Splitting logs
Author
Discussion

Patrick Bateman

Original Poster:

12,907 posts

194 months

Thursday 9th October
quotequote all
We’ve just had a spruce felled and chopped into rounds and will be looking to use it for firewood long term.

What’s the best way for me to cut the rounds into manageable logs? My obvious thinking was buying a splitting axe but are splitting wedges like this below a better or worse option?

Gakago Splitting wedge for wood - Powerful rotary splitting wedge with strong splitting action - Forged splitting wedge made of solid steel in signal colour and large impact surface https://amzn.eu/d/a0x6kza

Junglebert

166 posts

36 months

Thursday 9th October
quotequote all
Spruce isn’t a good firewood, too sappy and sparky.

Patrick Bateman

Original Poster:

12,907 posts

194 months

Thursday 9th October
quotequote all
It’s free firewood and I’ll be seasoning it so it’s getting used one way or another.

Bonefish Blues

33,817 posts

243 months

Thursday 9th October
quotequote all
Fiskars splitting axe did it for me. When I had a bigger quantity, I hired a vertical bench splitter for a day.

ETA
Just checked and it is the X27

Edited by Bonefish Blues on Friday 10th October 09:11

Patrick Bateman

Original Poster:

12,907 posts

194 months

Thursday 9th October
quotequote all
Bonefish Blues said:
Fiskars splitting axe did it for me. When I had a bigger quantity, I hired a vertical bench splitter for a day.
This one?

https://amzn.eu/d/hlw0lsn

Bonefish Blues

33,817 posts

243 months

Thursday 9th October
quotequote all
Yes that looks like it, albeit mine's black and orange. If you're anywhere near Bicester you're welcome to borrow it and have a swing at some logs.

okgo

41,219 posts

218 months

Thursday 9th October
quotequote all
I had to split tonnes (and I do mean tonnes) of wood as a kid as our house didn’t have heating. A splitting axe with a flat hammer on the reverse for using wedges on more tricky stuff did the job.

BoRED S2upid

20,883 posts

260 months

Thursday 9th October
quotequote all
Axe or wedge plus sledgehammer will do it but after you have dried it for a year. It’s not a great wood so I’m thinking give it a year then split then another 6 months before burning. Minimum.

Tim Cognito

872 posts

27 months

Thursday 9th October
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Fiskars x27 will do you. Split it sooner rather than later, store it somewhere with a lot of airflow to season and it should be fine to burn next winter.

loskie

6,612 posts

140 months

Thursday 9th October
quotequote all
Fiskars X27 like others said but do be careful. Unlike other axes they are razor sharp will cut your jeans with the merest brush. Spruce can be quite knotty and be hard to split. You'll get a good workout! I quite enjoy splitting logs.

Probably better to mix your spruce with some hardwoods.

StoutBench

1,509 posts

48 months

Thursday 9th October
quotequote all
BoRED S2upid said:
Axe or wedge plus sledgehammer will do it but after you have dried it for a year. It s not a great wood so I m thinking give it a year then split then another 6 months before burning. Minimum.
Don't give it a year then split. Split soon then give it a year or two to season properly.

Always split ASAP.

MC Bodge

26,393 posts

195 months

Thursday 9th October
quotequote all
loskie said:
Fiskars X27 like others said but do be careful. Unlike other axes they are razor sharp will cut your jeans with the merest brush.
That's not unique, but many axes have a poor edge & profile from the factory.

Gaumon

61 posts

16 months

Friday 10th October
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I thought you already owned an axe...


biggrin

loskie

6,612 posts

140 months

Friday 10th October
quotequote all
MC Bodge said:
loskie said:
Fiskars X27 like others said but do be careful. Unlike other axes they are razor sharp will cut your jeans with the merest brush.
That's not unique, but many axes have a poor edge & profile from the factory.
Most other axes are nowhere near as sharp. Fiskars tend to cut whilst others split. It's not about poor edge or profile but how they are designed.

Cow Corner

680 posts

50 months

Friday 10th October
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Another vote for the Fiskars X27.

Before splitting it’s worth doing a bit of research on technique to help you split both safely and effectively.

Split the wood asap after felling and stack somewhere with good airflow.

As above, spruce is not the best firewood, but fine to burn once properly seasoned - though it would be best mixed in with some hardwood to give you a longer burn. It can also be a bit spitty.

loskie

6,612 posts

140 months

Friday 10th October
quotequote all
It may well be bloody knotty. Expect a lot of swearing!

You get two lots of heat from firewood.

WyrleyD

2,252 posts

168 months

Friday 10th October
quotequote all
This aid Pistonheads after all so you actually NEED one of these: https://www.diy.com/departments/lazy-log-electric-... Used one for years splitting tons of wood when we had a log burner.

RizzoTheRat

27,571 posts

212 months

Friday 10th October
quotequote all
Wedges and grenades are for splitting awkward stuff that you're struggling to get through. A decent splitting maul/axe will get through most stuff, but make sure you get one that's intended for splitting not one intended for cutting, they're different jobs and will have different shaped heads.

wombleh

2,241 posts

142 months

Friday 10th October
quotequote all
Gaumon said:
I thought you already owned an axe...
Yes not sure why we’re advising Patrick on this topic!

Fiskers here, think it was the slightly smaller one than the 27 that they sell in b&q. I do have log grenade but hardly ever need it.

The kindling crackers are useful: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kindling-Cracker-Firewood...

Bonefish Blues

33,817 posts

243 months

Friday 10th October
quotequote all
WyrleyD said:
This aid Pistonheads after all so you actually NEED one of these: https://www.diy.com/departments/lazy-log-electric-... Used one for years splitting tons of wood when we had a log burner.
Dead link. One of these, I guess. The vertical one is what I've hired.

https://www.diy.com/search?term=lazy+log