[Closed] A splitting maul

At the risk of falling for what I half suspect is a trick question...split big logs into smaller logs.

No trick, I have never used an axe in my life. But as many of this parish have I wondered if I might get some pointers.

Like what do I sit my logs on for the aforementioned splitting. Do I just aim and fire with one big haymaker manoeuvre etc?

Just be glad this wasn't what she'd got you...

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Big round level piece on the floor for your chopping block (imagine a tree stump) then log for splitting stood vertically on top. Feet apart (in case you miss so you don't swing it into your shin), and let rip with your maul - hands apart to lift it over your head, slide your top hand down the shaft as you swing it down, let the weight of it do most of the work. That's how I do it anyway, I'm sure the odds of an argument on the matter are fairly good 🙂

Once you get your eye in and your aim accurate to an inch or so, stack the logs up and see how many you can get through. Great fun 🙂

Watch out for the knotted bits and the maul bouncing off them and flying in some random direction.

Ideally, a nice big round of tree trunk - preferably hardwood - cut from a tree on the junction of some branches coming off. This means it'll be hard as a hoors heart, and last for ages. And yes, you need to give it the welly, you'll get used to it.

Just had my first experience today.... only a 6lb er though. Was amazed at the ease it split the logs (still wet). Quite enjoyed ir!

If you haven't already it might be worth getting some steel toecap boots while using it.

He's right. Doing it in flip flops earns you a severe bollocking from the wife.

Tree stump for a chopping block make sure you are an arm and two axe lengths clear of anything you could hit all around and vertically. Imagine your ark continuing psst your target make sure the thing you would hit next will stop the axe and is not your leg or foot . away you go split logs vertically.

Get an old tyre and put several logs inside it - then split 'em all.

Right, appreciate the pointers particularly feet apart! I can't wait to use it tbh but was aware I'd need a base to work on. Where do I get a tree stump?

Incidentally I bought a cube of kiln dried wood a few months ago, but it's been far from dry imo, some of its been ok. Its been stored in a well ventilated shed but I'm not happy with it. Where or what should you be looking for when it comes to wood for your fire.

Do I get a chainsaw and seek my own?

What do you do?

Merak

Thing is as a wood burner virgin I'm not sure what to do with it!

Take it back and buy something half the weight 🙂

If you've got logs like this, keep it.

But for "normal" stuff a 3.5lb splitting axe is much nicer to use and it'll still cope with the big stuff.

8LBer way to go, better than a 6er! Enjoy.

I'd quite like logs like the vid but where does one get dem?

Thinking the 8lb'er might be overkill for me.

Don't miss....

It's a useful skill for sure.

Steel toe capped boots certainly. I've never hit my foot with the maul but some fairly chunky lumps of wood have. Just let it fall for the most part though, learning how to aim is something only experience will teach you.

When you have large logs like that guy has, try and hit along the rings in the wood, makes it much easier.
If you have a lot of wood it'll buff you up like no gym work can.

Practice.
7 seasons with a marquee firm, sledging in pins has given me a pretty good aim and swing.
Wife is rather nervous of the barefoot, on the phone, single handed overhead swing.

Maul can work both ways. Pointy bit in, log sticks on, flip maul and hammer block with the flat and logs weight finishes the split/frees it.

learning how to aim is something only experience will teach you.

Focus on a point and swing, the axe/maul will hit that point.

jimjam - Member
learning how to aim is something only experience will teach you.
Focus on a point and swing, the axe/maul will hit that point.

This. Much like the advice to cyclists and motorcyclists - if you are trying to avoid hitting something, don't look at it, as you will inevitably end up heading directly towards whatever you are focussed on... so when using the maul keep focussed on the point you want to hit, and keep your eyes open. Clearly eye protection is necessary as big, high-speed splinters are inevitable, occasionally towards your face.

slide your top hand down the shaft

I hoped someone would appreciate that

DO NOT do it like the bloke in the video. He's making life incredibly hard for himsef; trying to do all the work rather than lift the maul over his head like a felling axe, swinging and allowing the momentum to do it. He's also not helping himself by splitting directly on the ground, which is absorbing the impact. A maul is all about delivering a very large amount of energy very abruptly to one concentrated area.

