Safest Way to Split Kindling!

Purchase your own kindling cracker here!
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[@redcanoe14]

Nice. I first saw and used one of these when I was working with mentally disabled people in a sheltered workshop, they were getting some income from bagging and selling kindling to local stores, this was somewhere around 1985. Plastic milk crates are what I use for storing kindling, I lay them on their side to fill them, it is much easier.

[@konaexpress100]

The simplest and best video on making a kindling splitter! Thank you and I plan to make one!

[@imRosco69]

Homemade kindling cracker. Awesome & a perfect design. Thanks.

[@capnfury5831]

I was thinking of making a box, weighted on the bottom for stability, with two wheels and a handle. Place the blade in a box, so pieces don't fall far. Mobile for those of us who need to move around the shop/yard. Nice idea on the diy blade!!

[@royjones59344]

Great idea - sliced a hand tendon making kindling once so I'll be making one of these contraptions for myself. Thanks for the video.

[@peetsnort]

I just wish the blade could have a sleeve over when not in use. It is easy to fall on to it when accidently tripping over a log or something

[@samappleby1297]

That was brilliant! Thankyou

[@JamesRobinson-ix9dy]

Great idea putting the edge on the side.

[@ronsimons3566]

Nice DIY,funny thing,I have a large piece of a tree y that I considered making a chair out of,I will now make it my kindling seat.

[@darrell3391]

The way I was taught by my father to make kindling was to first quarter the piece of wood by the traditional splitting method, then hold a quarter piece long way with the end farthest from your hand on your chopping block, strike down with moderate force, once your hatchet has bitten into the wood firmly twist the handle while holding the wood firmly. Dry wood will split quite easily and repeat until wood is small enough to catch flames readily. Remember a too used correctly should not be unsafe and never hold a piece of wood vertical and chop towards your hand.

[@willyjilly9684]

Cool video! The great thing about your device is you can unscrew it and remove it! Great Idea. Also i noticed the weld marks. If anyone has access to a welder look up homemade kindling maker. For $20 you can rival the large version $120 kindling crackers. Thanks again!!

[@jamielc3437]

How long will it take to dry small cut kindling fir or spruce

[@OldSoulMillennial]

Depends on humidity and temp. Shouldn't take that long in a dry environment. The sap in pine makes it great for starting fires.

[@masterchief8646]

This is dangerous without the guard. i do it like this. I just take the wood up to 8 inches and hold it with the left hand on the lower third and with the right hand I am holding my little axe right on the spot where I want to split it. I just start hammering the wood on the chop block and because of the axes momentum it the axe will start to split the wood in a very controlled way because the axe only moves on the small but fast hammer impulses. Even if I make a stronger hammer impulse and the axe glides trough the wood it was never even close to damage my glove not even a scratch

[@SeattlePioneer]

Yes, you've been lucky, so far..

[@allanwells4886]

Well done. Thanks for sharing.

[@grasscutter1963]

Pretty sweet, I like it. How much do you think you could make this for? Material costs?

[@OldSoulMillennial]

I would guess under 10 bucks

[@SeattlePioneer]

Today I built a jig to hold my splitting maul blade up using some pieces of 2x4 screwed together. It works fine ---- the splitting maul does a better job than the blade in the video of splitting wood. The splitting maul is easily set into the jig or removed from it for use.

[@jaystachowiak3540]

Have you found that the small tack welds on the corners are insufficient yet? I'm thinking that you will probably have to reinforce them at some point. Nice job tho, and thanks for the video.

[@Somerandomguy2998]

Hey What about the same thing but with a double bit axe

[@joshuanichols199]

that's a good idea I almost chopped my thumb right off and I've been using ax's for 30 years. Accidents can happen pretty fast

[@howtogetoutofbabylon8978]

Australia Methinks. Best video!!!

[@fully-autoflower4045]

Love the SMILE get up

[@MichaelDespairs]

I think this is more dangerous because your left hand is constantly directly between the blade and the hammer. At least the other way the kindling acted as a buffer to distance your left hand from the dangerous bits.

[@SeattlePioneer]

It's safer because you aren't swinging the axe, which is hard to control precisely. Instead, you are placing the wood precisely where you want it on the blade and then striking the wood carefully to control the split.

[@Frauenfoerderer]

Nice idea with the side blade - handy for sure.

[@PoconoJoe]

Don't sit on it! or fall on it, notice the little girl had a safety on hers, ide look into that!

[@Standswithabeer]

you'd better put the circle guard around that thing to keep from getting killed if you fall on it. Check out Mike Pepler's channel for the right way to split kindling with a froe.

[@jedidiah5131]

You can also poke your eye out with your own finger! you could also fall onto a glass coffee table , you could also trip on your shoe lace and fall onto two babies lying on the sidewalk!!!!

