobb4150]

I've split a ton of firewood with wedge and maul in my days. Now at the age of 77 the splitter does my splitting! The sound of that engine is music to my ears! 😂

[@ljgault]

That was my job as a youngster keep the firewood bin full. Mostly we had red oak to split and it was fairly easy. Your video's hit home with me.. thanks for posting them.

[@win1885]

40 some years ago we moved to a farm outside of Hagerstown. Md. We meated with wood. A big pile of elm rounds was stacked against a shed, I started splitting them with axe and splitting maul, Took fore cver. The laat one was 24-26" in diameter, Couldn't get the last quarter of it apart, When I finally dids. I found a horse shoe inside.

[@samvalentine3206]

Now that's a heck of thing to find! Hope you saved that horse shoe - a lucky one for sure!

[@davidduvall4655]

Your cat is like my 2, work fasinates them. They can lay and watch all day. The life if a cat, if you cant eat it or scratch it, sleep on it.

[@jamesreardon8585]

In Australia. early 70s, we used to survive on hard wood for firewood for heat and cooking (in one of the only areas in Australia that gets regular snow) ie eucalyptus such as yellow box and grey box, spent many hours splitting wood for my Aunts as a young fella willingly supplied by my Dad! Only had an axe to use , but took great pride in it and gee it made me strong!

[@trampster7306]

Nice update Wes. You were making me sweat just watching, and longing for the days when I used to do similar - guess I'm over 30 years older than you! Great to see that lovely Cat! Been a very busy year here so not much time for KZbin, but dipping in when I can. Stay safe & well. 👍👍

[@margaretpervier8357]

Boy does this bring back some memories! 😊

[@sonjamay9642]

Brilliant video! Miss your little guy though, he has grown up so much since we first saw him. Keep up the good work! xx

[@catgynt9148]

With all your special tools, the fact that you still split wood with a hand maul is a testament to your strength and determination. Have you considered adapting your power log splitter into compressing your sawdust into pellets? Wishing you and your family a blessed holiday season filled with gentle seasonally appropriate weather and restful evenings together. Peace brother

[@stephenrussell1766]

Nice looking Christmas trees! It’s getting about that time of year!!

[@167curly]

It really does look like a therapeutic workout splitting those logs, Wes.

[@KG-xt4oq]

Yep, I remember nearly 40 years ago now splitting wood for our wood stove. Mostly pine with the occasional hardwood. I also remember that distinct pop sound you get with either a well-seasoned round or splitting rounds after a hard freeze. I also remember the sound and the feel when you miss your mark and hit the handle instead of the head of the axe on the round...lol.

[@falllineridge]

Yep, the handle hits are my least favorite sound.

[@samvalentine3206]

Thanks for this, Wes. It brings back memories of exactly the same thing. We never had a hydraulic splitter growing up - we rented one once and thought we had hit the lottery! The wedge, the sledge hammer, the maul. Builds character! A good way to channel emotion as a youth and as an adult, I'm sure!

[@ss4jarmon]

Old school splitting wood is a great stress reliever.

[@sadjaxx]

Love listening to you "yack" Wes!

[@falllineridge]

Ha! Thanks!

[@marklester9679]

Gee Wes, you wore me out just watching you. What you call " therapeutic ", I say work smarter not harder.....lol Great video as always.

[@wauhawk]

One of my fondest memories at Scout camp was working with the camp ranger. He cut down some good sized trees. At that time camp didn't have a log splitter. He and I were the only ones in the group that could put enough ugga dugga behind the maul to split those rounds. Now you can do an ace restoration video make a new handle.

[@tonyn3123]

Been there. The last monster white oak I had dropped in my yard was similar in size to those base cutoffs you are splitting. Mine was probably 80'. I got a tree company to drop it in sections from the top (safety reasons) and cut it into firewood lengths. From there I split it ALL into firewood over a 2-week period in my evenings and weekends. I initially went to my splitter, but honestly, a splitting maul didn't hurt my old back as bad. So, the maul was my choice for probably 95% of it. I rounded over a large 20' dump trailer with firewood for my stepdad and delivered it to his house. When he passed, there was still a bunch of that wood remaining. Thanks.

