Wood splitting for weaklings

[Bad LP]

Your guess is correct!

NW wasn’t that remote the last time I was over there. 😂
Edit: unless it’s Jackman but even then it’s no worse than Greenville.

 

[Mnebears]

Here is another alternative to the kindling splitter. It's been one of the most useful tools I ever bought. It's 4 lbs but whether you have a kindling splitter or this, you still have to swing a hammer.

View attachment 287680

I'll ponder that one - thanks. Now I'm going to sound like a ninny, but I have to be concerned about things with sharp edges and my not being much of a tool user. Since our situation is altered and I'm the only one taking care of both my husband and all the household things, I've become much more careful about anything that has potential for injury. If anything happens to me, the whole thing falls apart. That being said, and considering that we have adequate resources but are on a fixed income, I can't consider really expensive things that would definitely work more easily. I'm pretty strong (though I'm a klutz) and can swing a mallet so I'm liking the kindling splitter. The worse that happens is that I can't split all of it.

 

[Mnebears]

Actually, we're more westerly central. We love it here, but we've found it really hard to get paid help of any kind. We have wonderful neighbors who have been absolutely great to us. I can't say enough good things about them. If we let them, or asked them, they'd be waiting on us 24/7, but we never ask for help with anything that we can't do ourselves or do without - that would be taking advantage of their kindness. I want to do this on my own, without a huge expenditure, which I realize is asking a lot. I keep in mind that since my husband needs my constant presence, I can't do much for anyone in return and don't want to run up a karmic bill that I can't pay off. I mean to do this somehow on my own!

 

[CatfishHunter]

About 10yrs ago, we got a nice late fall snowstorm of 22" of wet snow in Northern MN. I love those kind of extreme weather events. My neighbor was away deer hunting that week but his wife was home. We lost power for 3 days as trees came down everywhere and knocked down the lines. Because of no power, my neighbor had to heat her home with wood. Since the power was out, the heat tape also wasn't running on their pipes so those froze. I spent a lot of time over there hauling wood to her door, hauling water up from the lake, and powering her cell phone from my generator. My neighbors who were both in their early 70s at the time were proud people that never asked for help.

Long story short, she baked me some cookies on her stove and he left a case of beer for me after getting back from deer hunting. That's what neighbors do for each other. Bake something for your neighbors or find some other way to thank them but let them help if they offer.

 

[Mnebears]

Thanks again to everyone for being so helpful. I think I have a good idea now of what the possibilities are - in general, and for me specifically. You're all so nice! It's much appreciated.

 

[whatyousmokin]

64 year old female here---I just purchased a (large sized) kindling splitter-- thanks to what I read here. Received it yesterday and tried it out immediately. It is awesome! It cuts like a hot knife through butter on my larger splits of seasoned wood. Love the safety of using this gem of a tool as opposed to swinging an axe, AND used it in my garage.

 

[clancey]

Been watching this thread for I am an older female who needs all the help that I can get..mnebears --hoping your loved one improves a whole lot and get back to normal once again...Also fully agree with you on how nice and encouraging the people are on this forum and very helpful as well..By learning from this thread I will purchase a large size wood splitter (whatyousmokingin) like you did and put in my garage and this will solve a my problem by the splitting the wood..thanks everyone for a very nice thread and forum...old mrs clancey

 

[Mnebears]

64 year old female here---I just purchased a (large sized) kindling splitter-- thanks to what I read here. Received it yesterday and tried it out immediately. It is awesome! It cuts like a hot knife through butter on my larger splits of seasoned wood. Love the safety of using this gem of a tool as opposed to swinging an axe, AND used it in my garage.

That's really good to hear! Can you tell us which one you got? I'm thinking this is the way to go for me, keeping everything in mind.

 

[whatyousmokin]

I got the King size (9" inside diameter) Kindling Cracker . I set the wood on the edge of the wedge, tap it to stay in place (if it needs it), then strike a blow, Doesn't take much force at all. This split wasn't every large and took a single, very light blow to split. Have split a few other larger pieces and took two or three blows.. This is seasoned ash.
Sorry about your husband, wishing him a speedy recovery. Take care.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I have an electric splitter just like the harbor freight one above, different brand name. It doesn't owe me a dime and will split most wood without too many knots. The trick is to not split the wood down the middle, but shave splits off the edges.

Other things you can try is sledge and wedges. You can get different weight sledge. You don't need to swing a heavy one.

 

[Mnebears]

Thanks very much! That looks doable. I think I'm going to go ahead and order the kindling cracker.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Check out a number of hand sledges before you buy. They can get heavy quickly.

