The Girl shows how to split really resistant knotty logs - with rocks

[GGTBod]

Ah there are girls like this all about, you just have to find them, and sometimes encourage them a little.

One day i'll find one, it would be nice just to find one whose face does not automatically show revulsion at my functional clothing instead of fashion as i am travelling back from wild living smelling of fires and the outdoor life, can't exactly say i am motivated by vanity so i guess i often look a bit wilder than what the magazines and media they consume tell them a hot guy looks like this season

 

[susannewilliams]

One day i'll find one, it would be nice just to find one whose face does not automatically show revulsion at my functional clothing instead of fashion as i am travelling back from wild living smelling of fires and the outdoor life, can't exactly say i am motivated by vanity so i guess i often look a bit wilder than what the magazines and media they consume tell them a hot guy looks like this season

Just keep doing what you love doing....

S

 

[British Red]

Whaaat??

Sawing a wedge in comparison to picking up a rock?

Ummmmm

How bad is your picking up a rock technique?

Lets compare and contrast the prevalence of non fracturing flat or wedge shaped rocks with.....trees.

See, I can argue

 

[tsitenha]

How about a compromise, hit the wooden wedge with a rock. :You_Rock_The wedge rocks are just another use of the wedge, something to keep in file.
In the bush wooden wedges are faster to fabricate and use.
Susanne understand that by sharing info others will also share their point of view, like you, British Red has lots of experience from a different source.
Myself I like an ax the best.

 

[British Red]

Hey - Suzanne is out there doing it - I am just playing

I genuinely could never see myself splitting a log with stones - (especially when those logs would split vertically with the Ray saw splitting technique). Clearly those logs have been sawn - and a knife was present to start the split - so there were two tools (at least) on site to split wood better than with rocks - but its all good fun - why not try something new?

 

[susannewilliams]

Lets compare and contrast the prevalence of non fracturing flat or wedge shaped rocks with.....trees.

See, I can argue

Well... have a look at the video and see the immense preponderance of rocks of just that sort... pick em up, knock em in. Done.

I'd like to see the video where you cut & shape a wooden wedge and use it to successfully split a knotty log in less than 1:50 mins....


They don't need to be very wedge shaped at all. And most rocks have at least one natural wedge.
And it does not matter if they fracture....several of the ones I used did. You just pick up another one and keep going...

I. Want. To. See. The. Video.

(Just playing too...but I still want to see the video....)

 

[British Red]

Don't do video hun. Plenty of my axe and wedge photos around on the internet (and on this site). As in all things - its almost certainly a question of "it depends". I live in a fen. No rocks...seriously, none. It makes life fantastic as a homesteader - we have great soil. But rocks...nah.

However, if you would like to see a photo sequence of wood splitting with wood wedges, I'd be delighted to oblige. You can do the same. Shall we agree a hardwood log at least 8" in diameter and a couple of feet long?



I've always wanted to copy Old Jimbos answer to splitting with a mini hatchet (you can see it in the end of the trunk)

 

[Toddy]

I like a wedge for splitting timber, especially if I'm battoning it.

Interesting to see the stones used like that but it's a bit of a faff when one wedge, or even another stick looking at the width of that split, that doesn't risk your fingers (gloves), splits it no bother.

I know of using much bigger stones along the length of a trunk to split it for planks though. There it's a case of using what you have and if all you have is a small knife or a bronze axe then cutting out mahoosive wedges is a bit of a pain.
Splitting for tinder, or small carving though, a wooden wedge split off the outside of the round works fine.

.......this thread is going to degenerate into the batton/ don't batton dispute again, isn't it ?

atb,
M

 

[Toddy]

I'd like to see the video where you cut & shape a wooden wedge and use it to successfully split a knotty log in less than 1:50 mins....

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39163

M

Some photos of a wee knife in use wouldn't go amiss

Helle Polar, 70mm, triple laminated stainless steel, tanged blade.
Nice everyday knife, comfortable in the hand, easy to use and sharpen, keeps a good edge, I made the feather sticks without doing anything to the blade after battoning.......sorry no shaving, mother nature didn't provide enough arm hair for it to show
I strop it and then put it in it's sheath when I'm finished.

The log is a bit of bone dry pine from the last meet up. Took me about five minutes in total.

The log coggled at this one so I left it and went for the other side knowing I'd get the first side later.

Once the cut is made a wedge battoned in helps break apart even the most stubborn of logs

Kindling !

Feather sticks, and small splints

Stropping to tidy up.

Knife in sheath



I know, I need to redo this and take fresh photos.
M

 

[British Red]

...and that's a much thicker log too

 

[susannewilliams]

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39163

M

Some photos of a wee knife in use wouldn't go amiss

Helle Polar, 70mm, triple laminated stainless steel, tanged blade.
Nice everyday knife, comfortable in the hand, easy to use and sharpen, keeps a good edge, I made the feather sticks without doing anything to the blade after battoning.......sorry no shaving, mother nature didn't provide enough arm hair for it to show
I strop it and then put it in it's sheath when I'm finished.

