Splitting wood - wedges vs maul vs splitting axe?

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tjg911

tjg911

Member
Nov 22, 2006
44
Northwest Connecticut
Ok guys I have a problem and some questions I think you may be able to offer some good advice.

I enjoy splitting my firewood so I was buying it (5-6 years ago) cut but unsplit, in the round. By the time I was done splitting 1/3 to 1/2 of these 4 cord I knew I had a problem. Same thing the following year. I hated to do this but I gave up splitting it and started to get it split. I would like to return to splitting tho, God knows why as I have no time without adding that chore. I do love handling the wood and may have a lot more available time this coming year.

So here's my problem - tingling and numbness in both left and right hands and sometimes lower fore arms. I'd even wake up at night both hands (and forearms sometimes) tingling. It feels like carpal tunnel. I had 1 surgery on right hand in '98 or '99 unrelated to splitting wood and I don't wish to recreate or create an other problem!

So here's my method for splitting and I think this is the problem - my wood is 16" long and rounds vary from 8" to 18" across. The wood is a mixture of hardwoods - oak probably red or black not white, sugar maple, hickory, cherry, yellow birch, sometimes ash, no locust, no elm. I use a chopping block, about 24" across, it's white oak in my yard sitting on the lawn. I use a splitting axe (wedge shaped but not triangular like a maul) probably a 6-7 pound head, not a maul, not a chopping axe. I sometimes get a piece to spilt on 1 hit but 75%+ of the time I have to hit the splitting axe with an 8 pound sledge hammer as the axe is only 1/3 or 1/2 way thru the wood. Sometimes I hit is 3 or 4 times. So I figured why bother trying to split the wood, I can tell a piece by sight that'll split on 1 hit. So I changed my method. I'd set the splitting axe into the round with 1 good hit. Then I'd hold the hickory handle in my left hand while I pound the back of the axe head with the sledge hammer using my right arm choking up 1/2 way on the sledge handle for control. The vibrations from hitting the axe transported thru the handle into my left hand and arm. I think this is the problem. For the right hand and arm, squeezing/holding the wooden handle and the vibration from hitting the axe head is the cause of trouble in that hand.

I never had wedges tho I just got 3 from a friend last weekend. I don't want to buy/make/use a hydraulic splitter. I wonder if using the wedges with the sledge hammer would eliminate most of the vibrations? Perhaps a maul would be the best way? If the maul will spilt clear thru due to their design and weight 90-95% of the time perhaps that'd help? I realize some hickory, some knotty oak or maple and most all yellow birch will not split with 1 hit. Hickory can be fibrous and yellow birch is really bad! I once spent 20 minutes on 1 piece of yellow birch (twisted with a large bulge in the wood!) because I figured one way or another I could get this piece to split but it was not to be. Yellow birch, especially with knots is brutal, it's not elm, but it is nasty stuff. Oak and maple with knots can be tough too but often they split nicely if you can avoid the knot. Like I said, I have split enough wood that I know when a piece will be a problem. I also know how to read the cracks to take advantage of the natural tendency of a piece to split along natural lines it wants to split.

So would wedges be better or would a maul of 8 or 10 pounds split almost anything in 1 hit? I'm 5' 7" 180 pounds and 56. I work in an office (not in top shape) so I know to take my time initially, say working just 1 hour then 2 so I build myself up to doing this. Problem is I'll split for 8 hours straight no breaks once I'm up to speed. The following day I ain't good for much then! Add the tingling and numbness and whatever harm that is causing and I just got concerned enough to stop. Next year I may have a lot of extra time to pace myself over a few weeks vs the 'I must split 4 cord in 5 days' pace I used to do once I'd built myself up to working full time.

Thoughts?

Tom
 
Hey Tom,

I use an 8-pound maul and it works on pretty much everything, except for those chunks that almost nothing will work on.

My hands are numb most mornings. I don't know if that's from the chainsaw or the splitting or something else, but it never gets worse and it's one of those things I have gotten used to.

If you get into the habit of driving a maul or axe head by whacking it with a sledge hammer, the hole for the handle will eventually become deformed and it won't hold a handle any more.

