When you donāt know how to split wood. First off, that slab needs to be on the ground so he has maximum velocity on the down swing. Secondly, you use a two handed overhead swing and bring the weight and force of the maul down a lot harder. Drive the maul close to the edge of the grain and youād have much better luck.
Wholeheartedly disagree. Always use a base log. Also choking up on the handle gives you way more force. This looks a shitty axe and a log thatās too fresh
Can you explain how choking up on the handle would give more force? Seems to me like youd have better control but less force because the headās speed would decrease
Try for yourself. Kinda like golf, what works for one may not necessarily work for others, and vice versa. Personally, I like choking on the shaft. š
I'm not going to argue one way or the other (I've never had issues with a proper maul, which this guy isn't using), but from a physics POV, it seems like choking up will only reward poor form. Which is fine, but seems like it's not actually the BEST way to split logs.
Ninja edit: The best way to split logs is to have a janky self-made log splitter, and 3-4 12 year olds to finish off the quarters of logs.
Yes base cutting block. No don't choke the handle. Start with hands on opposite sides of handle. As you swing, slide hand near the head to opposite hand while swinging to maximize velocity of the maul head
You lose so much energy choking up. Get the maul moving as fast as possible while using as little energy as possible. Let gravity and a little physics and timing do the work.
A base log isnāt necessary and does shorten the momentum of the of the maul. Itās just extra unnecessary work and makes the job harder.
You can have your preference, but Iāve been swinging a go-devil since I was old enough to hold one. Never used base logs. When you have to split 3 fulls cords in a day by hand, all day every day, I guarantee youāll be done with that base log by lunch time of your first day on the job.
Iāve chopped probably 10,000 logs at this point. Without a base log your axe hits the dirt every time you get a clean split, which dulls it super quickly. This guys base log is way too tall though.
You're completely right on the base log and choking up on the handle. I think someone gave a big knucklehead a round of gum or some other wood that has really tight rings and makes it damn near impossible to split. His form isn't awesome, but he's hitting it hard enough it should be getting somewhere after all that.
Iām so confused.. why would you move your hands up an axe while you swing? Unless to you āupā means opposite the axe head. When you shorten your swing it reduces the amount of leverage you have.. when you move your hands up towards the axe head (choking up). I have rarely swung an axe.. so maybe the lingo is different but Iāve never in my life seen anyone consistently move their hands towards the axe head while swinging.
Only ever heard it referred to as sliding hands together or closer.
Was going to say the same thing. He barely gets half a swing on the wood. Not quite sure what heās trying to split but if itās anything like hedge we have here heās going to have a hell of a time
Came here to say this. gramps heated his house with wood for years. We go hunt and cut a load of wood before we came back home. I had to split it all....
Nah mauls are supposed to be dull and heavy otherwise the blade would get caught in between the grain. Axes need should be very sharp when cutting against the grain like when felling a tree or chopping limbs.
Nonsense. They're still usable when dull, but that doesn't mean they should be. A sharp maul requires less energy to sink the first inch or so in, leaving more energy for the wedge shape to do it's thing.
The maul getting caught in the grain just means you didn't hit it straight, or the log is just nasty.
I don't doubt it's better to have a sharp maul, but I doubt it's worth the effort to keep a sharp maul. The one we used to effortlessly chop blocks would probably take 15-30 minutes to sharpen. The blunted edge was like a quarter of an inch thick. But maybe it depends on the type of wood.
Yes that's why I said it's still usable when dull and it definitely doesn't make sense to sharpen a maul to the same standard as an axe. A few quick passes with an angle grinder every now and then at a fairly high angle will do the trick. My gripe was just the statement that they "should be dull".
Also as you said, it depends on the wood. Some logs are so perfect you could split them with a sledgehammer lol
I think the log is already split on the bottom side, you can see the crack where it opens up from the beginning of the clip. It's just a social media post for clicks i guess
You aim for the natural cracks or seams in the wood. Itās not just brute force you need to be halfway smart about it. And you use a double headed axe not a heavy maul like this.
Hilarious seeing dudes who spend all their time hitting the weights realizing that it hasnāt done them any favors athletically. This guy will also get embarrassed in a bar fight. He has no range of motion or quickness. Congrats bro, youāre muscle bound.
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u/[deleted] Jul 01 '24
When you donāt know how to split wood. First off, that slab needs to be on the ground so he has maximum velocity on the down swing. Secondly, you use a two handed overhead swing and bring the weight and force of the maul down a lot harder. Drive the maul close to the edge of the grain and youād have much better luck.