Logging, chopping and storing firewood is a labor-intensive process. To facilitate this task, you need to use a good tool - a splitting ax, work according to the rules, or even mechanize labor. How to chop wood quickly, with the least effort - a few recommendations ...
How to choose the right cleaver
A cleaver for chopping firewood is a kind of ax - a heavy and blunt ax-sledgehammer and on a long ax handle. The main thing when splitting a log is the impact force, the more, the better. The second condition for the successful harvesting of firewood is the creation of bursting forces in the chock, from which it cracks. An ordinary ax - with a sharp, light, thin blade, is not an assistant here. The cleaver should be heavy and thick.
Experienced craftsmen usually choose a slightly longer ax handle, but for beginners and general home use, it is still better to stick to the average standard.
The hatchet is made of durable, but not hard wood. Birch is more commonly used. The softness of the handle material is very important. The material must dampen the vibration, if it does it poorly, it will break itself, and will give an unnecessary load on the woodcutter's hands.
Eared or wedge cleaver
Eared cleaver - with a sharp broadening of the blade. By design, this results in better cracking for the same impact force. The tool is used for exceptionally dry wood, with reduced fiber cohesion. In a wet log, he knows how to get stuck firmly.
A wedge-shaped cleaver can also chop a wet tree, which is always harder to cut than a dry one.
The connoisseur advises - you should not undertake to chop raw firewood. Let the chocks lie down for at least half a year - a year under a canopy. But frozen raw wood pricks well - frozen water bursts it from the inside. Therefore, you can just wait until winter ...
How to chop wood correctly
Big mistake in trying to apply super strength to hit. You need to strike a lot, energetic diligence will quickly take away strength with the help of a heavy cleaver. It is necessary to use the weight of the tool and the length of the handle as much as possible - the moment of force is directly proportional to both.
- A die (deck) is selected - the largest, raw and heavy, with a flat surface, not high. All splitting chocks should confidently stand on it.
- It is better to turn the chock so that the knots are at the bottom.
- To split, you need to beat along the visible knot, and not reproach it.
- You need to try to get into a visible crack.
- Too large chocks of firewood are first chipped around the edges,
Expert recommends. You should not drive an ax-cleaver into large logs, lift them on an ax by weight, turn them over and beat them with a butt on the chopping block - a lot of energy in vain and creating dangers, it is better to chip around the edges.
What size wood should be
For a confident entry into the winter, it is important that the results of firewood harvesting please. The length of the poles should be at the level of 3/4 of the length of the firebox. Usually sawmills (harvesters) of wood adhere to the standards in this case. But the ring is always individual. The average recommended size for a firebox is 10 cm. Thin firewood will burn out faster, but during this time they will give up all the energy inherent in their mass. Thick firewood will have a smaller burning area, they burn longer, and are better suited for maintaining a long burning. In general, the workpiece should contain both large and small ones, and over time, the optimal size of firewood will be found for a specific firebox and heating system.
Security measures
- The cleaver is heavy. Do not joke with this tool and work while drunk or tired.
- It is important to maintain balance and not put your feet in front of the split log, it is more convenient to place them wide.
- The chopping block, the deck should be larger than the processed chock and stand only steadily and not staggering.
- Do not cut firewood under trees, wires. An ax hook on an obstacle, a deviation from the trajectory, can cost too much ...
- Work in tight clothing with a hat and goggles. The flight of chips is always unpredictable.
- Soak the splitting ax in water for several hours before working to swell the wood. Don't use the wrong tool. The reliability of fastening to the ax must always be controlled.
Chopping wood on video
Many harvesters have their own working technique. It is desirable to split firewood with a minimum of effort expended. How to swing the ax handle in order to deliver maximum energy to the blow, and at the same time make the best use of inertia. Let's look at the video on the personal experience of people who often have to do this. The individual technique of working with a cleaver when chopping firewood is the main thing is a high toss, without much effort.
