How to split large wood rounds (no axe required)

[@brucebannerman6848]

Reminded me of something my Dad would say, you fixed it worse,

[@thatDIYlife]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2LSm4ijmatnaLc

[@oliverclaffey5186]

👍 Maul. Start on the outside as you said and Work inwards. F all else. Love to see how he complicates tree felling and climbing.

[@johnwinden8511]

I’ve been splitting wood for 60 years, it can be very frustrating and rewarding. It’s also a good workout 🙂

[@MattS-pv6mk]

Love it when the sound changes. No mistaking a split starting.

[@ocsplc]

Man, some commenters here are either mean or condescending. Give the guy credit for taking the time to put this together. Not everyone has the best technique. There’s things to be learned here. Geesh

[@wayner4christ988]

Yes, be kind!

[@brianvangulick3782]

Yes ur 100 correct u can learn that this definitely ain't way to split wood lol

[@jefferycherrysr6568]

Yes some people are true asshats

[@johnhollandsworth9193]

I have a small farm and have been splitting wood for about 50 years . Thanks for showing the basics of splitting large rounds .

[@thundun2990]

Bet you didn't know this if you've only split wood for 50 years.

[@bobbyjuice3935]

I also have small farm, ton of dead ash, oak and black walnut. I bought a splitter, no time for games.

[@kd6836]

When I was about 11, I was given the job of splitting wood. A sledgehammer and wedge were it. When I got a little older, Dad would say I want a cord split by next weekend. That was about the time we cut a large locust tree. That was fun. People need that today.

[@voodoo7008]

I’m 63, and splitting for the first time. The young fella next door used to split as punishment growing up, and gave me some good tips.

[@kd6836]

@ Mine wasn’t punishment. Best of luck. It’s never too late to build character.

[@voodoo7008]

@@kd6836 My entire yard at my new home is a character builder. I’ve lost 40 lbs in the last 15 months.

[@kd6836]

@@voodoo7008 Better than any gym

[@buckiesilas5284]

You too uh.. in live in Alabama and we cut and bust wood and that was my job had two wedges and a 5ib wood splitter. I was a good basketball player in school lol strong from my farm work out.😊

[@ttwa5328]

I can attest to the method, it works. I have an 8 lb hammer, 2 wedges and a maul. Just one point when the wedge is anchored if you stand perpendicular to the split it prevents the wedge from flying out at you.

[@grahammcfadyenhill9555]

Applied physics equals working smarter, not harder.

[@mikeh8228]

I am 73 years old, and split wood for my home only, usually around 2 cords every spring for use the second winter, so I keep 2 dry cords and 2 cords drying. I used to do it your way, but to save my back I converted to a HF 10 ton manual splitter to break the big rounds into halves and sometimes quarters, then I can easily pick them up to split on my HF 5 ton electric. Since I only have to do 2 cords, I am not in a hurry. I have been feeding my wood heater in my basement for the past 30 years, but only in the last 10 did I change over to my present method. Sure saves my back! When you get older, you cannot brute force so much, so I call it working smarter, not harder! HA HA I also try and miniumise the amount of lifting. When sawing logs into rounds, I use a saw buck for stuff 6" diameter and smaller, I place a wheel barrow under one end of the logs and a garden cart under the other. That way as I cut the rounds fall into a container that I can wheel around, rather than pick up later. The rounds are wheeled to my electric splitter, and as I start splitting, I stack the splits on a table on the opposite side of my splitter from where I am working, then when the carrier is half full of rounds, I start tossing the new splits back in the carrier, once finished I toss the stacked splits in, and move it to where I am stacking the wood. My electric splitter is on a stand on my back porch which is covered, so when it is raining, I can go outside and split some rounds and enjoy listening to the rain! Very relaxing!

[@H.J.U.49]

I like your approach to working with wood. I am at same age as you, and of the same opinion: W🪚ork smart not hard. I do the same as you, and cut firewood for my own consumption, I am always 2 seasons ahead. But working with firewood is after all a bit hard, especially when you get older, because you have to handle it many times before it ends up as good firewood in the wood stove. 😊👵

[@davidbenjamin5356]

Love the sound the wood makes as it splits.

