Dougie Stirling

On 08/07/2023 at 14:00, Sviatoslav Tulin said:

Few more secrets my standard setup for splitting,as you can see I use no mauls  as it not efficient in my experience.I do have 15 ton log splitter not use it too slow and eating petrol in good amounts. We speak about domestic production ,commercial mashines it’s different level and price .

Thanks, great to see the set-up as my electric Bosch AKE 35 has just packed in, I'm hoping to open it up and see if I can fix it (I've an older spare one for parts). If not I'll be shelling out a fair bit for another. I'd like to get a petrol but fear it'll be too noisy for the neighbours the amount I use it.

Thanks for top tips, so it doesn't look like I'm being rude, I'm off on holiday for 10 days from tonight and so will catch up on advice when I'm back. Really appreciate the useful tips so far though.

1 hour ago, Muddy42 said:

Have you considered an mains electric splitter to go with your mains electric saw?  They can be slow but less effort than splitting by hand.

Yes, I've heard about electric splitters (5 tonne or so) and starting to think one might be amazing especially for the larger stuff (50cm+ diameter, and/or about 18inch+ depth), with a decent axe for normal/finishing stuff. A friend on the west coast actually has one and so I'm looking to head over in about 6 weeks to try it out.

I'm going to take away all the good advice and get next level stuff later this year I think - sounds like the husky s2800 and X21 are folks top picks but smoother good stuff in there too and likely see if I can try them all out. I definitely want a fibreglass handle though as changing handles seems beyond me at the moment.

....I'm also just turned 50 and have 3 kids so a guy's got to have somewhere to go hide 🙂  with toys to play with.

11 hours ago, neiln said:

I started out with the roughneck maul like you, then got an x27 for Xmas and boy what a difference!  I learnt lots of tricks, got quicker but just did more wood (12-15 cube a year) decided it was worth the investment in more axes....got an 8lb stihl/oschenkof maul for  the 'unsplitables' and an x21, that increased doubled or tripled my speed.  Then found the x21-27 gap too large, learnt to hang a head properly myself and got sent a true temper Jersey pattern head at just over 3lb.... that on 28" in easy stuff was sooooo fast. I only used a cheap haft though so eventually it broke.  At this time I was busy so just went online and bought cheap (very cheap,  spears and jackson) x25 and x23 ish copies. There is no 23, and the 2 axes aren't quite the right weight or length but you get the idea.   Those axes are rubbish compared to the fiskars but I use those 2 most as they are the right size for most stuff.   The x21 works BUT it's too short unless you're short.  This makes it impossible to use without a block and dangerous if you don't bend your legs..  2nd swing with it I hit my shin not the ground after a knot deflected the axe out sideways past my block... thankfully it was just stitches I needed.

Tbh, knowing what I know,  if buying fresh now, I'd get the husky/gardena axe at x23 ish size,  an x25 or s2800, an x27, and the stihl 8lb maul. Once you know how to split you'll use smaller axes most of the time. 

 

Oh and if you're any where near se19 you're welcome to come and split some wood for me....I mean try the different axes. 😉 

Thanks - I think birthday and Christmas are now both sorted. I'm very small 5'4" and while fit don't have the same strength as your regular tree surgeon handling logs every day. Sometimes makes me weep when I see the size they can lift compared to me but I'd like to think I'm better than average. So smaller axes may well suit me better. Sadly in the Edinburgh area or I'd have loved to trade axe blows so to speak - lol

7 minutes ago, Steven P said:

 

Not sure if the DIY warehouses still do them, B&Q have a very similar coloured Magnusson branded axe (made by Kingfisher... owners of B&Q), so check - not sure they will be the same quality.

 

 

I'd second a Fiskars, not used the mail for years really. The axe will get through most things.

 

Couple of tips

Electric saw shouldn't be too noisy, so go ahead when you want (remembering be social whatever).

Chain sharpening kit with measures are about the same as getting a chain or 2 sharpened at the shop, a no brainer to get one, need to replace the files every now and then

Chains - My Oregon one will sharpen quicker but loose its edge a bit quicker than the Stihl blade, but will easily do a few charges of the battery between sharpening.

Do the rakers as above, test each tooth as you go, I find if it just 'bites' my thumb it is OK (learrn quick enough how much pressure to use!!). I tend to run the flat file once along the top edge of the tooth as well, gives it a little sharper edge but never worked out if I should or shouldn't do this.

 

If I get any longer branches (2m or so), I'll split them lengthways - for a decent straight bit it will split in as many hits as chopping it and splitting, but the saw will cut it better (thinner wood, faster chain speed and so on). Also satisfying domestically seeing that length split.

Nothing wring with splitting a log edge on rather than from the cut end (with care of course that you hit it straight so it won't fly off somewhere uncontrolled)

Those little wedge shaped offcuts - perfect as... wedges.. for the knottier wood, hit with the axe, and put a wedge in where you can, knock it in if you can, will open the cut so your next hit will more than likely be where you hit before, put wedge in more and go again (obviously don't aim for the wedge). Often for a twisty but that won't quite go, a decent half log hit into a split will force it open,

Anything I can't get with the axe will either cut with the saw, awkward shapes go out to rot in my wood - for the bugs an toads to live in (I don't get many of them)

Quit the gym - use your work out time with the abs, legs, arm, making firewood

 

Big time saver is avoiding double handling.. but that is cancelled if you have to spend an hour sweeping saw dust and chippings off the drive. As above with the long lengths, I'll let them dry like that (holds the wood stacks together one every now and then), and chop to length in the garage (battery saw) - the saw dust is more contained there (most flies straight into the coal if you want to know). Brings me to new toys - a leaf blower is quicker than sweeping up and gets into the corners better

 

Thanks - maybe it's not the X21 at B&Q, I'll look next time I'm there. I'm definitely happy buying decent stuff though as I chop about 6-8m3 per year, maybe more as it's about 4-5 days worth of cutting and chopping, probably not much by some standards but still takes a fair bit if time and so appreciate all the tips for doing it quicker.

