Just tried a freshly cut piece of birch branch. I imagined I could break big bits because I've done enormous dried branches before, but I found the best I could do is a 30mm bit held in the hands. I could bend, and snap it, but breaking as a "Greenstick" I then had to twist it to completely to detach the two parts. I couldn't bend a 35mm bit that way, instead I had to put it over my knee. Jumping on it proved less effective than I thought ... because being green it just gave way and then bounced back.
I think my favourite technique is the "karate chop" down with the feet. If you have the confidence it works really well, but if you pick too big a bit, or aren't fully committed it doesn't work and the wood hits back - although never done a serious injury. A single axe blow to create a weak point and it is surprising how big the wood that can be broken.
Whats a dod!??Well it's like the universal 'dod'.
A dod of what ? we all know the relevent size of such, regardless of whether it's cream, pudding, bread, mud or concrete
But try finding any online dictionary definition of it......
What's your local colloquialism for a lump/piece/dollop ? It's a one name fits any normally understood bit of something.I have never heard the term dod before!
Interesting. The biggest I've ever broken by hand, has been probably about 12cm ... old and probably rotted but still will a lot of its strength. The basic technique is similar to the hitting on a stone, except you swing it around in a circle as fast as you can and hit it onto a tree where you want it to break. It's a great technique as you're using the heavy weight of the branch to do the breaking, so it works better the bigger the branch.
