I like the rougher finish , it shows that it was man made , not stamped out by a machine .
Besides , anyone can polish a turd
Besides , anyone can polish a turd
Splitting/Chopping Tool Review Thread
- Thread starter spike60
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Multifaceted
Firewood Hoarder, Axe Enthusiast
Ah, this brings back fond memories of when first unboxed my Wetterlings HB, look at that fresh wood! I agree with dancan that the end grain is not the best, but it's still acceptable being <45°.
I don't think you'll have any issues with that grain orientation and regular use, it's not that long of a haft and not a heavy ax either. Enjoy it, I think the world of mine!
Multifaceted
Firewood Hoarder, Axe Enthusiast
Well, finally got the first snow of the season, so since I can't do much yard work or in the way of cutting wood, I decided to make a Kydex ax collar guard for my Helko German Spaltaxt. It is 0.125" (1/8" or 3.14mm) thick Kydex. Used my original leather collar guard as a template. Cut the Kydex out with a rotary tool, then used a punch the set the holes and drilled them w/ countersink. I heat it up in my toaster oven @ 250 degrees F (121 C), and in about 5 minutes it was ready to form. Took about 30-40 minutes total from start to finish. Should hold up much better to the abuse of splitting than heavy top grain leather. I wish I had some more logs to test it out on, but I need to fell a few more trees in order to do that!
I wish I had that kind of time. I struggle to find time to do the things I need to do.
Looks nice!
Had to look up 'Kydex' though:
'Kydex is a line of thermoplastic materials. It has a wide variety of applications, including firearm holsters, sheaths, and for knives, originally produced for use in aircraft interiors.
It is an acrylic-polyvinyl chloride composite engineered for thermoforming fabrication. From acrylic, it obtains rigidity and formability; from PVC, toughness, chemical resistance and good interior finish ratings. Sheet thickness ranges from .028 to .500 inches and can be thermoformed, post formed, brake formed and laminated.
For some applications it is used as replacement for leather, where it has the following advantages:
Waterproof.
Scratch resistant.
Holds its shape better, and will not stretch or shrink under normal conditions
Lower friction.
Low flammability.' (heavily edited / adapted from Wikipedia)
Philbert
Multifaceted
Firewood Hoarder, Axe Enthusiast
Oh, I know the feeling, believe me. My plate is very full right now, I have to make time for this stuff.
The wife works Saturday and a couple nights a week and we have a 5 month old and a 3 year old she's taking them grocery shopping later so I can get some stuff done. Lol at least in summer time I get 3 hours to myself a week mowing the lawn.
Dang that's a great job!Well, finally got the first snow of the season, so since I can't do much yard work or in the way of cutting wood, I decided to make a Kydex ax collar guard for my Helko German Spaltaxt. It is 0.125" (1/8" or 3.14mm) thick Kydex. Used my original leather collar guard as a template. Cut the Kydex out with a rotary tool, then used a punch the set the holes and drilled them w/ countersink. I heat it up in my toaster oven @ 250 degrees F (121 C), and in about 5 minutes it was ready to form. Took about 30-40 minutes total from start to finish. Should hold up much better to the abuse of splitting than heavy top grain leather. I wish I had some more logs to test it out on, but I need to fell a few more trees in order to do that!
Multifaceted
Firewood Hoarder, Axe Enthusiast
Ah, that's why. We have no kids (yet), but we do have two dogs and four other critter pets. and I'm not a big TV watcher or sports guy, so maybe that helps too, I don't know. That will change soon enough though, we're both not getting any younger so unless I want to be in my 60's raising teenagers, we better get to it. Also, next month is going to be tough, my wife goes to the on-call night shift rotation (crime scene investigator), so we'll only see each other on the weekends.
Multifaceted
Firewood Hoarder, Axe Enthusiast
Thanks! It was much easier and faster than I had anticipated.
Multifaceted
Firewood Hoarder, Axe Enthusiast
I was eyeing that up to a while ago, went with the Spaltaxt instead because I was already familiar with the design on a cheaper Truper one I was using. That little beard hooker ought to come in handle, looks heavy too. I think it was 6 or 8 pounds if I remember correctly.
That Kydex wrap looks great! Good job. I'm sure it'll hold up a lot better.
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Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk
Multifaceted
Firewood Hoarder, Axe Enthusiast
That Helko is a very similar shape to my stihl maul. I don't use the hook. The maul is f'in heavy (it's the 8lb pro version) so hefting it around is hard enough let alone trying to control/lift a log with the split. It's position means it's only really for standing up a toppled log, or pulling a bit toward you, but you don't want to reach out with 8lbs on the end of a 3' lever... It's easier to reach to one side where I've propped my bison hookaroon, or to just bend over and use my hands!
That is a tiny woodshed you have. That would last about three hours in my neck of the woods.
Now u know y he splits with an axe. It would take years to recover the cost of a splitter. Lol
Multifaceted
Firewood Hoarder, Axe Enthusiast
That is a tiny woodshed you have. That would last about three hours in my neck of the woods.
Humble beginnings, we all have to start somewhere
Ha ha, you're not kidding
Multifaceted
Firewood Hoarder, Axe Enthusiast
Indeed, and splitting when it's below freezing is my favorite time to do it. The wood just pops open when frozen and I don't overheat. I run hot as it is, the cold helps regulate my temperature. In the past, my neighbors think I'm crazy out shoveling snow in a t-shirt... Kydex does get brittle in cold temps like many other materials. I have enough to make four more if I need to. Not going to say I won't ever miss, my aim is pretty good (just ask muh wife) - but it always seems the damage to the collar comes from passing through the wood, particularly with knotty or really stringy species...
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