Also, ordinary failed car tires will help to chop firewood. They can be used as a bandage, which speeds up and simplifies the work.
How to chop wood with mechanical devices. A selection of videos of mechanized wood harvesting. A lot of presses, wood processing lines, self-made and in design bureaus that can chop wood have been created. Do they get it cheaper than a lumberjack…. Watch a video about chopping wood with machines…
It would seem, what secrets can be in such an ordinary matter as chopping firewood. However, this work is not as simple as it might seem from the outside at first glance, rather dangerous, time-consuming, requiring proven skills and good physical fitness, attentiveness and precautions.
Before sending firewood to the woodshed, it must be prepared for storage. If whole logs were purchased or prepared, then they must be cleaned of branches and protruding branches, and then sawn into logs from 40 centimeters to half a meter long. It is very important that the logs are approximately the same length, then the firewood will lie neatly in the woodpile. In addition, the uniformity of drying of firewood will depend on such evenness and accuracy.
Churbachki are measured with a wooden plank, which has a certain length and is called a measure. It is applied to a long log and the number of logs that can be obtained from this round timber is marked with files using an ordinary hacksaw. They cut the log with a two-handed saw or with the help of a chainsaw, placing it on stands called "goats".
When the logs are prepared, you can begin to chop them into poles. You can chop wood with an ax, or you can use a wood splitter specially designed for this. This device will greatly facilitate and speed up the work, since chopping firewood with an ax is not an easy task. If the house is heated only with the help of firewood and you have to make blanks every year, then it is better to purchase or make your own wood splitter. But, until it is acquired, it is worth learning how to chop wood with an ax correctly, as this is a rather dangerous occupation, especially if there is no experience and skill in this work.
Splitting with an ax
For the convenience of chopping firewood, a large wooden block-block is used, with a diameter and height of about a meter. This size is necessary for the stability of this stand and the ability to put a block of approximately the same or smaller diameter on top of it.
For such a deck-stand, a fragment from a log of a thick tree is carefully selected. It should have as many knots as possible, which will serve as a binder for the rest of the wood in the block, and make it denser. This is necessary in order to make it problematic to split it, since when chopping logs, it is impossible to avoid hitting the deck. If branches of sufficiently large branches come out of it, then some of them can be left sticking out to a length of 12-15 centimeters. They can serve as handles while carrying the deck from one place to another.
In addition to physical strength for chopping firewood, one must have the understanding that the heating efficiency depends on some other factors that must be taken into account when preparing fuel. For example, from the type of wood, the thickness and length of the poles, as well as their shape.
The poles should not be very thick, otherwise they will burn poorly and slowly, and also, if the firewood is not dried enough, they simply will not burn out completely, leaving behind unnecessary firebrands. Therefore, even such a seemingly simple task as chopping firewood must be approached with skill.
Trying on a blow should be on outstretched straight arms - at such a distance, safety will be observed, and there is less chance of breaking the ax due to inexperience. Smooth, not knotty logs are pricked along natural end cracks. Knotty - if possible, past the knots. If there are too many knots or they are very large, then it is necessary to prick from the side of the butt along the largest knots.
Thin logs are placed on a deck and split with an ax. The optimal diameter is about 12-15 centimeters; four logs will come out of such a log. If the log has a large diameter, sometimes you will have to resort to the help of a cleaver and wedges made of metal or hard wood. Lumberjacks with many years of experience in this occupation usually do the job with one ax, without resorting to auxiliary tools.
The figure shows the scheme of splitting a block of wood, depending on its diameter. So, you can prick on blocks, fours, sixes, eights.
Chopping wood is hard work, but it can be used to keep fit, as it can be compared to physical exercise. Being engaged in splitting firewood with an ax daily for 20-40 minutes, you can pump up good muscles.
And one more piece of advice - it is much better to prick wood, stuck with frost, with an ax.
