Wooden wedges for riving

[tombear]

My inadequate googling skills having failed me could anyone advise me on making wedges for riving green wood? There's plenty on using them but not much advice on such things as

The sizes that work best
How many needed for various sizes of job.
The shape that works bet, how pointy.
What direction of grain.
Which woods work best, I have some iron hard beech from a old work bench will that do?

and owt else I've missed!

atb

Tom

 

[British Red]

Don't over think it Tom. I find the angle needed varies by the workpiece size. I never needed more than six inches, angle similar to a door wedge. They are inherently disposable items.

 

[Mesquite]

Whenever I've split logs down I've just carved out some gluts.

Luckily it's been holly as it was on hand but any hardwood is good. Just make them from branches about 4" diameter with a taper about 12" long and make sure you bevel the edges of the striking surface to stop it burring over too fast.

 

[Tom Gold]

Tombear, tried this not so long ago with some very roughly made oak wedges which I used to split some well knotted pine with a home made wooden mallet to drive them. Here's a photo which may help. Actually had a lot of fun doing this - very satisfying if not too accademic! Cheers, T

 

[Tom Gold]

Ok, I'll try again with that photo....

 

[zornt]

If you can find a copy of The Woodrights Shop , By Roy Underhill. He has a chapter dedicated to making gkuts (wooden wedges) and mauls. Don't know pricing on your side of the pond, but maybe local library has one.

 

[tombear]

Thanks for that input, I do tend to over think things., but I sort of enjoy the process!

The book looks really interesting so I've put in a chit in for a copy with herself and she's found some over here for a little over a tenner

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/Woodwrigh...ft/6208468402/bd?cm_mmc=gmc-_-gmc-_-PLA-_-v01

ATB

Tom

 

[Robson Valley]

For years, I have split suitable wood carving pieces of western red cedar from shake blocks with a log mallet and a froe.
The best wedges are the ones which fit into the cracks. Door wedge shape (thanks BR). Their life expectancy is nil.
Cedar is very soft as you know. Cedar wedges work very well.

There have been a few times, out in the bush,
where I've got a biggish wedge in the end and have been able to "walk" a series of wedges along the side.

 

[tombear]

Received my copy of The Woodwrights Shop and its brilliant , thanks! There seams to be another 3 books in the series. I will admit I'd like them all but not being made of money realistically the one I'm most likely to get is the third one, "Further explorations in traditional Woodcraft" which covers things which I'm most likely to actually do .

Atb

Tom

 

[Buckshot]

Spine Oak is a brilliant wood for making wedges
I have used to create the split where none existed as well as following an existing one

 

[didicoy]

Spine Oak is a brilliant wood for making wedges
I have used to create the split where none existed as well as following an existing one

What is spine oak?

 

[Buckshot]

Blinking auto correct!!!
Corrected it twice and still Microsoft changed it. Grrrr
Spiney Oak (using an older version of MS on this pc) is the centre part of oak where the outer has rotted away. often seen lying on the ground where branches have fallen.
Neither of these are great pictures but hopefully you get the idea
Spiney Oak is surrounding the metal plate the fire sits on in this pic



A google search comes up with this
http://tinydoors.com/building-the-lantern-at-chelsea-flower-show/

 

[Robson Valley]

OK, so that's the core of the branch/stem. I'd expect heart wood, more tannin & lignin
and all-around tough, hard wood. Wedges would be a good application.

Splitting wood outdoors, I'm usually looking for what's at hand, having forgotten,
one more time, to round up any wedges in the shop.

 

[demographic]

I don't rive wood but I do make quite a few wooden wedges for work and tend to just use what's at hand.
I don't make them too steep and they go in easier. Hardwood being better than soft as it doesn't mushroom as badly.