[@dtrrtd774]

The babies would cushion your fall though- worse if that you might trip on the two babies lying on the sidewalk and stumble into the street and get hit by a speeding car with an inebriated driver. Risk mitigation is keeping the babies penned up safely.

[@regesman7]

I cut the top of my wrist cutting kindling with a hatchet got three of my tendons

[@SeattlePioneer]

I've taken that chance thousands of times. Fortunately, my cuts were pretty minor. I've just built a jig to hold my splitting maul pretty similar to that described in this video, so I wont be taking that risk any longer.

[@wesclark4402]

I think you are on to something. It needs an additional piece put on about 2" down to expand your splitting action.Then think about an old laundry basket with a slot in the bottom. Slide it over the unit to catch those pesky flyers. It would also contain the pieces for your future storage container.

[@484848474]

Good ideas.

[@barrytanenbaum4157]

Great Vid. Thanks for sharing! :)

[@yveskc1]

Nice! Thanks for sharing.

[@assaultbeans3494]

just put a hatchet in a vice works just as well

[@millerwelds4619]

brilliant !!

[@DarleneYoungartist]

This is great but I don't have a welder.

[@panelvandan1057]

cool I use a cheep old kinda bowie style knife.. just stand them up and chop right throug the wood.

[@deadlead03]

😅😅😅that's what I do... well kind off I put a axe head on my vice and I hit the wood down to split it never knew it was a thing 🤣🤣

[@SanderPool]

also check out how to use a piece of rope and a froe to split a log into kindling with less effort than what your method takes. froes are surprisingly expensive but with your metal working skills should be easy to make. I am going to use a piece of steel bar I have lying around, sharpened on one side and some kind of handle attached. because each split operation splits multiple layers of wood you end up with more kindling in less time. also no risk of impalement :) . anyway, thanks for posting.

[@484848474]

The end of an old car leaf spring makes a great froe and already has the eye for the handle.

[@allanwells4886]

Great idea!

[@PatrickWagz]

tenon, not tendon nice video: good explanation and demonstration

[@tomjeffersonwasright2288]

To put the handle on a maul, try a blind wedge.

[@thomasbranard6382]

Good Job

[@suemcfarlane4199]

I get free mill ends from a local mill that @re kiln dried so great kindling butvit still needs to be split and this is a great safety idea my young son get my flood heater going every night for me he brings in enough wood for the night empties the ash 9utband pputsxit in the compost pile then he lays a new fire in thecfirebox of our wood heater and then he gets to light it this cured him of his firefighting tendencies by putting him in charge of a source of fire it stopped him from making Firesign inappropriate places

[@Kenstagator]

Wait how was this made?

[@tanksoldier9770]

Don't trip and fall on it ,I don't see the ring guard on it

[@julier1080]

Neat idea but way slower than a small axe or hatchet. If I knew how to make a video I'd be able to show the safe way to do it with an axe. I use a 2lb camp axe, held about 6-10" from the head, and let the weight do the work. In 40 years of splitting wood and kindling, I have never cut myself, nor have my dad or brother, who taught me the method. Basically you hold the wood vertical with your fingertips, and as you swing down, you pull your hand away, so no matter if you completely miss the wood, your other hand isn't there to be cut. Using 8" spruce I could easily split enough to fill one of his pots in about 30 seconds this way.

[@vineshdevchander1894]

I've been using this technique as well....for over 40 odd years now... no issues!!!!

[@AccountUsedSomewhatFrequently]

That must've hurt. Nice idea!!

[@samappleby1297]

Oh! “Split” kindling!!

[@budmoore8144]

GREAT TIP GREAT VIDEO

[@stereolababy]

just weld it to some plate steel

[@mjb12141963]

why go through all this when all you need is a bottle of charcoal lighter fluid?

[@mrgrivers1]

you could at least make some kind of sheath to cover the blade when its not in use. it looks really scary without a safety cover. Good luck

[@OldSoulMillennial]

+Glenn Rivers It is covered with a pot when not in use

[@mrgrivers1]

cool. lol

[@markmcnamarra339]

Glenn Rivers

[@noelbyrne9153]

Nice Video! Very helpful:o)

[@RhysTucker2603]

You can do the same with a double bit axe, stick ne blade into the stump and use the other blade to hammer on

[@resomaniac]

Exactly! And when you are done pull out the axe and hang it safely on the wall where no one can fall onto it.

[@davidm.5727]

You should have just bought a box of toothpicks,saved some time.

[@OldSoulMillennial]

what?

[@484848474]

Re-inventing the wheel.

[@dondesnoo1771]

I use sledge hammer to hit the axe head to split firewood cause I'm too old to swing an axe .