Wood splitter
Today, urban and rural owners of houses in the private sector, which are heated by firewood, generally do not split firewood on their own, but prefer to buy already chopped logs or invite craftsmen to do this work.
Chopped firewood is an order of magnitude more expensive than round logs, and the invited woodcutter will also want to get a decent amount for his hard work, but many are willing to overpay, just not to do this overwork for some.
But not everyone who needs firewood knows that it is possible to split logs by adhering to certain standards and without making much effort. For this, a special mechanized installation - wood splitter. The main working tool in it is a special cone on which a thread is cut. Rotation is transmitted to it using a belt drive from an electric or gasoline engine.
By itself, this design is very simple. The main thing is to find all the elements necessary for it. Usually, metal parts such as a cone are ordered from a good turner. By the way, special accuracy in size when sharpening it is not required, and therefore the master must make the part quickly enough.
The main working tool of a mechanical wood splitter is a cone or "carrot"
If you have the skills to work with a "grinder", then you can try to make a cone yourself. To do this, you need to prepare a suitable metal blank and remove excess metal from it, reducing the workpiece to the desired shape. For convenience, such a blank is installed in the place where the cone should be installed, i.e. so that it rotates, then the metal will be removed evenly. Then a thread is cut on the cone with a step of five to seven millimeters and a depth of two to three millimeters.
To operate such a wood splitter, an electric motor or a gasoline-powered one is used. The last of them, of course, is more economical and more practical, since it is not tied to the availability of electricity and can be used anywhere, but selecting, installing and debugging it is more troublesome. The engine power for the operation of this device must be at least three kilowatts.
When making a gear for rotating a do-it-yourself wood splitter cone, it should be borne in mind that the optimal angular speed should be from 400 to 600 rpm. If you set excessively low speed, then the work will have to be done much longer, as the performance of the installation will decrease. Too high speed - there will be a great risk of jamming or even injury. Chain or belt transmission (reducer) for safety reasons must be closed with a metal casing.
For stability, supports from the cardan shaft of domestic Zhiguli are installed on the table panel, which in this case will serve as a support for the bearings in which the cone shaft is installed and rotates.
This mechanized wood splitter works according to a simple and understandable principle. A log is manually substituted to a rotating cone, it is screwed into the wood and splits it. If you need to split one of the resulting parts into two or three more logs, this will also quickly help to make a wood splitter, just put the log in the right place to it. The process of working with this device can be well considered and studied in the video below.
It is best to install this device next to the woodcutter so that you can immediately put the chopped firewood under the roof.
Video: work of a home mechanical wood splitter
It must be said that such an installation significantly facilitates the preparation for the winter, since it does not take much effort to prepare the required amount of fuel. You just need to put a block of wood on a stand and press it against a rotating cone with a fairly slight effort - this is practically all that is required from a "lumberjack". In a short time, a large amount of firewood can be chopped in this way.
And another important advantage of this method is its safety, compared with splitting firewood with an ax.
There are also more modern powerful wood splitters that work according to a different principle - a mechanical drive with a large presses the block of wood to the cleavers, which split it into ready-made logs. Depending on the power of such a unit and the thickness of the logs used, the output is 4, 8, 16 or even more logs.
Video: operation of an industrial wood splitter
Any homeowner has to chop wood if he chooses a tree for kindling. Consider how to professionally and quickly harvest firewood for heating your home.
It is necessary to understand the difference between the processes of chopping and chopping firewood. To chop is to divide a log or log into large fragments with the help of a cleaver. To chop is to divide into smaller parts, to cut off knots, to cut down thin trees. They usually chop thin logs, divide them with an ax into chips and a torch.
There are only two options for chopping firewood, either with or without special equipment.
mechanical way
This method involves the use of equipment. The best option is an electric conical screw cleaver. On the tabletop there is a rotating steel cone with a thread, which splits the block of wood brought to it. The hydraulic cleaver works on the same principle, but splitting occurs under the influence of a jack.
