055 Spliting maple log with basic tools - ASMR woodworking

[@StavrosGakos]

"How do you get your own lumber?" - that frequent question determined me to make this video. Some time ago i was gifted with few maple logs (Acer platanoides) . I could go to the saw mill but spliting will give me more stable and "quartersplited" material. It is important in my planemaking and woodworking. Nothing fancy this time, just a little bit of hard work. You can take this video as "behind the scenes bonus". Have a nice day!

[@АртемПименов-л2о]

Your timing is perfect! I've just found a maple log about the same size in a nearby forest, and had no idea how to work with it

[@vanislescotty]

Thanks for the bonus. I have 3 maple logs in my garage I was just thinking about splitting for tool handles. And this appears. Were you reading my mind or was KZbin?

[@vladimirflocea5917]

Always admire your videos! This time forgive me for a small suggestion: try hitting the axe heads with a wooden mallet - it will not destroy them as much as a steel mallet does.

[@StavrosGakos]

Thank you all! Vlad, i don't care about those cracked axe heads, i got bunch of them 👍

[@pmewUK]

Fascinating. I've never had the opportunity to work with logs that size, how long do you usually cure them for?

[@bradleyleben7785]

My wife loves to split wood. When the temperature gets down in the mid 20s degree F, the heat pump struggles. She swings the hammer, pops the wedges, and grins from ear to ear when the log pops.😁

[@SethKotta]

Sounds like a keeper.

[@StavrosGakos]

Log poping is great!

[@frankagee3157]

Many years ago I was splitting a log in cold weather, it was 13 degrees (F) and I hit the wedge with my sledge hammer and a piece of it chipped off and hit me in the arm. It went in all the way to the bone. I had to go to the hospital and have it removed. It was not pleasant. Since then I made two tools. I made a glut, which is a wooden wedge. I also made a wooden mallet. From that time on I have never hit steel on steel. I have a beautiful spider shaped scar on my arm. I love your videos and have marveled at how easy you make it look. Keep up the good work.

[@StavrosGakos]

Thank you Frank! Next time i'm gonna check wiosen wedges. Cheers

[@Ham68229]

Make yourself some wooden wedges, once you get the split started, come in from the sides instead of the ends. Will split a lot easier for you. The bigger plus side to this method, you won't have to worry about any metal chips flying back at you, yes, it does happen. You can also start the split with wooden wedges as well. Great video as always, cheers :)

[@StavrosGakos]

Cheers :)

[@imager8763]

That's hard work, You should have started the video at the part where you are ripping the log apart with you bare hands!

[@ryandavis7593]

Excellent as usual. Thank you for making my day. Greetings from the high plains of Texas.

[@StavrosGakos]

Cheers Ryan!

[@luizgabriel3388]

Just like that? So be it! Very nice, Gakos!

[@Rk-dz8wi]

Положено начало новому прекрасному инструменту))👍

[@chrismaurer2075]

I cut down a large maple tree on my property a couple years ago and last year I had a guy with a small mill cut it for me so that I could finally make a work bench.I'm almost done with it, it has a 4 inch slab top with beautiful grain and the cracks that came I put in bowties and I think it really add's to the look.

[@Evilduckcreations]

I can't wait to see what you make from some of this Maple! Great video!

[@nurgle11]

Be waiting a few years though air drying is not a quick process :D

[@StavrosGakos]

It will be a bunch of winding sticks 👍

[@StavrosGakos]

Andrew in the next year i'm gonna resaw it for narrow parts and use it in the next winter 👍

[@JohnBodoni]

I fully expected some kind of hand plane to make an appearance in this video. :) :) Thanks for sharing!

[@dagwood1327]

I’m lucky, I just go out into the woods and pick one that I want to saw on my bandsaw mill. Lots to choose from. I have access to walnut, white oak, various red oaks, persimmon, juniper, pine, honey locust, black locust, hickory, sassafras, pecan, Paulownia and birch. Most of the time something has fallen during a storm and I saw that up. Haven’t cut much this summer because of back issues. I hope to get that fixed soon.

