Sometimes if you turn the round over and try the other side it sometimes is easier to split. Give it a try the next round that is fighting you....
What's going on when a maul "bounces" ?
- Thread starter trailmaker
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You are probably trying to split green elm. Mauls will bounce right out of it.
Guido Salvage
Supreme Saw Whoreder
I would much rather have a maul bounce back than a wedge or two any day of the week.
trailmaker
ArboristSite Operative
Ha! We send our little girls to NB Canada to learn to split on that sissy wood you have up there. Live Oak is for men.
Chopper G
ArboristSite Member
The only time I've had a maul bounce back off of the wood was when using a harbor freight maul (blunt convex edge profile) in the center (wrong!) of very big/old/hard/dry oak rounds. That type of maul splits wood by compressing the wood fibers until they buckle and expand creating a split. The maul head then travels through the wood continuing the splitting process. This is a very high-energy type of initial impact and can work fairly well on certain types of wood. On other types of wood, the wood fibers will compress to a point without buckling and then spring back - like striking hard rubber.
Anyway, I'd
1) Use a maul w/ a pointy concave or flat edge profile.
2) Take a file to your maul and make sure the edge is nice and sharp.
3) I know people rave about the Fiskars and various "monster mauls", but they represent extremes to me and I much prefer my Iltis Oxhead maul and those similar to it. It just flat-out works, in all wood all the time and does not require gobs of effort to get off the ground and moving.
4) Strike the rounds on their outer edge, not towards the center (of course).
5) Concentrate on accelerating the maul through the entire depth of the round - not just creating surface impact. In other words, imagine that you are not simply trying to split the round, but that you are also trying to split the stump beneath the round.
Anyway, I'd
1) Use a maul w/ a pointy concave or flat edge profile.
2) Take a file to your maul and make sure the edge is nice and sharp.
3) I know people rave about the Fiskars and various "monster mauls", but they represent extremes to me and I much prefer my Iltis Oxhead maul and those similar to it. It just flat-out works, in all wood all the time and does not require gobs of effort to get off the ground and moving.
4) Strike the rounds on their outer edge, not towards the center (of course).
5) Concentrate on accelerating the maul through the entire depth of the round - not just creating surface impact. In other words, imagine that you are not simply trying to split the round, but that you are also trying to split the stump beneath the round.
Hit 'em square, Guido. Start them in a kerf or a crack, start them square and hit them dead flush. They shouldn't pop out that way.
But, then again, it's good to stand a little to one side...just in case.
Gypo Logger
Timber Baron
If the wood wont spit with a few swings use a saw, it's much faster.
Who wants goon trees anyway? Most wood, regardless of species will split quite readily, save piss elm and curly beech and the odd ash.
A good man on a maul can out spit any woodsplitter unless the woodsplitter has a four way wedge, auto cycle valve and coupled with a conveyor.
John
Who wants goon trees anyway? Most wood, regardless of species will split quite readily, save piss elm and curly beech and the odd ash.
A good man on a maul can out spit any woodsplitter unless the woodsplitter has a four way wedge, auto cycle valve and coupled with a conveyor.
John
Gypo Logger
Timber Baron
You did not specify what type of maul you are using and what type of wood you are striking. Personally, I use a Sotz Monster Maul and very little stops it.
With the triangular head you do not get deflection (or "bounce" as you term it) nor will it get stuck as do wedges or mauls like this.
The only time that I tend to have problems is when I have cut through a large knot or a crotch in the tree. In that case, I just flip it over and work on the other end.
The bounce is caused by not having enough energy to overcome the bonds of the wood fibers. Either go with a bigger (or better designed) maul or swing harder.
Guido, although the maul looks good itself, that meat hangin' out over the head would be a pita. I can see it hanging up on prospective blocks and a huge vibration up the handle in case of a miss. Ouch!
John
hedge
I hand split plenty of osage orange with a Collins 8lb maul, so did my kid when he was in trouble. I bounced the maul off the wood probably 3:1 splitting that stuff. Just keep beating it, and you will learn. Doing it wrong hurts after 2hrs, not that I would know.
I hand split plenty of osage orange with a Collins 8lb maul, so did my kid when he was in trouble. I bounced the maul off the wood probably 3:1 splitting that stuff. Just keep beating it, and you will learn. Doing it wrong hurts after 2hrs, not that I would know.
Chopper G
ArboristSite Member
Get it.
Love it.
Live it.
Green, dense Black Locust will bounce a maul and even reject a wedge. I usually start with wedge/sledge, tap, tap, tap, to set. swing and wedge bounces out. In that type stuff I cut a small kerf with the saw to start the wedge - no more bounce out.
Harrry K
Harrry K
Guido Salvage
Supreme Saw Whoreder
Gypo,
I have never used that maul, it was given to me by a neighbor when he moved several years ago. I agree on the excess handle, if I ever used it I would resolve the issue. I have split exclusively with the Sotz Monster Maul for going on 30 years and it works well. However, I did try to find a Fiskars this week but could not locate a X27 with the 36" handle.
Guido
Joe46
ArboristSite Guru
Amazon.com. Just got one from there.
TMFARM 2009
Addicted to ArboristSite
sorry but i married my splitter... i just cant seem to get her off the couch....:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:
Jungle Jim
ArboristSite Member
Thoughts on Bouncing
Several issues -
1 - A solid, massive, heavy, stable chopping block will go a long way toward increasing the energy transfer from your maul to the wood. Essentially you want to trap the firewood between 'a rock & a hard place' which will greatly increase the efficiency of your swing and reduce the tendency for bounce. I like a knee high round of white oak about 24".