Both devices are quite dangerous to use. Without experience, it is better not to use it and first learn how to work with the mechanism.
Manual way
This method involves cutting firewood with a cleaver or an ax on a prepared deck.
What is needed for splitting wood?
To properly chop wood, you need to have the right tool.
- Deck.
This is a thick saw cut of a tree, installed vertically. The deck must be at least half a meter high and have a sufficiently large diameter. The knottier the deck, the stronger it will be. Outside, you need to leave a couple of knots that will serve as drag handles.
The stump for the deck is best taken from oak or elm. If there are none, you can use a thick birch, but such a deck will last less.
Oak decks serve about 8 years. To prevent the deck itself from splitting from blows, it is reinforced with a metal strip or chain.
- Ax or cleaver
An ax with a sharp blade is needed for cutting thin logs, removing knots, preparing wood chips. Colons are different. A heavy cleaver with a blunt blade wedged thick logs, dividing them into parts. Lightweight cleavers have the shape of a blade in the form of a sharpened wedge or a classic one.
The cleaver must be chosen correctly. Of course, the handle should be comfortable and fit the width of the palm. The weight is also selected “for yourself”, taking into account the fact that you have to swing. The handle should be birch, the hand rests well on it. Plastic or metal slide. There are rubberized handles, they are comfortable, but usually found on expensive instruments.
- Wedges.
They can be useful for splitting hard thick saw cuts of trees. Applied in addition to the cleaver, which makes its way through the block. A wedge is inserted into the formed crack. Clogged with a sledgehammer to split the log. Wedges can be smooth or serrated.
Preparatory stage for cutting wood
The preparatory stage involves sawing trees manually or mechanized. Better to use a chainsaw. You can saw by hand, then you need goats in which the log fits. It is faster to work together, but you can work alone.
The sawn tree is cut into logs, which must be 20% shorter in height than the length of the fuel compartment of the boiler or stove. The bark can not be removed yet. Knots are separated with the same saw or axe.
It is recommended to dry the tree, that is, the splitting should not be done immediately. It is not easy to cut a fresh tree; the tool gets stuck in damp wood. If work is carried out in winter, it is necessary to let the logs freeze well, then it will be easier to chop them.
Then prepare the equipment and the territory for work. The deck is placed on a flat area not far from the sawn logs and they begin to work.
Equipment
When chopping wood, the right equipment is just as important as the tools.
For work, you need to prepare protective accessories:
- Gloves. They should fit the hand well and not slide on the handle. It is better to take cloth ones with a rubberized palm or old leather ones. Mittens are not recommended as they may fall off the hand. If the ax handle slips out along with the mitten, it can end sadly.
- Goggles, half mask. Glasses must be clean (not scratched or dirty), this will reduce the accuracy of the impact.
- Comfortable shoes or boots.
- Clothing can be any, but not unbuttoned or very wide. Nothing should accidentally get under the ax or interfere with the power of the swing.
wood splitting technique
Compliance with the technique of chopping firewood manually and mechanically will allow you to work without unnecessary labor.
By hand
Large logs are chopped with a cleaver. It has a blunt blade that splits.
How to chop wood with a cleaver:
- Put the log on the deck by shifting it to the opposite edge of the base.
- Select the largest crack on the cut and hit it with a cleaver.
- With a smooth cut, choose a place without knots for impact.
- If the cleaver is stuck, it is necessary to hit the butt with a sledgehammer or drive a wedge next to it.
- The split block of wood continues to be divided into smaller parts.
- If the saw cut of the tree is too thick, it is better to start splitting from the edges, reducing its diameter.
How to chop wood with an axe:
- You can chop logs of small diameter by placing them vertically on the deck.
- The log, divided in half, is again placed vertically and split into quarters with an accurate blow of the ax.
- The bark is cut off the logs with an ax. The bark can be cut into small strips and used for lighting.
