How to Split a Log for Amazing Lumber

Windsor Chair maker Elia Bizzarri shows how to split a log to get the best rived lumber possible. Watch this video + read the accompanying article on our website: woodandshop.co...
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[@nickreagin9585]

I love this guys commitment to safety. "Wear your glasses!", proceeds to drop start chain saw. I have the exact same attitude.

[@Peekul1]

Lol, that second start looked risky af 😂

[@sam790trhfr]

5:10 "do so with caution and care" ; proceeds with the most chaotic chainsaw start ever recorded lmao

[@cordishead]

Second start the chainsaw was almost full rpm 2in above his femoral artery

[@ScottSpeedPro]

I went this route and split a bunch of shorter logs by hand. Incredibly fun and rewarding, loved the experience, and Elia does an amazing job here...but lemmee tell ya, lots of wood does not split in a friendly manner no matter how painstakingly careful you are. It's got a mind of its own, its wavey, uneven, and can create infinitely more work if you're trying to make dimensioned lumber from it and the wood has some twists or character in it. Totally encourage everyone to try it old school like this, but if I had a nice log and I was looking to get some usable boards out of it, if you wanted to go old school and stay with hand tools, go with a rip saw, Japanese pull saw, don't split it. Power to ya cause that's a lot of sawing, but you'll save a ton of usable wood and countless hours on flattening your surfaces. If you're going a little more modern, go the chainsaw mill route, and if you're focused on getting as much usable lumber out of each log as possible you can get it properly milled on something like a Woodmizer with the thinner kerf blades and more level cuts. The only reason I make a point of this is wood is expensive and nice wood is really, really expensive, I just don't want anyone trying this with a black walnut log or something they just dropped a thousand bucks on, you're gonna potentially lose half your wood and money in temperamental splits.

[@max3d_0ut]

Rip cutting with a Japanese pull saw of a log this size would be BRUTAL especially out in the field. Couldn't even imagine pulling that off.

[@Jim__K]

Good series. Elia does a great job of explaining this information. Hope to see more from him.

[@PPHalpert]

I loved this little video thanks guys! “… I’m outta’ breath!”

[@johnmosier6899]

I was just thinking about doing this, can you make a video for the rest of the process from drying to producing true lumber

[@FrankTranDesign]

Seriously good video. Thanks for sharing

[@BobBlarneystone]

About 25 years ago, a farmer in Ohio was whacking on the teeth of his dozer blade with a hammer. A piece of the metal tooth chipped off and struck him in the neck, making what looked like a superficial cut. A few months later he was in heart failure. An X-ray revealed that the fragment had entered a vein and traveled to his heart and was caught in the pulmonary valve. After open heart surgery to remove the fragment, he made a full recovery.

[@asmith7876]

A guy at work a couple of years same sort of thing, hammer chunk shot into his arm like a .22, he’s a huge weightlifter and they decided it was best to just leave it.

[@Buddha-of8fk]

I helped my Grandpa make a truck load of that for rebuilding an old spilt rail fence. It was hard and took a while but it's still standing after all these years. You could have popped it if you double wedged it in the center.

[@OutlawCaliber13]

This is the kind of guy you expect to find in an office in the city, not working lumber in a country yard in the middle of nowhere. Love it. lol

[@hjeffwallace]

I just grabbed 4 logs from a red oak dropped at my neighbor. 14” x 40”. I only had a small hatchet, a pry bar, and small sledge hammer. But I did have a 3” white oak I had cut last year. I made a dozen wedges from it with a circular saw. Just when I was about to give up, I heard a sweet crackling! Going to buy a couple of wedges…

[@FinnGriffin]

Very nice! Thank you for making this video!

[@tas6847]

Thanks Josh! Nice job Elia!

[@Thundermuffin93]

Great stuff! Nice to have a decent log to show how it should go. And impressive to see just how fast he turned a log into 8ths. A bunch of chainsaw ninnies in comments here, but great video and thanks for the excellent demo!

[@ot9180]

Wow, hadn’t watched this channel for a few years. Time flies by.

[@gunterbecker8528]

❤absolutely great work. Young man u r an ace,keep at it,absolutely love it 😊

[@AndrewWade77]

I would love a video on the advantages of splitting like this vs quarter sawn.

[@jardavaclavik7060]

Wont fly into US for your class, vut your site is great. Thanx

[@clarkehambley8262]

Thank you.

[@vetnet100]

Well done video! More please!

[@MacAustinMusic]

I live not too far from Elia and curious can anyone tell me where this log yard is?

[@dpmeyer4867]

nice explanation

[@dpmeyer4867]

thanks

[@imxploring]

Great job!

[@Peekul1]

A pry bar can open up the logs.pretty easy too.

[@PEN7367]

Is this green wood or seasoned?

[@bobcostas9716]

If you grind your wedges when they mushroom you don't have to worry about spalling. Good looking out on the smaller sledge with a long handle though. F= m x a, and it saves your shoulders if you do it right. Personally I like a 6 pounder.

