Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[JustJeff]

I use an 8lb sledge for driving wedges. Cutting a tree down with a chainsaw, I really have no use for an axe.

 

[farmer steve]

Thank you @Logger nate, @sean donato, and @farmer steve, I appreciate it! I really like Jason Egan's stuff too.

The stock outer spike for the 462 is 1141/0501A. The bolts # is 9008-345-0960. The nuts # is 9214-320-0700 B. Double check those numbers with your dealer.

 

[JustPlainJeff]

The stock outer spike for the 462 is 1141/0501A. The bolts # is 9008-345-0960. The nuts # is 9214-320-0700 B. Double check those numbers with your dealer.

Awesome, thank you!

 

[Philbert]

I prefer the fiskars. The splitting axe does pretty good, head design splits good and doesn’t stick bad on unsuccessful attempts but not as good as the fiskars, and I much prefer the long smaller diameter handle for splitting.

I use an 8lb sledge for driving wedges. Cutting a tree down with a chainsaw, I really have no use for an axe.

I have 2 Fiskars splitting axes (X25, X27), and 2 Fiskars chopping axes (tried the hatchets, but no real use for them).

I take the axes with me in the woods to clear branches, drive wedges, clear stuck saws, etc. They are light, and work for most stuff, but will not do the heavy pounding for stacked wedges and big trees.

I have not had the need to split personal firewood for a while, but would use steel wedges and an 8 pound sledge to break down larger, or knarly, rounds (no hydro power at home)..

When I saw new, steel wedges priced at $16 - $18 each in stores, I started snagging them up at garage and estate sales, so I now have ‘a few’ (added some since this photo).


https://www.arboristsite.com/threads/maintain-your-splitting-wedges.310138/
Philbert

 

[sean donato]

For those of you that haven't seen the damage caused by Emerald Ash Borers.

View attachment 995037View attachment 995038View attachment 995039

Sadly thats about the only way your gonna see an ash around here anymore...

 

[WoodAbuser]

Sadly thats about the only way your gonna see an ash around here anymore...

Yeah, all over MN and IA that I have been to also. Posted those cause that tree from my property is one of the worst I have seen. Others were taken down by cities before they were dead. This one has been dead standing since I have owned my place.

 

[LondonNeil]

Well I got a t tank through the dolmakita, bucking up more sub 6" diameter limbs and blocking up some of the smaller uglies to stove size. I paid ATTENTION this time, kept both hands on the saw tightly and staid safe!. I've enough stuff to split to keep me going through the week now and next weekend the forecast is rain . It'll change through I hope. If I get my splitting done in the evenings then I've a couple of face cord of 12-18" logs to buck. The turquoise terror could do it, but the 365 will.

 

[Lee192233]

Good evening Neil.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Hi

Yes sir, that’s it. I haven’t used a splitting wedge for firewood for 20 years, guess I forgot people still do that, lol.

Some people catch on to technology faster than others. Unfortunately I'm not one of them!

I have 2 Fiskars splitting axes (X25, X27), and 2 Fiskars chopping axes (tried the hatchets, but no real use for them).

I take the axes with me in the woods to clear branches, drive wedges, clear stuck saws, etc. They are light, and work for most stuff, but will not do the heavy pounding for stacked wedges and big trees.

I have not had the need to split personal firewood for a while, but would use steel wedges and an 8 pound sledge to break down larger, or knarly, rounds (no hydro power at home)..

When I saw new, steel wedges priced at $16 - $18 each in stores, I started snagging them up at garage and estate sales, so I now have ‘a few’ (added some since this photo).
View attachment 995142

https://www.arboristsite.com/threads/maintain-your-splitting-wedges.310138/
Philbert

Have you noticed a difference in the quality of steel in any of your different splitting wedges. It seems to me. They don't make splitting wedges like they use to when I was a kid. I started splitting wood for mom, dad, and us kid's. At ten/twelve years old. Now they seem to be soft and mushroom out bad. They never did when I was a kid first learning how to split wood. However, The older and bigger, I got. The more easily the wedges would mushroom! The steel quality in the splitting wedges must have been getting worse and worse as I grew up! Strange!

 

[grizz55chev]

No firewood scrounging today. I just added the last (and most important) piece to my he-man women haters club man-cave!!! Damn people were out of the Jager though, damn supply chain shortages LOL!View attachment 994556View attachment 994557

No Jaeger, they ought to be horse whipped! Bet someone else has it!

 

[grizz55chev]

Got the old Tracker ready to scrounge some silver fish.
View attachment 994655View attachment 994656

Mines an oldie but a goodie, going trolling for high Sierra trout midddle of next week till Father's day. Got it all preped yesterday!

