how to chop wood?

Question

i can't split the logs without getting the axe stuck, or wood chips fly off and hit me in the legs. this hurts. my feelings, and my legs. what is the secret? where do you aim the axe?

Answer 1

An axe is not a good tool to split firewood with to start with although I wish I had one to help along some times.
If this is all you have to work with,you aim the axe dead center of the log.
I would suggest you buy a wedge at the least. You can take the wedge and tap it into the centre of the log with the back of the axe and then hit it hard.
They make what is called a spliting maul which works better than an axe because it has a wider body and is alot heavier.

I have four tools I use to split my wood with. Well actually 5 counting the chainsaw.
8 lb. splitting maul
12 lb. sledge hammer
A splitting wedge that I welded a 1" x 18" pipe to for a handle
and last but not least, a 4 lb. hammer

I use the maul for the first one or two swings at a log. If it doest split, I take the spliting wedge and set it into the small crack that the maul created and tap it in good with the 4 pounder and then smack the hell out of it with the big hammer.
I have some sweet gum outside now that is so large and tuff I can't get it to split so I take the chainsaw and rip it about half way and then tap the wedge into the cut. I then take the big beater and hit it as hard as I can and it still takes a lot of swings, and even then some times I go back and just quarter it with the saw, but it burns forever it seems.
I do understand it hurts both your feelings and your legs, LOL. Been there and done that.
I am either cussing the wood or thanking God for letting it split as easy as it does sometimes. I am here to tell you, and you can beleive it or leave it alone, if you keep thanking the Good Lord for it splitting easy, it truely does split easier and you can stop cussing so much. Works for me. I think the Good Lord likes for you to talk to him when you are working like that. Sure beats standing out there talking to your self and cussing, LOL.
A splitting wedge will cost about 6 to 8 bucks at Lowes. A good sledge hammer wil cost about 20 bucks, give or take a few bucks. Please get one with the fiberglass handle if you can aford it. They will last a hundred times longer than a wood handle, especially if you are just learning to cut wood. A good one will last you for your life. You'll be luckey to make it through the first season without breaking a wooden handle. That is another done been there and done that, lol.
Good luck and watch those shins, lol.
God Bless
Dennis

Answer 2

Just finished splitting a cord of wood. I enjoy it. I name each log with the name of someone I don't like and then knock the crap out of it.

I would not use an ax for splitting anything but the small stuff. You are only going to bury your ax and spend more time getting it out of the log than splitting wood.

for larger logs, use a wedge and a sledge for the first split, and subsequent splits, if the log is very big. Ihave a slight problem with perception, so I don't swing the sledge way over my head. Tap the wedge in, set the sledge head on the wedge, step back to where you grip the hammer, raise it up to head height, and come down on it like you are murdering your mother in law. You might need to take several hits, or even have two wedges when the first gets stuck. I have three.

I use an 8# or 10# hammer and a 5-6# wedge.

After the log is into two pieces, I use a splitting maul that has a sledge head on one side and a axe type blade on the other. As long as you are not trying to bust off too much, you can usually split pieces off easily. However, you might have to use a wedge, so keep it close. Again, I place the axe side of the splitting hammer on the log where I want to hit it, step back to where I grip the handle, and slam it hard like you were hitting the man your wife is messing around with.

The hardest good tool to find in today's world is a good axe and the last thing you want to do with a sharp axe is to have the head repeatedly hitting into the dirt and possibly hitting stones.

Remember to hit each long like you are hitting someone you hate. It works for me.

Answer 3

You can split wood with an axe but it is a little tricky. When you swing and the head is entering the wood you need to twist your wrist to provide a levering effect. This needs to be done while there is still downward momentum. Like I said it is tricky. If you twist your wrist too much or to soon the axe head is liable to end up hitting on its side. If you twist to late the head just wedges tight into the wood. It takes some practice to do this. You also want to aim for an area that already has a split in it from the wood drying and align the head with the split. If there are no splits look for grain direction and split with the grain. The more practical way would be to get a maul. But the ability to split wood with an axe is an achievement and a good skill to possess..

Answer 4

An Axe is to sharp and narrow its made for cutting not splitting. Get a 12 lbs. maul and set your wood up on end find a crack in the base and split with the crack,if it looks like a knot in wood split around it. A knot is where a limb had come out or a twisted place in the wood. If it's big chunks start with crack and hit it close to the center and work your way to the center. It will still stick some but just tap the end of the handle to free it

Answer 5

You have to follow through with your swing, aim the ax below the lowest part of the log you are splitting. Ensure that the log you are splitting is resting on a solid surface, like a stump. Also, as you bring the ax down slide your forward hand towards the back of the axe handle, this allows you to continue to accellerate the ax head up to the high speed required to easily split the log.

If you are still having trouble, then consider a 'mall' which is similar to an axe, only with a much heavier head that is tapered differently and designed to split more than cut.

Answer 6

I never really thought about this, it just seemed so natural living on the Minnesota/Canadian border where the temps hit 50 below on a nice day. You need a good Axe, with a mallet head for splitting. Then you need a splitting wedge, get two they're cheap, made of iron, learn to use them to put in the log end and pound in to force the wood to split. Simple.
Practice, I was always told you get heat out of your wood three times. When you split it and when you pile it, then when you burn it. Split the wood when it's green so it splits easy, when it dries, it's a bear. You'll learn.

Answer 7

I wouldn't use an axe to split wood. When we had a wood stove inside the house, the door wasn't that big, so we had a hydraulic wood splitter to split the wood into smaller pieces. It was a steel bar with a wedge at one end and a metal bar to push the wood into the wedge, which would then split the wood. But we now have an outdoor furnace, and the door is much bigger, so we haven't had to split the wood as much as we used to.

Answer 8

get a splitting wedge, and a sledge hammer, then you can repeatly hit it and eventually split the log. Also I heard and have had luck with splitting the wood while it is still green, once you get it split in half, it should be easier to split the smaller pieces.

Answer 9

buy a log splitter