Here is a story I wrote up about my firewood splitting experience. I was splitting the wood to go camping with so, I believe this makes the story camping related. Before anybody points out that you are not suppose to move wood my local parks say it's OK as long as you don't bring the wood from more then 40 miles away. A couple of the parks I frequent don't even sell firewood so bringing it in is the only option if you want to have a wood campfire. I posted the fallowing story on my facebook site and my friends got a kick out of it. Here it is:I was out splitting wood tonight. By hand ! I figure I spend at least 400 bucks a year on fire wood just for fires at the park! I got some free wood but, it needed to be split. I borrowed a splitting wedge from a friend. (He doesn’t know it yet but, I will tell him and give it back) A splitting wedge is just what it sounds like. It’s just a wedge you hammer into the piece of wood to make it split into smaller pieces. I bought an 8 pound sledge hammer. I thought about the 5 pound hammer but, decided that I’m a real man, and that the 8 pound hammer would be better. (They had ones bigger then that but, I’m not that silly) After getting home I went at it. I took my shirt off and worked on my manly physique. That way some beautiful rich young woman will fall in love with me some day and give me all her money. I slung the hammer in long crushing blows. (Well in my mind’s eye I did anyway. In reality it took me quite a while to pound the wedge into the pieces. I also impressed myself by not managing get hurt. ) I got the wood all split up and into a pile ready for camping. It only took me three hours and now I have enough wood for,,,, 2 days of camping. The sledge hammer cost more then what it would have to just go buy 2 days’ worth of fire wood. Ooooo, my arms hurt now. I need to go take an ibuprofen. What was I thinking?

We've done the sledge and wedge deal...yes a whole lotta fun!? But if you split a lot of wood annually...buy a gas powered log splitter. It sure saves the trauma to the body.

I like the idea of using the sledge hammer and a wedge as I get to sit in the chair while I am doing it... I just got a great big pile of from a neighbors cut down tree and will be starting splitting soon. I'm out there with my good ole fresh ground bean coffee and my country music on the radio working away like I had good sense at 73 years old now...We too can bring in our own fire wood at our local camp ground. The woods behind my house is almost the same woods they cut up firewood from and sell for 50 cents a cut-up log.Since we never leave when most of the other campers leave we usually end up with everyones left over fire wood. Most of the time the campground clean-up crew brings it to us haha... Being a regular has its bennies I reckon... They like my fresh ground bean coffee too...When we leave and have left over firewood we always stack it up in plain view out front for anyone to take.Roy Ken

An eight pound splitting maul may be a better choice. I split/have split a lot of firewood. Ease of splitting is directly related to species and condition of wood. Have you found any beautiful rich young women with a bottle of liniment in hand, lol?

That is a good excuse to sit there in the shade and crack a few cold ones. Hun im going to split wood with this 12 pack.

Splitting Firewood. | Good Sam Community

wa8yxm
Explorer III
Jun 22, 2014
And as for the OP's investment in a sledge and wedges: Remember, you will have those for many many years, so don't try to amortize them off against a 2-3 day supply of campfire wood

2-3 day.. Well perhaps a week. I have to say though my RV is 9 years old, and I think the pointed wedge I have was .. Well a good nine years before I bought the class A, Likely in my PUP days, the straight wedge and sledge (Though not the handle) are older than that.
stetwood
Explorer
Jun 22, 2014
dewey02 wrote:
garyhaupt wrote:
For those that like to chop.....

http://www.geek.com/news/physics-exploiting-axe-splits-wood-in-record-time-1591725/

Gary Haupt

Looks very interesting and effective, but also very expensive.
I did see that he is chopping knot-free paper birch. And it is probably somewhat seasoned already (before chopping). And looking at the snow, the blocks are frozen which makes easier splitting too. Paper Birch is pretty easy to split. Now if he was chopping some elm and having those results...I think I'd buy in a minute!:)

And as for the OP's investment in a sledge and wedges: Remember, you will have those for many many years, so don't try to amortize them off against a 2-3 day supply of campfire wood. Also, if you don't already have these, also get yourself a splitting maul and a regular axe. Most wood doesn't require a sledge and wedges to split. If it isn't too big in diameter, and doesn't have a lot of knots or forks, many species split pretty easily.

If you have the choice, try to have most of your wood less than 1 foot diameter before splitting, and cut in about 18-24 inch length.
You will get much more efficient with practice...and your muscles will get more attractive too...bonus for the beautiful lady you will attract. She stays warm by a raging fire and gets a hunk as a side benefit.
Caveman_Charlie
Explorer II
Jun 11, 2014
jasult wrote:
I have best of both worlds. I heat my 4 bedroom colonial with wood here in Jersey. I bring my own wood when rving. I cut down trees in my excavating work and get paid to dispose of them so I modified this 2 ram log splitter by adding the second splitter on top of the bottom one. Monster logs are split from in cab using bottom 30 ton ram.
Then smaller splits are loaded on top ram with 4 way to split to my size.