[@bobweiram6321]

What's it like to work with black locust? Is it any good for furniture making? I do know it's rot resistant.

[@dagwood1327]

@@bobweiram6321 very hard. It is the hardest wood I have ever cut on the mill. I have cut small pieces of ebony and that was harder but USA domestic black locust is the hardest .

[@ryandavis7593]

Bowdark is perhaps harder. I have had send sparks from my tools and ruins a sawmill band in short order. I cut mostly city trees here in the high plains of Texas because they generally don’t grow here naturally.

[@dagwood1327]

@@ryandavis7593 yes you are correct. I forgot about that species. It will dull you tools for sure.

[@scottmartin7717]

David Gardner - that's an awesome selection... You're a fortunate dude. You got a back problem... I got a wood problem... You ever need a laborer, I'm your guy 😁!

[@villagecraftingideas1154]

Hard work 👍👍👍👍🪵🪵

[@fisharmor]

You are literally the last person I would have expected to be driving wedges with the back of an axe.

[@StavrosGakos]

My big mallet is not availiable at this moment and the log can't wait.

[@guillermorougier5112]

I greatly admire all your work... One of those things I admire is your great name stamps... I suspect you made them. Would it be too much to ask if you were to show us how to make a name stamp like yours? I love the classic look of raised letters. All the best!

[@StavrosGakos]

Thanks! I ordered them form Mirock Toolworks and grawernia dot pl

[@MCsCreations]

Pretty interesting technique, dude! 😃 Thanks for the video! Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@buczo102]

Ciekawy pomysł z ta folią wpłynie :)

[@worklion50]

Some how I knew your yard was well cared for... Thanks for the view!

[@StavrosGakos]

You're welcome! I spent a lot of time there :)

[@mlankford6077]

I do the same with Osage Orange logs when making Flat bows. Osage can be a real pain to split sometimes!

[@Samuqan]

What did that poor axe ever do to you ;) Let me know if you need me to send you a sledgehammer and some more wedges. I'm hooked on your plane videos - love your designs!

[@StavrosGakos]

Thanks, i got big hammer in my old workshop but i can't take it right now.

[@С.И.Н-ю7д]

Отличные заготовки , поздравляю

[@444maniek]

Mój dziadek jak by zobaczył że siekierą w metalowe kliny wale, delikatnie mówiąc, zbeształ by mnie. Siekiera-drewno.

[@StavrosGakos]

Mój duży młot jest teraz niedostępny a pień zaczął już pękać od rdzenia. Pozdrawiam

[@nicolasdaverio843]

Can u do this with dry good or just with green wood? Thnxs

[@StavrosGakos]

Only with green wood, Cheers!

[@gianlucamarciano3695]

Wilde and effective

[@misiek2514]

Wszystko pięknie , tylko dlaczego nie młotem.??

[@slomkaadas9603]

Używał podstawowych narzędzi. Kowal miał do wyboru młot albo siekierę - to ostatnie łączy te funkcje ;)

[@StavrosGakos]

Misiek powód jest prosty - młot został w starym warsztacie w bloku a ja nie mogę znaleźć kluczy :/

[@slomkaadas9603]

@@StavrosGakos "Super" - masz już temat na kolejny odcinek ;)

[@TermiteUSA]

Lovely

[@viorsa8200]

Trabajo al modo tradicional , como se hizo toda la vida , hacha , cuñas y maza , gracias por compartir , un saludo cordial y por supuesto un gran like desde Narón , Galicia ( España) 🤓 😜

[@awldune]

What is your preferred method to clean up rough split wood like this? Do you have a scrub plane? Drawknife?

[@nurgle11]

typically get closer to size with a froe then clean it with an adze before going to a drawknife or scrub, bandsaw is a bit (well a lot) quicker once you can get the wood to a size that it can manage.

[@StavrosGakos]

I use my scrub plane and bandsaw 👍

[@awldune]

@@StavrosGakos Thanks! Personally this is one of the only jobs where I use a handheld power planer.

