Chopping wood for a fireplace or sauna stove will not be a tedious task if you prepare well for the task and master the correct technique.
Where and how to chop wood
A well-organized place for splitting firewood is an area the size of which is sufficient for the scattering of logs and the swing of a cleaver. There should be compacted earth or thick concrete under your feet, and free space above your head, sufficient to lift the tool with outstretched arms. The splitting logs are placed on a stable log - a wide, uncracked knee-high hemp, preferably with knots and ornate wood.
- A massive cleaver-sledgehammer, which has a blunt blade and splits logs like a wedge.It perfectly splits even impressive stumps, but when swinging it requires considerable effort.
- Lightweight modifications of classic weapons are cleavers with rhombic blades, “eared” or with other body protrusions that split wood. The blow comes out weaker, but they are easier to swing.
It would be better to have both types of tools in your household. The bulk of the firewood should be split with a long-eared cleaver, and a heavy tool should be used for large and branchy specimens. And a “spare” is always useful to finish the job if one tool breaks.
The weight of the tip, the material of the handle, its shape and length - these parameters are important when selecting a cleaver, but it is certainly possible to determine them only in practice, after working with different tools. When choosing an instrument, hold it in weight and try to swing it. The main thing is that the cleaver fits confidently in the hand and is comfortable.
It has been noticed that with a long handle it is easier to break thick logs, and for dry small stumps a handle 50–70 cm long is enough. Stumps of large diameter lend themselves more easily to directly sharpened tips, the semicircular cutting part helps to split resinous and damp wood. To split dense, knotty stumps, steel wedges driven into the cracks with a sledgehammer are useful.
Preparing the cleaver for work
Before chopping wood, a real owner will always inspect the tool, check the integrity of the ax and the fit of the metal part. Reliable fixation of a wooden handle with a tip occurs through a wedge made of a steel plate and driven into the end of the wood.
The part of the handle under the tip, which is susceptible to crushing when missing, should be protected by a pad. If necessary, do this part yourself:
1) Taking a galvanized strip 20 cm wide, first beat off the tin at the corner.
2) Then bend the metal in half using a mallet.
3) Use scissors to trim the side opposite the bend.
4) Having placed the strip on the ax handle, crush the edge and grab the tin with a nail.
5) By going around the strip around the handle, cut off the excess metal.
6) Squeeze the protection with a clamp and bend it where necessary with a hammer.
7) Drill holes in the tin and finally secure with nails.
Before work, a cleaver with a wooden handle is dipped in water for 1–2 hours - the wood swells and holds better.
However, such measures can be used when there is slight wobbling of the handle. A badly dried out wooden part is replaced by purchasing a ready-made handle or making an ax handle with your own hands.
Correct splitting of firewood
Planning the work greatly simplifies the process of collecting firewood. Dry or frozen logs split faster than freshly cut trees. It makes more sense to dry “green” hemp than to strain yourself with damp logs.
Remember about safety - clear the area of unnecessary objects and ask those around you to move away. Wear strong boots and strong, non-slip mittens or gloves on your hands. Plastic safety glasses won't hurt either.
Place the stump on the deck with the knots down and turn the crack towards you. If there are no crevices, choose the split location between the knots. Make sure the log is in a stable position.
Stand in the correct position: your feet are wider than your shoulders, the deck is in the middle, the distance to the stump is such that you can touch its center with the blade. If you move further away, the cleaver will miss and hit the ground; if you get closer, you can hit it with the handle and knock off your hands.
Grab the bend of the handle with your left hand, and with your right take the cleaver almost at the tip. Bending your legs, lift the implement up with your arms straight. Slide your right hand along the handle and, with acceleration, strike into the crevice.
If it didn’t work out the first time, remove the cleaver by shaking it up and down. Repeat the blow, aiming for the same crack. Raise the tool high enough and lower it sharply, using the weight of the cleaver itself. Repeat the steps until the log is completely split.
Prick strong stumps using the technique of three blows in one line: the first in the center, the second in the farthest place, the third and final in the near part. Start splitting logs of large diameter from the edges, splitting off small logs and slowly moving towards the center. Use the cleaver stuck in the hemp as a wedge, hitting the butt with a sledgehammer.
Try to change the strength and speed of the swing, chop wood deliberately and do not rush. Gradually you will get an intuitive feeling of how hard you need to hit the block.
After splitting a decent amount of firewood, clean the area by putting the logs into the woodshed.
Over time, chopping wood will no longer seem like a difficult task and will become a common activity, maybe even exciting and gambling.