[@sdball]

Thanks for producing this video - I enjoyed watching it! I also split wood, and have the same process: big rounds are split into smaller pieces (halves, quarters etc.) to make them more manageable, and I think they're going to dry a little quicker in pieces than in full rounds. My process usually starts with the splitting axe - if the wood cooperates and splits with that, then great, and that's the quickest... if the axe bounces off due to very hard/knotted wood (or just a stubborn round!), then I use the steel splitting wedge and sledgehammer... and like you, look for the natural cracks already present. Then just whack and whack until it splits. And yes, such a satisfying thing to see the cracks lengthen, knowing you're making progress, and that final crack when you defeated the round! Very peaceful process, gets me out in the woods. I sort of talk myself through the chop of each round - like a strategy - and pass time enjoying the outdoors. Again, thanks for posting the video!!

[@russellcornelius6525]

I have a Monster Maul I bought ~1975 out of the Whole Earth Catalogue. Still have it. Works better than any other maul I’ve ever used.

[@jimj1889]

I have a old one as well, I've had to grind the edge many times but they last for ever.

[@tjlee9901]

i used to have a beast of a maul with a short steel handle . heavy as hell and almost indestructible .

[@davidgabrielsen2139]

Me too. The handle now has a bit of a bow to it as do I......

[@terrismith6166]

just bought a wood splitter after 40yrs of splitting with the same monster maul just turned 70 thought it was maybe time...monster maul still works great just getting a little heavier

[@debluetailfly]

I have a Monster Maul too! I split some wood an old country boy told me I wouldn't be able to split. It wasn't easy though. I forget what species it was. A lot of people hurt their back with them, swinging them like a sledge hammer. I read the instructions that came with it, and never had a problem, and I am just an average size guy.

[@jimbanda]

Yesterday I cut 42" Leylandii rounds approx 10-15" long , approx 50yrs old , knotted all over. We felled them in late January, cleaned them off in July and will split it in the evenings next week. Thankfully we have a decent tractor mounted splitter , single ram one blade vertical split. They just had to be taken down as they were dangerous but man the saws don't like them, and cleaning off all those palm branches is time consuming, but we won't complain when we are warm in winter. Back in the day me and my Dad split with axes , wedges , mauls , sledgehammer . One time he made bad contact with a wedge and it flew straight through the side window of the Van . Never parked so close again , and only then did I understand his instructions to stand behind him when he was raining down blows with that 12lb Sledgehammer. Kinda random comment, but I miss those days . Stay safe everyone 🙏

[@songsfromthelord888]

I'm glad you got to work with your Dad - I didn't get to work with mine. Remember that God loves you and He wants you to love Him too 🙂

[@jimbanda]

@songsfromthelord888 Thank you kindly, that's a very heartwarming comment. I'm sorry you did not get that kind of opportunity to tag along with your dad, mine is long since passed but I do "talk" to him in my final night prayer and randomly through the day, I hope you can get similar peace from a similar approach. Bless you 🙏🙏🙏❤️

[@elusiveeskimo3013]

I'm in my 60s and still swing a 20 lb maul, working rounds sometimes over 4 ft across. Starting from the outer edge, I work in a circular motion, to center. If you choose to use split wedges I would recommend you have at least 3 on hand. Burying a wedge in the middle of a round without getting a split does happen. And at that point it's not coming back out. Placing another wedge between it and the edge will normally complete the split, but not always on larger rounds. Which is why I say have at least 3 on hand if you choose to go this route. I find working the edge with a maul, much easier then making center splits on larger rounds. And at any age, easier is often the better option.

[@ghostridergale]

Letting the wood get super dry also helps a lot with splitting the wood. I had some good size rounds originally I could hardly pick up. After 4 years sitting in a dry area it was amazing how much lighter they were and splitting them was a piece of cake. If you got the time to wait a few years before splitting it, sure makes life easier splitting your wood!

[@hep303]

Of course. Why would he split large rounds in the middle? Go with the grain around the edges and take off 5-6" pieces. I have the same Fiskars splitting axe and would have diced up that round in half the swings with a single tool. No hammer needed.

[@Rene-up1dl]

@@hep303 Guy starts in the middle. So stupid.

[@426superbee4]

Kids now days 🤣 there so weak! They stand there giving them a ugly look 👀hopping it would split open for them

[@robertcomfort7622]

I'm 30(only mentioned my age, becuase everyone keeps saying these young guys, so wanted to make it clear that we're not all this pathetic) and have the same Fiskars Axe, Definitely can split rounds like that with much less work and only the axe! This Video is some serious Princess work! Build your upper Body Strength and put in that work.