- You can continue to cut the log into chips. Chips are also good for kindling.
When chopping wood, technique is important. How to chop wood correctly:
- Legs should be shoulder-width apart. This is important for better support and safety. If the ax breaks out of the hands, it will not fall on the leg.
- Stand at arm's length from the deck. The ax with its end should touch the edge of the deck.
- With both hands, firmly grasp the handle of the tool and raise it to a sufficient height. Do not lift the tool high, otherwise the impact force will decrease.
- The blow must be sharp, you must use your own gravity and the power of the cleaver.
mechanically
The actions are very simple. Set the deck on the platform of the screw cleaver close to the cone. Turn on the unit. Holding the log from above, move it to the cone, which will screw into the tree and split it. Repeat the operation by turning the log 90 degrees.
When using a hydraulic jack, the block of wood is brought under the cutting part. The split log is brought back there again and so on to the desired size.
How to easily and quickly chop wood?
There is a little trick that allows you to easily and quickly chop wood. With a normal split, the logs fly far from the deck. You have to spend energy on collecting them and installing them again on the deck. For the back, the cutting process is already very difficult, and here you still have to spend effort on slopes.
It is necessary to take a tire, fix it on a deck and install a block of wood in it. If there is a metal cord on the tire, it must be removed. In case of accidental slipping, the cleaver can get a notch. When a log is split in the tire, the cut will not fly off and you can continue to divide it into small parts.
Security measures
Any operations with piercing and cutting tools must be carried out in compliance with appropriate safety measures:
- Strengthen the ax the day before splitting. Dip it in a bucket of water, the ax handle will swell, and the cleaver will sit down firmly. It is better to keep it in water for a few days. This measure only applies to tools with a wooden handle. If the handle is made of metal or plastic, then the operation is useless. You will have to check the strength of the structure manually.
- If an ax is used, it must be well sharpened. The ax must be sharpened before each felling.
- Make sure that there is no one within a radius of three meters from the deck. Also, do not chop wood close to the windows, a log can fly off there. An inexperienced woodcutter can leave empty space around and more.
- Do not try to make a split along the knot, the cleaver can either fly off or get stuck tightly.
- Do not wear gloves, they can slip off your hand or change the force of the blow. This poses a risk of injury. You can only wear gloves.
- When using mechanization, keep your hands as far away from the cutting tool as possible.
After cutting, you need to put firewood in a woodpile, leaving air space between them. It is better to fold the woodpile after the entire cutting process is completed. Gradually, the work of chopping firewood will become familiar and the speed will increase significantly.
Intelligent preparation and subsequent mastering of the correct splitting technique can turn the preparation of firewood for a sauna stove or fireplace into an everyday activity that does not take much effort. Our article will help you choose the right tool, competently organize the progress of work and do the job quickly.
Considering the preparation of firewood professionally, it is necessary to separate the fundamentally different concepts of “chopping” and “chopping”, performed by various tools.
We prepare the tool
There are two types of hand tools for chopping wood:
- A heavy sledgehammer with a blunt blade that splits logs like a wedge. Requires considerable effort when swinging, but effectively splits large logs.
- Various lightweight versions of the classic cleaver: "eared", with a blade in the form of a rhombus or others with any protrusions of the body designed for splitting wood. It is easier to swing them, but the impact force is less.
With a serious approach to harvesting firewood, both varieties are used. The “eared” cleaver copes with most of the stumps, and for large specimens, a sledgehammer cleaver is preferable. In addition, a spare tool will always come in handy when one tool breaks down in order to complete the planned amount of work.
Splitting axes with a sharp blade are intended for cutting wood. Used for felling small trees, chopping thin fresh logs, removing knots and pricking wood chips for kindling.
The short handle of the tool (400-600 mm) is convenient when splitting small dry firewood, the long handle (up to 100 mm) will help to break a thick stump. Splitting cleavers with a semicircular blade better split damp and resinous wood, direct sharpening of the cutting part contributes to the splitting of large diameter logs.
