What's going on when a maul "bounces" ?

[trailmaker]

I must not have been very clear in my initial post. I'm actually not having any trouble splitting wood, I'm just curious about what is happening with the wood fibers at the surface of a round during a "bounce". If you looked at the dent in a microscope would you see a tiny split that only goes a few millimeters deep or would you see a bunch of wood fibers all folded over and compressed down on themselves? I'm guessing you'd see the latter.

 

[Gologit]

I must not have been very clear in my initial post. I'm actually not having any trouble splitting wood, I'm just curious about what is happening with the wood fibers at the surface of a round during a "bounce". If you looked at the dent in a microscope would you see a tiny split that only goes a few millimeters deep or would you see a bunch of wood fibers all folded over and compressed down on themselves? I'm guessing you'd see the latter.

I don't think most people care but it might be interesting to find out. Go get yourself a gigantic magnifier of some kind, check it out, and report back.

 

[Hillbilly3995]

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.

1st place award for most effeminate technique.

:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[TMFARM 2009]

well the way i see it, if the maul is bouncing its not splitting.. just a hint..:bang::bang::bang:

 

[Pstone0013]

The bounce

Sounds like you have a lot of sap in this wood, you might try to let it set for a couple of days, this seems to help, or hit it harder and it will split.

 

[Sherwood stoker]

Sounds like you have a lot of sap in this wood, you might try to let it set for a couple of days, this seems to help, or hit it harder and it will split.

Most wood over here splits easier green than seasoned.
That said a big round of really wet timber is sometimes hard to start a split running in.
The fibers just seem to bend out of the way & the "shattering" effect of the blow is lost.
On occasion the splitting axe just seems to be bounced back by this, usually when I've got too ambitious & gone straight for the centre.
Year Old silver birch can be a real pain when wet,then there's eucalyptus.....:msp_mad:
I agree with the post about bouncing wedges, my shins really don't like them!

 

[thefeckerwest]

A tree that has not been surrounded by other trees while growing can have a lot of knots in it because of all the side branches. Along with that, if there is a lot of resin in the wood and it is "sticky", it can be almost impossible to split with a maul sometimes, regardless of technique or application. In that instance the only solution is a pair of wedges and the 14lb. sledgehammer. Even then, I have seen a sledgehammer bounce off a wedge a few times before the round finally surrenders.

 

[Woodomaker]

Sometimes the maul/axe just bounces up leaving a dent. Sometimes the wood underneath the dent is splitting normally but the maul just doesn't break through the surface layer. The only thing I can think of is that the wood fibers right at the surface are folding over at impact so the axe edge is perpendicular to them. Any thoughts wood men?

Fibers folded over from being recently cut into logs??

 

[Woody912]

I must not have been very clear in my initial post. I'm actually not having any trouble splitting wood, I'm just curious about what is happening with the wood fibers at the surface of a round during a "bounce". If you looked at the dent in a microscope would you see a tiny split that only goes a few millimeters deep or would you see a bunch of wood fibers all folded over and compressed down on themselves? I'm guessing you'd see the latter.

squished fibers, just like you had it hit with a hammer, hit it with an axe and see cut fibers. Your initial penetration is not sufficient to get your 2 inclined planes to start working. Many pcs around here that I cannot start a wedge into unless I use the saw to put a seam in the top to grip the wedge and the really tough ones will still spit the wedge back at you

 

[lknchoppers]

I HAVE A MONSTER MAUL TOO !!

 

[turnkey4099]

squished fibers, just like you had it hit with a hammer, hit it with an axe and see cut fibers. Your initial penetration is not sufficient to get your 2 inclined planes to start working. Many pcs around here that I cannot start a wedge into unless I use the saw to put a seam in the top to grip the wedge and the really tough ones will still spit the wedge back at you

Black Locust is like that green. Often have to put in small kerf to start the wedge, rather odd that as Locust is a fairly easy splitting wood.

 

[Full Chisel]

Black locust is one of my favorite wood to split with a maul, as long as it is straight grained. Almost as easy as red oak, IME.

 

[Erik B]

Tried splitting a fresh cut box elder round and the splitting maul just bounced. It was so wet, it was like splitting a soaked sponge.

 

[johnnyballs]

Sometimes the maul/axe just bounces up leaving a dent. Sometimes the wood underneath the dent is splitting normally but the maul just doesn't break through the surface layer. The only thing I can think of is that the wood fibers right at the surface are folding over at impact so the axe edge is perpendicular to them. Any thoughts wood men?

i split with a maul only....just to sell "face cords" around here...i'm pretty selective about which rounds i buck up but every once in a while if i give one 6 good whacks and it don't cooperate...well, that one goes on the bonfire pile ..lol...or when i am bucking and i see a knot somewhere in a piece of wood i try to make sure the knot is going to be on the bottom of the round when i split it, it does help...cheers...

 

[turnkey4099]

haha!

i split with a maul only....just to sell "face cords" around here...i'm pretty selective about which rounds i buck up but every once in a while if i give one 6 good whacks and it don't cooperate...well, that one goes on the bonfire pile ..lol...or when i am bucking and i see a knot somewhere in a piece of wood i try to make sure the knot is going to be on the bottom of the round when i split it, it does help...cheers...

My rejects from manual splitting (I do about 90% of it manually) go to the 'splitter' pile. Rejects from there move to the 'to be noodled pile'. I don't waste knotty wood, it is usually the best, densest wood out of a log.

 

[johnnyballs]

My rejects from manual splitting (I do about 90% of it manually) go to the 'splitter' pile. Rejects from there move to the 'to be noodled pile'. I don't waste knotty wood, it is usually the best, densest wood out of a log.

no hydraulics here and i don't noodle..but you're correct about the density...but then again i don't burn wood for heat either,just split to sell.