We've been splitting wood all wrong

Mother Nature Network ^ | 1/28/14

[Kartographer]

The basic shape and design of the axe hasn't changed in, well, millennia, as attested to by archaeological discoveries from around the world. At least, that was true until an enterprising Finn decided to rethink the way we chop wood.

[Sequoyah101]

BTW, that is awfully straight grained wood. I’d like to see what it can do with some good twisted oak.

[Yosemitest]

Who's raising mahogany in the States?
I thought that was a tropical wood.

[SampleMan]

An 8 lb. splitting maul works pretty darn good, though this device might work better.

An axe is great for straight grained wood that splits easily, just because the maul isn't required and the axe is lighter. But yes, a maul is the tool for splitting wood.

[cripplecreek]

The first problem I spot with a wheel like that is that it could get packed up with snow and become seriously unbalanced.

[familyop]

A heavy splitting maul works fine for me.

[Vendome]

Yep

Or splitting blackjack ...

[WorkingClassFilth]

Shows what currency converter programs know. Still, at $260 it is still pretty steep.

[dangerdoc]

You must be splitting pine.

The stuff I’m splitting mocks anything less than an 8 lbs. I have a 12 pound maul for the tougher pieces but that thing just wears me out.

[abb]

It ain’t the weight, its the accuracy. Hitting the same spot works wonders.

[Psiman]

Cool! I want one of those.

[MHGinTN]

I looks like it would put a severe sudden torque on the wrists and elbows with each contact.

[Zeneta]

It's not just snow, some places are famous for their Mud

[MHGinTN]

Brilliant!

[Tucker39]

That thing’s slicker ‘n snot!
And so simple....and inexpensive.
And so low maintenance.
A terrific idea.
He almost effortlessly goes through a pile of unsplit firewood like poop through a goose!

[dangerdoc]

The stuff I split, momentum is important, you are so much splitting the grain as tearing the fibers that run between the grain.

[dangerdoc]

I spent $4.58 a gallon for propane last week. I'm out cutting extra firewood for next year, I'm burning all I have this year, as fast as I can, to try not to have to buy gas again this winter. We have a wood stove and a fireplace with gas logs, drives me nuts when I walk in the house and the kids have turned on the gas instead of adding more wood to the stove.

[dangerdoc]

http://ppl.ug/X4t1h-zha84

[SgtHooper]

Makes perfect sense. Perfect examples of pellet heat are burning elevators. I worked at a alfalfa pelleting plant for a few years. A piece of metal (e.g., wire) run through the pelletizing rollers would send a hot piece of metal up into the bins of pellets. If it was not realized right away, the fire got really hot and burned for a long time. The fire department hated these fires as they were quite dangerous and required a lot of hands-on cleanup.

[xzins]

I’m pretty sure when my pellet truck shows up it beats your log splitter every time, 4 tons of pellets in 10 minutes!

My wood is free.

[nvscanman]

Looks like it works OK on nice clean well dryed pine.
How well this works on hardwoods like oak is the true
test.