[@boy.interlinked]

i have no recollection of subscribing to this channel, but i'm really glad i did because this video is really relaxing to watch

[@earlystrings1]

Used to use an axe, maul, wedges and a sledge. I bought myself a 25 ton hydraulic for my 67th birthday. One extra tool I’ve found useful all along is a yard-long crow bar to pry split rounds apart. I’m in the Rockies, splitting a lot of ponderosa, and sometimes those tough fibers need some extra convincing.

[@markwaters7802]

Me too & 67!! You go! Just got 220 elect. 27. Love it. Heat w/ hot water in floor in basement & baseboards up. Use wood harth/ cat. stove in basement. Very efficient and saves a ton of propane.

[@showersdpn]

That last one that gave you a hard time still made that crunching sound that sounded really satisfying. I didn't know anything about splitting wedges before like november of 2022 and it was the best thing since sliced bread! I had to split wood for my fire pit and had such a hard time I went to get a better axe and a young guy working at the local walmart, if you can believe it, pointed me toward it and WOW I split more than I needed for that day! Lol!

[@TorBoy9]

I don't often split wood, so I'm not very accurate with my axe, but I used your technique of using the axe head as a splitter and used a 5lb sledge hammer to hit the axe head, and it worked very well. It seems much easier than aiming an axe! Thanks.

[@jamescraig8601]

Problem is son you'll break your axe head in the handle eye. Then the axe is dangerous.

[@TorBoy9]

@@jamescraig8601 So should I buy a metal splitter and hit that with the sledge instead? I'm really not accurate with an axe, as I just don't practice enough.

[@jamescraig8601]

Yeah if you're going to sledge hammer use a wedge.

[@Rene-up1dl]

Buy wedges

[@426superbee4]

Practice! Practice! Practice! You will learn to do it right, or wear yourself out

[@davidgabrielsen2139]

Funny I saw this today. My father in law had a house in the Adirondacks that he heated with a wood burning furnace. I've fallen trees, bucked to length, split, lugged to the truck, stacked. Wet wood if frozen splits like balsa. I've used a monster maul since 1982. He got tired of me cracking wooden handles. Maybe I'm wrong, but if you start from the outside, maybe 6-8 growth rings from the end and cleave a piece that are kinda half moon in description and move around the piece in the same way and then you use the wedges if you need to. The name of the game is the fewest swings as possible. When you're older, it's that AND having to bend over as few number of times as possible, wedges don't promote that.

[@SawdustStories-ny]

Superb! I was captivated by the sawmilling process displayed here. The precision and expertise in handling these huge logs are impressive. This video is exceptionally clear and well-produced. I'm looking forward to more videos from you. Keep up the excellent work!

[@kevinblanton7567]

The heck with that!! I’m going to use the gas powered log splitter. 😂😂

[@alecjames384]

This is fantastic! I will give it a try. I have a few huge uncooperative pieces and I've already tweaked my wrist trying the axe. Thanks for the post!

[@ZombieCartmanYT]

In 1989 I was 7 years old and my dad required that I split firewood and kindling every night for the next mornings use. To split the wood I used a 10 pound maul. At first it was all I could do to hit the round accurately. But after a few weeks I was swinging that maul. I think a lot of people simply don’t know the maul exists.

[@lindamorgan2678]

Cool I have a bunch of big ones like that to do, use the sledge hammer and splitter. Great idea looking for the cracks. Waiting for winter and a really cold frozen day. Wood splits really easy when it is under 20 Below. Thanks very much

[@JesusPerez-rn8ju]

Great Job and Info !!! .... and when dealing w the hesitant split I would flip it on its side then use wedge to create more splitting tension. But Heck w all these comments just know your popular Man !!!!

[@greybone777]

Last week I split 3 cords. I went to the feed store and rented a 27 ton splitter for 45 dollars. Took 4 hours. At 65 manually splitting this must wood would take me days.

[@michaeldenney613]

When you saw the pieces from the tree cut a horizontal groove into the bark deep enough to get into the wood. This breaks the tension of barkwhich is acting as a large rubber band holding the round together. If you do two line on opposite sides it works better. Drying time will also result in the bark popping off.

[@janking2762]

I used to use the splitting maul until my bad shoulder complained, so now I use a 27 ton hydraulic splitter which will go through really knotty and cross grained wood that’s really hard to split with a maul. My shoulder is much happier and I get the job done much faster.

[@motomikebuilder]

I like the wedge method. To keep my shins from wedge kick outs I make pockets with my saw.

