How to Split Difficult Logs
Introducing the Splitting Maul and the Log Splitter
These two new tools came into the ‘armoury’ this week and not before time because I always end up with 2 or 3 big logs that laugh at my normal axe (as it bounces off). But now I have two sure fire ways of splitting those difficult to break logs. Logs become difficult to split usually because there was a large branch joining the main trunk, which makes the grain real gnarly.
No1: The Splitting Maul
OK, tool №1: the splitting maul. Now I’ve been hanging my nose over these for years but resisted buying one, choosing to struggle with my axe instead, but I must be getting old, because now I need the extra ‘oomph’ that a maul offers. And lets be honest, it’s the proper tool for splitting logs anyway. Axes are for cutting down trees technically.
A splitting maul looks a bit like a sledge hammer with one end sharpened to a blunt blade. The steep angles of the blade are what gives the maul its advantage, as it forces the wood apart much more than a narrowly ground axe. Typically a maul will also be much heavier than your axe. This one for example is 3kgs which is about 6 and a half pounds. Quite a handful. It also means a maul won’t get stuck in your log anywhere near as much as an axe (if at all).
Take a look at B&Q’s splitting axe (as they call it) It has a fibreglass handle with rubber grips like mine and is available in the store, as you can imagine at 3.5KGs and three feet long you can’t post it!
And if the log laughs at the splitting maul it’s time for the big gun, or I should say ‘the bomb’ or ‘grenade’.
No2: The Wood or Log Grenade or Log Splitter
Tool №2: the wood grenade or log splitter. This is a rough lump of steel shaped like a three dimensional wedge or a tall pyramid. The wedge literally forces the log apart and nothing will survive it. SUPER IMPORTANT: you MUST wear eye protection (and also for any spectators within a ten foot radius) when using a ‘grenade’. You’ll see why when you use one. There is a tremendous amount of force in use here and it’s landing on top of a piece of steel. If a small piece breaks and ricochets off…… deadly.
Simply start the wood grenade off with a lump or club hammer (See pic of the invisible man starting mine…) and then drive it all the way in with a sledge hammer or the back side of your newly acquired splitting maul.
On really bad logs you might have to keep on driving the ‘bomb’ all the way through to the bottom!
(and don’t forget the eye protection!)
(click for close up pic)
This pic shows just why this log was impossible to split using an axe or the splitting maul. Such gnarly grain is impossible to split with an axe. Drive the log splitter all the way through until it breaks the log apart.
OK, hope that was useful and be careful with these tools, they have the potential to cause great harm. Be sensible and start slowly until you have got the hang of them.
I used a supplier on ebay.co.uk for the Log Grenade and a local store for the splitting maul, but of course you can find splitting mauls on amazon.co.uk or amazon.com too.
UPDATE: I found a few more places to get the log splitter…
Ebay have… Wood grenade
Amazon.co.uk has… Silverline Log Splitter
Stay well
Ian
p.s. Don’t forget you’ll be helping fund more articles like this is you use the above links as I’ll receive a small commission (at no cost to you) from B&Q, Amazon etc.
Originally published at handycrowd.com.