2 - The maul itself should be neither too blunt nor too sharp. Too blunt & it tends to bounce or not split / too sharp & it will tend to get stuck in the wood, often without splitting it depending .... The edge does not want to be heavily rounded nor does it want to be like a wood chisel. In between is good and it can be neglected until it rounds off excessively.
3 - Sometimes you've just got an ornery piece of wood or difficult species. Try turning it end for end. Try letting it dry. Try splitting it frozen.
4 - If the rounds have been seasoned first and are showing cracks it is usually most effective to whack it in the biggest cracks. Practice makes perfect!
5 - There's nothing wrong with the 'bigger hammer' approach but I've found 6 and 8 lb mauls to be very effective and much less tiring. Bottom line is splitting wood is more of an art, refined by much practice.
6 - When all else fails and you have a giant uncooperative chunk, just use a steel wedge or a sledge hammer on your maul to halve or quarter the round.
7 - If your maul gets stuck and the round is small enough to lift, try this maneuver: pick the wood up with the maul stuck in it, give it a good lift, invert in mid-air, add some muscle on the down stroke such that the head of the maul impacts the chopping block first, with the embedded round of wood above. This adds the weight of the wood to your stroke & almost always works. Easier to do than describe. :msp_wink: Usually performed in one fluid motion once you get the hang of it.
It's guaranteed to draw a crowd at a public campground too!
8 - Fiberglass handles - some like 'em, I prefer wood (hickory or ash). FG tends to be bouncy and / or can sting your hands, etc. OTOH wood breaks, FG doesn't (not easily anyway).
Happy splitting -Jim
Several issues -
1 - A solid, massive, heavy, stable chopping block will go a long way toward increasing the energy transfer from your maul to the wood. Essentially you want to trap the firewood between 'a rock & a hard place' which will greatly increase the efficiency of your swing and reduce the tendency for bounce. I like a knee high round of white oak about 24".
2 - The maul itself should be neither too blunt nor too sharp. Too blunt & it tends to bounce or not split / too sharp & it will tend to get stuck in the wood, often without splitting it depending .... The edge does not want to be heavily rounded nor does it want to be like a wood chisel. In between is good and it can be neglected until it rounds off excessively.
3 - Sometimes you've just got an ornery piece of wood or difficult species. Try turning it end for end. Try letting it dry. Try splitting it frozen.
4 - If the rounds have been seasoned first and are showing cracks it is usually most effective to whack it in the biggest cracks. Practice makes perfect!
5 - There's nothing wrong with the 'bigger hammer' approach but I've found 6 and 8 lb mauls to be very effective and much less tiring. Bottom line is splitting wood is more of an art, refined by much practice.
6 - When all else fails and you have a giant uncooperative chunk, just use a steel wedge or a sledge hammer on your maul to halve or quarter the round.
7 - If your maul gets stuck and the round is small enough to lift, try this maneuver: pick the wood up with the maul stuck in it, give it a good lift, invert in mid-air, add some muscle on the down stroke such that the head of the maul impacts the chopping block first, with the embedded round of wood above. This adds the weight of the wood to your stroke & almost always works. Easier to do than describe. :msp_wink: Usually performed in one fluid motion once you get the hang of it.
It's guaranteed to draw a crowd at a public campground too!
8 - Fiberglass handles - some like 'em, I prefer wood (hickory or ash). FG tends to be bouncy and / or can sting your hands, etc. OTOH wood breaks, FG doesn't (not easily anyway).
Happy splitting -Jim
When i was using the maul a lot, If it didn't crack in two or three licks i would put it aside then all the ones that wouldn't split they would get turned on the side and noodled.
You did not specify what type of maul you are using and what type of wood you are striking. Personally, I use a Sotz Monster Maul and very little stops it.
With the triangular head you do not get deflection (or "bounce" as you term it) nor will it get stuck as do wedges or mauls like this.
The only time that I tend to have problems is when I have cut through a large knot or a crotch in the tree. In that case, I just flip it over and work on the other end.
The bounce is caused by not having enough energy to overcome the bonds of the wood fibers. Either go with a bigger (or better designed) maul or swing harder.
I got the same one . Beat the crap out of it . Will have to get some pics . How do you kept it so nice ? Your are right, the monster almost never bounces back
woodbooga
cords of mystic memory
trailmaker -
You're on the west coast, so I assume you're into a lot of softwood. Having split a lot of knotty pine, spruce, hemlock, and the like I'd suggest you alter your bucking technique - what I call the whorlcut.
If the knots are part way through the buck, it males splitting tough. I'll buck at the knot and split from the opposite end of the log. (Try to split where the knots are and you get maulbounce.)
Pine is an easy read based on the whorled growth of the tree
You're on the west coast, so I assume you're into a lot of softwood. Having split a lot of knotty pine, spruce, hemlock, and the like I'd suggest you alter your bucking technique - what I call the whorlcut.
If the knots are part way through the buck, it males splitting tough. I'll buck at the knot and split from the opposite end of the log. (Try to split where the knots are and you get maulbounce.)
Pine is an easy read based on the whorled growth of the tree
indiansprings
Firewood Purveyor
What it means that chit is going on the oscar meyer hotdog roast pile. At the end of the year we'll always wind up with a cord or two of chit wood. It works great for neighborhood get togethers, a gallon of diesel and a match and who cares if it split.