[@jeffmadden5130]

I've got a 24 ton vertical/horizontal splitter. But if it's to big to drag around even the vertical position is useless. So I've done your technique to break down the big stuff up to 4ft in diameter nut with an added twist. I rip slots across the ends with my chainsaw. The wood cracks along the slots and no starting the wedge. Stand it in the slot and nail it. More wedges and slots on the really big stuff like 3ft or more.

[@davidburgess741]

Hit the splitting wedge 90 degrees from the way you did! The wedge faced the way you show, bounced out years ago for me and tomahawked my shin. The blade bounced off my tibia causing a deep laceration. No lasting injury, but this could happen again! Can't happen if struck from 90 degees!

[@leotohill3941]

agreed, that was the first thing that came to my mind when he showed his wedge work. Move 90 degrees!

[@fliesbyme]

There is a wedge I bought that has a very slight twist to it. Its a game changer.

[@jamescraig8601]

Son,I'm a 64 year old man. I split with a maul. I start around the outside edge and work circles around the block. I can split two rounds in the swings you took to split one in half. Keep on swinging.

[@electrified7309]

Yeah im with you, even when I was in my 30's I learned to work around the sides, now that I'm in my 50s I have too lol

[@emilecrotteau7312]

🇨🇦 I agree with you as well and I am 67 ,, have split lots of fire wood

[@WhodatIzz]

This has long been my favorite splitting trick.. it's a total mind breaker to realize there's no rule your splits have to be down the middle. .. just take 3 inches off all the way around until done. and you don't have to reset it because the big chunk usually stays on the block if you hit it right.

[@earlgallup5223]

I split it with a hatchet on the first hit.and im79 years old hoss .

[@CJLoweryakashinobu]

My 78 year old paps mauls through the middle of osage oranges all day

[@hansnelsen3960]

I put the wedge long the path of a crack a few inches from the edge, and I tap it through with smaller strokes, they pop apart. Mostly fir, maple, alder

[@fredguldbrandsen2723]

I like splitting maul, wedges and sledge hammer. Sometimes 'pealing' the log is easier. Stack split wood with the bark to the sky, like an umbrella, instead of barkside down like a bowl

[@fredguldbrandsen2723]

Good exercise, good work!

[@rafaellyon6808]

Good technique. I follow the crack to the outside of the round put the wedge there. Also you might consider getting the big version of the Monster Maul it has its place in what your doing. regards from a 80 yr old wood cutter.

[@jakubpukovec7755]

Try splitting close to the log edge and it will work like a charm. Also when you hit it with the splitting axe just right on the edge (also hitting the bark), it should be much easier. Definitely hitting natural crack helps a lot.

[@benediktwalthard3800]

or turn around; or split a "still hangig" Part

[@williammiller-fs6cm]

I had my tree man down a large poplar. Another guy offered to remove it for $1800. I looked up the density of a poplar and calculated the cubic foot of a cylinder with radius 1' and length 1'. Turns out to be Pi cubed. (3.14 cubic ft.) @38lbs per cubic ft = about 115lbs per 1' log. I split it the same way as this video suggests, though I put a kerf in the center of each round with my chain saw. That held the wedge securely in place so it didn't fly off in any direction when I struck it with the sledge. Not once did it come out of the kerf. Saw the log. Stand it up. Saw the kerf. Next log. The fire lasted 2 days, and the wood went up in smoke. Now I'm going fishing in northern manitoba with the money I saved.

[@drumcrazy72]

Good to see some good old-fashioned not quitting. Good job buddy.

[@peterl2017]

Good tip with the wedge, but thinking once it is halved that you could finish splitting it with a good maul. You need a bigger splitting maul, that one is just too little.

[@thomasmccullough1557]

You can likely do what the old guys say, but use the Fiskars to go around the outside, then split the middle. The head speed on the light Fiskars can do some serious damage. I don't use a maul at all anymore.

[@roncar1761]

I LOVE MY FISKARS x25! I have my 8lb maul and wedges by me IF needed. I am just like everyone else going from the outer edges to the center. The only difference between the x25 and x27 is 8in. At 5'10" the x25 is perfect like a baseball bat.

[@merrillhess5626]

Same here. A spliting maul is all I need. I rarely use a maul and wedges. It I have to split something too challenging, I put it on the burn pile. After enough hurricanes, I don't need any more fire wood. LOL!