[@DDL2728]

Wow!! You are a tough & determined young man, Wes! Impressive! My hubby asks why you didn't have a short stump or flat, wide piece of wood under the wood you were cutting. It would make the shock of your axe be more effective on the log you're trying to split & not let the ground absorb the pressure. You got a lot of good therapy splitting that wood!! 👍😉🌟 God bless you and your family! 💕🙏

[@twisterdude100]

Nice video! made my back ache just watching! Speaking of therapeutic, a restoration of that old axe might be very interesting, hint hint!

[@ginadills]

I cut wood all summer and chopped all winter. Kept me warm all year long!!!

[@jimmowers7675]

Good evening Wes. Always enjoy your videos. Thanks for sharing.

[@falllineridge]

Thanks for watching!

[@naomialaniz373]

It must be very satisfying to you to know you harvested and cut up every single piece of wood you'll use to keep your family warm all winter 😊

[@misawajason]

I've mentioned it before, but there is a certain calm about your videos that help keep an even keel amongst the craziness of this world. I'm currently serving in Guam where there is no need to chop any firewood for the winter since it stays 90 degrees year round. I miss doing stuff like this and look forward to doing it again once my tour here in over in about a month. Then off to northern Japan where I'll wish for warmer days back here in Guam 😆while chopping to my hearts content. Appreciate your content!! Thank you for sharing with us.

[@falllineridge]

Thank you!

[@WarPoet-In-Training]

I love splitting wood. Like you said, very therapeutic. I find having a freind nearby to help can make even the big rounds a bit of fun. One person can hold a maul (if it has a flat side) and the other can hit the maul with a sledgehammer. Ive got all Fiskars and theyre great.

[@user-xp4of2vu4r]

Watching you do your chores is always educational, interesting and entertaining however, the nostalgia it creates is sometimes a bit overwhelming. I miss the old days when, with luck , I might have been a friendly neighbor.

[@contemporaryprimitiveman3469]

I did it that way when I was younger. Wood splits great at -10 degrees.

[@johnwoody4905]

good video i still use wedges and chain saw on the really big ones. i split it all by hand till 85 when i got a northern hydratic wood splitter kit i think it came in 4 or 5 boxes and you put them togerther. i still use it the 5 hp. Briggs still runs good. little sawdust cat will have to do. take care, be safe and well.

[@randydobson1863]

hello wes it's is randy and i like yours video is cool thanks wes friends randy

[@richardthornhill4630]

Nice wood stove warming the home ... and with a pot of beans on top simmering.

[@louisspataro278]

Wow, this brings back memories. Especially of getting a wedges jammed into a knotty piece so deep I had to use 3 more wedges to get it out. What do they say about firewood heating you three times? Once cutting and stacking, once transporting it into the house and once in the stove? I do agree with the therapeutic aspect, though. Very relaxing and satisfying. Keep up the great videos!

[@johnhamilton9229]

I had my first fire pit night last night. So fun

[@matthewjohnragland]

Cat says, stop bothering me

[@travisschultz8984]

I used to split wood like this for my entire winters worth of wood every year for about 7 years. Finally got smart and got a splitter 😂. Completely agree about the therapeutic aspect though! I still throw the splitting maul around from time to time for the peace of it.

[@WinterWoodLife]

Hey Wes. You’ve probably heard this before…if you put the rounds inside an old tire, they won’t fall around or blow apart when you split…less chasing of splits and reduces the labor. Like you said, splitting is fun until it isn’t.

[@joebacarella2829]

One of those big rounds is perfect for splitting on, all of your energy goes into the log you hit, with very little going into the ground. But me, i`m 60, it`s the splitter all day my friend. We use our fireplace in the winter and we buy facecords, I buy 3 every year, I thought the price would have went up, but it was the same as last year, $120 each. So it was $360 seasoned and split, delivered to our driveway, all I do is wheel barrow it to the backyard, and fill my racks, this guy cost a bit more, but he splits them smaller, so no more splitting for me. I bought a big splitter maul, because I had to split about a third of it, but for another $15 a cord, it`s well worth it, my splitter is in the basement,teehee.

[@davidhuffine5084]

i agree . spl[tt[ng with a maul and wedge can be difficult work .

[@roberta.brokaw3829]

Those big rounds were a bugger bear. Looks like great burn pile material. Stay safe.

[@jacobbuckley8232]

Those are some big ole oak logs

[@bluethunder1951]

I love my hydraulic 24” log splitter attachment made by Quick Attach on my CTL, I can all by myself cut down, haul out, buck up, split, and stack 2 cords in a 8 hr day. That’s a nice looking wood shed.

