Chopping logs and huge pieces of wood for the fireplace is a fairly common practice for many years especially in areas and houses where a fireplace is used instead of electrical heating systems. Although, chopping of logs may seem to be an extremely trivial and easy task, however, it not only requires great body force but also a carefully practised technique. Splitting wood and log with and without axe requires technique which saves time and energy of the individual.
Splitting wood using an axe:
Using an axe to split wood is the traditional way and has been practised for thousands of years. In order to begin with splitting wood with an axe, having a sharp axe is highly important. The axe must have a blade that is sharp enough to cut through the log easily and should be thick enough to bear the force with which it hits the wood. The handle of the axe should belong to allow the user to split logs at a safe distance.
The chopping block is another important part of splitting wood. The most common chopping block is a tree stump; however, any strong, flat and stable piece of wood can be used. In order to split the wood using an axe, place the wood piece on the chopping block in a vertical position. Ensure that the wood is stable and place your dominant hand under the blade to allow the maximum force to be exerted.
In order to prevent excessive swinging of the axe, place the other hand towards the end of the handle. In order to remain steady throughout the splitting process, the stance is important and hence placing your dominant foot firmly in front of the other ensures that the force does not cause the individual to stumble. Once the correct stance is achieved, swing the axe above your head and aim for the wood piece. As the axe approaches the wood piece, increase the force being applied such that the axe hits the wood with maximum possible force.
Many wood pieces tend to break and fly apart immediately with great force and can harm the individual if the proper safety measures are not taken. In most cases, a single stroke serves the purpose, however if the log is wet or unstable, the individual might need multiple splitting attempts before the wood actually breaks apart.
Splitting without an axe:
In case the required equipment is not available, the individual can still split the wood without an axe, however, this process is extremely time-consuming and laborious. In many cases sawing the wood lengthwise tends to do the job, however, for smaller and slimmer logs a knife with a sharp stable blade can be used. These methods tend to work for most cases but require multiple attempts and more manpower. Using a hammer along with a knife blade also works since the hammer is used to provide the required force to the blade. The blade is responsible for cutting the wood. Chopping logs without an axe are usually hard and require extra effort, however, it is possible.
Electrical Log splitters:
Many companies produce high-quality log splitters which are a combination of an electrical saw and the traditional axe. They usually have a thick blade, operated electrically which is able to split any shape or sized wood without causing any physical harm to the individual. Boss Industrial ES7T20 and Champion 100251 are among the best wood splitters available in the market. Both of these wood splitters are made out of stainless steel, electrically operated and are 20 – 25-ton log splitters. These are designed to work for all forms of wood and provide efficient performance at a low price.
Although the traditional way of splitting wood is to use a chopping block and a sharp axe, however the act of chopping logs is also possible without an axe. Without an axe the process tends to become longer, laborious and more dangerous, however with the proper safety measures, an individual can chop any sized or shaped log without an axe. Apart from these methods, the electrical log splitters have also made wood splitting a much easier task. With the use of an electrical log splitter, the individual is able to achieve high performance without bearing back aches or body pains.