Posted on 04/26/2014 3:45:42 PM PDT by Straight Vermonter
Science!
Axing technology is as old as time, but thanks to physics and people with good ideas, it has just been vastly improved upon.
Finnish inventor Heikki Kärnä “created an ax that works more as a splitter, lever and wedge all at once,” The Blaze writes.
Though it looks a little funny, it splits wood in record time.
Geek explains:
It’s essentially acting as a lever instead of a wedge (Vipukirves translates as Leveraxe). A regular axe needs to be driven downward with enough force to separate wood along the grain. That’s a lot of force, and if a log is hit off center, the axe blade can deflect at unexpected angles. That’s not good — your squishy flesh is much easier to split than a log.
So what makes a lever different than a wedge in this scenario? The Vipukirves still has a sharpened blade at the end, but it has a projection coming off the side that shifts the center of gravity away from the middle. At the point of impact, the edge is driven into the wood and slows down, but the kinetic energy contained in the 1.9 kilogram axe head continues down and to the side (because of the odd center of gravity). The rotational energy actually pushes the wood apart like a lever. A single strike can open an 8 cm gap in a log, which is more than enough to separate it.
Watch it in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jDR_2Zsr40#t=327
Oops forgot the source: http://www.caintv.com/brand-new-type-of-axe-shows-us
It does seem to be a very effect axe.
I’ve preferred to use a heavy splitting maul instead of an axe. But I’m getting older, and that tool of low tech wonder looks pretty good. Thanks.
I think that’s a good product, but I better AXE it again!
I’ve chopped some wood in my day, and I’ve never seen any wood chop quite that easily. It makes me wonder if that wood is a special wood that has had the moisture baked out of it.
Combined that might make for some easily chopped wood. Most wood outside is not completely dry, and does not chip anywhere near that easily.
If it truly is the new axe, I’m all for it. That would be a great improvement to say the least.
Yes, if it is that effective on face value in practical circumstances, it’s a very good axe. It’s design is interesting.
Oops. The price is a little high. I might build a hydraulic splitter instead.
The video looks impressive, and it seems like a winning design. However, I never had much trouble using an ordinary splitting maul on straight-grained, cured wood (as in the video). I have had 2 ft. long pieces that twisted nearly full-circle. The only way I could split them, was to wait until it dropped to 30 below, or colder. At that temperature, the wood becomes brittle, and splits easily. It would be interesting to see this lever splitter attacking some more challenging wood.
I can’t believe I just watched a seven and a half minute video showing some dude chopping wood.
(All the while wishing I had a wood burning stove or fireplace)
I’d like to try one. However, my problem is not with wood like that that will split easy but with wood full of knots.
I think its white maple that has a ripple grain that makes it exceptionally hard to split. I have a couple of planks laying on the ground to cross a small creek in my yard. They’ve been laying on the ground for around 15 years and are still rock hard.
When I worked at the saw mill we build all our catwalks out of white maple. We had to use a nail gun to get the nail started then pound them in with a hammer.
This was on “The Blaze” last week and I looked into it ...
1st , it isn’t new , this design dates to 2009 ,, and a similar design with the offset blade but without the “kick” preceeded it...
2nd , it isn’t useful for felling trees ,, WITH THE GRAIN ONLY ... it is useful for splitting cut lengths only.
3rd , it’s expensive ,, $250+ ,, and it’s out of stock
4th , in all the video’s you’ll see it’s being used on straight grain fast growing varieties of european softwood.
5th , also in all the video’s it’s COLD outside ,, and we all know that wood splits easier when cold/frozen
6th , Since the manufacturer hasn’t found a worldwide distributor for it in 5 years I’d say it’s usefulness is rather limited OR any company he approached is afraid of the wrist breaking twist action.
There is nothing more fun than a knotty 2’ wide log that you sink a splitting maul deep into then pound it further in with a sledge then proceed to pound a wedge or two half way down to get it to split.
I have split a fair amount of wood. The example of wood given seems frozen (easy splitting), straight grained (easy splitting), short (easy splitting) and sized to be contained in the tire (allows for multiple fast strokes).
I can see how the physics might work, but you cannot drive stakes or spikes with it (no flat back end), it takes up more space, and is more expensive. It is a replacement for a splitting maul, not an axe.
Give me a woodpile and a couple of hours with it, and I would let you know.
Hydraulic ram splitters are pretty nice, too, and only cost a few hundred. My father made one up before the were commercially common.
I have wood that will not split like that. I never saw wood like that before. I have knots in mine. The wood is frozen and quite brittle.
Hoooweee! That’s slicker ‘n snot!
Or fire up the Chainsaw and save yourself a lot of unneeded grief ;)
In 1940`s I watched my grandfather blow trees apart with dynamite for kindling and wood for the iron stove in the kitchen—
Sweet Music-
Who need Chopin?
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