Handling seems like a good tip, I currently just do rounds on a block, I'm going to start trying other ways to see if I can get the knack.

Again thanks also for the rakers and chain advice, I can't believe I used to buy 2 chains a year and throw them away as I didn't know how to sharpen them and at £10 each felt it was cheap enough for helping to chop the logs. Most of the time I was running a blunt chain as wasn't aware what sharp was like. That was a fair few years ago though fortunately.

Thanks for all the advice on the rakers, I filed them down about half a dozen strokes earlier today and seems to pull more chips off the log without me needing to push the chain into the log as much so I think that's made a huge difference.

I need more practice on my golf axe swing, I think the handle was too long today, X21 might be the bad boy to sort that out. I'm torn between that or an electric log splitter for xmas.

2 hours ago, Bocca said:

A maul definitely has it’s uses for the heavier more seasoned stuff but get your hands on a Fiskars X21 axe. About £60 but worth every penny. The fibreglass shaft is virtually indestructible so the odd miss swing won’t hit you in the pocket. It’s incredibly lightweight and your body will thank you for it. 
 

I know a lot of the purists prefer a traditional ash handled axe, but the X21 is a game changer imo 

I've seen it before and always thought the X21 had a very straight handle, I'm going to go to the local hardware store (B&Q) and try one out. Thanks for the tip.

I love the fibreglass handles as the roughneck one has taken a fair hammering (my aim is rubbish half the time especially on the knots), I'm sure it's outlasted any wooden handled axe at least by 2 or 3 times.

2 hours ago, Will C said:

If you haven’t got a gauge for the rakers file 1 stroke off them to about 10 or 12 file strokes on the teeth.

 

if it’s grabby you have taken to much off if you have fine dusty saw dust they need more off.

Thanks that's going to save me buying a gauge and I'll have a shot at filing down the rakers today. I've the Husky chain file which looks to have a raker gauge on it so I'll youtube what I should be doing as that might help too. 

My dust is normally small square chips and it's when it turns to smaller dust or I have to fight to make a cut that I stop to sharpen. I'm pretty sure filing the rakers will be helpful though as I quite often feel I'm pushing down on the chainsaw rather than it pulling into the log.

Really appreciate everyone's tips as while I've been doing it for a few years I'm still self taught and so likely lots I can learn.

2 hours ago, AHPP said:

The best chain is Stihl. Every hour is about right. Rakers are important. I’d wager your choke point is manual handling and I’d wager double that a lot of that manual handling is setting the work on a splitting block. Watch Buckin Billy Ray Smith golf swing through rounds on the ground on YouTube. It’s the way. 

Just been checking out what the rakers are on a chain and I've never adjusted them, I'll have a look at this tomorrow and hope it helps - thanks for advice. Chain will have been run for about 20-30hrs so might make a huge difference.

Thanks for all replies, I've a roughneck splitting maul which seems to work well when the logs are drier but bounces back when they're wet. That's a good idea about splitting when green to dry quicker, I'll go try that tomorrow as I've 4 tonnes of logs on the drive which is why I thought worth asking for advice. 

I'm not sure what chains I have but I'll check and try some other brands to see if it makes any difference. I'm a go for good value guy as thanks for shout out on what's good value.

Blimey, I'm still watching Buckin Billy on Youtube and seems I'm doing it all wrong. Perhaps I need a sharper axe too 🙂  

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I tend to have a large round as my chopping block, something like 60-70cm diameter and 15cm thick (the biggest round the tree surgeons have dropped off). Then I put all the other rounds on this and chop through, this means I hit the base round when I split the log so avoid damaging the axe. I've just watched the Buckin Billy and never seen the golf swing approach, looks great for him and I might try it a few times when I'm feeling confident, I'd worry I chopped my toe (no make that foot) in half and I'm doing chopping on a concrete drive which will make it harder. I do season my logs for 12 months before I do my cutting which seems sensible and the logs are also half the weight by then.

I'd still love to know what makes a great chainsaw as my head say's it's got to be the chain that makes the difference so should I be spending on a fancy chain? Good to know I'm sharpening about the right amount of time thanks.

I've been a tip site for several years and been using an electric Bosche chainsaw to chop logs into lengths and a large log splitting axe to split the logs. I've 2 wood stores which hold about 6m2 which is enough for a winter. I'm using the wood for our woodburning stove which we use most days for about 6 months over winter, based in Scotland. It's generally quite a lot of work chopping and splitting each year, and I'm wondering if there's a better way to do it. I don't have a lot of space for an electric log splitter. I live in Edinburgh and so i'm already aware the neighbours are likely not loving the noise of the chainsaw. Wondering what folk would recommend or am I doing it about as good as it gets?

Secondly, I sharpen the chain on the chainsaw, and find the electric Bosche chainsaw reliable and pretty good but the chain needs sharpened fairly regularly (about every hour), is this normal? Tree surgeons all seem to use Husqvarna's but I'm thinking the chain would loose it's sharpness just as quickly so why are they so good and should I just be getting a husky chain?