 

[Mnebears]

Thanks, I'm looking into the sledges. Grateful for the kindness on this board and all the great advice. I'd have been dubious about any of this without talking to all of you.

 

[Max W]

I’m pretty sure there students at your distict‘s high school who need community service projects to graduate I bet with your new kindling cracker you could get a very willing young person(s) to swing a hammer and stack wood. You might even split while others carried and stacked. It can be new and hard for so many of us to ask for help. Don’t forget you are a part of a larger community and how good you felt when you did something for others. You can help someone ,or ones, learn what that is like.

Very funny thing, yesterday we came home to find a daughter’s gift was delivered, a Kindling Cracker.

 

[Mnebears]

I’m pretty sure there students at your distict‘s high school who need community service projects to graduate I bet with your new kindling cracker you could get a very willing young person(s) to swing a hammer and stack wood. You might even split while others carried and stacked. It can be new and hard for so many of us to ask for help. Don’t forget you are a part of a larger community and how good you felt when you did something for others. You can help someone ,or ones, learn what that is like.

Very funny thing, yesterday we came home to find a daughter’s gift was delivered, a Kindling Cracker.

That's a nice idea and I'll keep it in mind. For the moment, I seem to be doing ok on my own and I'm stubborn enough never to ask for help if I can possibly do it myself. The mighty Kindling Cracker came this morning and I immediately unpacked it and set about using it. I followed the instructions, placed the wood, gave it a half dozen mighty whacks and nothing happened! I was dismayed but hit it one more time and - BANG! - the wood split in half. It was absolutely great! I immediately did a half dozen more then reluctantly came inside to do other chores, but all morning I was curiously longing to go out and split some wood. It was calling to me. I think I might even get to enjoy this. Thanks, everyone!

 

[Dan Freeman]

LOL. You will! Splitting wood is fun. Merry Christmas.

 

[stoveliker]

That's a nice idea and I'll keep it in mind. For the moment, I seem to be doing ok on my own and I'm stubborn enough never to ask for help if I can possibly do it myself. The mighty Kindling Cracker came this morning and I immediately unpacked it and set about using it. I followed the instructions, placed the wood, gave it a half dozen mighty whacks and nothing happened! I was dismayed but hit it one more time and - BANG! - the wood split in half. It was absolutely great! I immediately did a half dozen more then reluctantly came inside to do other chores, but all morning I was curiously longing to go out and split some wood. It was calling to me. I think I might even get to enjoy this. Thanks, everyone!

Great; getting hooked already

Be safe, keep your attention focused, wear gloves and safety glasses (don't want to get flying splinters in your eyes!)

 

[Mnebears]

Great; getting hooked already

Be safe, keep your attention focused, wear gloves and safety glasses (don't want to get flying splinters in your eyes!)

Will do. Thanks, everyone, and Merry Christmas! May Santa bring you well seasoned wood in great abundance!

 

[mikey]

My wife and I are in our early seventies we stack our wood about two cords in a season, having a very small stove I find thinner splits work better but when I split with a maul my elbow pays the price. We purchased a kindling cracker this year and it has made my life so much easier. It is not just to make kindling it also works great to reduce the size of the splits so much so that we just purchased the XL size, a three pound sledge is so much easier on the old body.

 

[peakbagger]

A big plus for kindling cracker is a dead blow hammer. Amazon product ASIN B000QYC26K
Harbor Freight has them if you have store nearby. It does not bounce and transfers all the kinetic energy from the swing into the wood being split. They have them in different weights.

 

[Dataman]

I found that just using the branches for kindling was enough. I used to keep bin for them. Plus what came off Log Splitter (shards). More than enough kindling.

 

[mikey]

A big plus for kindling cracker is a dead blow hammer. Amazon product ASIN B000QYC26K
Harbor Freight has them if you have store nearby. It does not bounce and transfers all the kinetic energy from the swing into the wood being split. They have them in different weights.

What’s a dead blow hammer and why is it better than a regular mallet

 

[stoveliker]

Dead-blow hammer - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[FTG-05]

I made this kindling cracker in 2020. it works great for Pine and Poplar, not so much same sized Oak or Hickory.

The rings are 1" wide cut from a large high pressure cylinder; the blade is a sharpened but otherwise unheat treated Toyota truck leaf spring; the wedge is a piece of scrap 2" angle. Not hard to make, easy to use for Pine and Poplar - what's not to like?

 

[Dataman]

If Women Don't Find you Handsome, they should at Least Find You Handy.

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Nice Build. Never found the need for Kindling with all the Branches for Free with no Work at All.