[@jackgreen412]

The splitter does not remove the labor. You still have to set the rounds up on the splitter, then stack the firewood. I bought my first splitter when I had all the therapy I could handle.

[@watsonrk1]

Love splitting by hand and at 60, still split everything that way... almost relaxing. Wes, try a Fiskers, splitting axe. It's like 3.5lbs, 31" long unbreakable handle. I've split rounds up to 72" using one. The shorter handle generates a higher swing speed and you have to stand just a tad closer. But once you become comfortable with it, it's a splitter!

[@MarkWYoung-ky4uc]

That's how I used to split it. Red oak is my favorite wood to split.

[@falllineridge]

Red Oak is great, splits well and the smell is wonderful.

[@Thewildmindofmike]

Awesome video all around! 🤠

[@U_ever]

"Therapeutic" is not the first adverb I would have used but hey, . . .it works. Nice job Wes.

[@falllineridge]

Ha, I don't know why it's therapeutic, but it is.

[@robinpearson4583]

Wes, watching you split logs, it occurs to me that having a firm base to place your logs on would save a vast amount of your energy going straight into the ground. Maybe, consider an old tree stump as an anvil and save the sweet of your brow....Regards Robin.

[@Mr21011952]

I once used a maul to split wood. I took thought it therapeutic

[@jovanvujovic3932]

Nema zime kod tebe kolega😀👍

[@jeffdutton2500]

It’s fun to split a few by hand but it’s also nice to use your equipment. The older I get the more I like the equipment

[@southernadirondackoutdoors]

It is very therapeutic though that wood you were splitting might be more aggravating than therapeutic 🤣. I had a very stressful job years ago and hand splitting wood was a great way to get the days frustrations out of the system. I still split about 10 face cords (3 1/3 full cords) a year by hand.

[@FJ40Brian]

Hows that woodshed holding up? Im about to build something similar. I just scored a bunch of red oak here in Oregon. The smell is very unique..

[@jeremy1350]

Hey Mr. Green Jeans. Putting in some serious sweat equity there I see. Were you working off some kind of serious stress today ?? All the farmers are completing their harvests and the fire wood cutters are collecting wood for the winter. It's been a mad dash to beat the first snows coming soon. Hope everything is getting sorted for the winter soon.

[@thebradleysoncatbirdhill6849]

Way to go, Wes!!! I feel exactly the same way at times..... Wanting to do it the old-fashioned way and also experience that sense of peace and the satisfaction that comes from my own effort. If you ever get the chance, try the Council Tool, 5 pound splitting axe. It's design is very effective. And because it is lighter than a splitting maul, you can swing it a lot longer with less effort.

[@falllineridge]

Thanks!

[@BL-jr8tk]

I’m expecting to see those hunting videos this season big dawg!!!

[@cah_sawmill]

Good night my friend

[@russmarchand3962]

Instead of chasing splits, get an old tire and stand a few rounds loosely inside of it. 3 or 4 depending on the size of the tire. When you split them they usually stay standing in the tire.

[@joemonks3161]

Some of our Australian hardwoods would test your stamina.

[@monster2804]

Good job

[@ciphercode2298]

I always use a splittin block,but i do still split 4-5 cord a year by hand. I sometimes wish i had a gas splitter because between finding wood to cut,cutting and hauling it home,splitting and stacking it and eventually bringing it in the house i often run short on time for it to season properly

[@raywilson800]

Vaction must not have went well. Hes workin off frustration❤

[@ronnielloyd4514]

You may need to be born and raised in the country but their is just something about a shed full of split wood.

[@brucewelty7684]

That was a bad case of the piles early on! 4'x4'x8' stacked so the squirrel can run through but the cat chasing it can't.

[@jdollar5852]

I was gonna say to wait until a good freeze. That stuff will blow apart. I can split pretty much any round, but sometimes the juice ain't worth the squeeze. I will generally try and split the really big rounds over the course of a day. Whack it a few times every chance I get and not try to kill myself by splitting it all at once. My splitter inky works horizontally, so picking up a giant round doesn't work. Good to see you getting in a good workout, and man that's a good workout.

[@falllineridge]

Yes it is!

[@nomadmarine0331]

That is not giving up but seeking alternative methods. I am an expert of sorts in that arena.

[@ve6hdh992]

You need to put a finer eadge on that wedge maul that you use to split wood with. The sharper, the less work.