[@WiktorKa]

First hit "like" then watch - just to be sure I won't forget later 🙃

[@mg3289]

W następnym odcinku... Stavros wskrzesza głowice siekier, ale w te klocki jest „niezły" 😏. Przypomniałeś mi pacholęce lata i łupanie dębu 🙂. Podstawa to dupny młot na długim stylu i pełne kliny. Pozdrawiam!

[@StavrosGakos]

Nie ma co wskrzeszać, wybrałem uszkodzone siekiery na kliny 👍młot jest, ale nie mam teraz do niego dostępu. Pozdrawiam

[@mg3289]

@@StavrosGakos Nie miałem co do tego żadnej wątpliwości 😉. W każdym odcinku widać Twój talent, wiedzę i doświadczenie a w tym wykazałeś się również słuszną krzepą 😉👍.

[@piotrkalinowski9802]

... zdradzisz czy ten liquid foil to przypadkiem nie jest Płynna Folia - HYDRO od TYNAN'a? Rozumiem, że będzie ona zapobiegała pękaniu drewna w trakcie "leżakowania"?

[@StavrosGakos]

Nie pamiętam jaka to była firma,. Nie mam już wiaderka. Właśnie w tym celu stosowałem. Pozdrowienia!

[@lancer2204]

Great technique! There are certainly times when a chainsaw with a ripping chain are a nice option though. That is the type of log that would have a sawyer swearing at the timber. ADIT: did anyone else see any irony is Stavros having a loose head on the axe?

[@theeyeofthebeholder7099]

Great work. How long did it take you to split that log?

[@StavrosGakos]

Thanks! Few hours👍

[@dc800766]

What is liquid foil and what is its purpose?

[@StavrosGakos]

Liquid foil is liquid foil :) It prevent the end grains from cracking, just the same as painting.

[@memo383h]

Hello Stavros from Indiana USA ! Love all your videos man...very inspiring...im learning alot from you and a few other KZbinrs( dan the woodman/clickspring/ect..) i cut a dead cherry tree down a few months ago...i tried keep it as whole as possible. the trunk is about 2 feet wide and about 6 foot tall...i used some old deck stain on ends but i see alot of cracking and splitting from the ends. your video is right on time...im gonna go find some of that liquid foil and split it like you did and re cut and seal the ends with the liq foil....maybe it will help? how long will you let the log you split dry/season/ befor you use it to make anything out of it??

[@StavrosGakos]

Thank you! Whole log allways will get cracked, that's why i splited this one. I'm gonna build some winding sticks from this material. In the next year i'm gonna resaw those pieces for narrow parts and leave it for some time. Probably i'll make final product in the next winter. If you want't to get bigger pieces of lumber you have to wait another 1 or 2 years. Thank you for your support! Cheers!

[@memo383h]

@@StavrosGakos ok, i need find good spot to let it sit....hmmm i have big maple logs also...my house gonna be full of logs! it just me and the dog...no woman right now so should be fine ;) lol CHEERS to you and thanx for message. Good luck with your projects...i look forward to more of your videos

[@StavrosGakos]

@@memo383h Cheers!

[@barkebaat]

3:13 - This is how Polish men split logs -- like you split apples ... weaklings !

[@billsutherland7486]

Do you dry your wood 1 year for every 1 inch?

[@StavrosGakos]

Sometimes a little bit konger 👍

[@fugenfuller-rp1fu]

You can never have enough wedges.

[@obikornikowo_pl3350]

so next epizode with this wood will bein 8-12 mounth ?

[@StavrosGakos]

Yup, in the next winter 👍

[@MajsterkowiczBB]

Zacięcia Ci nie brakuje 😉 Trzymaj się i niech się szybko suszy.

[@StavrosGakos]

Nie narzekam na brak roboty :) pozdrowienia!

[@SebR-FR]

Hard work ! What is "liquid foil" ? I know what is the purpose but I don't get the meaning of "foil" here (I'm french) - I've used wax, old paint, tar... what I had on hand for this.

[@gentlemandude1]

I was also wondering that, too. I'm an English-speaking woodworker, but I'm not familiar with that kind of paint.

