Making kindling

[Backwoods Savage]

Sorry that my other thread on making kindling got goof up as I had deleted the pictures. Now I put more pictures back on so will update for those who are interested.

First, the wood I did for kindling in these pictures was some wood that was a little too far gone; I should have just taken some splits from the pile as they would have split better. I had just cut a couple logs from some downed soft maple in the woods just to make these pictures. I usually split the kindling a little smaller but you should be able to get the idea on how it is done. Give it a try and you will see how fast and how easy it is to do.

We use almost 100% soft maple for our kindling because it lights so fast and easy, burns quick and hot and gets the fire going good.

The first picture shows the depth I go with the splitter. There is no need to bring the ram down full length on this wood.

The second picture shows how high I raise the ram. There is no need to let the ram go all the way up unless you want to rest while waiting for the ram. Bringing it up only as far as necessary speeds things up a lot.

This picture shows how i keep moving (usually about an inch per split) across the log.

Now it is time to turn to make the next splits. Here is where I had to make these splits a little large because of the wood. I usually go only an inch so we get about 1" x 1" kindling.

And here you are with a handful of split kindling.

Last week a request was made for some kindling for our old railroad project. A lot of kindling was requested for use in the caboose to get and keep a fire going. So I dug out some of the splits from the wood pile (these were very easy to work with vs what I had used in the above photos). In just 10-15 minutes I made a lot of kindling for them. It was no sweat, no sore hands (my hands are terrible from old polio), and so fast that it still amazes me. I started making kindling this way when I got the splitter and found I can make kindling probably 4-5 times faster and one whale of a lot easier.

So now you know how I make kindling using a hydrualic splitter. And for you folks that are very observant of photos, you will notice one of my old wood piles in the background. That pile will still not be burned this year. Probably a couple more years before we get at that stack.

 

[LLigetfa]

Your log splitter has a much thinner, sharper wedge than mine does. Mine would crush the wood or it would just blow out the side. Also, I find I have to split the wood progressively in half to spit straight as the species of wood I use tends to shake off tapers. All those 1 inch slabs you have would turn into wedges for me, like making cedar shake shingles. Even spitting down the middle, I often find I have to flip the pieces over to correct for shaking. It amazes me that you can do that with your splitter. They say pictures don't lie but I have to wonder how big your rejects pile is.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Please explain your reject pile. We do not have such a thing nor have heard of it before.

I can understand why it would be different with a fatter wedge but would still bet it would work with soft maple because most times you have to not much more than touch the wood and it splits. I don't even have to get the whole ram into the wood and that is why I think your fatter wedge should work, but you have to have the right type of wood. Although, I have split other wood into kindling; even some oak I did one time for someone else. Ash is another good one but it does not light as easy as soft maple.

 

[LLigetfa]

Please explain your reject pile.

It's an obsession... If it doesn't meet quality control standards, it doesn't make it into the house. I know, it's a mental health thing but I don't suffer, just don't make fun of me or I'll have to...

 

[mainstation]

-that is great, I do the same thing but mostly with white ash.
Good job.

 

[fossil]

I never use my splitter to make kindling. I use my splitter to split rounds into splits, and some splits into smaller splits. When the time comes to make kindling, I select some nice straight-grained splits and go after them with a splitting axe. I do all my kindling by hand. But hey, if it works for you, go for it. Rick

 

[Stevebass4]

i use my splitter the same way as Backwoods Savage to make kindling however i do it horizatally. works just fine

 

[tpikaart]

I've got an 11 year old who's good w/ a hatchet. Filled a whole barrel yesterday w/ kindling from some cedar/juniper we cut a few weeks back. Great stuff--dry, smells good, and splits easily.
He gets fidgety and I send him out to the woodpile. He's not bad on the bigger stuff with the fiskars either!

 

[DiscoInferno]

My UP neighbor makes kindling the same way on his splitter, using balsam fir and hemlock. No splitter for me, so I just use a hatchet.

 

[basswidow]

I find all kinds of wood chips cluttering up my processing area. I have some large tupperware type bins I collect these chip's and splinters in. These are used as kindling - fire starter. Not sure where they come from - but they're all over regardless of using an axe or hydraulic splitter. My wood pile has a variety of different sized splits - to include some smaller ones for starting. I never purposely set out to split and make kindling. I have more scraps and chips laying around then I can fill bins with. I'm good to go with kindling.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

My wife also likes to pick up these chips. The problem with storing them in a container is they take longer to dry out. They also are a bit messy so I simply burn it when a small fire is needed. Besides, the way I do it I can choose what type of wood to use for the kindling. I like the soft maple simply because it lights so easy and gets the fire going quickly.

I normally stack the kindling in the ends of the wood piles but sometimes will just tuck some right in the rows. This year it seems we started so many fires that we used extra kindling but it was a quick and easy job to dig some maple splits from the wood pile and make more kindling. I also made a big bunch for the local RR people.

 

[Spikem]

For the drying of the kindling, why not just put it in your cellar?

I do that and everything dries VERY fast there.

 

[colsmith]

We never split wood to make kindling. We bring home corn crates from a local produce stand and fill them with the small bits of branches that are on most any tree being cut up for firewood. The crates are open enough that the wood in them dries, but not so open that everything falls out. The skinny branches dry quickly and make great kindling. We fill a dozen or so boxes each year. We pile them about 3 high, often at the ends of wood piles to provide a stable endpoint.

The person who suggested drying kindling in the basement has obviously never seen all the crap filling my basement already. No barn or storage sheds, so ours is full of tools, large flower pots full of dahlias and canna lilies, empty pots, fencing, tomato cages, 2 freezers, paint, a huge shelf taking up most of one wall full of home canned goods and canning jars, etc.

 

[wldm09]

Thanks for the process. Do you split this wet and let it dry or do you pick dry wood and split it? I've got some nice dry pine and birch that would be sweet kindling...

 

[Stevebass4]

i use dry pine for the kindling - it was standing dead and cut / split small about 8 months ago - when i need more kindling i drag my splitter to the pine stacks and make a month's worth

next year i'll do a year's worth of kindling in advance

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Thanks for the process. Do you split this wet and let it dry or do you pick dry wood and split it? I've got some nice dry pine and birch that would be sweet kindling...

Indeed dry pine and birch will make excellent kindling.

I usually split kindling when I do all the splitting in the Spring. Once it is made into kindling it dries fast. However, splitting when dry is easy as long as the wood is firm and not in the beginning stage of punk. I just finished making a big bunch of kindling for someone and just picked some soft maple splits from the pile. I was fast and easy.