[@jerrylittle8922]

Your wood shed is still holding up well.

[@falllineridge]

Yes it is, very happy with it.

[@geneporter4849]

Man I thought I had a new hero . but you went back to spliter I'm 66 and I put them big ones on my sawmill and make little pieces out of them.

[@falllineridge]

Ha, yeah, I know my own limitations.

[@ronnielloyd4514]

I would have started with the log splitter. 😂

[@ilkerguc4108]

👍👍👍

[@stephendickinson9929]

That's the way I did it too. Except it was up hill both ways thru the snow.

[@falllineridge]

😂

[@rudyrivera7426]

👌👍

[@skrtskit1521]

💕💕🎶🎶

[@allanpeters4403]

Grandpappy and Great Grandpappy split wood the old way, but it is easier today with a hydraulic splitter - although hand split wood gives off more heat.

[@falllineridge]

Way more heat!

[@09FLTRMM77]

MM77 Approved 👍🏼👍🏼

[@ralphkearns7600]

I understand splitting wood by 'hand'. But with all of the things that you have to do on your 'homestead', using the splitter would be more efficient, not so much fun, but more efficient!!!

[@JocularJack]

Great content as always, Wes, but do yourself a favor and buy, rent, (or best of all, borrow!) a hydraulic wood splitter - you'll save so much time and energy. Of course, if you are using this as your exercise routine, then carry on, lad!

[@johndunbar2393]

And to think, there's suckers who pay for a gym membership. Lol Fantastic work.

[@falllineridge]

Haha!

[@jimmeacham7711]

Good exercise and hard work. I don't think the Cat was impressed though.

[@tinydancer7426]

How are your Christmas trees doing? Does it look like a promising season?

[@falllineridge]

They're doing ok. Looks like we'll have quite a few to sell this year.

[@jimmieburleigh9549]

You ever think about getting that big black bucket for your tractor that everyone is using on your size tractor

[@falllineridge]

No, I think I'm pretty well set up at this point.

[@ernestdelong7301]

hello my friend Igot a question did you give up your farm or do you still go back there

[@lstone.09]

Splitting that wood made me cringe. Don't think the arthritis would like it much if i tried it again. Haven't split any for several yrs. Stay safe. 🚜🚜🚜

[@dennisatkins9837]

Man, I had to take a break from just watching you.

[@falllineridge]

😂

[@almonjacob3496]

Do you sharpen your maul? From the store they always have a blunt chopping edge.

[@falllineridge]

Looks like this one has been sharpened. I got it used and I've had it for a few years and I don't think I've sharpened it. But, yes, sharpening these helps.

[@johnsonlam]

Maybe It's hard work but good for health, keep your strength and also save up petrol for the machine, not cheap these days.

[@buddyreed2623]

Hello Wes. I am not so sure about splitting wood with a maul being therapeutic, but it is just like pumping iron all day long. Will your splitter work vertically? That axe head might come in handy when the wedge does not fully open the log to retrieve the wedge. Have good days!

[@falllineridge]

Hey Buddy, yes the splitter does work vertically, the problem is getting those massive rounds over to the splitter. It's a fight!

[@win1885]

Must be Elm. Tom Ireland

[@garybessey2184]

When I saw the resistance of the big rounds at about 2 minutes, then the need to start splitting it by going around the outside and splitting off little slabs, I thought that it had to be elm.

[@ozarkmountaineer3581]

The axe is worth putting a new handle in, if for nothing but sentiment and maybe a keepsake for your son. And it might make good video content.

[@johncampbell1853]

I split my bigger rounds my hand and enjoy splitting with a maul but as i have got.older I like my hydraulic splitter

[@kimpulsipher647]

Were you angry about something and had to work it off? Lol. Great job!

[@kimpulsipher647]

I also hope with all your house reconstruction and new insulation, you don't have to use all that wood.

[@falllineridge]

Ha, no, just like the nostalgia of it.

[@thomas5956]

are pines not good for firewood?

[@stevengunter2843]

We can see it in your face!!

[@sharonromer6606]

❤❤❤❤

[@symbolsandsystems]

it's easier if you load those logs into tires and then split them. you won't have to do so much bending over..

[@chrisvos2721]

Get yourself a lathe and make some wood bowls.

[@ronnielloyd4514]

How old are you?

[@michaelmiller1109]

unless you are just trying to get anger out why?