A few questions about logs!

[kev7937]

A froe and an old inner tube are my weapons of choice for kindling.

 

As long as I can get some nice clean timber that is.

[Glencairn]

Try and keep up with this bloke!

 

 

 

Are they worth the price compared to a grandfors though?

 

This review of the vipukirves is more telling as it isn't by the seller-

[ame=

]

[/ame]

 

For kindling I reach for this for even stuff-

Morris Stick Chopper - £12.95 : Woodland Craft Supplies

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

I usually convert my logs and split my wood out in the wood if access is good. The advantage being that all the sawdust, flaked bark and shards are left in the wood for recycling and the clean split logs are ready to stack at home and will season quicker than if left lying around unsplit. I use a gransfors splitting axe and a unbranded maul for splitting the rounds and a cheap (probably chinese) hatchet for kindling. For splitting I use either the stump or a log from the butt. I dont bother with tyres or sawing horses as the logs are converted in the wood.

[neiln]

Glad you got an X27, they are great tools. Depending on what you are splitting and how gnarly it is you'll find some stuff that needs more oomph and may want a bigger maul too, 6 or 8lb head. I've a Stihl pro cleaving hammer which is pretty good but expensive at ~£85. If it were available in the UK thogh I'd get the Fiskars Isocore maul, only it isn't. I even asked Fiskars UK about it and they said they have no intention to bring it here, shame. Some amazon US sellers will ship it but it is then even more than the stihl cleaving hammer. The other option, and probably still needed on some rounds, is 2 or 3 wedges (I like the roughneck twist wedges and hate log grenades) and a sledge hammer.

 

No block lasts for ever, so keep a couple of larger knotty rounds to one side. A slight slope on its surface can help as often the round you are splitting will not be cut perfectly straight so a sloped block allows you to balance it easily. I'm currently using a bit of willow which on the down side the x27 sticks in a bit, but on the upside its light and easy to move. If like me you are space constrained and might need to move your block about a bit a lighter block is nice.

Depending on your set up you also need to think about storage, pallets to stack off the ground and a tarp for the top over the winter months, or build a more permanent drying shed.

You may also want to think about transport of rounds and splits, some sort of hand cart can be handy for gathering them up and moving to the wood shed or inside to the stove. I'm currently using an old pram which is brilliant for it.

I also suggest you consider a pickaroon/hookaroon or sappie (different names for the same thing) for picking up rounds and splits. I find mine a real back saver, far easier than bending down with both hands to pick up splits. I use a small one I made from a tool called a mortar pick which cost about £10, its a 15" long handled pickaxe basically. I also use a 30" handled bison one I got from ebay. the head on that is good, the handle was awful and broke in about 2 months. Just fitted a new hickory handle this morning so hope to get more use now. I bought cheap as I wasn't convinced how useful I'd find the tool but now i love them and if buying now would probably get the fiskars wood Xpert as the other fiskars tools seem so good.

 

Lastly, hardwood split now will not be dry for this winter, maybe ok for next but will be best left until 2019/20. Softwood split now may be burnable but not ideal for this winter, but will be fine for next. Work on a year ot dry softwood and 2 to 3 for hardwood, although cutting and splitting small for a small 5Kw stove means things dry a bit quicker.

 

and this really is the last (well maybe!) don't forget stuff like a companion set, stove fan and a set of chimney brushes for your Christmas list.

Enjoy

[Richard Thompson]

I use Oak for my chopping blocks but i always big up the benefits of pine chopping blocks to customers. easier to lift, cheaper, eco friendly Etc it also clears out the supply of pine rounds that would otherwise be dumped /kindling or recycled at the tip and saves the quality oak for firewood sales

pine also deteriorates quicker so i get rid of more of them

[Stumpy Grinder]

Glad you got an X27, they are great tools. Depending on what you are splitting and how gnarly it is you'll find some stuff that needs more oomph and may want a bigger maul too, 6 or 8lb head. I've a Stihl pro cleaving hammer which is pretty good but expensive at ~£85. If it were available in the UK thogh I'd get the Fiskars Isocore maul, only it isn't. I even asked Fiskars UK about it and they said they have no intention to bring it here, shame. Some amazon US sellers will ship it but it is then even more than the stihl cleaving hammer. The other option, and probably still needed on some rounds, is 2 or 3 wedges (I like the roughneck twist wedges and hate log grenades) and a sledge hammer.

 

No block lasts for ever, so keep a couple of larger knotty rounds to one side. A slight slope on its surface can help as often the round you are splitting will not be cut perfectly straight so a sloped block allows you to balance it easily. I'm currently using a bit of willow which on the down side the x27 sticks in a bit, but on the upside its light and easy to move. If like me you are space constrained and might need to move your block about a bit a lighter block is nice.

Depending on your set up you also need to think about storage, pallets to stack off the ground and a tarp for the top over the winter months, or build a more permanent drying shed.

