Chop Chop!

[Investment Camper]

Been very lucky scrounging this Fall and winter. 4 truckloads of oak so far. I split everything by hand. My wife says I’m obsessed. I think it’s just what it takes if you want to do it yourself! My Vermont Castings Defiant Encore is on a porch we built on an elevated deck last October here in Md.

 

[NHWS]

By hand?! I like the exercise, but I don't think my aging back would be up to that anymore. I use a hydraulic splitter. Congrats on the scrounging haul, and and being in shape enough to maul it.

Looks like a nice stove, room and yard.

 

[Pinesmoke]

I agree with you. I used to enjoy hand splitting although I wasn't anti splitter by any means. On my 63rd loop on this rock I'm over the joy of swinging an axe.

ETA You do swing a Fiskar right?

 

[Investment Camper]

I’m at 53 and still run marathons. The splitting I actually think is helping the running for core stability. We will see how I feel in 10 or 20 years tho. And I’m also not anti- hydraulic. I just don’t have one.

 

[Pinesmoke]

I’m at 53 and still run marathons. The splitting I actually think is helping the running for core stability. We will see how I feel in 10 or 20 years tho. And I’m also not anti- hydraulic. I just don’t have one.

In 10-20 I can tell you you start to lose stamina and wonder WTH happened LOL.

 

[NHWS]

ETA You do swing a Fiskar right?

On the very rare occasions I hand split a round, I find the Fiskar to be the best tool for the job.

 

[NHWS]

I’m at 53 and still run marathons. The splitting I actually think is helping the running for core stability. We will see how I feel in 10 or 20 years tho. And I’m also not anti- hydraulic. I just don’t have one.

I can still bicycle 50 miles at 15 mph, but I can't swing an axe for very long. Too many years doing kinds of exercise that wear on the back and joints.

 

[Pinesmoke]

On the very rare occasions I hand split a round, I find the Fiskar to be the best tool for the job.

I was turned onto the Fiskar by a 70+ yo woman from a Harley board. She was a West Virginia hills gal that wood was her only heat her entire life. She had a husky saw and the Fiskar. I have to agree, it's the tool.

Sadly she dropped off the board a year into rona and we could only assume the worst.

 

[Investment Camper]

I use a Husqy 435 to help my friends with stihls with 20” blades. But honestly the latest scores were just oak rounds lying there bucked. I used a monster maul to quarter them so I can lift into the truck, then I use a trouper for my daily. I go out like 7am and always commit to splitting three chunks. I end up doing 4 to 8 every time.

 

[bigealta]

That red oak splits like butter. I'm a hand splitter too but with a light old school craftsman maul. Perfect for red oak. And hand splitting actually helps my back and tennis elbow, And stamina and Hand eye coordination. I'm 58.

 

[Investment Camper]

Love it! Yeah the oak splits great and I’ve grabbed all the branch free rounds trying to get that straight grain. Some knots but I talk nasty to them and then hit ‘em harder. Obviously us hand splitters do it for the joy, and the exercise! Chopping wood warms you twice!! So far I’m good. We will try to keep it going. I’m turning into a wood snob though. I’m keeping it real by getting some dry maple I can use to fill my pile this season I’m trying to get a two year cycle going.

 

[bigealta]

Wood snob is the Goal. Always grab the best 1st. To me, that's oak and easy splitting at easy/manageable sizes. There's only so much room to stack at home, so the best 1st is the best way.

I look at it like filling a safe deposit box with cash. You can fill it with singles or hundreds. I'll pick the hundo's every time.

 

[kennyp2339]

I love hand splitting too, best trick of the trade is to get an old 20" tire and put the rounds in that so they dont keep falling over or flaying away, helps with not bending over after every whack

 

[Caw]

I love hand splitting too, best trick of the trade is to get an old 20" tire and put the rounds in that so they dont keep falling over or flaying away, helps with not bending over after every whack

This is in fact the only way to split wood by hand. All other methods are wrong!

 

[bigealta]

This is in fact the only way to split wood by hand. All other methods are wrong!

Ha, Ahh pretty sure that's not right, but good for u guys.

 

[Caw]

Ha, Ahh pretty sure that's not right, but good for u guys.

Splitting without a tire is cruel and unusual punishment.

 

[bigealta]

Splitting without a tire is cruel and unusual punishment.

You should work on your splitting technique and leave the tires on the jalopy. Split to crack not to fly off.

 

[Caw]

I think it really depends on what you're splitting. Red oak tends to crack and explode rather than crack and stay together nicely like a stringier piece of red maple, cherry, or elm. I also do most of my splitting in my driveway so the tire is a nice buffer for a rare miss or glancing blows. Doesn't happen often but swing it enough you'll miss once in a blue moon. Saves both the driveway and the axe. I don't care if it looks stupid. If it saves me bending down a few times I'm in!

 

[bigealta]

I've actually never tried the tire trick but wanted to so i don't have any room to comment. I do split mostly all red oak. You just need to swing lighter, crack the whole round into split sizes then sometimes you can whack the side with the back end of the maul and bust the whole thing into pieces. You can also do the same to pieces on the ground that are stuck together. Kind of golf swing like. Doesn't always work but i dont like picking up pieces either so that's incentive to develop this technique.

 

[Caw]

I personally don't like the swing easier technique. I find it leads to extra swings when you inevitably don't get all the way through trying to be cute. Id rather give it a little extra and be 100% sure I get it done with one swing. We all have our preferences and it probably all evens out in the end. I just find the tire method works for me. No need to be cute with it. Less swings, less bending down, safe driveway, safe feet.

Im a golfer and have absolutely golf split some big red oak pieces. It's fun but very dangerous. I do it sometimes then immediately think boy that was stupid. Younger me wouldn't have cared. Older me is very concerned about injuries. I don't heal the way I used to and have too much responsibility to be laid up.

 

[bigealta]

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[Caw]

Sometimes I wonder how Billy Ray is still alive after all his shenanigans. The man is crazy but loves his job/life.

 

[bigealta]

Yup, but if you really watch him, he's pretty safe. Felling trees for sure, splitting looks nuts but his technique is actually pretty safe the way he either flicks the head or makes sure overswing lands in the dirt or into a stop piece he doesn't show setting up but it's there. Always entertaining.

 

[bigealta]

This guy is also very good.

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[weee123]

I love BBR, real wholesome content. Red oak is beautiful to split. Now white oak is a real pain with how stringy it is. Stringy cherry now that’s something Ive never come across and I’ve hand split a lot of it.