Everyone knows to split knots pointing down right?
Split 1 Cord of Douglas Fir with A Fiskars
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SawTroll
Information Collector
Knots and twisted wood are split with a saw here, no axe are coming even close to it!
Over here, we take sport in it. & its not even challenging being in the west coast. a 50' pin oak round will make you its ##### with a 10lb hammer & a 10'' wedge. . .
a 50'' spruce will try, but a dull maul will shut it up in about 5 minutes.
Use that body that God gave you Troll, chainsaws are for falling and bucking timber. . .
Splitting tough wood is a bad ass workout, I cannot see how anybody with the ability would pass it up:chainsawguy:
a 50'' spruce will try, but a dull maul will shut it up in about 5 minutes.
Use that body that God gave you Troll, chainsaws are for falling and bucking timber. . .
Splitting tough wood is a bad ass workout, I cannot see how anybody with the ability would pass it up:chainsawguy:
tundraotto
Addicted to ArboristSite
amen to this - the fiskars splitter is the best axe made to my knowledge - but splitting is not what takes the time....marathon would be a better fitness test..lol
I split them on the ground. The handle is too short. Why pick up a bulky piece of wood 2ft. off the ground.... split it, then repeat the process hundreds of times? No picking up ---- saves back ache.
SawTroll
Information Collector
I split on a round for several reasons, and one of them is that it is easier on the back to swing into something 2 feet off the ground than to swing into something on the ground.
You also need less force/fewer swings because you transfer more energy to the wood, i.e., the force of the swing is not absorbed by the ground, and the wood does not move.
You hit with more force because you strike the wood in mid-swing, not at the end of the swing.
As Sawtroll pointed out, you keep the axe head out of the dirt. With a maul, not a big issue, but it is with a splitting axe like a Fiskars that relies on a sharp edge, it makes life a little easier.
Lastly, when the wood doesn't split, I just pick up the wood over my shoulder on the end of the axe, and swing down on the round with the back end of the axe, and the weight of the log pushes it through the axe. No fighting to pull the axe out, or fussing with wedges. Even if the wood doesn't split, the gap is wide enough that the axe comes out easily for a second shot.
Most important factor is probably that I have always cut this way. If it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you.
Hmm... don't agree with this; baseball hitters usually have more power when "pulling" the ball than hitting to center...
SawTroll
Information Collector
That is very important to some of us!
SawTroll
Information Collector
gee_dubya75
ArboristSite Operative
ok I'm nerding out now
Another reason more energy is transferred into the wood with it raised is because of the direction of force. Lets say that with the wood on a 20" pedestal (18" long piece of wood) the maul contacts the wood at a 90 degree angle--100% of the force is transferred directly to the wood.
If you take the same 18" piece of wood and split it on the ground with a fiskars splitting maul w/ 28" handle, the head contacts the wood at about a 55 degree angle (arms are at -35 degree angle from level). Since the maul is contacting the wood at an angle there is a vertical and horizontal component to the energy. About 80% of the energy going down into the wood and about 20% of the energy going back horizontally back toward the 'operator'. These numbers aren't exact but an approximation to show that given the same head speed, contacting the wood at 90 degrees is more efficient use of energy.
Another reason more energy is transferred into the wood with it raised is because of the direction of force. Lets say that with the wood on a 20" pedestal (18" long piece of wood) the maul contacts the wood at a 90 degree angle--100% of the force is transferred directly to the wood.
If you take the same 18" piece of wood and split it on the ground with a fiskars splitting maul w/ 28" handle, the head contacts the wood at about a 55 degree angle (arms are at -35 degree angle from level). Since the maul is contacting the wood at an angle there is a vertical and horizontal component to the energy. About 80% of the energy going down into the wood and about 20% of the energy going back horizontally back toward the 'operator'. These numbers aren't exact but an approximation to show that given the same head speed, contacting the wood at 90 degrees is more efficient use of energy.
Oooh...vectors!
Clearly that was implicit in my "mid swing" argument...or maybe not.
Nicely articulated!
So you'd hit a baseball off of a tee farther if it was out in front of the plate instead of on the plate?
Pulling the ball is farther out in the swing, but still closer to mid swing than to the end.
Only on AS can splitting wood get so technical... 
