Just got a new axe, using the weight of wood to split?

[Biddlesby]

Got a proper axe today, a GB scandinavian forest. Passes all the mors and british red tests lovely, have tried it out on one unfortunate tree in the garden; it is scarily sharp and feels really natural to use. I hope to help out my neighbour a bit, who owns some woodland and has managed it for a long time now.

Of course, I want to use it properly and care for it properly. I understand it's not great for splitting wood - I tried it out and it just got stuck, like I expected it to. But it got me thinking about the common way to split wood when the axe is in the wood, which is to turn the whole assembly over, and use the log's own weight (I understand this is because it is in excess of the axe's weight?) to split itself. The little axe book that came with the axe says that it is not designed for any kind of pounding on the poll (unlike the splitting maul), but also mentions this method for splitting wood, which seems to place considerable pressure on the poll. A quick look at mors book on this technique: "this is hard on axe handles if you do not know what you are doing".

So my question is, how can you do this without being "hard" on the axe handles; what should you avoid doing?

Also, what is the hole on the knob for? I remember Jed saying putting a lanyard in it is just plain dangerous as it could easily snag, but I can't remember what he said it was actually for.

Cheers

 

[British Red]

It can be done, but you really need to use the correct angle so that you don't clip a corner of the poll or even an edge. The risk is of course that you pur stress on the handle by the sudden arrest of movement. Use a high chopping block (knee to mid thigh height) and lightly tap the poll allowing the weight of the log to force it over the axe. An overhead or high swing invited the log falling on you in any case so is fairly dumb.

Or buy a cheap maul with a collar!

My old forest axe is a right old war horse - I love it! As a limbing axe, theres nothing to touch it! One handed and standing on the "safe" side of the tree it rips through small branches

Red

 

[gregorach]

The little axe book that came with the axe says that it is not designed for any kind of pounding on the poll (unlike the splitting maul), but also mentions this method for splitting wood, which seems to place considerable pressure on the poll.

I'm pretty sure they mean pounding with a hammer or other metal implement. Battoning or reversing it on the block should be fine.

 

[Big Bad Stu]

I bow to everyone else's superior knowledge and can only speak from personal experience.

Over the last couple of years I have split several tons of logs with my Scandi Forst Axe using the method of burying the axe in the log, if it does not split first time invert the axe and drop it onto the chopping block (under it's own weight and that of the log) on the poll, this invariably results in a split log.

I cannot stress highly enough that I do not apply any extra force to the inverted drop. The only damage has been a couple of scuffs to the front of the helve. No structural damage what so ever.

I love my Scandi Forest Axe and have just realised that I don't use it enough! I also love my SFA and Wildlife Hatchet. The Scandi axe is the envy of several clients (I have all three mounted on the wall in pride of place) when I let them into the office that is!

Hope this helps.

Stewey.

 

[Biddlesby]

Ah, it's a great axe alright. It felled its first tree today.

Cheers all! I shall continue to invert the axe, add no force to the swing, and make sure its' dead on target. Although after looking at the GB range I can feel myself accumulating axes....though the student budget should put a stop to that!

 

[British Red]

Nah...you need to broaden out....the three maestros beckon

Reeves, Enocksson and Cegga!

Welcome to the dark side

 

[mr dazzler]

I use a home made mell to add load to the axce when splitting oak/ash fire wood's etc It is probaly about 3 or 4 pound weight laburnam or some such densley ormanental type wood (probabley about 1.5 rockwell hardness :yelrotflm ). Just light enough to use continuousley for a long time. The haft is only about inch and an eitgh diam, and 30 inches long, so more springy than the axe haft. I have never damaged the axe poll although the previuos owner used a hammer on it, lots of crescent moon shapes. I built a propre block about 2 foot 6 high from a 13 inch heavy ash log split in half, about 3 foot long on four 2 1/2 inch square ash leg's set in on tapered mortises. It sits on good concrete flag's set on about 8 inches of concrete, solid.

Main things I learned so far from slpitting experience FWIW

1/ Dont keep hitting the axe if the haft has gone anywhere near the split, resist the urge for just one more tap that would then need to be on the haft rather than metal poll
2/ Dont hit the haft with the mell
3/ Dont lever with the axe as you hit, let it go where it wants
4/ Use bigger wedges if the split is awkaward
5/ Its dangerous to try to use an axe that has stuck in a log, by lifting it and smashing both down together, sometimes the log will fall off and drop on your toes (good job I was wearing steelie's ) And this will definateley put extra destructive stresses on the axe haft
cheers Jonathan

I had never heard of tipping them upside down as has been posted I'll give that a try