 

[Lee192233]

Mines an oldie but a goodie, going trolling for high Sierra trout midddle of next week till Father's day. Got it all preped yesterday!View attachment 995164

Nice! I bet your views beat mine trolling up in the mountains.
I went out Friday and it was rougher than I like, 2-3' confused seas. I don't have a problem trolling in those conditions. I've had some of my best days on Lake Michigan during rough conditions. We had my older 2 boys and my buddy's kid along. Unfortunately 20 minutes after slowing down to troll my friend's kid got sick. Rather than make him suffer we pulled lines and came back in. The unfortunate thing is we were marking good amounts of bait and salmon/trout.

 

[Philbert]

Some people catch on to technology faster than others. Unfortunately I'm not one of them!

Have you noticed a difference in the quality of steel in any of your different splitting wedges. It seems to me. They don't make splitting wedges like they use to when I was a kid. I started splitting wood for mom, dad, and us kid's. At ten/twelve years old. Now they seem to be soft and mushroom out bad. They never did when I was a kid first learning how to split wood. However, The older and bigger, I got. The more easily the wedges would mushroom! The steel quality in the splitting wedges must have been getting worse and worse as I grew up! Strange!

I am sure that the quality of the steel varied even in older ones, as these are not ‘high tech’ items. Big differences noticed when grinding / cutting off the burrs / edges. Probably whatever was in the scrap mix.

Some feel heavier / denser, almost like tool steel. Some almost feel cast. Some from USA, Mexico, India, China . . . ‘Mushrooming’ is better than chips flying off, which is another good reason to use a sledge on steel, instead of an axe.

Philbert

 

[Kodiak Kid]

My hand tools for splitting wood. A 12 pound sledge, An 8 pound maul, A 6 pound Council, and a small assortment of wedges. You can see the ones I use the most are mushrooming out. The old broken off maul head I use for a spliting wedge. Is the hardest steel out if all the wedges. However, I usually have to use another wedge to start with on the really tough knotty rounds. Because the maul head wedge has to wide of cheeks and often will bounce out. After the first one, two, or three swings.
Also,I don't ever use any of my Council's poll to strike steel spliting wedges because even though Council's are American Steel. They are soft and are also designed to be used for rafting axe' as well as a felling axe. The poll will mushroom and round off over time, when striking steel splitting wedges. Making the poll harder to use on plastic felling wedges, because being that they are now mushroomed. Strikes on plastic wedges will often not be square and solid. Resulting in glancing blows.

You can see the slight mushrooming on the poll of this five pound Council fallers axe. Done by a friends and neighbors before I could stop them while spliting wood with steel wedges for the fire pit during a cookouts.
Yup! I'm that anal about my Council's!
Cut safe stay sharp and be aware!

 

[grizz55chev]

Nice! I bet your views beat mine trolling up in the mountains.
I went out Friday and it was rougher than I like, 2-3' confused seas. I don't have a problem trolling in those conditions. I've had some of my best days on Lake Michigan during rough conditions. We had my older 2 boys and my buddy's kid along. Unfortunately 20 minutes after slowing down to troll my friend's kid got sick. Rather than make him suffer we pulled lines and came back in. The unfortunate thing is we were marking good amounts of bait and salmon/trout.

We love our little lake, it's about 15 mies from Lake Tahoe as the crow flies on the west side of the Ridge with a view of the back side of Squaw Valley. There is no way to get there from the east, takes about an hr and a half up through the American River canyon to get there from Foresthill, CA, my hometown. I'll post lots of pics of the adventures next week. Our lake is called French Meadows, man made in the 60s. Easy to find on the map, look just west and a little south of Lake Tahoe. Browns and Rainbows are plentiful, and tasty along with a sleeper crop of high mountain crawdads! I swear, they taste as good as lobster!

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Mines an oldie but a goodie, going trolling for high Sierra trout midddle of next week till Father's day. Got it all preped yesterday!View attachment 995164

Nice classic Mercury bro! Good on ya!

 

[grizz55chev]

Nice classic Mercury bro! Good on ya!

Still runs like a scalded dog! It ain't fast, top speed is around 25mph, far as I can tell. She's a 2 stroke, so not allowed on some lakes near me like Tahoe and Donner, but just perfect for most of our needs.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Pics of trolling riggs Now? Deal me in! What's the anny? My salt water King Salmon Slayer. The weather break on the console is removable. It slides down into the four rod holders on the console then secured with pins. I really only use it in the fall for hunting and also winter traveling. I just haven't taken it off yet this Spring.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Still runs like a scalded dog! It ain't fast, top speed is around 25mph, far as I can tell. She's a 2 stroke, so not allowed on some lakes near me like Tahoe and Donner, but just perfect for most of our needs.View attachment 995173

25 knots is plenty fast enough to have fun!Unless your comparing it to a tournament ride!

 

[grizz55chev]

25 knots is plenty fast!

Lol, mph, not knots! It's a 4 cylinder 50 hp from the 70's, !