Wood chopping set up

[RoseRedHoofbeats]

So what's a girl without any good-sized stumps to do for a splitting block? All of my wood has been from pretty small trees (stupid softwoods and their stupid tiny trunks!)

I also need the plans for that wonderful contraption someone around here made, for chainsawing wood to length that's just a wee bit too long. Looked like an X, with straight sides to hold the wood and then you just sawed off whatever stuck out.

~Rose

 

[Woody Stover]

I want something pretty low...about six or eight inches high. I cut a "cookie" about that size off a big-diameter tree.
You could split several logs in half, lay them split side down, and then fasten them together with a strip of wood with screws through it and into the ends of the logs. This was the first thing I came up with...forgive me, I'm tired. :lol: I'll keep thinking...

 

[RoseRedHoofbeats]

That's the problem- I don't have any big diameter logs! >(

I wonder the place I got my wood from last year would have anything...

~Rose

 

[spacecowboyIV]

I split 90% of my wood on the ground with my maul. I'm usually splitting in the woods wherever the tree fell. Only occassionally do I use a big stump when I'm using the fiskars.

About once a year or as it needs it I grind down the maul to a good edge and remove any burrs.

 

[RoseRedHoofbeats]

I'm an urban burner- anything I end up splitting will be pretty small diameter and cut to length by the time I haul it home. Hopefully.

What kind of maul and wedge do you have? Where did you find it? I'm coming up dry on where to buy higher quality tools than Home Depot or Lowes.

Wasn't there some kind of sticky once upon a time about "So you want to chop your own wood..." that broke all this down for those of us who haven't consumed enough coffee yet? =P

~Rose

 

[spacecowboyIV]

I'm an urban burner- anything I end up splitting will be pretty small diameter and cut to length by the time I haul it home. Hopefully.

What kind of maul and wedge do you have? Where did you find it? I'm coming up dry on where to buy higher quality tools than Home Depot or Lowes.

Wasn't there some kind of sticky once upon a time about "So you want to chop your own wood..." that broke all this down for those of us who haven't consumed enough coffee yet? =P

~Rose

I'm not entirely sure what kind of maul it is, but it's an 8 pounder I bought at either home depot or wal mart and its given 4 good years of service. I know I have seen pictures of one of the length guides you are talking about on here before, but I don't remember the thread or who posted it.

 

[WES999]

For a splitting block I made one out of 4x4's scrounged form old pallets, you can make it whatever height you want. I put some plywood on the top and bottom.

For a cutting frame I made one like this, it works very well. You can load a bunch of wood at one time and run the chainsaw down the middle,and cut them all at once.

For splitting I really like my Fiskers super splitter. :lol:

 

[Backwoods Savage]

So what's a girl without any good-sized stumps to do for a splitting block? All of my wood has been from pretty small trees (stupid softwoods and their stupid tiny trunks!)

I also need the plans for that wonderful contraption someone around here made, for chainsawing wood to length that's just a wee bit too long. Looked like an X, with straight sides to hold the wood and then you just sawed off whatever stuck out.

~Rose

For a girl it would depend upon your build as to what would work good for you as swinging a heavy maul is usually out of the question for most females. However, some do rather nicely with one. Some also use an axe (but certainly not a hatchet) and some like the Fiskar's. Renting a hydraulic splitter can be an option too. If so, I'd recommend stacking the wood as you bring it home rather than just throwing it in a pile. Then you can place the splitter right next to the logs and split away.

As for a splitting block, although many favor them, I do not like them and simply stand a block on end and hit that sucker. Also I split with just an axe for many years.

 

[Remmy122]

Im sure the guy you bought the wood from would give you a splitting block. However I like the 4x4 contraption and might try to give that a shot.

 

[TreePointer]

What you are looking for is an X-frame or H-frame "sawbuck." A couple links:

“H Frame†for cutting?

Does a “Cut-Off†Saw or “Chop†Saw Exist for Wood?

As for a chopping block, if you don't have any large rounds to use, maybe you can stap/bungee 3 or 4 rounds together for a block.

 

[Woody Stover]

For a girl it would depend upon your build as to what would work good for you as swinging a heavy maul is usually out of the question for most females.

Yep, and for old men like me. :lol: Get a Fiskars or similar light-weight axe. The yellow-handled axe is a Ludell, but the Fiskars is even lighter and splits a little easier. You can just knock off edges on the bigger rounds and whittle it down...

http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h407/2bnator/001-4.jpg

 

[Wood Duck]

I split with either my 8 pound maul or my 2.5 lb Fiskar's splitting ax (lighter than the Super Splitter). I bought the ax so my kids could split wood. My wife can't use the 8 pounder but she can swing the Fiskar's. She is around pounds. I have never used a splitting wedge, but if necessary the head of either the maul or the Fiskar's can be used. Just stick the fiskars in the wood and pound on it with the blunt side of the maul. I rarely do this, but it is possible.

have you tried splitting on the ground? Try laying a log on the ground and leaning the piece to be split against the log in as vertical a position as possible. Stand with the log between you and the split, and swing at the split. If things so well, you will hit the edge of the split nearest you and nearest the log. The head of the Fiskar's will split the upright log and end up up hitting the horizontal log. The log protects you from the ax and the ax from the ground. I use this method while camping, when i don't have a chainsaw to make a splitting block.

 

[RoseRedHoofbeats]

Yes! A sawbuck! I couldn't remember the word for it and kept Googling "sawhorse for firewood" and couldn't find the right thing. Thanks!

I am reasonably strong and I'm tall with a nice long swing, so I figured a light 6# maul with a wedge would give me the most bang for my buck, both in terms of how expensive they'd be and how much power I can get out of each swing. I've never tried a Fiskars though, and those are supposed to be quite light.

I'm off to Sears this weekend anyway, so I'll see if they've got a Fiskars around for me to try. Thanks much!

~Rose

 

[WarmGuy]

I'm impressed at how well this simple splitting maul works:

I used it to split the big round in the background (the one with the red arrow). I prefer to split the wood right on the ground.

I got it for a few bucks at a garage sale, and I like this better than my Chopper II.

 

[Stump_Branch]

If you only have small diameter softwoods you could try an elec spilter. They are lighter duty, but ive heard some good things. Keep up the search for a nice diameter round. I saw railroad ties at the home depot the other day, saw on up and you have a few chopping blocks.

 

[DanCorcoran]

I used scrap lumber to make this. I bought bolts to fasten the 2x12s together and brackets to fasten the 6x6s on the sides. The plywood keeps me from burying the splitter in the rocky soil. By leaving a 6" gap where the angled 6x6s come together, I can place the spare 6x6 (on the left) upright between the two sides, to hold smaller pieces that would otherwise fall over backward.

P.S. Let me know if you need any rocks...I have 7 1/2 acres of them.