You may also want to think about transport of rounds and splits, some sort of hand cart can be handy for gathering them up and moving to the wood shed or inside to the stove. I'm currently using an old pram which is brilliant for it.

I also suggest you consider a pickaroon/hookaroon or sappie (different names for the same thing) for picking up rounds and splits. I find mine a real back saver, far easier than bending down with both hands to pick up splits. I use a small one I made from a tool called a mortar pick which cost about £10, its a 15" long handled pickaxe basically. I also use a 30" handled bison one I got from ebay. the head on that is good, the handle was awful and broke in about 2 months. Just fitted a new hickory handle this morning so hope to get more use now. I bought cheap as I wasn't convinced how useful I'd find the tool but now i love them and if buying now would probably get the fiskars wood Xpert as the other fiskars tools seem so good.

 

Lastly, hardwood split now will not be dry for this winter, maybe ok for next but will be best left until 2019/20. Softwood split now may be burnable but not ideal for this winter, but will be fine for next. Work on a year ot dry softwood and 2 to 3 for hardwood, although cutting and splitting small for a small 5Kw stove means things dry a bit quicker.

 

and this really is the last (well maybe!) don't forget stuff like a companion set, stove fan and a set of chimney brushes for your Christmas list.

Enjoy

Thank you for taking the time to write such a comprehensive reply Neil.

The Fiskars Maul looks a bit of a brute and I found a UK supplier for you here:

https://www.fruugo.co.uk/splitting-maul-900-mm-3900-g-fiskars-122150/p-10237139-21518467?gclid=CjwKCAjw47bLBRBkEiwABh-PkfS0QyhgfblHfAiS6o8TQVspa0NLk2g56AGdV_Zwbux4CihpYOgWzBoCJigQAvD_BwE

I've not ordered one.........yet!

Regards,

SG:001_rolleyes:

Looks like it might actually come from Germany - but in good time and for £7!

Edited July 18, 2017 by Stumpy Grinder

[Goaty]

I usually convert my logs and split my wood out in the wood if access is good. The advantage being that all the sawdust, flaked bark and shards are left in the wood for recycling and the clean split logs are ready to stack at home and will season quicker than if left lying around unsplit. .

 

 

I've found chopping wood at source is a big time saver. No real tidying up and reduces multiple handling.

 

With the fiskars they don't handle misses very well. If chopping on concrete lay a plywood sheet down for protecting cutting edge.logs wobble or glance sideways from time to time.

My Oregon sawhorse like most is kaput. It has paid for itself many times over in time and back saving. Make one similar

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Arbtalk

[neiln]

Thank you for taking the time to write such a comprehensive reply Neil.

The Fiskars Maul looks a bit of a brute and I found a UK supplier for you here:

https://www.fruugo.co.uk/splitting-maul-900-mm-3900-g-fiskars-122150/p-10237139-21518467?gclid=CjwKCAjw47bLBRBkEiwABh-PkfS0QyhgfblHfAiS6o8TQVspa0NLk2g56AGdV_Zwbux4CihpYOgWzBoCJigQAvD_BwE

I've not ordered one.........yet!

Regards,

SG:001_rolleyes:

Looks like it might actually come from Germany - but in good time and for £7!

 

Your welcome, I hope you find some tips useful.

 

That maul you linked is the Spalthammer. it is available in Europe but not the US, the US last year brought out the isocore tool range including the maul. TBH the spalthammer is probably good and you'll find it at about 50 euro if you google, but I didn't find many reviews and wasn't sure on the shape, it looked old fashioned, gave me the impression it would stick. When maul sticks firm its a real PITA! I was considering it but then got the Stihl pro cleaving hammer as an ebay bargain. The other one to consider at the ~£100 price is the granfors bruks, its goregeous and probably the best quality...unless you drop ~£600 on a John Neeman. I'd be too scared to swing one of those!

[openspaceman]

G

Lastly, hardwood split now will not be dry for this winter, maybe ok for next but will be best left until 2019/20. Softwood split now may be burnable but not ideal for this winter, but will be fine for next. Work on a year ot dry softwood and 2 to 3 for hardwood, although cutting and splitting small for a small 5Kw stove means things dry a bit quicker.

 

 

All good advice. I make sure my wood is all stacked by May as I only have space for one year's wood. It's oak and chestnut seem to dry slowest whereas sycamore and alder dry quick if cut short 10" and split small.

 

From experiments last year as long as the airflow is good you can get down to 20% in a month under cover of summer temperatures

 

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/firewood-forum/89345-last-month-process-logs-sell-coming-winter-13.html#post1377335

[richardwale]

From experiments last year as long as the airflow is good you can get down to 20% in a month under cover of summer temperatures

 

I've just finished processing the last of this year's wood for sale, under cover in the open sided barn. Will be perfect to sell in December. My experience tells me fresh wood cut and split, under cover good airflow etc takes less than 12 weeks to become very acceptable to sell