[@sambarnard9628]

Use a maul. If it still won't split, get a good hit with a maul. Put the chisel in the cut made from the maul. Start slowly with the sledge until the chisel is firmly in place. Then, STAND TO THE SIDE OF THE CHISEL so a missed hit will send the chisel left and right instead of back at you. That axe won't split that wet wood. A maul will. Trust me. I'm over 50 now, & I started cutting firewood at 11 or 12 after an injury to my Daddy left him unable to cut firewood. A good portion of our house only had wood heat, so I had to do it to keep us warm. To be honest, I enjoyed it. Made me feel like a man. Like I was important. Please don't take me wrong, I still watched & enjoyed ur video!!!

[@davegee2004]

How I would love this timber for my woodturning hobby

[@Wizard-ys3vf]

Splitting firewood with a maul is hard work. I thought I was in decent shape and fairly strong but it humbled me. Is it normal to be really sore in your lower back muscles for a few days after ?

[@ronfox5519]

Using a maul or sledge can make you sore in a lot of places. But other than your hands and forearms, the soreness mostly comes from not yet developing a good technique. Watch vids of experienced old guys. You'll see that they are relying more on accuracy and head speed developed between the 2 hands than through full body power.

[@Wizard-ys3vf]

@ I must be putting too much body into it because I get really sore in my lower back.

[@ronfox5519]

@@Wizard-ys3vf It'll come to you.

[@charlesfredrick4789]

Just a couple of tips, you can bore cut into the top of the log. A few inches, and then set the wedge in there. Works real good you won't have to worry about it popping out. On big rounds of hardwood, you can use two. Also don't separate the split pieces entirely, then you can use the fisker, to pop off pieces and it all kind of stays together. Most of the time. And use the tire method for splitting smaller rounds or pieces. That will fit inside it. And they don't fly all over the place. When you split them with the splitting axe or Maul.

[@rutniktrainer]

I use 2 wedges. If you alternate the wedge is not as likely to get stuck

[@TheOldGunsmith58]

you are fairly new at this . i can tell . on the first log wher you put the wedge in the center you wind up fighting the entire resistance of the round. go to the crack at the edge of the heartwood and there will be a little less resistance. on the one with the knot you had so much trouble with , split the round in half 90 degrees from the knot first, then split it either side of the knot. another thing you can do to on on large rounds is forget about trying to split all the way across first. instead split an edge,move a little to one side , split another spot , turn the axe 90 degrees to the splits and knock out the section between them, then work your way around the round this way until you down to the heart wood then split across the heart wood it will be much easier.

[@merrillhess5626]

I split mostly Red and Water Oak, because that is what I have. I also use your technique. A 4 or 6 lb splitting maul is al I need. I rarely use a maul and wedges anymore. Split from the sides to the center - the easiest way to do it. I can even split 3 foot and bigger diameter logs that way and I am 68 years old, fat, and out of shape.

[@colly3333]

And he explained why he prefers to do it in the center.

[@davidjenson4512]

Wood is really different when it comes to splitting. I have three steel splitting wedges and a couple of plastic felling wedges and a sixteen pound sledge hammer. Even with those tools at hand there are some Maple, Ash, and twisty Birch rounds that need to be cut in half with the chain saw.

[@waynejohnson9855]

Good comment, there are types of wood I have run into that does not split by hand, I saw some comments that that is easy wood to split but I have run into pine that is terrible. Lot quicker to cut down with the saw and less effort.

[@faulltw]

Did this from sun up til sun set in my youth, but couldn't do it today. My dad had the bright idea to heat the house with wood and bought unsplit wood because it was cheaper and he had free labor, me. I would listen to American top 40 every Sunday splitting wood.

[@cliffordakuhata5369]

Good exercise

[@richardbruce8111]

Lad I am 82 & split wood 74+Years! so here is some hairy advice! DONT EVER use a sledge hammer on wedges or axe heads! it mushrooms the heads -- use a MAUL & your wedges will pass on to your grandkids in mint condition . Its also so much easier than patting away with a hand hammer! Saftey wise it also avoids the danger of hammer flakes (steel on steel eventually flakes) which can whizz off like bullets or mini shrapnel , blinded a guy I knew. . A worn-out chopping axe automatically becomes a SPLITTING axe as it becomes less thin as the cutting edge is filed away,Oh & weld a guard on the head to stop wear on the place where the handle enters the head , that thang you are using is too thin at the "splitting" edge, also the straight handle is ergonomically wrong (yeah big word but try a straight handle vs "cranked" one & you will work it out! ) you need 3 wedges small medium & serious. BUT really really mate you need to share a splitter machine ---help a guy who has one & he will split yours! put your time into a GARDEN! Either way get yer gear off to get vitamin D level up (to "40") & you will be 15 times less likely to get covid. ---works in garden too!

