Splitting oak?
- Thread starter d.weglarz13
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A 10lb would be much too slow to be effective as a weapon but it can be one-handed easily if you want to show off. I can still one-hand my 16lb sledge and when I was younger I could swing a 20lb with great force one-handed.
16's and 20's are used for busting concrete. The secret to using them one-handed is conservation of inertia. On impact the hammer head bounces back up a little ways. At the top of that bounce you yank back on the handle generating speed and inertia. As the head passes your body you twist your wrist and convert the inertia into a full roundhouse swing. It takes less effort than you might think to do this. And your co-workers who don't know the trick will be amazed at your apparent strength.
But back to mauls. When a maul will do - will make the split in one or two blows - then it's more efficient than wedges. But beyond that you're much better off with wedges. I prefer flat wedges to grenade type wedges. I use them differently. Grenade wedges are placed near the center of the round and allowed to find the weak spot in the round. Flat wedges are placed near the edge in a strategic spot determined by user. Look for existing cracks to exploit or else seek a line through the center that doesn't cross any major knots. A flat wedge placed near the edge quickly makes it's own weak spot.
Also, when using wedges on very hard wood (what else would you use them for?) it's best if they have a very slightly concave bevel at the edge. The concave bevel helps them to take purchase on the wood instead of bouncing back and wasting your effort.
Lastly, a 3-4 pound hammer used one-handed is all you need for driving most wedges. The small hammers work more efficiently than bigger hammers do.
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Dont use a fiberglass mauls for driving wedges sold some years back every one that came back was used for driving wedges(heads would not stay on)
I find a 6lb maul with a shorter wood handle good for my wedge work
I find a 6lb maul with a shorter wood handle good for my wedge work
I'll get to try out some of these methods tonight. I scored some free firewood on Craigslist last night and it is all from a dead red oak tree. My 5'X8' trailer is about 3/4 full and some of the rounds are 36" across. Even with a ramp, those were a B*TCH to load. 
randy
randy
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..... dead red oak tree. .... 36" across. .....those were a B*TCH to load.
And likely won't be much easier to split. I see 3 wedges in your future.
Actually, so far, so good. I started on one 1/2 round while home for lunch and it split fairly well with an axe. Either it isn't as dead as I thought it was or I got lucky (not likely,
) I'm sure it'll take wedges to bust the big rounds in half, but based on this one piece, I should be able to slab it off with an axe after that.If that fails, I'll call my dad and we'll go hydraulic.
randy
...if that fails, i'll call my dad and we'll go hydraulic.
randy
no!!!!!! Don't do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I got lucky and the oak splits very well. The guy said the tree was dead and i think the outside 1-1/2" to 2" is dead/rotting but the inside of the trunk wasn't dead. Got about half of it processed this afternoon. the obligatory pics:
the haul
this is the round in the center of the trailer in the first pic, about 10"-12" thick with a nice crack to start with.
first split, axe is a Panther with a 36" handle.
cutting pieces of the pie
about 2 hours of work later
First Lieutenant Rock approves.
All splitting was done with either the Panther axe pictured or a Belknap Bluegrass.
a good afternoon spent outside.
randy
the haul
this is the round in the center of the trailer in the first pic, about 10"-12" thick with a nice crack to start with.
first split, axe is a Panther with a 36" handle.
cutting pieces of the pie
about 2 hours of work later
First Lieutenant Rock approves.
All splitting was done with either the Panther axe pictured or a Belknap Bluegrass.
a good afternoon spent outside.
randy
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Man, that looks like tons of fun to me :thumbup:
I've split a lot of oak over the years, but never with an axe, especially on 18"+/- pieces. As has been said, you always want to split oak when green, otherwise you pretty much must use an hydraulic splitter.
I've always used an 8 lb splitting maul, actually I have two mauls with different shaped heads and each one has a place, depending on the piece.
With larger "rounds" it is easier to split from the outside of the round and work your way in.
I've always used an 8 lb splitting maul, actually I have two mauls with different shaped heads and each one has a place, depending on the piece.
With larger "rounds" it is easier to split from the outside of the round and work your way in.
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Nice work, well done. Getting into some big ole pieces there.
I still believe in the Monster Maul, as I have split into pieces bigger than those pictured and not had to use a sledge and wedge.
Have I had to go to sledge and wedge before? You know it. But the Monster Maul makes it sooooo much easier.
I still believe in the Monster Maul, as I have split into pieces bigger than those pictured and not had to use a sledge and wedge.
Have I had to go to sledge and wedge before? You know it. But the Monster Maul makes it sooooo much easier.
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Nice work. that rock looks like rough boss.
Yep, he's especially pissed since i finished splitting the wood today and split up the round he was sitting on in the pic. Nah, Rock has been my truck riding, TV watching, Dorito chip eating (or any other food, for that matter) buddy for 9 years and he's still going strong.
Operator, thanks for the comments. I don't have a maul (at the moment, anyway), but when my dad was teaching me to split wood when i was 12 or 13 (long time ago), his advice was to not use anything heavier than you needed to to get the job done efficiently. If an axe wouldn't split it in 2-3 swings, move up to the maul; if the maul wouldn't split it in 2-3 swings, go to the sledge and wedge. I had to use the sledge and wedge on only one of these pieces and it had 2 big knots about 120 degrees apart. I wouldn't have taken that piece, knowing it'd be harder to split, but another craigslist scavenger got there before I did and had already cherry-picked the best cuts. But i had fun busting these big pieces and have enough to last through the winter, I think. ( i dont heat with wood, just the outdoor chimenea and some camping trips.)
randy
Well, sometimes the most spectacular are not the most difficult.
first split, axe is a Panther with a 36" handle.
Also nice straight grain.
You can see the rotten outer. Oak is pretty rot resistant. I've had oak left in some family property on moist forest floor near a stream for about ten years. Nothing that spectacular, more like 12". Anyway, it was rotten about one third but core wood was still in good condition.