Notch for memory. The length, shape and material of the handle, the weight of the tool as a whole are purely individual parameters, probably determined only in practice. First of all, the cleaver should be comfortable and confidently "lie in the hand."
To cut stubborn stumps with knots and a dense ornate structure, additional metal wedges may be needed.
Organize the workplace
It is important that there is enough space on the site for the swing of the cleaver, as well as for the departure of split logs. When working under a canopy or in a barn, the height of the ceiling must exceed the distance determined by the cleaver raised on an outstretched arm.
Chopping logs are placed on a deck, which is a stable knee-high stump placed on an inelastic and hard surface - thick concrete or trampled earth. A stump with knots and twists that has not yet cracked is best suited.
Remember about safety
When planning to split firewood, prepare protective equipment:
- Gloves or mittens of good quality, non-slip on the handle.
- Plastic safety goggles.
- Sturdy work boots.
Before work, inspect the tool: check the integrity of the handle, the reliability of its fastening. Never use a defective cleaver or axe.
Notch for memory. On the eve of chopping wood, lower the cleaver with a wooden handle into a bucket of water - the wood will swell overnight and will hold on stronger.
It is always necessary to remember that the main thing is not to harm yourself and others. Before working, assess the situation with your eyes and make sure that there are no random people or animals nearby.
Chopping wood correctly
Dry or frozen stumps are easier to split, so plan on harvesting firewood in advance. It is more expedient to dry a freshly sawn forest than to overstrain and suffer with "green" logs.
Place the block of wood on the chopping block with the knots down, placing it closer to the opposite side of the deck. Find the crack and turn it towards you. When there are no crevices, choose a split point away from or between knots. Make sure the log is stable.
Notch for memory. Strong wide stumps are easier to split with three blows along the intended line: the first is hit in the center, the second - in the far part, and the final blow falls on the near part.
Before the swing, take the correct position: the deck is in the center, and the legs are wider than the shoulders - this will give balance and secure in case of a miss. Keep at such a distance from the stump that you can touch its center with the tip of the blade. If you stand further, the cleaver will enter the ground, if you are closer, the ax handle will hit the wood and beat off your hands.
Take the cleaver with your left hand at the end of the handle, and with your right grab closer to the tip. Slightly bending your legs and simultaneously straightening your arms, lift the tool up. Lower the right hand along the handle down, and now direct the cleaver with acceleration to the block of wood.
It is not at all necessary to waste energy on an excessive swing, trying to lift the cleaver higher. It is much more efficient to raise the tool to a sufficient height, then lower it sharply and abruptly, making the most of the weight of the tool itself.
If it didn’t work out with the first blow, pull out the ax, loosening it up and down. A firmly planted tip can be used instead of a wedge and hit with a sledgehammer on the blunt part of the cleaver.
Notch for memory. Prick logs of large diameter start from the edges, slowly chipping off small parallel pieces. And hemp with a lot of knots is better to postpone for later.
A small block of wood is lifted with a stuck ax and, turning it upside down, hits the deck hard.
Repeat blows until the stump is completely split, trying to hit in one place. Try to use different speed and strength of the swing, work intelligently and take your time. Over time, an intuitive feeling will appear of how hard you should hit this or that log.
Having chopped up decent piles of firewood, put them in the woodshed, freeing the site. Do not wait until the flying logs begin to fall on your feet.
Unaccustomed to chopping firewood seems like hard work, but gradually it becomes an exciting activity, in some ways even gambling.
