How to choose a reliable wood splitter

Best carpentry axes

IZHSTAL 030904-120

The Izhevsk-based company produces many hand tools, which are then sold at a very low price. And if other budget products have a number of drawbacks, then IZHSTAL axes basically only delight their customers. So the model we are considering is a quality product. A wooden handle is used here, which practically does not slip in the hands. The instrument turned out to be weighty, which only benefits him.

For the manufacture of the handle, the manufacturer used hard wood. The fastening of the ax is quite reliable. This tool is recommended for splitting, cutting and processing wood. In particular, the ax has worked well in carpentry and firewood chopping.

Advantages:

• Reliable wooden handle;
• Weight equals 1200 grams;
• An excellent hatchet crafted from steel;
• Very low cost;
• Well sharpened.

Disadvantages:

• Approximately every fifth copy is defective;
• No hanging hole.

Husqvarna 5769264-01

One of the best carpentry axes. Its handle is crafted from wood, yet it is ergonomically shaped and has a hanging hole. General tool length is 375 mm... It differs in that the ax sits here on the handle, as if molded. Some buyers have no complaints even after two years of regular use of this ax. The fastening system consists of two wedges, one made of wood and the other made of steel.

The only serious drawback of the product is its price. It is explained by the fact that Swedish steel was used to make the butt. You also need to remember that Husqvarna is not a Russian company, and therefore some funds were spent on the delivery of the tool. For the rest, it is impossible to find fault with the ax.

Advantages:

• Sharp sharpening;
• The butt is made of Swedish steel;
• The handle almost does not slip in the hands;
• High quality wood was used for the manufacture of the handle;
• Optimal weight (985 g);
• Nice case included;
• Hook hole provided.

Disadvantages:

MATRIX 21640

Now, more and more often, axes are on sale, the handle of which is made of rubberized fiberglass. MATRIX 21640 is one of them. A grip like this is good for several reasons. First, it reduces the weight of the tool. In this case, the mass does not exceed 0.6 kg. Secondly, such an ax does not slip at all in the hands. Thirdly, it is impossible to damage the fiberglass handle, which has a positive effect on the service life of the tool.

The handle of the MATRIX 21640 is made of 60G steel, for this we used the open-die forging method. Buyers note that the handle of this tool does not deform under any circumstances. They are also delighted with the small expenditure of forces, which is facilitated by a decent inertia of the impact.

Advantages:

• The handle cannot be damaged;
• The rubberized surface absorbs all vibrations;
• Minimum expenditure of forces;
• The ax does not slip in the hands;
• Sharp enough sharpening;
• Durable hatchet;
• There is a hanging hole.

Disadvantages:

There is not enough weight for the most efficient felling.

How to use the cleaver correctly

Even with the best cleaver, in the absence of experience, it is impossible to establish effective work, rationally organize the process of chopping wood. If you have never chopped wood yourself, then a few tips will certainly help you in this difficult job.

Work should be carried out on the widest deck available, on level ground. Logs will be installed on this deck, as on a block.

In addition to arranging a place for work, you should also pay attention to the chocks themselves - freshly sawn logs, due to their natural moisture, will be pricked much harder than dry ones.

The harvested firewood is chosen according to the size of the furnace or fireplace. Their length should not exceed three-quarters of the length of the working space of the furnace, and the diameter should be 6-10 cm. Such parameters ensure long-term combustion in the furnace of each wood-burning bookmark and allow fuel to be consumed rationally and economically.

Chopping wood with a cleaver

The number of individual pieces that are obtained by splitting a chock depends on its size. Small logs usually make from 2 to 4 logs, from large ones - more than 8.

Like any business that seems simple at first, the process of splitting wood can be improved to get the job done faster and with less effort.

It is recommended to dry the wood immediately before harvesting. In winter, damp logs should be allowed to freeze so that the structure of the wood is not too loose and soft.

If there is a crack on the block, you should try to get into it. If it was not possible to get inside the crack, you need to take a sledgehammer and hit the cleaver on the butt. In the absence of a sledgehammer, you should take a deck with a cleaver stuck in it, swing it, turn it over in the air and hit the block with all your might. After such radical actions, the block must necessarily split.

If there are knots in the log, you should hit directly between them or along one of them. If the same problem as with a crack occurs, the procedure is the same.

Chopping wood yourself is not so difficult. The main thing is not to rush and not give up at the first setbacks.

Safety precautions when chopping wood

When splitting firewood with a manual cleaver, the following requirements should be observed:

• the chock is placed on the edge of the deck farthest from the person; in case of a miss, the ax will stick into the deck, and not into the leg;
• legs should be spread wide so that a broken cleaver does not hit the leg;
• split poles should be immediately carried away or thrown away from under your feet;
• there should be no other people on the swing line;
• protective gloves, sturdy shoes and goggles are required.

When working with mechanized cleavers, the following rules are added:

• do not stand on the split line;
• put a chock and pick up chopped poles only when the feed is turned off.