[@H.J.U.49]

It's done well at your age. Hope you have many more years to work in!😊

[@dwwolf4636]

Concur on the no steel on steel bit. My uncle lost his last eye drving an iron tent stake into the ground with a hammer.

[@richardhuffman-oy8ng]

You are absolutely correct sir

[@warrencarr5775]

Just use a bigger axe or splitting maul. That straight grained no knot fir should take less then a minute to split up . Use some muscle dude. Lol! And start on the outer / greener part.b heartwood usually dryer and softer. That little chopping axe is the wrong tool for this . Learn the " FLICK "

[@michaeldofarrell]

@@warrencarr5775

[@robertshank8412]

I have had this very problem time and time again. It's obviously because I failed to acquire the proper tools. Now I know. Thanks.

[@ramoddjob]

The wedge flies back at your legs because you arent hitting the wedge square. Youre whipping the maul when you come down. Grip the handle tight and bend(loosen) your knees when it strikes.

[@raycaster4398]

You can use a thick long branch or tapered piece of firewood as a wedge to hammer down in and knock the two pieces apart.

[@lewistaylor228]

Thank you for the demo. Very good pointers!

[@grahammcfadyenhill9555]

And a pointer right back...get a pair of steel-toed boots.

[@craigmatheson2736]

Dealing with knots: when the wedge gets "stuck" I use something larger like a 4 way splitter.

[@raycaster4398]

Those are pretty big rounds but you can place one or more bungee cords around the log as you're splitting the round. It'll hold together while you finish splitting the round. Avoids exhausting bend overs chasing and resetting for the next hits.

[@garyhubman5452]

All you really need is a splitting mail. Been using one for years. They dont get stuck in the wood like an axe will. You'll wear yourself out more from pulling the axe free than you will from swinging it. As far as splitting a log with a knot, I hit the log vertically lined up with the knot. My maul splits the log and knot down the center no problem. It's when you try and split a log in the opposite direction of the knot that makes it split uneven and chunks fly off.

[@randomissimo]

erm surely the most efficient is the splitting axe for the first hit then the big sledgehammer thereafter?

[@steeevo0136]

What beautiful straight grained timber. Try that on same sized Australian bluegum, sugargum or redgum, but bring plenty of splitters, hammers and horse liniment 😂

[@earnestbass4043]

We split by hand, but do it in the winter, when we can. Below zero temps make any log split easier, and keeps you cooler too.

[@shader26]

I often get pine that is twisted around knots and almost impossible for me to split with wedge, axe, really anything I’ve tried. The knot is very hard and wood around it is curved around it so no straight line to split. Would love any technique to do that!

[@Fireworxs2012]

*People have only been splitting wood this way for about 2000 years...Thank the Lord Above YOU CAME ALONG and made a video of it. They would have never figured it out on their own..RMFES* 🙄 👍

[@tadejbozicko9869]

That technique is actually the most efficient way to split it. Wood must be dry to split it with axe. Splitting wedge and hydraulic wood splitter is everything that i use it.

[@arlenestanton9955]

The wedge and the sledge hammer is the best method and they are not expensive. Just buy them.

[@feegureeetout]

More leverage from outside in, and always look for a crack already started, trying to open it. Hydraulics really help to.😁 i do 24" logs for my boiler, so my power splitter is a must.

[@mdp4440]

another safety issue: Notice the head of the splitting wedge. There are little flakes of material missing from the top edge. Years ago I was splitting a bunch of logs and one whack of the sledge hit a glancing blow. The flake of wedge broke off and hit me in the leg just below my knee. It went through my jeans and embedded deep under my skin. At first I thought it was only a cut, but later I could feel the chunk of metal after it "healed". It stayed there for about 15 years before I got fed up with it and dug it out with a razor blade I had sterilized. Another prime reason to wear eye protection.

[@johng2779]

Dont you worry about snapping a handle ? Prying like that . I mean how many times can you do that before it eventually cracks or something. Or are they metal ?

