Splitting surface

[wizards8507]

Does anyone have a good solution for some kind of base / surface to put under wood when I'm splitting it? I don't do any splitting from rounds, everything I do is just breaking down some of the larger pieces when I buy pre-split wood. My property slopes steeply from the street in the front to the woods in the back, so the area by my wood racks is always either mud, damp moss, or paved driveway. Is there anything sturdy enough to put under the splitting area so that I'm not driving the maul into the driveway and/or trying to split on a mush surface?

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Does anyone have a good solution for some kind of base / surface to put under wood when I'm splitting it? I don't do any splitting from rounds, everything I do is just breaking down some of the larger pieces when I buy pre-split wood. My property slopes steeply from the street in the front to the woods in the back, so the area by my wood racks is always either mud, damp moss, or paved driveway. Is there anything sturdy enough to put under the splitting area so that I'm not driving the maul into the driveway and/or trying to split on a mush surface?

Short wood round. Best if it's real gnarly.

 

[wizards8507]

Short wood round. Best if it's real gnarly.

Won't it be hacked to s**t before too long? I tried splitting on the driveway and my 8 lb maul went about and inch into the asphalt. Wouldn't it do the same and worse to a wood base? I was thinking something like rubber...

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Won't it be hacked to s**t before too long? I tried splitting on the driveway and my 8 lb maul went about and inch into the asphalt. Wouldn't it do the same and worse to a wood base? I was thinking something like rubber...

Maybe. I've only been doing it this way for 30 years, so I could be wrong.

Seriously though, you'll lose some over time. But just get another one and burn the one that split.

 

[Ashful]

I used a short round of the most gnarly cedar you've ever seen, back when I split by hand. It was 20" diameter, but being cedar, still light enough to move around easily. I think it was about 16" tall, which put the wood being split at a good height, for me.

After maybe 16 cords split on it, it was still holding up fine, when I bought hydraulics and pushed it aside.

 

[Woody5506]

Wood round no doubt. They don't get destroyed that quickly, and if you're just chopping wood that's already split do you really need to be using the 8lb maul? In other words, something lighter won't just punch through the wood enough to dig an inch into asphalt, not to mention a wood round.

 

[Woody Stover]

Yep, like they said, get a crotch piece that's longer in one direction, and cut it about 8" thick. Hickory or the like will hold up a long time.

 

[wizards8507]

They don't get destroyed that quickly, and if you're just chopping wood that's already split do you really need to be using the 8lb maul?

Yes.

 

[johneh]

I have 24 in across 18 in tall spruce round that I pull a chair up to and split kindling
on . Also use it to split big ones to little ones Pull up a chair and split all day

 

[Del Griffith]

Didn't OP say he doesn't have any rounds? maybe some MDF or plywood, doubled up.

 

[Ashful]

Didn't OP say he doesn't have any rounds? maybe some MDF or plywood, doubled up.

Never too late to get one. Not like they're hen's teeth.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

wood pallets.

 

[Bad LP]

I have some spiral twisted log about two feet tall that will not take the edge of a maul. It bounces. Yes you read that right, it bounces.

 

[Hasufel]

I sometimes use cutoffs from a microllam beam. It's basically 1.5" thick high-quality plywood so it can take a beating.

 

[Tar12]

Find a piece of Osage Orange(Hedge)It will last a very long time...I have one out here now that I cut from a crotch piece...it is 8 years old

 

[CincyBurner]

piece of Osage Orange

That's what I'm using too, and about that old. After awhile the surrounding area is compacted wood debris/ humus.

 

[HisTreeNut]

+1 more on the rounds. I have a pine round that I have been using for over a year now. It is a little banged up, but still fine. It is just the right height and can even handle some of the monster rounds I have scrounged.

 

[Chas0218]

Get a 4x4 rubber mat from any farming store they call them stall mats. I never tried it but they are meant for horse stalls, and heavy rubber.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[blacktail]

Get a round and screw a tire to the top so you don't have to bend over and pick up all your splits from the ground.

 

[kavu]

As everyone has suggested, get yourself a round to use as the base. Maybe the guy you buy firewood from can supply you with a round. I am sure he has plenty of them. Make sure you get one that is notty as well. I used a straight round and my fiskar went through the first round then the second round into the ground. You also want it to be like 8 or 10 inches tall so its not making the round on top too tall to hit. Also, get yourself a fiskar x25 or x27. A lot easier to use then an 8lb maul and will split all those big splits like butter. A maul is more for breaking the big rounds into splits but the fiskar can do that as well.

 

[Tar12]

QUOTE="blacktail, post: 2163513, member: 18611"]Get a round and screw a tire to the top so you don't have to bend over and pick up all your splits from the ground.
View attachment 195482
View attachment 195483[/QUOTE]
WINNER!!

 

[Joe13]

This is the setup I'm using. It is a ash piece.




It tends to not split, since the energy is expelled into the round you are splitting. Should last a while, I've had this one for 3 years.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[WES999]

I made this splitting block, it is PT 4 X 6's nailed together, with a 2 sacrificial pieces of plywood on top, and a tire to keep
the rounds in place.