Best way to make kindling

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When you do locate the source, please share! I'm going to guess, based upon design and cleverness, Sweden, Finland, Norway manufacturer as source.


Edit: Hm, I see I'm too late already...
Made in Sweden

Edit 2: knock off here:
Amazon product ASIN B00SUJ4SZG
 
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I just go to a local saw mill and get free hardwood board trimmings...mainly oak...I made a jig to hold a bunch of this to cut at one time...the yard guy got a little crazy on me this time and loaded me pretty heavy...lol...I wont have to go back for a very long time! lol
 

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When you do locate the source, please share! I'm going to guess, based upon design and cleverness, Sweden, Finland, Norway manufacturer as source.
Google wall mounted kindling splitter. Just a guess but I would think you need a very easy to split wood for that. Like fir cottonwood etc. One of the google results even says softwood. I don't see where you can apply any significant leverage. You can get this for $100 on Amazon looks like you need a sledgehammer for it
Kindling Cracker Firewood Splitter
 
You can get this for $100 on Amazon
The one on Amazon is a knock off and of poor quality.
The real thing works well on straight graned softwood
It is not intended to split logs. My Brother has one loves it
 
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I have lots of white pine on my property and process plenty of it to sell as campfire wood. I don't sell the splinters and scraps that come with splitting, so I collect all of those and place them in pourous bags that are stored in a woodshed and an old dog house that our dog won't use. Those scraps, along with anything (non-glossy and/or non-colored) paper acts as great fire starters.
 
It’s pricey but I like my “kindling cracker”. Very portable . Can make kindling in basement or garage if need be.


I have some scrap steel and a whole pile of bed knives off reel mowers. I am going to make "kindling makers" as that might be a trademarked name.
 
I have some scrap steel and a whole pile of bed knives off reel mowers. I am going to make "kindling makers" as that might be a trademarked name.

The Kindling Cracker was invented by a 13 year old girl, it started out as a school project.

 
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I made a kindling cracker from 10" long piece of scrap I beam. Sharpened the center of the beam and welded a cage around it. I can set it on my splitting log. My 8 year old and a plastic mallet will go to town splitting.

Pallet wood makes good kindling and I keep a lot of the bark off of the dead ash trees I cut. When it dries, the inner layer is like shredded paper and works great.
 
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swing by the local cabinet shop
 
I just ordered the XL Kindling Cracker from Northern Tool, advertised as cast in Australia. I think it looks just right. The splitter shown on earlier posts, mounted on then wall, with a swinging knife did not look like something I'd want to use. I didn't read much about it and it may be fine. The mounted Cracker just looks ideal and safe.
 
I saw the Kindling Cracker on Amazon. How does it work with a very hard wood like Live Oak? I know my Fiskars splitting maul just bounces off of it sometimes. I realize that I would need to use splits but do you think it can handle the job?
 
I use sticks and twigs I pick up from the yard, and cut up pallet wood.
I hold it with a channel lock pliers and chop it with a small Axe.
You can go through a piece pretty quickly with a bit of practice.

kind.jpg
 
The other day while scrounging for wood it suddenly struck me that I was standing in all the kindling I could ever use. The electric company brings in boom mowers and shreds trees back from the power line right of way, leaving a LOT of shredded wood laying on the ground, for miles..

Edit: and speaking of power line right of ways, the electric company came through our neighborhood clearing trees and running them through a chipper. Some nice size trees. I approached them about keeping the trees from my property, and they wouldn't do it. I called the electric company, and they said they chip it up and provide it for parks and such. I complained that I should be able to keep the wood off my property, they claimed it as a right of way. Pissed me off!
 
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I fill a tire with splits and go to town with the x27. Add results to the splitter trash. Burning some oak now that has a lot of stringy stuff i can pull/hatchet off as i use it.
 
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Made this a couple weeks ago, finally got around to posting some pics.

On the first run the opening was too big, so the last pic is when it was cut down to a better size.
 

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I bring my 5 year old outside with a second hatchet. We grab like 5-6 nice dry logs that are a little shorter than ideal (my stove will take 17.5" so I grab the 14-16" ones...I despise wasted space in the stove!) or some scrap 2x4s and go to work for an hour. He has a blast and we end up with a full box of kindling.

I figure he can put in some work to help keep everyone warm as payment for being created. ;)
 
I scored a few nice cedar stumps this year. I cut em into 4-6" cookies and busted em up. A good cord and I haven't even used any yet. My wife gets after me for having a pile of kindling next to the stove and not using more than a couple pieces. I can make a 5 gallon pail last all year. I'd feel kind of bad about using it like candy....
 
The other day while scrounging for wood it suddenly struck me that I was standing in all the kindling I could ever use. The electric company brings in boom mowers and shreds trees back from the power line right of way, leaving a LOT of shredded wood laying on the ground, for miles..

Edit: and speaking of power line right of ways, the electric company came through our neighborhood clearing trees and running them through a chipper. Some nice size trees. I approached them about keeping the trees from my property, and they wouldn't do it. I called the electric company, and they said they chip it up and provide it for parks and such. I complained that I should be able to keep the wood off my property, they claimed it as a right of way. Pissed me off!
Our electric co. is the same, they cut and left some BIG firs by the road after a windstorm, I called they said you can't touch them (they're in the county right of way so I doubt that).
 
Kind of curious to the true legality of that... It is your property and therefore your tree's. They have the right to run power through it and maintain the area to allow them access, but do they own the tree's? Does the right to take down the tree result in ownership by them?

I have a right of way through my property in northern WI and they have been pretty good about it...
 
Our electric co. is the same, they cut and left some BIG firs by the road after a windstorm, I called they said you can't touch them (they're in the county right of way so I doubt that).
A call to the county may be worth it.

We live next to Corps of Engineers public land that has power lines running through it. I talked to the Corps last year about cutting some downed trees near the power line right of way. They said they, the Corps, owns the land with the electric company maintaining the right of way. Long story short, I was given permission to cut firewood in the right of way. This was in their firewood cutting season, with a permit.

On another note, the Missouri Department of Transportation was doing similar maintenance next to a small highway. While stopped for equipment to move around, I asked about cutting what they left behind. They said it was ok, just to stay off the highway and be safe.
 
Kind of curious to the true legality of that... It is your property and therefore your tree's. They have the right to run power through it and maintain the area to allow them access, but do they own the tree's? Does the right to take down the tree result in ownership by them?

I have a right of way through my property in northern WI and they have been pretty good about it...

Last summer I had an oak that died and I wanted to cut it down, but was hesitant because it was near the power lines. I called the electric company, explained it and said I wanted to keep the tree for firewood, they came and cut the tree down and left it. The company that cut down and chipped up the trees were contracted to do it. I guess the contractor had some sort of agreement. I was clear about my displeasure with the contractors, and the property owners not being able to keep their own trees. But I also said thank you to the woman at the electric company for looking into it. I wasn't happy, but I also do not want to be on the electric company's $hit list.