[@AdamMalcolm96]

Don't always have to split down the middle first! Taking pieces off the sides for a bit can get you down to a manageable size. That wedge works very nicely as well

[@vaughnwesterby5162]

Is it okay to hammer the pole of an axe? Or is it okay to use a sledgehammer on a spliting axe?

[@stjepanvorkapic1430]

Maybe only God knows how old people split wood before you developed this scientific method

[@alanluckystripesb3706]

😄

[@grahammcfadyenhill9555]

As an old people still splitting my firewood the old-fashioned way, I can tell you that God has nothing to do with it. It's just hard work done with thought and patience. As they say, the wood heats you twice... once splitting it and then burning it.

[@johnmcmccormack9203]

Man, did you really work that out all by yourself? Amazing

[@SteveandSusiesHomestead]

LOL

[@Gringoros]

this video feels like satire and im not sure if it is or not

[@whitemagicsponge7190]

@@Gringoros why?

[@mt8149]

Try splitting close to the edge. Get your maul and wedges nice and sharp and try different head profiles and weights to see what works best for your splitting style. For me an elongated teardrop shape works the best. I've noticed no one on YT talks about sharpening and maul shape. They just talk brands and use them straight off the shelf. Also, I know this will seem obvious but it might not be to everyone, try splitting from different clock directions and even through knots sometimes if it just won't crack. Sometimes you have to flip the log upside down. I've noticed that splitting from the end of the log that is toward the top of the tree usually splits easier. The logs you're splitting are clear and straight grained. You should be getting full splits with each stroke no problem. If not, get a heavier/sharper maul.

[@bryangipe1]

best to hit the wedge with the wide side facing you that way if you hit the edge of it there is less chance of it coming out and spinning towards you.

[@michaelmcclafferty3346]

A very helpful ,well filmed and explained video. Thanks very much.

[@Rene-up1dl]

The guy is no expert.

[@ronnieg6358]

Ever tried splitting Eucalyptus? The grain is like mini corrugated iron! Even a powerful tractor splitter baulks at it.

[@norencenelson8111]

Green wood splits best when you have a few days of sub zero weather. Often, I've seen large rounds split with one or two strikes of the splitting maul.

[@shadowcard6923]

The method you showed is a quick way to mess up the axe pol and also the using the axe as a lever is a quick way to snap the head off.

[@davidantczak8590]

Good on you for not editing out that stubborn SOB

[@edwardpinsent2101]

Thanks for the video .. Appreciate it .. Can I ask, how long after cutting the wood, should you split it ? I cut down a larger birch today, and think I should split before storing for the year ? ( Oh, and don't forget to save some time in the day to go to the gym for some exercise .. hahahahaaa ) ..

[@alumniduck]

If you are going to use a wedge,safety glasses are recommended. You also need to grind off any part of the wedge that mushrooms. Otherwise chunks of metal are going to start flying. I dont have a splitter but I know that whatever my maul cant handle, my saw will. The saw really isnt slower on knotty pieces and saves a lot of wear and tear on my arms. Best of all you get piles of really good fire starter.

[@andy-ti9zf]

i never use a wedge often quicker to turn round lengthwise on ground and rip it like half way with saw and then use a 6lb maul to split rest.

[@erransousa1325]

If you put that wedge closer to the edge, maybe half way between the heartwood and sap wood, it would only take one to two strikes to split that piece.

[@scavuman]

I believe that The Fiskars Lifetime Warranty is Voided when the axe is used as a wedge and hit with a Hammer.

[@qualicumwilson5168]

If you got more time and a full woodshed and get freezing weather in winter, I would suggest you wait for a good cold snap. When the wood freezes through, it is already under pressure (frozen water expands) and FAR less effort is required when one follows your ideas shown here. Or just save the tough ones for winter, your call.

[@carle5538]

Awesome idea. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[@ghostridergale]

Good idea, but personally I hate working in the freezing weather. Now that I’m older and developed diabetes the cold is worse then ever on my body. Which sucks! Guess I will pass up on the freezing cold weather idea and have to do it the hard way unfortunately

[@Rene-up1dl]

Or save up for a hydraulic splitter.

[@Rene-up1dl]

Wedges are made to be beaten on. Axes and mauls are NOT. Good way to ruin it.

[@426superbee4]

GOOD 1 👍 Plus you get warm

[@melmo5218]

Nice voice-over tone. Jessie's brother from "Breaking Bad". Used my maul the other day and I know exactly where. Can't find the bloody thing now. Just as well that we've run out of wood...in a way.