- What and where to cut
- Manual splitting method
- Preparatory stage
- Choosing a place for chopping firewood
- Rules for choosing a pedestal for logs
- Secrets and rules for efficient wood cutting
- Traditional wood cutting process
- Recommendations for beginner woodcutters
- Recommendations for facilitating wood splitting
Chopping wood is a very difficult task, the complexity of which is realized by people who at least once in their life tried to chop logs. Most people believe that there is nothing complicated in this matter - just pick up an ax, and everything will go on as usual. But in fact, it is necessary to adhere to a certain technique and know a number of nuances that will allow you to master this craft. Let's try to figure out what is necessary for chopping firewood and what security measures to follow so that the event does not end fatally.
What and where to cut
Chopping firewood can be done in the traditional manual way or with the help of modern mechanical and electrical devices. We propose to consider each of the options in more detail.
Manual splitting method
Traditionally, a wood splitter is used for chopping firewood, since chopping with an ax is considered less efficient and takes more time. Basically, an ax is used to chop off knots or to cut wood chips for ignition. Therefore, in the course of work, you will also need a well-sharpened ax.
Tip: often a cleaver with a massive wooden handle is used to cut firewood, but now there are models with plastic handles. The use of the latter implies confident handling of the tool, so such splitters are not recommended for beginners. Otherwise, there is a high probability of splitting the plastic handle even with one wrong blow.
However, cast and forged products are considered the best. When buying a tool designed for chopping firewood, you should pay attention to hardening (it is checked by sound). It is recommended to choose products with a sonorous sound.
Also, when buying it, pay attention to:
- handle (choose a model of a cleaver that will be comfortable to hold in your hand);
- the length of the handle and the mass of the cleaver (selected individually).
Preparatory stage
Basically, the wood fuel harvesting process consists of:
- preparatory stage (it includes cutting logs and branches into logs of the required length);
- the felling process itself (manually or mechanically).
Tip: sawing logs is done in such a way that the resulting logs can fit in the firebox of a boiler or stove. However, it is not at all necessary to "adjust" them to the desired size with geometric accuracy. It is allowed that the length of the logs be 20-25% less.
Choosing a place for chopping firewood
Choose a spacious area where there are no people. Indeed, when splitting, chips and knots scatter in all directions and can cause damage to the health of an outsider. It is also important that there are no fragile or breakable objects within a radius of three meters. If you have chosen a place for chopping firewood, then it's time to install the "Deck" (the lower part of the tree is used as it). The stand must be placed on a level surface.
Tip: if you do not yet belong to the category of experienced wood cutters, then you need to increase the radius of the "emptiness zone" to 5 meters.
Rules for choosing a pedestal for logs:
- It is recommended to choose logs from large trees. As a rule, they are characterized by denser wood. Such structure will not allow a cleaver or a special device to instantly split it.
- Choose logs with a lot of knots. Their abundance makes the wood even more dense, and, accordingly, hardy.
- It is not recommended to remove long knots. It is very convenient to hold the pedestal for them, rearranging from place to place in the process of work.
Features of chopping wood with tools
Very quickly, in the process of chopping firewood, not only the hands, tirelessly waving the cleaver, but also the back begin to hurt. Therefore, it is absolutely normal that the owners of houses with stove or fireplace heating want to make their task easier. To do this, they come to the aid of all kinds of devices designed for chopping firewood. Due to the high cost, professional installations will not be suitable for most people who regularly deal with chopping wood. Therefore, we will consider only those devices, the use of which will be appropriate in a private courtyard.
To begin with, it must be said that there are various machines and devices that allow you to optimize the process of chopping firewood. Among them there are mechanical, electrical, hydraulic. Some of them run on gasoline, while others run on diesel fuel. Let's take a look at the most popular types.
- For cutting logs mechanically, it is customary to use a machine on which a log is attached, and then the cleaver is driven using a lever system.
- The hydraulic cleaver works according to a similar algorithm, although in this case the force is created using a hydraulic jack. Despite their efficiency in work, they have a significant disadvantage - a rather high price.
- Electric cleavers are beginning to enjoy increased popularity due to their ease of use and high productivity. However, this type of apparatus is quite traumatic, since one wrong move can lead to serious health problems.