My recommendation is to get an 8-pounder and perfect your technique so that it works on most of the wood you split.

A blunt-edge splitting maul is better than one with a sharp edge.

Yellow birch can be a real problem, but the clear-grained pieces are a joy to split. The only problem with YB is that it takes about 2 years to dry, vs. a good year for beech, maple, etc.

I'm about your size and weight, and I work in an office, and I cut and split about 20 full cords of beech, hard maple and yellow birch a summer--all with an 8-lb maul.
 
I have to say that listenng to Eric this past year has allowed me to get a lot better at splitting. Less effort, more accuracy, and faster splitting. One thing I used to do that got my elbows sore, was swinging over one shoulder. Now I split starting with the maul head hanging near my but, centered and pull straight over my head. No more sore elbows. I use a 6 lb maul, mostly because that's what I have, and I've split a lot of wood with it so I don't see a need to change. The only thing I think is worthwhile is the wood grenade. Kevin brought one over a few weeks ago and it was clearly better at splitting elm than my maul. The maul bounces off elm, the wood grenade just kept pushing through. Kevin had a sledge he used, and we think it was 8 lbs, but I think a 10 or even 12 would be the ticket for hitting the wood grenade since it seems the swing technique Kevin used was much more like Eric descibes where you start the swing from above your head. In that case the extra mass is key.
 
Just splitt a little each day.Every third day stack. I have a little numbness in my hand on and off for years. Some year/times worse then others.
 
your symptons sure sound like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome to me. I suffer from it too and it sucks. You might want to invest in a pair of anti-vibration work gloves. they're fairly comfortable and have gel inserts that significatly reduce vibrations transmitted from tools to your hands. I also second Eric's post. With the proper technique and splitting maul, you should be able to split most rounds without having to resort to sledges and wedges.
 
Well Don't know If I feel better or not, but at least I'm not alone with this tingling numbness once in a while, and I think it may be from typing in this forum so much :cheese: but most likely from all them darm misses at the splits- 8 lber mostly, then i got the 6 lbr with the tapered head, wedge and sledge.
 
I'm surprised no-one has said this yet. Get a maul with a fiberglass handle - that will reduce the vibrations a lot. Likewise get a fiberglass replacement handle for your sledge.

I'm also a big fan of the wood grenades - I think you'd find using one instead of your splitting axe will help greatly. Use the grenade for the big stuff, and a maul for the resplits - one shot per split.


-Dan
 
Turner-n-Burner said:
I'm surprised no-one has said this yet. Get a maul with a fiberglass handle - that will reduce the vibrations a lot. Likewise get a fiberglass replacement handle for your sledge.

I'm also a big fan of the wood grenades - I think you'd find using one instead of your splitting axe will help greatly. Use the grenade for the big stuff, and a maul for the resplits - one shot per split.


-Dan
Click to expand...

I have no idea how one would work for splitting with a wedge but in my experience fiberglass handled Axes, Sledehammers, Mauls..frankly suck

it does reduce vibration..the problem is all the impact is absorbed by the handle too..I bought an Axe with a nice long yellow fiberglass handle..the thing is basically worthless unless I want to split some larger size kindling..you couldnt cut a tree down or chop out roots or anything to save your life..I read a survey once and they said good old wooden handles are the best..
I do have a fiberglass handled claw hammer and thats fine..it is shorter..I do have a large splitting maul..all metal..handle and head..

but I do use a hydraulic splitter..I still handle the wood plenty..ask my back

-the other Dan
 
I prefer a white ash handle over either hickory or fiberglass. They seem to last longer than hickory and with bare hands, I find the wood more comfortable to grip and slide than fiberglass. I've started slathering slow-drying epoxy on new handles and wedges when I mount the head, and that seems to keep them from coming loose.
 
My current problem is "Sledge Elbow". It's caused, I think, by starting the wedges one handed with the sledge. Think I'll start using a 3# engineers hammer instead.
 
