1

As a noob wood cutter I've watched a bunch of YouTube videos, but the thing I never see is the person getting their ax stuck in the log.

I know you can turn the log upside down to free the ax but why am I having this issue (very often) and how can I avoid it?

I wondered, could my ax be too sharp so it sinks in too deep? I don't mind lots of hits needed to split the log, but having to keep freeing it is a real pain.

Mr. Boy
  • 2,427
  • 3
  • 21
  • 36

2 Answers2

1

Your axe blade might be ground at the wrong angle for splitting. Ideally, you need two axes, with blade of the "splitting" one ground to a thicker angle, so it doesn't penetrate the wood as far as a thinner blade.

For a big log, don't aim at the middle, but towards the edge nearest to you (that is safer than aiming at the edge furthest away, because of where the split pieces of wood and the axe blade are likely to end up). The wood in the middle is the strongest part of the tree, so aim at the weaker part instead.

Another "trick" is not to strike the wood exactly in the direction of the grain, but at a slight angle, so the axe blade forces the wood apart as it tries to cut into it.

All these tips work on the same basic principle - you are not trying to cut through the wood (which will fail when your axe gets stuck and comes to a stop, if you can't cut all the way through with a single stroke) but to make the wood break into two pieces along the grain.

Note, it's impossible to have an axe that is "too sharp." As with other hand-held cutting tools, sharper means safer, not more dangerous, because the axe is less likely to bounce off the wood and hit your legs or feet, instead of biting into the wood safely.

alephzero
  • 11,339
  • 1
  • 14
  • 22
  • 1
    I never split wood with an axe, only with a splitting maul or a splitting wedge hit with a sledgehammer. MUCH safer that way. Occasionally the wedge or maul would get stuck in the wood, at which point I used a 3 pound hammer (struck sideways) to free them. – Jurp Oct 20 '18 at 23:05
  • Wedges can be dangerous - they can jump out and fly a long way, if your aim with the sledgehammer isn't very accurate. – alephzero Oct 21 '18 at 08:24
  • I think "maul" is a US term. It isn't in the Oxford (British) English Dictionary with the meaning of "a tool for splitting wood," though it does have other meanings. In Middle English it meant a hammer or a club, not something with a bladed edge. It is in the Oxford US English Dictionary. – alephzero Oct 21 '18 at 08:32
  • I think you're right: it could be an American colloquialism. Sorry about any confusion. A splitting maul is essentially a sledgehammer with a tapered edge, not bladed like an axe; it's usually used for splitting wood: https://www.amleo.com/splitting-maul-large-eye-8-lb-with-36in-hickory-handle/p/11903/ – Jurp Oct 21 '18 at 12:43
  • A splitting ax is wider and heavier than a felling/cutting ax since as mentioned its job is not cutting. But not as blunt or heavy as a maul – Mr. Boy Oct 21 '18 at 16:50
0

If you're splitting down the tree, split up the tree. If you're splitting up the tree split down (I don't remember which way it is).

Split when the wood is frozen as it will be like splitting an ice cube.

black thumb
  • 8,786
  • 2
  • 30
  • 67