For all my hand splitting brothers and sisters

[DTrain]

So, i split everything by hand. Four cords a year. It takes along time. It's hard work. But I like it. I'm trying ways to be more efficient. Last year my delivery of already bucked wood were giant rounds. So I just grouped the rounds together on the ground and started swinging. Grouping the big rounds would allow me to swing and split without them falling over. So I could swing swing swing and not have to bend over and set up a piece then split.

This year I have more manageable size rounds. 4 cords of it. I tried the same method. No good. Rounds weren't big enough to stay standing on their own. I think lots of folks who hand split have seen the YouTube tire trick. Stuff a bunch in a tire and start whacking. I decided to try merging the tires method with my grouping method. Here's what I came up with.





I know it looks rickety. But I sort of needs to not be too rigid to be able to absorb energy. Each corner is pinned. And there is a foot in the middle of each board. Those two thing allow it to move around and not break. The pins let the frame pivot and match the shape of what you put in. The feet in the middle allows the frame to teeter at the corners where it's more likely to take a blow from the maul.



Basically fill it up. Not to full. So that the maul can displace the wood and have somewhere to go. Then I start swinging at each round in one direction. Making a fault across the diameter of every one. Then I stand on the other side of the frame a make a fault perpendicular to each round. So I end up quartering each round. Then any thing that is still to big can get swung at again.

First make your fault on the diameter.



Then go perpendicular


My frame holds about 36 cubic feet of rounds. I did four frames in two hours. Approximately 1 cord stacked I believe. The two hours included unloading the frame. My work area wasn't set up very well. Ideally I'd have been able to lift the frame off the split wood. Move it over and load it up. I thing that had I done it that way you're looking at splitting a cord into medium size pieces in a little more than an hour.

Just thought I'd share. Love to hear the methods other hand splitters use.

 

[English BoB]

Great job, now go get a beer and watch the old lady stack the wood...

 

[DTrain]

Not sure why I didn't include a pick of the yield.

(broken image removed)

 

[DTrain]

Great job, now go get a beer and watch the old lady stack the wood...

I did. Two in fact. And she's way better at making food. I do grunt work. She feeds me. Good deal in my book!

 

[Rossco]

Right on.

I usually split a truck load at a time as I harvest my own.

Some dry rounds will split if you drop them the right way.

 

[DTrain]

Right on.

I usually split a truck load at a time as I harvest my own.

Some dry rounds will split if you drop them the right way.

What's you're splitting routine?

 

[Rossco]

What's you're splitting routine?

Depends if I have help (75% no help) we will split in the bush.

If not I usually bring the rounds to my 'Next years Shed' and split one at a time. You know,

Split - Split - Split - Beer - Split - Split - Etc

I have a separate wood shed off the Property so I usually spend the first week of the harvest fetching splits to my home shed.

 

[dafattkidd]

Nice work. I love it.

 

[xman23]

Nice job, I was sweating just looking at the pictures.

 

[drz1050]

I like that frame! Nicely done, sir

 

[jatoxico]

Pretty cool. Seems like a good time and labor saver for you.

 

[Fishnuts2]

That is a great idea. I'm going to try it at the cabin for next years wood. Thanks for sharing!!

 

[Longsnowsm]

Very nice... You have me wondering about using an old tractor tire as a corral of sorts to load up wood and split. Anyone have any thoughts or feedback on something like that? Grouping the wood like this appears to make a lot of sense once you have a system worked out for it.

 

[ElmBurner]

I've seen people wrap a stack of rounds with some swingset chain and a length of bungee cord to absorb the shock of splitting and to keep it all tight. That's the method I am going to try, whenever I decide to get around to it.

I try to split it all as I buck it up though, so something that is portable and easy to use in the field is my priority.

 

[DTrain]

Very nice... You have me wondering about using an old tractor tire as a corral of sorts to load up wood and split. Anyone have any thoughts or feedback on something like that? Grouping the wood like this appears to make a lot of sense once you have a system worked out for it.

Gotta think a tire would work just fine. Better even. You can't break the tire if you hit it.

 

[BringinHeat]

Excellent idea. I will try this one day.

 

[Flame On]

Gotta think a tire would work just fine. Better even. You can't break the tire if you hit it.

That is true, but if you miss, be careful of the bounce back! I've gone through a split quickly and had the maul's handle hit the tire and bounce up. Safety glasses ain't gonna stop that. Still, the tire method saves my back.

 

[smee]

I'm new to this, but are you slitting green wood or do you let it dry out for a while before splitting?
I'm having real trouble splitting down the middle.

 

[DTrain]

It's green. Do you mean aim or the wood won't split?

It depends a lot in the grain of the wood. If you have twisted grain or have knots or crotches it won't want to split. You'll have to take 3-4" slabs off the perimeter and go in from there. If it's pretty straight and I want to half a big round I'll strike down the Center starting at the perimeter and with each hit create a straight line across the diameter. The another good shot or two it comes apart.

 

[smee]

It's green. Do you mean aim or the wood won't split?

It depends a lot in the grain of the wood. If you have twisted grain or have knots or crotches it won't want to split. You'll have to take 3-4" slabs off the perimeter and go in from there. If it's pretty straight and I want to half a big round I'll strike down the Center starting at the perimeter and with each hit create a straight line across the diameter. The another good shot or two it comes apart.

I'm good with aiming.
I think i was trying to split in the middle, i'll start from the side, maybe that will help..

 

[English BoB]

I'm good with aiming.
I think i was trying to split in the middle, i'll start from the side, maybe that will help..

How big are these rounds you are trying to split ?

bob

 

[smee]

How big are these rounds you are trying to split ?

bob

around 18 inch, A few diff types

 

[bad news]

I like the frame idea a lot, very clever. I think the big tractor tire idea may be the hot setup though. I split between two and three cord by hand this year and have been contemplating what next year's setup is going to be. This year was just a big ole' splitting block with no tire. I am thinking of a two-tire attack, with one fastened to a good height splitting block for picking at small stuff where you don't need mutch swing and a second big tire right on the ground for busting big or tough rounds.

I also notice from the other thread I pick the tool up along my centerline with both hands the same way you do to try to keep the stress down on my joints.

 

[CTYank]

I'm new to this, but are you slitting green wood or do you let it dry out for a while before splitting?
I'm having real trouble splitting down the middle.

That'll also depend on the tool. The lighter ones will have more difficulty than the 5-6 pounders. Edge matters too, and it'll be difficult to keep that edge with dirt right below the wood, as opposed to a block. And ... a block wastes less energy, putting more of it into splitting than dirt right under the wood.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Very nice... You have me wondering about using an old tractor tire as a corral of sorts to load up wood and split. Anyone have any thoughts or feedback on something like that?

That's a tried-and-true old trick.

And ... a block wastes less energy, putting more of it into splitting than dirt right under the wood.

Yep. That ground absorbs a lot of energy. I just a big oak or elm round as my splitting block. Gets the wood to a better height, too.