I have an 8 lb sledge / maul with a fiberglass / plastic handle, three wedges, a 12 lb steel pipe handled monster maul clone (from Northern), a couple of hatchets and a 3 lb engineer's hand sledge w/ wood handles.

My primary splitting is done with the monster maul, usually one to three licks per split.

If the monster maul isn't getting me results, I switch over to using the 8 lb sledge to drive the wedges. I usually need the wedges on gnarly stuff, elm, or to make the first split on rounds over about a foot in diameter. I like the plastic / fiberglass handle, as I find that I have a fair problem with the occasional overstrike and the plastic handle doesn't break when you do that like a wood handle does.

I use the hand sledge when I've driven the wedge far enough down that I can't get a hit on it with the big sledge any more. I either hit the wedge with it, or sometimes use it as a "transfer punch" where I put it one end on the wedge and hit the other with the big sledge.

I only use the pointy end of the 8 lb maul to try finishing off a split begun with wedges, after sinking all three wedges. As a result I've hit the wedges with it a few times and the edge has some really nasty dings in it.

The hatchet I use when something is split, but there are fibers running between the bits that I can't pull apart (mostly elm I think)

I don't get the tingling hands, but my left elbow seems chronically a bit sore, sometimes the joint itself, sometimes the upper forearm.

My swing technique is about the same whether I'm using the sledge or the monster maul, I am left handed, but fairly ambidextrous. I grab the end of the handle firmly with my right hand, and near the head with my left, fairly loosely. I start out with the handle fairly level, left hand in front of me, right hand slightly behind my hip. I push / throw the head upwards using my right hand, and guiding it with my left, sliding my left hand down the handle. As the head reaches vertical or a bit past it, I start swinging down, extending my left arm fully and my right arm almost fully, and letting my left hand slide down the handle until it is just above my right hand at the end of the swing. Most of the energy comes from the weight of the tool, but I try to add as much extra oomph to it as I can on the way down.

I do wear "technical" gloves with a padded palm. They help with the impact, but mostly keep me from getting to many blisters. I sawed and split about 7 cords last summer this way.

Gooserider
 
I don't have much to add about splitting wood beyond the obvious. There is an article on woodheat.org outlining technique that you may want to read, tjg911. Concerning the hand and forearm problems... I've had surgery on my left arm after an injury in which my muscle was torn and two of my tendons snapped. I was very young... about 12 years old when this happened. Thankfully I was young, easy mending, quick healing, etc. In any case, I've continued to have problems with my left arm over the years. After seeing some doctors, I ended up going to a physical therapist. She was able to provide me exercises that increase strength, range of motion and address the specific deficiencies in my left arm. It's not any fun, physical therapists tend to be very tough people I've found. But the benefits were great, and I still do the stretching exercises from time to time. I would venture to say I have been able to rid myself of 75% of the problems I had with the arm.

-Kevin
 
My weapon of choice is the Fiskars splitting axe. Handle is indestructible fiberglass something or other, and the head, though it looks like it's too sharp to be good for splitting, is very effective. I have very few pieces that need a second wack. I've also got some smaller axes and hatchets by Gerber (owned by Fiskars) and love them as well. What they lack in classic asthetics, they make up in efficiency.
 
Wood Grenade is the only way to go. 25 rounds done in about 40 minutes. Neatest looking pieces you'll ever make when hand splitting.
 
pgmr said:
My current problem is "Sledge Elbow". It's caused, I think, by starting the wedges one handed with the sledge. Think I'll start using a 3# engineers hammer instead.
Click to expand...

I use just that. A Harbor Freight special that I had to reinsert the handle twice. From the factory, a small metal wedge held the handle in place, topped by some useless expoy. Head came off after 30 swings.

First time, I did it just like a axe handle making article said to do, with a wooden wedge and all. That lasted as long as the harbor freight factory job did.

Second time, I ran screws into the end of the handle, two actually. Ran them in all the was unitl they stripped, and covered the whole thing in industrial epoxy. Still holding. Hey, for $4, what can you expect?

I use a fiberglass handle on a 12# sledge I use for driving wedges. Works great. I don't own a maul, but it's on my Christmas list. One with a fiberglass handle.