[@cudak84]

I think this is the liquid foil used to paint walls in showers, bathrooms etc. Before you put the tiles

[@StavrosGakos]

Thanks! As Paweł wrote, it is liquid foil used to paint walls od floors in bathroom 👍

[@SebR-FR]

@@cudak84 ok, get it, thx :)

[@slomkaadas9603]

Kurcze, zrobiłem tak jak Ty. W Obi znalazłem folie w płynie ale po wyschnięciu nie wykonało swojego zadania :/ Czy mógłbyś, proszę, podać nazwę produktu którego użyłeś? Wiem, że specjalnie nie pokazałeś ale mam do zrobienia całą jabłoń (średnica 58cm!) I nie chciałbym tego znowu zepsuć... Pozdrawiam

[@StavrosGakos]

Hej Adam, z tego co pamiętam to folia firmy tytan. Dlaczego nie spełniło swojego zadania? Jeżeli smarujesz pień w całości to bardzo często I tak pojawią się pęknięcia. U mnie po rozłupaniu i zamalowaniu sztorców nie ma żadnych pęknięć.

[@slomkaadas9603]

@@StavrosGakos Hmm, szczerze mówiąc nie wiem co poszło nie tak. Nałożyłem jedną warstwę folii i odłożyłem drewno do wysniecia. Po jakimś dłuższym czasie (około 3 miesiące) sprawdziłem jak to wygląda. I tu niespodzianka - folia... rozwarstwiła się? To chyba najlepsze określenie. Ponadto w niektórych miejscach zrobiły się takie małe bąbelki, tak jakby powietrze z wysychających sztorców je "napąpowało". Były małe, maksymalnie 2 mm średnicy ale byłem w szoku. I właśnie pomiędzy bąbelkami pojawiło się "rozwarstwienie", a pod nimi głębokie pęknięcia. (...) Nie mam pojęcia co się stało. Poszukałem w internecie jakiś poszlak i nic. Na jakimś rosyjskim forum tylko jeden gość miał coś podobnego ale no dostał wyjaśnienia... Może Ty masz jakieś sugestie? Szczerze mówiąc, poczułem się beznadziejnie, że nawet drewna nie umiem wysuszyć xd Pierwsze koty za płoty, może z tym tytanem pójdzie mi lepiej...

[@StavrosGakos]

@@slomkaadas9603 a trzymałeś to drewno w cieniu? Pewnie tak, ale zapytać nie zaszkodzi :)

[@StavrosGakos]

Albo może sztorce były zbyt mokre..?

[@slomkaadas9603]

@@StavrosGakos Tak, w blaszanym magazynku. W ścisłości to taki nieocieplony blaszak stojący na betonowych filarach. Hmm, za mokre? Ciekawe stwierdzenie. To tak, sąsiad ściął drzewo i pociął je na 40 cm kawałki. W takiej formie od ścięcia, przeleżały na dworze maksymalnie tydzień (środek wiosny). Potem zobaczyłem, wymieniłem za domowe powidła i nalewkę z pigwy. Reszta to proces jak z Twojego filmu. Więc ważne pytanie - za mało czekałem po ścięciu drzewa czy raczej miałem pecha? Kiedy należałoby zrobić procedurę jak z filmiku? 🤔

[@nikburton9264]

How long before we see you start turning some of that into tools?

[@StavrosGakos]

In the next year i'm gonna resaw it for narrow pieces for winding sticks and leave it until the next winter come 👍

[@arnoldkotlyarevsky383]

Those poor axe heads. The eyes are getting blown out irreparably. Cool split though.

[@StavrosGakos]

Thanks, they were cracked.

[@antoniojsanchez8646]

Busque una buena maza con peso suficiente, ese hacha no le durara eternamente con esos golpes. Además las cuñas penetran mas fácilmente en la madera con una maza de buen peso y con menor esfuerzo. Son muchos los troncos que tuve que partir con cuñas, es un trabajo duro, y hasta peligroso si golpeas mal la cuña y te salta una rebaba de metal a la velocidad de una bala. Dos veces me paso, y dos veces dio en el hueso de mi pierna parándola tras atravesar el pantalón y la piel. Saludos desde Málaga ( España)

[@ryandavis7593]

Indeed. Wearing long pants was my only concern in watching our friends video. Greetings from the high plains of Texas.