Secrets of the correct and effective cutting of firewood
If you are going to chop wood with a special device, then you should not have any special problems. But if you are aimed at mastering the felling technique in the traditional way, you certainly cannot do without knowing the secrets and a number of nuances. What is important to remember:
- Before chopping wood, it is recommended to let the logs freeze or dry. Freshly cut wood is harder to cut.
- The length of the firewood must be selected based on the size of the firebox space. Usually their length is equal to ¾ of the length of the stove or fireplace insert, and the thickness is 6-10 cm. Such firewood will burn through for a long period of time and will help to avoid excessive ash formation.
The process of traditional wood cutting:
- First, a small deck is installed on the chopping block, since it is not recommended to start with large ones. When installing, we advise you to pay close attention to the cut of the log: if there are minor cracks on it, then the blow of the cleaver should fall along the axis of the largest of them.
- Chopping wood without knots is much easier. Unfortunately, such a picture is rare in real life. In practice, both beginners and experienced woodcutters have to deal with knots of various sizes.
A little trick: so that your acquaintance with the process of chopping firewood does not end ahead of time due to the abundance of knots on logs, we advise you to install the deck in such a way that the imaginary split line does not pass through the obstacle itself in the form of a knot.
- If there are no cracks on the end of the deck, then you need to take a cleaver and deliver an accurate blow to the center. If nothing happens or the cleaver just bounces off, then most likely you got hard or super dry wood. In this case, in addition to the cleaver, you will also need a heavy ax. It is recommended to divide the log into several halves or "chop off" small pieces from it.
- It also happens that in the process of chopping wood, the ax gets stuck. In this case, we strongly recommend that you do not throw the instrument over your shoulder along with the deck, in order to effectively hit the pedestal later. You just need to take a wedge designed for chopping firewood and drive it next to the crack that was formed from the ax blow. Now it remains only to hit the crack near the wedge.
- In order to try on the blow, you need to move away from the block of wood at a distance of outstretched arms not bent at the elbows. This will allow you not to break the ax when striking and not injure yourself.
- In no case do not forget about safety. It is recommended to chop wood only in tight boots or berets. And you need to wear two pairs of gloves on your hands.
As you already understood, chopping wood is a physically demanding process, so it is not at all surprising that craftsmen are trying to come up with tricks that can make the job easier. Here are a few of them:
- In the body of the cutting part of the cleaver, two "windows" can be made and rollers can be installed in them. The fact is that their rotation avoids the instrument getting stuck in the deck. This significantly speeds up and facilitates the process of cutting firewood itself.
- So that the cleaver blade does not fly off, it must first be kept in cold water for several days.
- In order to avoid scattering of logs, you can wrap the deck with a chain that has a rubber insert. However, craftsmen offer a much more original and practical option: you need to put a few logs in a car tire. This also avoids scattering of logs obtained when chopping firewood.
How many parts to divide the block
When harvesting firewood for the winter, the owners of houses with fireplace or stove heating think about what kind of wood splitting scheme is considered optimal for certain logs.
There is no clear answer here. After all, the number of parts into which the log is divided depends on its original size. If you are working with small logs, then it is best to divide them into 2-4 parts. If we are talking about large ones, then it is recommended to divide them into 6-8 parts. There is only one single correct scheme for chopping firewood - a log is split in half, and then chopped again into the required number of pieces.
Attention: if you have to work with large logs, then it is not at all necessary to split them in the center. The best thing is to cut them along the radius, and then split them in half.
Although chopping firewood is not the easiest thing, but by listening to the advice of knowledgeable people and following the rules and step-by-step algorithm from the article, you can quickly master the technique and avoid common mistakes that significantly slow down the pace of work. Remember that regardless of which method of chopping wood you choose - traditional manual or hardware, do not forget to follow the safety rules. They will protect you from harm to yourself and others.