I bet he was gasping for breath and sweating after dealing with the piece he split and stacked.

The other mistake the guy in the video makes is to wear gloves. General advice for any tools that need swinging is not to wear gloves as you can't grip as well.

When you make impact with the wood, your hands should be right next to one another. If they are apart, the you will get reverberations in your hands and arms

I think she is telling you that she wishes you were more manly 😉

If you're going to have a go at bits of tree like the ones in the video I'd recommend you get yourself a wood grenade, as it's unlikely to be as dry and easy to split as that in my experience. A wood grenade is quite as exciting as it sounds - it's a grenadeish shaped metal spike which you whack (many times in my case) with the hammer side of the maul to split the wood. About £15 from screwfix.

1 use some sort of block to stand the wood on, not soft ground (but don't do it on a hard surface like concrete or brick)
2 Get a tyre to hold the wood (saves picking it up all the time)
3 "use its weight" certainly doesn't work on anything big/tough, you have to be prepared to give it real welly
4 aim for the edge of the log (ie just inside the bark), splits much easier that way
5 grenades are a bit of a waste of time, better to just collect the tough bits and chainsaw them in a batch (assuming you have one - but as a stoveist, it's a bit of a no-brainer)
6 steel toecap boots and no-one else anywhere close - the maul will bounce off unpredictably sometimes

I've only being doing it a matter of months but this is what I've learnt so far and I hope I'm better than that guy in the video!

The guy in the video is mental and dangerous too much haste not enough speed . the maul should go over the head arms apart then gracefully arc down with your left hand sliding down the shaft to join your right at the heel of the shaft the left us sort of guiding the aim and adding a bit of swing to the weight of the axe but it should be gravity and the momentum of the axe splitting the wood not arm muscle. Also the gloves are useless and mean he needs to put too much effort into his grip .

crankboy - Member

The guy in the video is mental and dangerous too much haste not enough speed . the maul should go over the head arms apart then gracefully arc down with your left hand sliding down the shaft to join your right at the heel of the shaft the left us sort of guiding the aim and adding a bit of swing to the weight of the axe but it should be gravity and the momentum of the axe splitting the wood not arm muscle. Also the gloves are useless and mean he needs to put too much effort into his grip .

I think he's demonstrating how quickly he can split X amount of wood, which is a fairly common youtube video theme. He certainly looks clumsy, but he's clearly rushing for the sake of the video.
As for his technique, I doubt the balance of his maul would be conducive to much of an arcing swing. Anyway, I think it's a good demonstration of what a maul is actually for (busting huge logs, not little ones) and how cumbersome they can be.

I just got this one from the dreaded Amazon - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005GCTCLK?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

I have nowt to compare it to in terms of splitting mauls but it made short work of most of the rounds and bigger logs I needed to split. It's 6.5 lbs and I wouldn't want it any heavier as it got tiring after a bit.

I have to confess I felt extremely manly using it. Grrrrrr!

It quite straightforward apart from the sheer effort to hoist an 8lb maul making it hard work. The main point is to try and let the weight of the maul generate most of the down swing and just accelerate/aim it before it touches down to maximise the impact force for minimum effort. A 3-4lb wedge splitting axe is somewhat more versatile and less tiring for "normal" size blocks.

A stump to split on makes thing much easier and safer. Strapping the block before splitting can save you having to reach down quite some much. Some thin grippy gloves and some eyewear reduce the chance of getting nasty splinters.

You will find knotty blocks where there was a junction in the tree and these are a sod to split. Or you can think of it as good exercise!

That's exactly the same maul that I have. I did break the handle once a bit carelessly but replaced it with a bit more solid (also felt manly doing that 😀 ) and it's had a fair bit of use since.