[@ot9180]

Is there a sequel to this?

[@jamesbrooks5442]

Grind off the mushroomed steel on the wedge for saftey reasons

[@viracocha03]

Thank you for the tips. I'm new to woodworking and work with hand tools. I just took down a large oak at work and wanted to make some boards with it, is it best to let the log season or should I do it now? The tree was nice and straight and my logs are around 36" long and about 18" - 20" wide. Also, I don't have any wedges, is it possible to do with a froe? I have never turned a log into boards before and I appreciate any reply.

[@EGCblackknight]

you can use heavy wooden wedges (gluts) to split. You'll need to start a crack using an axe, or saw a gap to start them in.

[@jamesalanstephensmith7930]

Red oak? Local variety?

[@johnsanchez6263]

What's he making? Axe handles or fence posts?

[@richardmorris5314]

If you come in about a foot From each end Then Make a plunge cut with your chainsaw. And drive your wedge into your plunge cuts. You won't have to roll it over. It'll split right open and just cut a couple cross fibers

[@MarcShoup-lr5bw]

How much should a wooden workbench overhang?

[@rtoguidver3651]

Why not stand the log on end and cut boards w/ the chainsaw?

[@robertr2731]

Good question. He is producing dimensionally stable wood grain. Ripping with a chainsaw will only weaken the grain fibers and produce inferior stock. He is making riven stock along the radial plane, not kiln, sawn or air dried.

[@bobcostas9716]

It's very hard to do well, and the kerf eats a lot of nice lumber on smaller logs like he has. Plus, it's different from quarter sawn, which is basically what he's doing.

[@lesdrinkwater490]

Great how across the pond they use chainsaws with no PPE.

[@fotter9567]

I have a family member who ruptured his femoral artery in an accident. He died in less than five minutes. Seeing someone using a chainsaw so uncoordinated and carelessly really is a bit provoking tbh. In Germany we have training courses for the usage of chain saws and they mainly consist of hammering into your head the utmost importance of safety gear, meaning full facial protection, security shoes, and security pants. I’ve seen many of these pants save someone’s life where in their absence this would have been the person’s leg. I know that KZbin doesn’t care, but the amount of videos on this platform where people show some really dangerous acts is astounding and doesn’t make life easier for safety instructors, labor safety officers, and ER personal.

[@mgmoody42]

@1:42 And a bib, as well, apparently.

[@VadimBiliy]

👍👍👍👍

[@ericcire7709]

Then what? Bandsaw? Kiln?

[@robertr2731]

Then he will rive it to size on the riving break. Always rive or process along the radial plane

[@robertr2731]

Definitely no band saw or kiln. This is riven stock. The goal here is to make the most dimensionally stable stock to last for centuries of wear and tear. A band saw will only weaken the stock fibers a kiln dries the wood at warp speed creating dimensionally inferior stock

[@ericcire7709]

@@robertr2731 is there a follow up video? I am unfamiliar with “riving break”

[@2nostromo]

what is the tool used to roll the log called? I need!!!!

[@robertknapp6487]

It’s called a peavey

[@2nostromo]

@@robertknapp6487 Thank you. And the bladed tool used to pull towards yourself to remove bark? 2 handles, left and right. I've harvested some pines and have a chainsaw mill

[@asmith7876]

Can you ever have too many wedges? Or clamps? 😂. Splitting wood is fun, you never know what you’re going to get.

[@sethwarner2540]

Tra-Lah? he-he

[@robertr2731]

Dimensionally stable riven stock, rived along the radial plane

[@timbarry5080]

Great video. I'm pretty sure chainsaws aren't the traditional means of cutting the remaining fibers, lol. I was hoping to see this fellas work. He must be very skilled, if a little lazy. Jk

[@christophehorguelin7044]

A log of what???

[@hugodesrosiers-plaisance3156]

From the bark, it looks like ash, I think.

[@jerryharrell9257]

"Tra-la"?

[@REALCaptainAmerican]

Why not just do all the cutting with the chainsaw?

[@Orson_Welp]

I bet this guy's pizza slices are emaculate

[@johnfithian-franks8276]

I was pleased that you put on your eye and ear protection but then you started using a chain saw without any protective clothing and that is a much more dangerous tool that can kill if you slip.

[@12BlockTokie]

Who needs a leg anyway? I'm an R-BTK Amputee and I get along pretty good most days !

[@brettbarce8563]

Ya, not really traditional

[@bernardhvanengen5002]

I think your operation is not very safe. One of the things I was told is to clean the edges of your wedges, steel chisels, punches, etc. and use a wooden or plastic mallet/ hammer on steel tools. Don't use a chain saw near steel wedges. Use wooden or plastic wedges instead, or use a hatchet to cut the remaining fibres. Keep more distance from the building.

[@carlhanson7312]

I think your brain is not very safe

[@jeffjones4006]

Many people work this way without any consequences, telling a craftsman he isn’t safe is showing your stupidity.