[@MarcusLobenstein]

Never hit an axe with a hammer or you refer to a splitting maul.

[@kindlingcracker5026]

Safety tip No: 2...without a safety ring someone could fall onto your blade and kill themselves.

[@SOLDOZER]

I would be fine with that if they are a Liberal.

[@jedidiah5131]

You can also poke your eye out with your own finger! you could also fall onto a glass coffee table , you could also trip on your shoe lace and fall onto two babies lying on the sidewalk!!!!

[@hotpoker4212]

🇮🇪🇮🇪 great job 👍👍

[@davidgaylord2035]

the perfect wood for a rocket stove

[@daleb5967]

Grandpa's bar stock.....

[@seoulkidd1]

sweet

[@greghujing9415]

First thing i thot of too

[@foxwoodlad]

dont throw it in the air and stand underneath it without a safety helmet and safety glasses on ! jesus , cant belive some of the comments on here !

[@daviddenning4002]

I agree, I guess a lot of KZbin guys fall on their tools a lot.

[@gracebilavi2]

be careful not falling over that edge :(

[@JoesWebPresence]

Woah! Safer? You didn't see the safety ring on the one you showed the girl using as important? What you have there is basically a man trap. Lots of scope for tripping over and headbutting that unguarded blade at any time. Just adding a hoop makes that what you claim it to be, but without it, this is REALLY bad advice.

[@5Detective]

Just hit the back of the hatchet with a wooden mallet. Why do people make this so complicated?

[@OldSoulMillennial]

That would require 3 Hands

[@5Detective]

@@OldSoulMillennial Stand the piece up, hold it until you get pressure on it with the hatchet. The pressure from the hatchet keeps it upright. Hit the back of the hatchet with your wooden mallet. I do it literally every day. Green woodworkers have been doing it forever to make shingles and furniture.

[@OldSoulMillennial]

@@5Detective I see how it could work, however I still feel that having a fixed blade is safer and easier to control. With one hand I can control the wood, and the other hand I can control the hammer. Easier to safely control in my eyes. But hey what ever works for you

[@Ericbjohnston5150]

No logical reason to make kindling. Put chunks of wood stove or whatever and squirt fire gel and light. Too freakin easy.

[@justadumbredneck188]

Instead of wasting a lot of time and energy in making this thing why don't you just use a small stick to hold up your soon to be kindling and then whack the kindling with a hatchet

[@OldSoulMillennial]

Its a piece of beveled plate with 2 welded legs.... It took 15 minutes. and the idea is keep the blade fixed so you have more control.

[@annashiegl]

you can't split a whole log with this? I need to split bigger logs

[@samiam247]

Much better and safer way is to simply load your wood tightly into a plastic milk crate and just whack away, everything stays in the crate, your hand is safely away from the axe etc etc, seriously do I really have to make a video of this ?

[@dtrrtd774]

You could do that but seems there would be a lot of wasted strikes if you're just whacking away at random and not aiming for the centers

[@SeattlePioneer]

Sounds like a useful idea. I'll have to try that. The efficiency would come from having the wood held together so that the force of the axe splits the wood efficiently. The weakness of pounding wood onto the blade is that you can't use the force that can be developed by an axe.

[@stevedobra8276]

It hurt my ears every time I heard kindeling!!!!! Its kindlling, isn't it,? Ugh , have I been wrong all my life ?

[@joejoe-lb6bw]

Your left hand holding the wood is moving down toward the blade. Still seems unsafe

[@artm5294]

WAY TOO TIME CONSUMING!

[@beacher1903]

Without the guard around the blade, you sir, have created a death trap! It's not only dangerous for you, but anyone that may come upon it. The gloves will NOT help! This is the kind of brilliant thinking that ultimately "thins the herd". Just sayin.

[@ianbutler1983]

Oh for God's sake.

[@oneofthosepeople2101]

Ever look up statistics on how people get hurt or die? Be very afraid of burgers and cars.

[@jimmytate7587]

could you please avoid using the word "basically" so much. Basically its unnecessary.

[@dtrrtd774]

Sounds essentially like a pet peeve.

[@stephenh7336]

So over half this video talks about everything else.

[@mrpaniner]

It's kind-ling, not kindle-ing, Kindleing is an electronic process. Your processing idea is waay too over-engineered. I've used a hatchet for 60 years without mishap, but one needs to concentrate on even the mundane tasks, especially in the wilderness.

[@MikePhumanaut]

For an older experienced fella, that's a little ignorant. This can be for someone that does this a few times a year in his backyard, an idea like this is fine. Over engineered? Sharp piece metal in a stump? Lol.

[@howtogetoutofbabylon8978]

Australia Methinks. Best video!!!