I use a 28 ton splitter for the most part. There are tons of variables to what is easier as far as hand splitting goes....for different people. I think the Fiskars has a great head design. I think the handle is too short though. This can be different for taller or shorter people, arm length, etc. I used to put wood on a chopping block, I found it to be easier/quicker for me to split on the ground. My soil is soft and sandy. No fear of rocks and it doesn't stick in the ground. I can split with the Fiskars or the old generic maul for hours and it will still be sharp enough to cut you. Also wood type, diameter and length are factors. I use mostly Red Oak. I heat with wood. I have a large stove. I cut most my wood 20" to 24" lengths. When I split, I try to leave most approx. 8" diameter or larger. I can throw a couple pieces in and be good for 8 to 10 hours. The smaller the piece the more you feed, the more you cut, the more you split.
I use a 28 ton splitter for the most part. There are tons of variables to what is easier as far as hand splitting goes....for different people. I think the Fiskars has a great head design. I think the handle is too short though. This can be different for taller or shorter people, arm length, etc. I used to put wood on a chopping block, I found it to be easier/quicker for me to split on the ground. My soil is soft and sandy. No fear of rocks and it doesn't stick in the ground. I can split with the Fiskars or the old generic maul for hours and it will still be sharp enough to cut you. Also wood type, diameter and length are factors. I use mostly Red Oak. I heat with wood. I have a large stove. I cut most my wood 20" to 24" lengths. When I split, I try to leave most approx. 8" diameter or larger. I can throw a couple pieces in and be good for 8 to 10 hours. The smaller the piece the more you feed, the more you cut, the more you split.
tdi-rick
Addicted to ArboristSite
Sounds like a Box of some sort, I'm guessing White, Yellow or Grey if it's nigh on impossible to split.
Common out this way and can easily stall out a 30 tonne hydraulic splitter with the bigger rounds, you have no chance with a block splitter.
Terry Syd
Addicted to ArboristSite
Rick, thanks for that, I'll check around and identify it in the local forests - then stay away from it.
The fibres in the wood are incredibly strong. I recogised it was tough stuff as soon as a put the bar into it and had to use a lighter touch to keep from stalling. I thought I still might be able to split it lengthwise, big mistake, now I have more than a dozen of these rounds that I have to get rid of (I still like the idea of other people's woodpiles).
I'd love to see someone sneak a log of this stuff into a chainsaw race. I don't know if the competitors would appreciate the joke, but the crowd would find it entertaining.
The fibres in the wood are incredibly strong. I recogised it was tough stuff as soon as a put the bar into it and had to use a lighter touch to keep from stalling. I thought I still might be able to split it lengthwise, big mistake, now I have more than a dozen of these rounds that I have to get rid of (I still like the idea of other people's woodpiles).
I'd love to see someone sneak a log of this stuff into a chainsaw race. I don't know if the competitors would appreciate the joke, but the crowd would find it entertaining.
Can you cook on that teflon coated axe?
tdi-rick
Addicted to ArboristSite
It's brilliant firewood though Terry, pretty much all I cut (although I'd rather drop Red Gum, cuts and splits like Balsa in comparison)
Unfortunately most of the Box here has termite chimneys running up the centre so you cop it both ways when cutting
If you can get some leaves and caps a few of us have EUCLID and can identify exactly what species it is, as most Box's occur on this side of the range.
I earned a case of Tennis elbow trying to split some 36-40" White Box rounds a few years back, the Cyclone splitter just kept bouncing off.....
I always chuckle at these Fiskars threads, I can't see one doing too much with even half the timber we cut for firewood on the back half of the range and slopes here.
(although I'd rather drop Red Gum, cuts and splits like Balsa in comparison)Unfortunately most of the Box here has termite chimneys running up the centre so you cop it both ways when cutting
If you can get some leaves and caps a few of us have EUCLID and can identify exactly what species it is, as most Box's occur on this side of the range.
I earned a case of Tennis elbow trying to split some 36-40" White Box rounds a few years back, the Cyclone splitter just kept bouncing off.....
I always chuckle at these Fiskars threads, I can't see one doing too much with even half the timber we cut for firewood on the back half of the range and slopes here.
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tdi-rick
Addicted to ArboristSite
At least any roadkill deer you score wouldn't stick to itTerry Syd
Addicted to ArboristSite
I used to cut a lot of Bimble Box out in the Western Region of NSW. I could still split that wood with an axe. This stuff must be a special species, perhaps I can name it Eucalyptus Impervious.
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