End of the Season Uglies (knots, ect) kills maul
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cmonSTART
Minister of Fire
Elim
Member
Wow! That is something else. Sears sells Fiskars Super Splitter Axes. Might grab one of them while your there.
I secind the motion on the Fiskars..........or better yet attach a cylinder to that edge hehehehe.Elim said:
yooperdave
Minister of Fire
i've had and been using my husquvarna orange handled maul since 1984...it was free with my rancher 61 saw. quite a few seasons, eh?
Flatbedford
Minister of Fire
southbound
Minister of Fire
Flatbedford said:
Nope, the SOB just let go on me while I was beating on a wedge.
You should see the mushroom head on the wedge (heh, heh, heh...) That sucker sheds shrapnel routinely - which is why I keep the kids clear and wear safety glasses.
I gotta say though, it did much better than the 2 8lb mauls from Home Depot that I broke during the summer. The Home Depot 8lb mauls with the black and yellow handles are pretty to look at, but completely useless as tools as far as I'm concerned.
Hadn't thought to check out the Husquevarma or Husky mauls.
I've got an old Stanley China-built 8lb head that needs a new handle that I can resurrect as well.
Danno77
Minister of Fire
Soundslikejosh
New Member
Personally I'd move on if you keep breaking Craftsman mauls. This is a more serious issue than just "having to replace it". One of these times you could be injured pretty bad. Same goes for the mushroomed wedge you brag about. It is good that you get your kids out of the way... but who buys the groceries when Dad is off work recovering...or worse?
I hope my first post doesn't come across as rude. Just trying to look out for fellow man.
I hope my first post doesn't come across as rude. Just trying to look out for fellow man.
Danno77
Minister of Fire
I'm with you on the serious issue being how often he has to replace it. either they are crap mauls or you are doing it wrong. I broke a few handles when I was learning with my 6lber, but It and my 8 look like new after 6 cords+ on the handles (6lber head probably only has 12 cord on it). But I don't use mine to pound on anything except maybe felling wedges and rusted on brake rotors.Soundslikejosh said:
Dune
Minister of Fire
Biff_CT2 said:
Safety glasses are not going to save your life if shrapnel goes through your juglar or your throat. Grind the mushrooming off.
RustyShackleford
Minister of Fire
I've had the same maul for decades; can't recall where I bought it.
I used to break the wooden handle every year or two, then fiberglass
handles came along and I just replaced my first one after 10+ years.
However, my hands have been bothering me (I also rock climb), so
I got another maul with a wooden handle. I can't believe how much
less shock/vibration it transmits to the hands. So my policy now is
to use the fiberglass-handled one when I'm beating a wedge (I think
that's when the wooden handles are most likely to get damaged,
when you mis-strike a wedge), and use the wooden-handled one
otherwise. Fortunately my wood tends to be split-able enough, and
my technique good enough, then I rarely need the wedge, and then
only for the first split (of a round into two halves).
I hope the head of my new wooden-handled one is up to snuff, but
since theoretically I won't be striking a wedge with it, it should
hopefully be ok.
My wedge is pretty mushroomed though - guess I should get a new one.
I used to break the wooden handle every year or two, then fiberglass
handles came along and I just replaced my first one after 10+ years.
However, my hands have been bothering me (I also rock climb), so
I got another maul with a wooden handle. I can't believe how much
less shock/vibration it transmits to the hands. So my policy now is
to use the fiberglass-handled one when I'm beating a wedge (I think
that's when the wooden handles are most likely to get damaged,
when you mis-strike a wedge), and use the wooden-handled one
otherwise. Fortunately my wood tends to be split-able enough, and
my technique good enough, then I rarely need the wedge, and then
only for the first split (of a round into two halves).
I hope the head of my new wooden-handled one is up to snuff, but
since theoretically I won't be striking a wedge with it, it should
hopefully be ok.
My wedge is pretty mushroomed though - guess I should get a new one.
RustyShackleford said:
I've just finished spliiting for the season. Great day for it - it's been around freezing and sunny here, so it's warm while working in direct sunlight. My new (replacement) 6lb Carftsman maul got me through about a half face-cord of knots and trash leftovers. I've got two mushroom'd out wedges that I'll be taking back to Sears when I've got some time.
I do agree with the comments on here about taking wedges too far between grindings, they make sense.
I'm interested in your thoughts on returning to wood handles on my sledge and maul. My hands always throb after a few hours of beating on wedges, though I hadn't until reading your post associated it with the fiberglass handle on my Craftsman maul.
My last wooden handle replacement failed - the head started rocking after about a half a cord, and I ended up breaking the necked portion as I hadn't seated the handle far enough into the head. Do you file the neck of the handle to get it all the way down into the maul head? Would like to see a picture of a replacement handle prior to cutting it down and seating the keepers in the head.
I've got a sledge and a maul handle replacement to do during the off-season, and I wanted to use take them both as an opportunity to show my boys how to do a handle replacement job properly. It's also a good lesson for them in being thrifty.
Danno77
Minister of Fire
I'm glad to finally read that someone else thinks that. I know I've posted it before, but I read so many posts about fg handles being "easier on the joints" that I just figured maybe I was crazy.RustyShackleford said:
midwestcoast
Minister of Fire
I haven't used fiberglass handled mauls, so no idea if there's a difference. I wonder if a few layers of rubber tape would help the vibes?
I got a Fiskar's super splitter this year in order to split a large maple felled in our yard. It has been a terrific tool. Have been gradually turning the tree into firewood every weekend. Today was the first time that I had to go back to a maul with wooden handles and two wedges. These were two branches that were pretty twisty.. The Fiskar's just bounced off. The maul worked well - enjoyed the cracking sound of the wood. Once the branch was split in half, the Fiskars's worked pretty well in further subdivisions.
RustyShackleford
Minister of Fire
I'm glad for the heads-up here about the dangers, although I always wear eye-pro when hitting steel against steel.Biff_CT2 said:
Like I said, I rarely use wedges, and I'm sure that's harder on your hands (than hitting wood with the splitting side) regardless of the handle type.
I haven't replaced a wooden handle since the Reagan administration. But for sure you want the end of the handle to come flush with the far side of the hole in the maul head, whatever it takes to make that happen. The fiberglass one that I replaced recently included some special kind of "striking tool" epoxy, and it seems to have worked pretty well thus far. Might be worth trying to find some for doing your wooden one.
savageactor7
Minister of Fire
Holy Cow.
Still using an old 'true temper' 6 lb maul we got in the 70's, splitting elm we banged on it thousand of times with the sledge to with no mushrooming. Check out estate sales for older tools that were properly heat treated. I'm so rough on handles I buy 'em 2 at a time.
Still using an old 'true temper' 6 lb maul we got in the 70's, splitting elm we banged on it thousand of times with the sledge to with no mushrooming. Check out estate sales for older tools that were properly heat treated. I'm so rough on handles I buy 'em 2 at a time.
RustyShackleford
Minister of Fire
Using a 6# maul to drive a wedge?!? Now that's just . . . :shut:
A splitting maul should be used for splitting, not driving wedges. And how do you expect to actually drive a wedge with only 6#?
For driving a wedge, a 16# is perfect. Keep a 12# around for use as the day progresses. A 6# splitter is useless.
A splitting maul should be used for splitting, not driving wedges. And how do you expect to actually drive a wedge with only 6#?
For driving a wedge, a 16# is perfect. Keep a 12# around for use as the day progresses. A 6# splitter is useless.
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