Ive got an AXE to grind.....

[Woodie]

What my dad used, to prevent damage to the handle,
was to place a couple of sections of bicycle innertube rolled up
and placed just beneath the head.
It works great.

That's a great idea..I gotta try that. I use a "custom-fitted duct-tape overstrike protector" on mine!

And believe it or not, it works pretty well. I wrap it about 3/8ths of an inch or so thick, and you'd be amazed how much that little bit of cushion helps.

I am gonna try that innertube trick, though.

 

[Woodie]

Fiberglass, it doesn't break as easily and transmits less vibes to your hands.

Ian

One of the things I do to cut down on some of the vibes is to wrap the gripping part of the handle with "tennis-racket tape."

It's essentially gauze that sticks only to itself. When I played tennis, it was used to cover the grip on your racket to give it more longevity, and also to build-up a grip that was too small. I have the same problem with my sledges and mauls...they just aren't thick enough for me to get my best grip on 'em. So this stuff is like killing two birds with one stone...I find it cuts down noticably on the vibes, too. Actually, it's like killing three birds, because I find it a lot less slick to grip, too!

Lee Valley sells a form of this as well, and it's cheaper to boot. I don't know if it's okay to post the link, but if you can't find it at a sponsor, that's another place you can.

 

[computeruser]

Another good overstrike protector is multi-strand 12v-type electrical wire, especially the type with fine strands and thick rubber coatings like you find in the car audio world. I wrapped a couple sledges with this sort of wire in a wire-tape-wire-tape multi-layer fashion and it has held up beautifully, When the tape gets ugly you just pull off the outer layer and re-tape over it. The wire holds up to lots of impacts without breaking, falling off, etc. We do a fair amount of pounding on rebar and fenceposts when we do streambank stabilization and woody debris management activities at a nature preserve that I'm involved with, and the combination of wet, wobbly lengths of metal being pounded into streambanks leads to lots of misstrikes.

The tape-and-wire method has held up better than any other method that the other guys have used, and it is a LOT safer than those plastic collars that some sledges have - those collars are slipper and the tool just glance off the object that was mi????, whereas my method grabs the object and often stops the tool dead in its tracks.

 

[Dan Dill]

I am using the Fiskars 4 1/4 pound head on Tanoak, Madrone, Maple, Myrtle, Black Oak, and Live Oak. I am not going back to my traditional maul ever again.

I am telling you guys, these things rock. I will be ordering another Scan Splitting axe soon. They really know what they are doing. Maybe someone here is cutting woods denser than I am, but check out hte properties of Pacific Madrone and Live Oak.

 

[charlesfarm]

Has anybody used the Helko Vario Axe to split Elm? I have a hardware store maul and me thinks there must be a better way.

God bless,
Chris

 

[TooTall999]

Has anybody used the Helko Vario Axe to split Elm? I have a hardware store maul and me thinks there must be a better way.

I'm thinking finland is the only person to have ever tried it,none available over here that I know of.

 

[Jimfound]

Has anybody used the Helko Vario Axe to split Elm? I have a hardware store maul and me thinks there must be a better way.

God bless,
Chris

A better way to split Elm?

I don't know that there is such a thing. Not sure that you might want something heavier than the Helko Vario (although I can't say I have ever used one). I have a monster maul...similar to this one http://store.baileys-online.com/cgi-bin/baileys/467. 15 pounds and its the best I have found for breaking up the bigger rounds. There is also a thread here about it:

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=36409

Good luck with the Elm (chuckles).

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I've had 2 people try to give me a bunch of elm in the last month, and last year it was a big Sycamore. I had to politely turn them down.

Ian

 

[computeruser]

A better way to split Elm?

I don't know that there is such a thing. Not sure that you might want something heavier than the Helko Vario (although I can't say I have ever used one). I have a monster maul...similar to this one http://store.baileys-online.com/cgi-bin/baileys/467. 15 pounds and its the best I have found for breaking up the bigger rounds. There is also a thread here about it:

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=36409

Good luck with the Elm (chuckles).

+1 on the megamaul. I love the thing, use it for everything from kindling to big 'ol hickory rounds. It's actually surprisingly nice on the kindling 'cause I can do it in the garage, using it one-handed and just dropping the maul on the wood without actually swinging.

 

[michael j]

Has anybody used the Helko Vario Axe to split Elm? I have a hardware store maul and me thinks there must be a better way.

God bless,
Chris

I burn a lot of elm, Chris. Sometimes It's easier to quarter it with the saw, than to use a splitter. The neighbor and I cut a couple cords today, and most of the biggins' I chainsaw split.

Ian, If someone offered me some elm I'd be all over it. I can handle it.


