For those who split wood

[Joel_BC]

This is pretty phenomenal to watch. It contains a pretty long video, and you can definitely get the idea by watching just 1/2 or 1/3 of it:

http://www.geek.com/news/physics-exploiting-axe-splits-wood-in-record-time-1591725/




This one, below, conveys the design principle. The slow motion offers a visual explanation of how it functions

They're expensive to buy right now. But given time, I'm pretty sure they'll go into mass production and be reasonable. Very possibly the way of the future.

 

[Hinotori]

The twisting kind of concerns me. I don't think my shoulder could take that. I've been using a 3 pound hand maul to split cedar and fir. I can do logs about a foot across. We bought a log splitter last year to make our life much easier and to do the large logs without pulling out the big splitting maul.

 

[Denim Deb]

Can't really tell from the video or the link if it would actually work well for me or not. They look to be splitting birch-which is normally pretty easy to split. I'd be more impressed if they were splitting some oak or sweet gum or anything w/a lot of knots!

 

[Joel_BC]

Can't really tell from the video or the link if it would actually work well for me or not. They look to be splitting birch-which is normally pretty easy to split. I'd be more impressed if they were splitting some oak or sweet gum or anything w/a lot of knots!

Good point. I had mentioned that to my wife as we were watching it, since only about 20% of the firewood we stockpile and burn is birch. I'm pretty sure that newbie axe would have a tougher time with real knotty wood - but then, again, only maybe 20% of our wood rounds are real knotty.

I use an 7-pound splitting maul with specially-forged side contours for forcing the wood apart. And I also use a largish double-bitted axe, and I also use a wedge and sledge for really tough rounds.

I stay open-minded about new designs. But I tend not to buy anything until it's been tested by the people in the world who can readily afford the high initial prices for these products. Once tried and proven after a few years, usually a product goes into a markedly increased level of production and distribution, and then the price tends to come way down.

 

[Denim Deb]

I get very little birch. Most of what I get is oak or wild black cherry.

 

[baymule]

Joel, that is really cool. I don't chop wood now, but I have in the past. I would like to have one of those, but not for $215 plus $65 for shipping. Our DSIL chops wood for their fireplace and it would be a nice gift for him.

 

[Marianne]

Pretty slick. DH still splits with a maul, but we bought more split wood last year than ever before and it's probably going to be like that next year, too.
Neighbor bought a nice gas splitter that we used for a day, too.

 

[Michael Hibberd]

I get very little birch. Most of what I get is oak or wild black cherry.

Oooh, what does that smell like when it burns?

 

[Denim Deb]

The cherry has a very nice smell. The oak I don't notice because that's what is burned for the most part around here. And of course, I only smell it if I go outside.