I also use an unorthodoxed wedge. I had a chopping axe that I broke the handle out of trying to split elm. Yeah, I didn't know any better, and it's all I had. Well, I started using it as a wedge (I know, I know). Well, one day it broke in two. Understandable since the steel was thin at oval handle hole . Thanks to my welding fabricator cousin, he filled in that hole with 1" bar stock and rewelded the whole thing into a solid piece. Talk about easy starting on a piece of wood!

I find my hands hurt more from trying to man-handle the pieces with a poor grip on the wood. Like when it is falling over with the wedge still stuck in the wood, and still holding the sledge in the other hand.
 
Hi Tom, I have the same tingling/numbness problems. I have both carpal tunnel and ulnar nerve problems. I used to be a computer professional so it is related to that, but really have always had trouble with it. I can't bowl worth a darn, because I always had trouble gripping the ball with my fingers. Gardening and typing are both hard on my hands as well, but can't always stop myself. :) Had carpal release surgery on the left hand/wrist in 1992, but it didn't really help. Actually I was moving an enormous picnic table some years after the surgery, felt a weird feeling in that wrist and could tell the surgery had been for naught. I am fairly strong for a female, have worked out on weight machines on and off for 8 years now, but I have to limit the length of my wood related exertions. I am bigger than you, 5'10" but I won't say my weight! Was hauling too much firewood last week (we got 3 1/2 cords free total) and now my hands are really shot. I won't be able to split wood for probably a couple weeks now.

It helps to wear wrist splints at night. That is so you don't curl up your fingers and hands, as that just makes it worse, but is a typical sleep posture, all curled up. I got some through worker's compensation years ago. I also have a pair I bought myself that are meant for rollerbladers or hockey players or something. Naproxen sodium (Aleve etc.) helps me A LOT. I don't take it often, but frequently this past week. Drink a lot of water, or take it with food, or it can be hard on your stomach. Also, obviously, you need to pace yourself! No need to do it all at one time. I tried to split a little bit of wood on an ongoing basis throughout this whole entire year. I use mauls, 8 and 12 lb., and have no experience with anything else, so can't advise there.

It depends on exactly what kind of problem you have if exercises will help you or not. Usually if it is carpal tunnel trouble, the best solution is resting your hands and NOT doing any exercises. I find that keeping my hands and the elbows fairly straight help. I am a swimmer, and I find that swimming helps my hands. I don't know if it is because it cools them down or what. The hot tub makes them worse. Basically the nerves are inflamed and pressing on things, thus the pain/numbness. Cooling them down makes them smaller and thus in less pain is my theory. And the hot tub making them worse follows my theory. Of course when I am a lumberjack all day I don't go to my health club as much as normal! A little ice on the wrists might help, but I have never tried that. Lots of B12 (about 1 gram/day) is supposed to be good for you, but I have only taken that very occasionally.

Despite my hand problems I am still trying to convince hubby that we don't need to buy a splitter. He sees all the big rounds in our yard and keeps thinking splitter. Must have something wrong with my head, too. ;-)
 
danielj618 said:
Gooserider said:
a 12 lb steel pipe handled monster maul clone (from Northern)
Click to expand...

Is she red?

sounds like the one I have..a giant steel triangle welded on top
Click to expand...

No, it's black, but about that description. My parents had an original Stotz Monster Maul back in the 70's, and my memory is that the handle was longer, otherwise it's about the same. The Northern Maul has a 20" handle, and is about 24" overall, I seem to recall the original Stotz maul was either 30 or 36 inches, which would be better as the same swing would give an increased head velocity / more impact force. I've thought about trying to make an extension, but I think that would require welding across the stress line which is normally a real no-no...