[@jamesmatheson5115]

Easy to do when splitting soft wood as is Pine, even Redwood, try that with Curly Jarrah or Wandoo Timber, that wedge will be flying around all day long.

[@ghostridergale]

I agree with you using the cracks, I’ve been doing that for years to split wood. Only time I have trouble is when there’s a limb or knot that’s grown where the crack is (Knot) 😂and I have to cut thru however big the limp or knot in the trunk is where it grew from? I don’t have the splitting mall like you used. But I have a old axe the handle broke off of and I use it to pound down thru the tree trunk round. The mall might be easier? Regardless, a crack in the wood just a split waiting to happen! Just needs a little help

[@qwertymnbvc-k9x]

someone some day had an idea, flip it on it's side... the wheel was born. i use my axe as a wedge, better to have a handle and not needing it than needing it and not having one.

[@GeorgeRath-m1n]

if your chainsaw is handy put a notch on the end .the wedge will stay in better then going right into the wood

[@Rawb-kt7fe]

A 'Splitting maul' makes it one tool instead of two, no chance of a loose wedge flying off at random. Aim it, whack it, split it. I've had to split rounds where there's maybe a branch had been trimmed, changes everything. The round doesn't look like a nice perfect 'cake', it has a grain of its own. Then you need a wedge and sledgehammer.

[@stacyhackney6100]

Excellent, thank you.

[@AllanWells-tp8tm]

Make sure you wear shin protection! I have seriously injured my legs with flying steel wedges.

[@stanpustylnik]

1st - split evergreens when dry (tar is dry and brittle, not sticky). 2nd -split hardwood when green (raw). After making first split (between knots), don't fully disconnect peaces, they stand better this way. After initial split you can hit along annual rings closer to outer edge.

[@rtoguidver3651]

Try that on some seasoned Osage Orange, the Axe and Wedge bounce off, that's when I bought a Log Splitter, I was 65 anyway, well overdue.

[@paulnandico2370]

When I have a stubborn piece like you, I usually flip it over and split in line already established.

[@rickwilson5611]

always wear safety googles too when splitting with a wedge, my brother ended up with a half inch metal sliver burried in his eye once

[@naturewatcher7596]

All my rounds are knotty, but using a splitting axe, big hammer and having around a couple of extra axes to use as wedges always works. Just use an ear protection, because whacking on the metal really hurts your ears.

[@knotbumper]

Fir splits real easy with a 5# rafting ax. 36" rounds split with 3 hits of the ax. far sap wood, near sap wood, heart wood. If, I do need a wedge, a 12# wedge and a 8# single jack works easy. I'm 70, I right now have 142 blocks ranging from 18" to 32" sitting in my yard waiting to split and stack. I split and stack 8 blocks a day, I'm getting lazy these days. Also, have a chopping block, splitting on the ground allows force of tool to be transmitted into the ground making your work harder.

[@sindrerudshaug]

No twigs is easy and still a lot of work, which my hydraulic splitter does in a second. Its great as a workout, but not if you are going to split some cubic meters manually pr day.

[@tombo552001]

Steel toe boots lol, try your ax splitting from the outside rings and go around it. Also Buckin Billy Ray Smith is a great teacher. Also if you use wages get 3 of them and you can double up sometimes.

[@Nwrehub]

I'm 70yr old and split 10-12 cords every year. All I use is a splitting maul. It's the size of a sledge hammer, 5-7lbs, but one side is sharpened. Most rounds even bigger than yours will split in 1-5 hits, (although I counted 17 hits on one stubborn round). The "trick" is this. Swing the maul with all you've got in a Big round circular motion, (like a baseball swing only vertical), and here's the magic, when the maul is over your head in the swing, squat down as you pull the maul right thru the round like you are trying to bust the ground below it! It's all in the Ass. Not the arms. The increased power you get from pulling the maul from the sky to the ground with your whole body weight, that's what breaks it and yes it's a timing thing. I'm only 5-8" and weigh 185lb. No wedges needed. You are right about, finding a split at the center of the round there's almost always one there even if it's tiny and focus on that. 2ndly, yes avoid the knots, work around them.

[@RobertGrawehr]

10-12 cords splitting every year by hand . Wow what are you trying to prove at 70 ? It’s called a wood splitting machine. 😢

[@michaelchason7863]

Thank you. So many take knowledge ( information) to their grave and should have written a book about their gift to others

[@onequestion2059]

Will it only split "rounds"?