[@allenwc]

I wish Douglas fir split that nicely :(

[@StavrosGakos]

Hey William, i've expected it will be splited nicer. Twisted grains happens :)

[@allenwc]

yes, exactly, very twisty grain in my douglas fir. Thinking of getting a timber rip saw.

[@StavrosGakos]

@@allenwc or try to split shorter logs :)

[@michabiaochleb1188]

Za 5 lat jak znalazł ;)

[@StavrosGakos]

Trochę wcześniej :)

[@ОлегНазаров-с6д]

Not serious project, but interesting for me)

[@gregmislick1117]

You NEED a Froe ! Nicely split.

[@barrysnell6775]

Froes are for riving shingles, kindling, and the like off a short split, not for splitting a whole log. A froe would have to have to have a blade 12" tall, a massive eye, and a ten foot inflexible handle to have the leverage needed to pop that log, especially since it had already seasoned some and the grain wasn't straight.

[@StavrosGakos]

As Barry wrote the froe is good for short logs 👍

[@gregmislick1117]

@@barrysnell6775 True, if you were only using a Froe as you would for the functions you listed. For this, the Froe would give you a nice start line for the split, and once the split starts to run, you just slide it along and encourage the split to continue...I suppose that you could just use a set of home made wedges cut from say 4" diameter branch segments, once that split is started you don't need anything near as much force to make it run. However, you would need a larger than average froe I will concede if for no other reason than the whole log is wider than a short wedge, and if you have a longer froe it has to be taller and probably thicker to maintain the resistance to twist. I was just thinking of the froe to start the split and get a nice line across it

[@demastust.2277]

Looking at how S shaped the inside of that log made me kind of sad. Can't have it perfect all the time, eh?

[@StavrosGakos]

Yup, i was a little dissapointed about that..

[@rickreed123]

Please we’re safety goggles. Little shards of metal come flying off the wedges like tiny bullets.

[@StavrosGakos]

Next time i'll 👍

[@irvinwittmeier5208]

!;-)

[@carlopieracci2828]

Will It become hand Planes?

[@StavrosGakos]

Hello Carlo! No, maple is too soft. I'm gonna make bunch of winding sticks. Thank you for your support 👍

[@СеМиКир]

Мінус 3 сокири.

[@wojciechplacer5836]

Safety first

[@wolfparty4234]

My dad can split a huge log with his bare hands 🙌🏼!!!🤣🤣🤣🔥🙏🏻❤️👍🏻

[@ahaeffectde]

Never hit steel on steel.

[@barrysnell6775]

Incorrect. You shouldn't hit *hardened* steel. However, mild or unhardened carbon steel is okay to hit with steel. That's why mild/unhardened metal splitting wedges, splitting mauls, and sledge hammers exist, and why an axe poll isn't hardened either. It's true that he shouldn't be using axe heads as wedges, but not because they're steel.

[@ahaeffectde]

@@barrysnell6775 it is not without reason that the use of steel wedges in forestry operations in Germany is prohibited.

[@barrysnell6775]

@@ahaeffectde Those reasons would be for industrial logging, not some random guy hand riving logs in his back yard. The reasoning behind prohibiting the use of steel wedges in logging is because of the danger they pose to those using power saws, NOT because you shouldn't use a steel hammer or axe to hit a steel wedge. Hitting a steel wedge with a chainsaw is dangerous, not only to the saw itself, but to the guy holding it. That's why plastic wedges are used now, plus they're disposable and you can just throw them out when they get chewed up. Also, "Germany banned it, so it must be bad" is pretty faulty reasoning. Germany has a LOT of dumb laws.

[@StavrosGakos]

They are not prohibited in my yard. Cheers!

[@ahaeffectde]

When striking steel wedges with a steel hammer or a steel hatchet, small steel particles can spray off, which in the worst case can get into your eye. That is why it is why it is forbidden