My maul has a thin foam rubber handle cover that gave me a bit of trouble as it started to come loose on me and would let the maul twist on the way down, and start to slip off unless pushed back on every couple swings. I cured that by pulling it off and putting a bunch of "*Goop" in it and sliding it back down. Now I know the handle cover might wear off, but it won't move otherwise :coolsmirk:

One other thing that I think would make a better tool is if there was a pad of hardenned steel on the backside of the head so that you could either use it as a 12 lb sledge to REALLY drive a wedge, or more importantly hit the maul head with a sledgehammer to use it as a wedge on those frequent occasions when it sticks into a round and cracks it, but doesn't quite split it. All the cautions say don't hit the back side of the head (but don't say why...) and so instead of using that wonderful wide angle wedge that's already started to finish the split, you have to do tug of war to get the maul back out, then either hope to hit the exact same crack again, or put in a normal wedge and sledge. (you weren't supposed to hit the backside of the Stotz maul either BTW)

Gooserider
 
If the rounds you are splitting are not too heavy, an effective technique for splitting with a single bit axe is to make your first stroke as usual and hope the round splits. If it doesn't pop, then lift the axe, round and all, over your shoulder (like a hobo suitcase), press it up over your head, and let it fall onto your chopping block with the axe butt hitting first. The increased mass with the round attached will likely split it. If it doesn't, well, you'll know by then if it's worth trying again.

I've moved from an 8 lb maul to a 12 lb Monster maul. I don't think I'll be looking back, either. Many of the rounds I split are between 16" and 24" in diameter from big red and white oak yard trees. Some are pretty tuff stuff and would be a challenge to split if half their size. With the 8 lb'er, I find I am swinging too hard and my hands, forarms, and elbows pay the price by days end. With the 12 lb Monster, all I need to do is lift it over my head, straight up in front of me, and let it drop. Really no swinging involved. Takes a lot of stress off a lot of my body parts, especially the tingling of my hands, which for me at least, seems to be related to hefty swinging techniques. Just dropping the Monster has helped me. I can also spread my hands a bit and get some accelleration going at the top, but then allow things to take their own course half way down. Accuracy is much better, too.
 
I agree with downeast completely. I'm 52 and I used to play a lot of sports. The wear and tear of sports, weightlifting, waterskiing, raquetball and trailriding have finally caught up with me. I split my wood as needed and sometimes I'll do a couple of days worth if I'm in the mood and not hurting. When you have a problem, aggravating it just makes it worse. Your body is telling you to slow down. Listen to it.
 
My chiropractor did turn me onto a few exercises that seem to help the arms and shoulders quite a bit. I don't do them as often as I should :red: but they do help even the small amount that I do use them.

1. He claims that most of our hand usage is gripping things, and that you need to balance that by "ungripping" - curl your fingers like making a fist, and sort of hold them curled with your other hand while attempting to straighten them, and allowing them to straighten slowly against the resistance of your other hand. Alternate sides, 5-10 times per set. Do the same sort of thing with your thumbs.

2. Gently stretch out your thumb muscles by holding one arm straight out and using the other hand to pull the thumb backwards several times, with your arm and thumb rotated to different angles

3. Reach up with one arm, and grab the top of a door frame or other convenient (and strong) handhold at about as high a height as you can reach without straining. Stretch out the arm and shoulder muscles by bending your knees and allowing your body weight to 'hang' on that arm for a few seconds, then straighten up. Turn about 20-30* and repeat until your arm has turned as far as it can in one direction, then work back until you have reached the opposite maximum rotation, and returned to your starting point. (You will have turned a bit more than a full circle each way, and done 10-12 knee dips by this point) Repeat with other arm, do 2-3 sets. I find this a particularly effective way to limber up before I start doing a splitting session - I use the high side roof of my wood shed as a handhold.

4. Stand with your hips and shoulders against a flat wall, and your feet as close to the wall as you can manage while still keeping your balance. Extend your arms out to each side with your wrists and elbows touching the wall, so that your upper arms are straight out even with your shoulders, and your forearms are bent up about 90*. Keeping your wrists and elbows against the wall, and keeping your arms bent the same amount, move your arms up as high as you can, then down to your sides. Repeat 5-6 times.

I find that if I do a few of these exercises (especially #'s 3 & 4) before and after each splitting session I don't get too sore. If I skip them, I have more discomfort while working, and am sore afterwards.

Gooserider
 
Excellent video. Thanks for making me laugh.

northwinds
 
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