Mike

 

[charlesfarm]

Just split some of that Elm tonight. I am totally soaked with sweat from head to foot and it's 36 degrees outside.

I think I found about the easist way to split it. I have one of those twist wedges from harbor freight. I took one of the 22" dia rounds that I cut this weekend and cut some 2" deep cuts with my saw (with the grain, through the bark). Started the wedge in one of the cuts and drove it until it split. Used the maul to cut the strands away and kept on going this way until it was all in small enough pieces for my stove.

The twist wedge is pretty nice, does a good job of forcing the elm apart. Even so, I think that I'll quarter some of it with the saw and split some of it with the wedges. I sit behind a computer desk all day and need the exercise!

God bless,
Chris

 

[Old_School_Nut]

yeah elm sucks I either use my MS460 or a logsplitter to split em, logsplitter grunts a bit but she cuts em...


Every now and then one of my friends from town will come over, and sometimes i say "want to help me split?" i had em the maul and i grab another(same maul) toss em some elm and grab me some oak... lol after my 5th log they start getting frustrated and I tell em to put more muscle in it... lol by the time they get fed up with it and make me split it , its so stinking beat up I can split it (i am not tired like they are at this point an know where to aim where as they cant even aim) lol good times... i must say tho, thats the most frustrating stuff i have ever tried to split by hand....

if your new at splitting wood, don't practice on elm, i bet your form will be horrible if you do!

its the reason why the logsplitter was invented!

 

[Dan Dill]

The Fiskars Axe at work

Man I love this thing. This is a 33 inch Tanoak.

 

[grandpatractor]

Man I love this thing. This is a 33 inch Tanoak.

+1

 

[charlesfarm]

Bump ...

I just got a Helko Vario 2000 heavy splitting axe like RaisedByWolves initially posted in this thread.

It came via UPS today, and I just had to try it out. I was a bit worried about using it with my smashed left middle finger still on the mend, but I couldn't resist. There wasn't too much pressure on that finger from swinging the axe, so that didn't end up being an issue.

I set up a 30" diam. round of Ash and gave it whack about 3" in from the bark. Nice slab popped right off. Did it again, same result. Again and again, this thing just kept splitting. 5 minutes later and that round was firewood.

I've been using a 6# made in china hardware store maul that I bought for about $25. I just broke my second (oval) handle on it last week and decided to go for the Helko. I'm sure glad I did. The balance is perfect for me and the 5# head is simple to swing and aim accurately. I ended up splitting three 30" rounds of Ash in about 15 minutes, and only stuck the head twice. It was easy enough to rock the handle up and down to free it.

Initially I thought $67.00 was a too much for a splitting axe, but after seeing the photos of it, my wife thought it was worth it and encouraged me to get one!! Now after using it on a few logs, I think it's worth every penny.

I bought a replacement handle to go with it, and I was glad I did -- the axe and handle pushed me well over the $75 mark for free shipping (Hartville Tool special for the month of February).

After splitting the Ash, my wife suggested I try it out on some of the piss Elm we have out back in a pile. The Helko didn't quite make light work of it, but I was impressed with the ability to split an 18" diameter log into about 8 stove sized pieces. Don't get me wrong, the axe bounced back off that Elm several times, but each whack made progress.

When I was done, I oiled the head with some bar-n-chain oil and hung it up in the basement next to my workbench.

I wouldn't consider myself a pro at splitting wood. I used my Dad's old hardware store maul as a kid, a friend's monster maul a couple years ago, my own hardware maul and some fairly thin bladed axes over the years. But the Helko beats all of them hands down!

God bless,
Chris

 

[Dan Dill]

I am still hacking away with the Fiskars at about 30 cord under its belt so far. No complaints. I do need to say the handle is a tad short for me, but I am 6'8" tall also. I got past that in the first week of using it. It breaks down large rounds quickly.

 

[charlesfarm]

I looked at the Fiskars, but I need a longer handle -- I'm a bit accident prone That thing would be in my shin before a cord was split.

I also like wood handles on my farm & garden hand tools. I'm a bit nostalgic.

I think I've split about a cord with the Helko so far. I like it better every time I use it.

 

[olyman]

My wife wants fiberglass, but I want wood??????????????????????

oh, the possibilites with that statement!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Nailsbeats]

I am still hacking away with the Fiskars at about 30 cord under its belt so far. No complaints. I do need to say the handle is a tad short for me, but I am 6'8" tall also. I got past that in the first week of using it. It breaks down large rounds quickly.

Dan, I am with you man, I have been preaching this for years now. Just had mine out today for a workout. It's good to see someone as enthusiastic as I am about it, besides everybody I ever let use it. Keep rollin out the blocks.

 

[Bowtie]

If my splitter wont split it, out comes the 441 or the new 064...