splitting axe/maul

What a blog of useless, often even wrong or off topic this thread is! And in all the posts I did look at, not a sngle link for valdation/clarifcation; just guesses & the hard way to do the sharpening in about evrty case!

I simply use a bench grinder with a coarse and a fine wheel pf the correct design; fills the bill every time. The angle of the sharpening s actually the most mortant thing to get right regardless of what you want to sharpen.

Reply to
Twayne
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And just what is that angle?

Reply to
hrhofmann

Can we see your link for validation/clarification, please?

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

Elm! I cut some Red Elm two years ago. It was part of a deal with a farmer to get a batch of Black Locust trees (#1 firewood). I will never, ever fool with that stuff again. Even with a splitter I had to use a hatchet to cut the strings.

I am now burning it. Very good wood, burns hot, burns long but the worst wood I have ever burned for the amount of ash it leaves. It is also a very light, feathery ash dthat I have poke down through the stove grate. I am emptying the ashpan every 2-3 days vice the 4-5 days I was used to witht other wood.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

I'm 77 and I think I could split wood faster with a hammer and chisel than that asinine rig. I saw a promotional video of one back when the first one showed up on the scene. I counted 7 strokes to split a stove size piece in half. Clear grain and it could have been split with a small hatchet with one swing.

There is a place for it for someone who is so disabled that it is the only tool they could operate.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

One of the best examples was the guy who claimed you can't sharpen a maul because the material is too hard !!

File here followed by a stone if I want a _really_ sharp edge (rarely happens)

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

-snip-

With elm there seems to be a small window- about 2-3 years after it dies - where the strings are gone, but the wood will still burn-- if really dry.

But even at that, remember this one from the old Farmers Almanac "Elm wood new or elm wood old, even the embers are very cold"

[I can't find that-- but here are a couple poems that cover a raft of woods-
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I might be mis-remembering this stanza; "Oaken logs, if dry and old Keep away the winters cold Poplar gives a bitter smoke Fills your eyes and makes you choke Elmwood burns like churchyard mould Even the very flames burn cold Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread So it is in Ireland said Applewood will scent the room Pears wood smells like a flower in bloom But Ashwood wet and Ashwood dry A King may warm his slippers by. "

That's been my experience, too. I would burn elm to get it out of the way-- The best wood I ever burned was untreated 20' telephone poles. Most were 30-40 year old locust or red cedar. The cedar burned super hot and the locust lasted forever. [not to mention they were all nice straight poles and were free-- and delivered.]

Jim

Reply to
Jim Elbrecht

The angle depends on what you're sharpening. I just measure them on new parts or while parts are new, and record them but even a dull edge measurement will get you into the ballpark. So in essence, copy whats there to start with.

Reply to
Twayne

No, no one here deserves my putting in the Googles for it. I don't provide them when no one else does or I have no good reason to; do your own research now.

Reply to
Twayne

Agreed, Harry. Nothng discussed here so far really wants a scary sharp edge; they won't last for shinola on grass or wood.

Reply to
Twayne

"Twayne" wrote

Here is a good start

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Type of Knife or Tool Recommended Angle Cleaver Machete 30 - 35 Degrees

Hunting Knives Pocket Knives Survival Knives Sport Knives 25 - 30 Degrees

Chef's Knives Kitchen Knives Smaller Knives Boning Knives Carving Knives 18 - 25 Degrees

Fillet Knives Paring Knives Razors X-Acto Knives 12 - 18 Degrees

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Sorry, but I'm not into angles on splitting wedges or mauls. There is none. There is no sharp edge to be made. It seriously reduces the effectiveness of the tool.

But you knew that, right?

Now, I think I'll go put a 7 degree edge on my hydraulic sharpener just to make it work better.

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

"Steve B" wrote

All of the old timers use 8 degrees. Took me a long time to learn that, but what a differenced. Used to take me an hour a cord, now I can get it done in 60 minutes.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

I find the extra degree allows me a closer shave. Or at least it used to before the coumadin ...........

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

The idea is to "split" the fibers apart, not cut them.

Reply to
krw

You need to understand how a splitting tool works. Nothing happens until it "enters" the wood and after than the point never touches the wood, the split runs ahead of it. A dull edge just makes the work harder.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

Love Black Locust. The Locust Borer is killing them off around here and I am cutting everything I can find, currently have more than 40 cords cut/split/stacked and have about 6 more cords "in the round" waiting to be split. Just cut my last one Monday for this season.

B Locust here is an imported species, most was planted by the settlers back in the 1800 adn 1900s.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

Just to update we had a cold night and today notice a lot more checks. At least now I can which ones are willing to be split. Over and out!

Reply to
don &/or Lucille

You can see a lot by observing.

Yogi.

Reply to
Steve B

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