Wood splitting with the Twist

They way I see it is... It's none of my, yours, or theirs business how anyone does anything... But the person who is doing it.
'Safety' is a personal choice! It's no ones place how to tell someone else to be 'safe'.
I call it... Personal responsibility ;)

Thanks... I think folks should mind their own business :)
 
Every wood splitting demonstration I've seen has been done with wood that splits easily. I'd like to see one done with tough wood. Any idgit can make splitting alder look easy. Let's see it work on Elm or London Plane.
 
Square_peg said:
Every wood splitting demonstration I've seen has been done with wood that splits easily. I'd like to see one done with tough wood. Any idgit can make splitting alder look easy. Let's see it work on Elm or London Plane.
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Ain't that the truth :)
Except... I don't know what the hell 'London plane' is.
 
It's gnarly stuff, Bear. That 'Lacewood' link at the end of the wiki might explain why it's so tough. I've found it to have a coarse intertwined grain that resists splitting except under the greatest force. It will give your wedges a workout. On the plus side it burns forever and puts out a ton of heat. Good stuff.
 
I worked for a neighbor over the weekend splitting about 3/4 of a cord of mixed hardwoods, mostly Oak and Maple (Red and Sugar). I was keen on trying this out on more than just short bucks of straight hardwood and pine. It worked well. Really, really well. Maybe 10 percent it did not split well, and only a portion of those “required” a maul. The great majority of them split fine with the axe. 16-18 inch diameter Oak, with knots, were parted in half (not slabbed off, although that may have been more prudent) in 6 or 7 strategic swings. The axe was a MWH CO. (Kelly) reversible, on a 33 inch handle. I think it was around 3 3/4 pounds. I was pretty impressed at how quickly we were able to move through this amount of firewood in only about 3 hours. This wood was not hand picked, it was cut off roadsides and whatnot by town crews, etc so it was a pretty accurate sample of an “average” wood pile around here.
 
bearhunter said:
They way I see it is... It's none of my, yours, or theirs business how anyone does anything... But the person who is doing it.
'Safety' is a personal choice! It's no ones place how to tell someone else to be 'safe'.
I call it... Personal responsibility ;)

Thanks... I think folks should mind their own business :)
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Once someone posts a how to demonstration video on the internet I believe it becomes everyone's business.
 
Oh yeah, the bare feet. Please, folks, do not be alarmed; during the frost-free portion of the year we do much, if not most of our farm work barefoot. Gardening and scything nearly always so; ax-work sometimes. Ashley rarely wears shoes while working with bees, etc.

Some people feel differently, of course... As for our 'semi-primitive' ways -- we use all manner of sharp tools with hands and feet 'protected' by awareness rather than auxiliary gear…

In any case, it will not be of much use if, by way of comments, you try to enlighten us on safety issues. Though we do it ourselves on occasion, we do not specifically advocate bare feet while swinging a sharp ax.

-- Peter Vido, from the commentary to the video.
 
Steve Tall said:
...the old-timers rarely touched the un-split blocks with their hands. Starting at the edge of a pile to be split, they nudged (using the ax) the nearest piece into an approximate standing position. If the surface was uneven, they steadied it with the toe of their boot and then swung their ax in what essentially was the direction of their foot, more or less.

Today's safety inspectors would faint if they saw that… but once they regained consciousness they'd see the old man's foot still intact, with a large pile of split firewood gathering to his sides as he continues to work his way forward through the pile. (The old fellows weren't barefoot, but neither did their boots have steel toes in those days.)... --Peter Vido
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This 1921 ad for PLUMB axes apparently shows the old-timer technique of holding the wood steady with your foot while splitting it:


books
 
I tried this when I was home for Easter, and after a few swings to get the angle right it worked like a charm!
I ran to the house to grab my skeptical dad to show him and of course I picked the knottiest twisted chunk in the pile and needless to say my dad is still a skeptic.
 
I kind of wish I still burned wood! This is pretty slick. I grew up splitting firewood- red and white oak, maple, locust, hickory and some apple and wild cherry. We used 4 and 6lb mauls. Most done in late Summer and Fall.

I have used hatchets and even knives by batonning on small fairly clean grained wood. I may have to find someone burning wood and volunteer to do some splitting to try this ;)

Grandpa asked me once what a hatchet for and answered "It was design for removing the left thumbs of clumsy boys while splitting kindling". His joke not mine but it holds water.

Bill
 
Talfuchre said:
I watched the second video twice.

Apparently there were some logs she was swinging at - but I still haven't seen them.

TF
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Maybe a good idea not to be word-gawkin' in a venue wherein both the gawkee and her significant other are present members :)
 
Yes--methinks it might be much more tactful and welcoming to focus on the skills being demonstrated. :D
 
G-pig said:
Maybe a good idea not to be word-gawkin' in a venue wherein both the gawkee and her significant other are present members :)
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Hehe :D
That's okay darlin', don't let TF bother you. All I wonder is why anyone would watch it twice if they didn't like it the first time...

FortyTwo, I think the point was that Talfuchre didn't think much of the "skills" being demonstrated, and prefers the use of less-than-tactful sarcasm. No big deal, I didn't like those videos much either :)
 
G-pig said:
Maybe a good idea not to be word-gawkin' in a venue wherein both the gawkee and her significant other are present members :)
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And BOTH of them know how to use AXES! ;)

Like most Marines I am not all that bright.


(I hope you know I was just messin' around :) )

Sparrow - I thought a LOT of the skills actually. I have tried that twist quite a few times but thought I needed to twist it upon impact. I could never get it right. I am realizing now that I need to revisit this. I actually slowed down the video multiple times and watched the point of impact. I am seeing now what I am striving for.

I found the video to be funny in that you showed the point of the twist by doing things that people don't associate with axes. 1) Using them with rocks as a back stop (as well as other unorthodox backstops) 2) Having a woman swing the axe (no offense intended - I think women are just as capable if not more so than some men - but it isn't every day you see a woman using a double bit) 3) Having the user not wear shoes.

I just think any woman who can use an axe - WITH a dress on - gets prettier. That is all I was trying to get across. Excuse the crudeness.
 
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