Wood Splitting Tips

A wood splitter makes an easy task of a strenuous chore, but wood splitters aren’t always a feasible or practical option. Even if you don’t have a fireplace, you still might find yourself in need of wood for an occasional campfire. With the high price of ready-split wood, it makes more sense to do it yourself.

There are ways of making wood splitting easy and much safer, and there are ways to save your ax handle from becoming part of the kindling. The following easy tips and suggestions will help you split the wood you need simply and effortlessly. Try these easy tips and suggestions next time you need to split wood for a fire. You’ll be amazed by the efficiency and simplicity of a formerly arduous chore.

Save Your Back

Many people don’t take the time to protect their back when splitting wood, and many people end up with chronic back problems. Invest in a weightlifting belt. This is by far one of the best tips you’ll find. Put a weightlifting belt on before bending and lifting and you’ll save yourself from undue pain and fatigue.

Save Your Handle

How many ax handles have you broken over the years? Probably more than you care to admit. Protect your handle before it’s too late, and wrap the underside with a section of garden hose split down the middle. The rubber will protect the handle if you happen to inadvertently hit it against the wood while splitting logs.

Ends Matter

You may have discovered that some logs are easier to split than others, and this isn’t always because of their mass. Chances are, the logs you found easier to split were split from the top rather than the bottom. Some logs are the same diameter all the way around, but logs are generally a little wider toward the bottom. Try to place logs bottom end down before splitting. This is one of the best tips you’ll find to make a backbreaking job easy.

Simple Wood Holder

Would you like a log holder that will keep logs in place and prevent split pieces from scattering all over the ground? If you have a couple of old tires, you can make a simple wood holder. Simply stack two tires, place your chopping block inside, and begin splitting. The halves will stay contained, and your ax handle won’t take a beating if you happen to miss your mark.

Improve Your Chopping Block

It’s sometimes impossible to stand a piece of wood on end in order to split it in half. It’s a balancing act that can waste a lot of time and cause a lot of frustration. End the madness, and pound ten-inch nails around the parameter of your chopping block. Leave opposite ends open so there’s room to chop. Never again will you have to waste time with wood that won’t stay put. It’s one of the simplest tips that will help prevent a lot of unnecessary aggravation.