The log is a bit of bone dry pine from the last meet up. Took me about five minutes in total.

The log coggled at this one so I left it and went for the other side knowing I'd get the first side later.

Once the cut is made a wedge battoned in helps break apart even the most stubborn of logs

Kindling !

Feather sticks, and small splints

Stropping to tidy up.

Knife in sheath



I know, I need to redo this and take fresh photos.
M

This is of course very neat. But no knots...

I like my wee knife and also use it in this way....

Peace

S

 

[British Red]

This is what I had in mind for splitting (since clearly the wood is sawn)...less than 1:50 - including the sawing

[video=youtube;lSOXU0rrqOM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSOXU0rrqOM[/video]

 

[susannewilliams]

Don't do video hun. Plenty of my axe and wedge photos around on the internet (and on this site). As in all things - its almost certainly a question of "it depends". I live in a fen. No rocks...seriously, none. It makes life fantastic as a homesteader - we have great soil. But rocks...nah.

However, if you would like to see a photo sequence of wood splitting with wood wedges, I'd be delighted to oblige. You can do the same. Shall we agree a hardwood log at least 8" in diameter and a couple of feet long?



I've always wanted to copy Old Jimbos answer to splitting with a mini hatchet (you can see it in the end of the trunk)

Actually I trained in forestry in Sweden and I understand about using axes and mauls, and wedges (including spiral wedges) to split logs lengthwise and otherwise... (The Ray method is awesome unless the woods has a big knot in it, like my piece did.)


I am talking about the scenario I was doing...

Splitting small wood for fire.
No axe. (I don't need one when you have a good leuku unless in winter boreal forest, when I take a full length forestry axe)
Knotty piece that would resist even a full length leuku (which I use for whole trees btw. The leuku was splitting the rest of those piece in 2-3 blows...no need for any kind of wedge...except when you get a KNOT...)

Fashion me a wooden wedge and use it to split a knotty piece of wood (that won't split with normal batoning) Do it in less than 1:51mins or forever hold your peace.

Of course if you haaave no rocks...

Then you need to do it another way...

 

[British Red]

Why would you split a knotty piece though? You clearly have a saw...why not just saw the knot off and split the straight stuff and get a good bed of embers going and chuck the knot on whole? Why make a fire tougher than it needs to be?

Trying to split a knot seems a bit silly really - the question is really" why did you saw that piece to include the knot" ?

 

[susannewilliams]

This is what I had in mind for splitting (since clearly the wood is sawn)...less than 1:50 - including the sawing

[video=youtube;lSOXU0rrqOM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSOXU0rrqOM[/video]

Yes we were taught that too. Awesome technique. Doesn't work when there is a big knot... Believe me I have tried....

 

[susannewilliams]

Why would you split a knotty piece though? You clearly have a saw...why not just saw the knot off and split the straight stuff and get a good bed of embers going and chuck the knot on whole? Why make a fire tougher than it needs to be?

Trying to split a knot seems a bit silly really - the question is really" why did you saw that piece to include the knot" ?

Maybe y'all aren't quite getting the picture here.

There are situations where you NEED to split the wood. And it is knotty and crappy. And you have no axe. You have a knife.

So when that happens, have a look around and see if there are any handy rocks...

If so - whap em in there....

Done.

Enjoy...

S

 

[Toddy]

Susanne, the knots aren't an issue with the wedge anymore than you claimed they were with the stones, and the bottom end of that log was a twist/snarl. Look at the kindling, it's not straight because of it.

M

 

[susannewilliams]

Susanne, the knots aren't an issue with the wedge anymore than you claimed they were with the stones, and the bottom end of that log was a twist/snarl. Look at the kindling, it's not straight because of it.

M

Indeed... but picking up stones is faster and easier than carving a wedge....

And the end of that nice log was nothing like the knot that was in that log I showed in the video...

Look you can argue with me until you are blue in the face....

If you don't want to use the technique, then don't....

If I can split with my leuku then I do.
If I have an axe with me then I use that
If the wood does not need to be split then I don't
If there are no rocks around then obviously I don't use them...

This is about having options....

Easy, efficient options....

Peace and play

S

 

[British Red]

There are situations where you NEED to split the wood. And it is knotty and crappy. And you have no axe. You have a knife.

..and a saw presumably as your log was sawn?

I'm not knocking the technique, I'm sure it works just fine, my point was rather, "so does a wood wedge". If there is wood to split, there will be a wood wedge. There may, or may not, be flat stones.

 

[susannewilliams]

..and a saw presumably as your log was sawn?

I'm not knocking the technique, I'm sure it works just fine, my point was rather, "so does a wood wedge". If there is wood to split, there will be a wood wedge. There may, or may not, be flat stones.

Yup and carving a wood wedge takes longer than picking up a rock....

If there are no rocks....then obviously this technique won't be used...

Peace (like you said - just playing...it's all good)

S