Now that thing is cool!!! :C
Caveman_Charlie
Explorer II
Jun 11, 2014
Vulcaneer wrote:
Hey if you can't afford an electric log splitter, you shouldn't buy one.

If you want to split a camping season worth of fire wood at home, in 80 to 90 degree heat, a log splitter is the tool. The electrics work well, and cost much less than a gas job. Easier to store too. Mine is a 6 ton job and it splits up to 20" dia. Oak with no problem. And if aged (or frozen) wood even bigger.

Or else go out in high temps and humidity and swing a sledge or a splitting mall. Bring plenty of cold water with you. You'll need it.

Or do it the more easy way and buy your wood. Or the MOST easy way, don't have a campfire. It's all a choice. Do what you want. I don't care.

I'm sorry, I should have put a smiley face or, lol after my post. I was just kidding and trying to make a joke. I apologize for saying it incorrectly.
Caveman_Charlie
Explorer II
Jun 11, 2014
Vulcaneer wrote:
wa8yxm wrote:
but oh, 50 years ago growing up on the farm I worked the loft during bailing season, Tossing 80 pound bales over my head to my partner who stacked them.

In triple digit heat with 100% humidity.

(Scares me to even think of that kind of thing today)

Ohhhh! Does that bring back memories. We used to hoist them on a pitch fork, up over the head, with pitchfork vertical. More like 60 pound bales, but maybe more. Fresh cut hay is heavy. After each load about 60 to 80 bales, back onto the wagons and go back to the field to load them up again. And to load up the fourth tier on the trailers and wagons, we used the pitch forks again. Just real hard work. But you needed to clear the field before the rains (100% humidity) came. Got three or four cuttings a year. Through June thru September.

But the impressive thing is....My 60 year old grandfather would do it to. Right along with us. No way could I do that when I was 60.

Yup, I remember that too. Had a old classmate put on facebook the other day that he missies bailing hay. I said, "HECK NO" It sucked.
jasult
Explorer
Jun 11, 2014
I have best of both worlds. I heat my 4 bedroom colonial with wood here in Jersey. I bring my own wood when rving. I cut down trees in my excavating work and get paid to dispose of them so I modified this 2 ram log splitter by adding the second splitter on top of the bottom one. Monster logs are split from in cab using bottom 30 ton ram.
Then smaller splits are loaded on top ram with 4 way to split to my size.
Vulcaneer
Explorer
Jun 10, 2014
wa8yxm wrote:
but oh, 50 years ago growing up on the farm I worked the loft during bailing season, Tossing 80 pound bales over my head to my partner who stacked them.

In triple digit heat with 100% humidity.

(Scares me to even think of that kind of thing today)

Ohhhh! Does that bring back memories. We used to hoist them on a pitch fork, up over the head, with pitchfork vertical. More like 60 pound bales, but maybe more. Fresh cut hay is heavy. After each load about 60 to 80 bales, back onto the wagons and go back to the field to load them up again. And to load up the fourth tier on the trailers and wagons, we used the pitch forks again. Just real hard work. But you needed to clear the field before the rains (100% humidity) came. Got three or four cuttings a year. Through June thru September.

But the impressive thing is....My 60 year old grandfather would do it to. Right along with us. No way could I do that when I was 60.
PA12DRVR
Explorer
Jun 10, 2014
At the cabin, I heat with wood. 30 miles from the nearest road on an ATV trail. The trick I've found is to: a) cut down a tree (typically birch or spruce) in winter so it can be drug to the cabin by the snow-go; b) strip the tree at the time of cutting (run the chainsaw down it to peel a strip clean) so that it can begin to dry/season; c) buck the wood into no more than 12" long rounds; d) anything over 8 - 10" in diameter, use the slab technique as mentioned above; e) for everything else, a 2-man operation is preferable: 1 person with a monster maul, the other to set the rounds on the chopping block and/or to have a regular splitting maul as backup.

All goes easily at -20 or so and has worked at the cabin since 1972.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Jun 10, 2014
PAThwacker wrote:
I lift 100lb bombs onto my log splitter. IT IS NOT EASY WORK.

100 pounds I can handle at least a few of still but oh, 50 years ago growing up on the farm I worked the loft during bailing season, Tossing 80 pound bales over my head to my partner who stacked them.

In triple digit heat with 100% humidity.

(Scares me to even think of that kind of thing today)
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Jun 10, 2014
PAThwacker wrote:
I burn 4 to 5 cords per year. If purchased each costs $180 to $225= Max: $1125 annually

Typical northern 37 ton splitter $1,899

Sourcing, cutting, and transport is the pain in the butt.

Cords per year the splitter is likely worth it.

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