Before turning on the device, it is imperative to inspect it and check its serviceability.

Chopping wood - with a properly selected manual or mechanized cleaver turns from a tedious duty into an easy entertainment. With certain working and design skills, simple models of cleavers can be assembled in a home workshop. Compliance with safety rules will help to preserve health and life.

Cleaver structure and varieties

There are two types of ax for firewood:

• heavy, with a wedge-shaped blade, like a hammer or sledgehammer with a sharpened side;
• slightly lighter, sharp, with protrusions-ears on the sides.

The sharp part of the head of the tool is called the blade, and the wide and blunt part is called the butt. The long handle, called the hatchet, is made from the hard and flexible wood of elm, maple and birch. Oak handles are also found, but they are short-lived and inconvenient in work, since only a viscous tree is able to damp shocks and vibration when struck with an ax.

The ideal cleaver handle should be light, resilient and have the necessary curliness of the wood. It is quite difficult to make it, but a tool with such a handle will serve faithfully for many years. The weight of the cleaver can be different, from two to five kilograms. When swinging, it generates a large kinetic energy, without which it would be impossible to split solid sawn logs for firewood.Its blade has a special sharpening angle (45-50 degrees), which prevents the tool from being pinched in the body of the processed wood.

How to choose?

There are a number of basic rules to follow when choosing Finnish axes.

1. Minimum weight. The lighter the tool is, the less the hand will get tired while chopping wood. The optimal weight is considered to be 2-2.5 kg, for professional models this figure will be higher. Too light options are also not suitable, since they significantly reduce the force exerted on the deck.
2. Blade type. "Eared" are considered optimal for working with dry wood. Raw wood is pricked with wedge-shaped axes, which do not get stuck and provide more efficient delamination of the material.
3. Handle length. It affects the impact force indicator. The longer the handle, the stronger the impact. In addition, the choice of material also matters. Fiberglass and other polymers are not afraid of corrosion, humid environment, wood can swell or dry out under the influence of moisture.

All these indicators are relevant for the classic cleavers, which have changed little since their first appearance in the arsenal of Finnish lumberjacks. For new models that operate on the lever principle, other important points will need to be considered.

The Leveraxe brand manufactures products in a variety of size ranges. Axes are intended for chopping firewood and are focused specifically on this type of work. The butt with displacement on contact with the split deck produces a rotational movement, eliminates accidental misses.

When choosing a Finnish cleaver, it is worth paying attention to a number of points.

• Design. The lever is formed by changing the fixation of the butt. It attaches to the side of the handle, rather than the center one, which provides a shift in the center of gravity, while requiring less effort on impact.
• Shock absorber. It is also a safety "claw" - it acts as a stopper when the blade comes into contact with wood, prevents the blade from slipping, makes the felling safe.
• Handle. Real Finnish cleavers use natural wood, which provides minimal recoil when in contact with the material.

The correct cleaver is able to easily and quickly split the deck into firewood, even in the hands of an inept user.

Cleaver rules

Having even the most expensive branded cleaver at hand, you will not be able to work effectively without experience.

However, at first, the following tips will help to some extent cope with this problem:

• The widest log with an even cutting area serves as a support for the logs. Installed in a stable vertical position.

• To make it easier to work, you need to wait until the freshly sawn wood chips are dry. Otherwise, the wood will be sticky, and this will lead to jamming of the tool. In winter, it is better to let the raw material freeze. So it will become loose.

• For rational fuel consumption, it is better to chop the lumps into pieces with a diameter of about 10 cm.

• Splitting large blocks in half the first time may not work. To save time, it is best to break off the pieces around the edge and then chop up the “core”.

• If there is a crack on the log, it is advisable to hit it with a cleaver. When working with knotty material, it is necessary to hit the tool either along one of the knots, or between them.

• An old cleaver with a wooden handle must first be soaked in water. The hatchet at the junction with the head will swell and securely fix, preventing the metal part from falling off during operation.

• The tool handle always has an extension at its end. This is done so that the hands do not slip when struck. The tool should be taken at the very extension in order to achieve maximum impact force due to the lever.

An instrument stuck in a deck can be removed in several ways:

• Loose.

• Hit the butt with a sledgehammer, which will split the wood.

• Swing the cleaver along with the chock, turn the tool in the air and hit the butt on the log-stand.

Due to the enormous force of the blow, working with a cleaver carries the risk of serious injury.

Following the simplest rules, you can significantly reduce or eliminate the risk:

• The block must be placed on the edge of the deck from the far side. In the event of a miss, the instrument will stick into the stand.

• Hold the cleaver by the edge of the handle, keeping your legs wide apart. Again, in the event of a miss, the blade will go into the ground and not into the leg.

• To avoid damping a blow with a deck - stand, it must be installed on a solid surface (asphalt, concrete).

• The work area must be free of foreign matter. It is better to remove already chopped logs from under your feet immediately.

• In the immediate vicinity of the workplace, the presence of people is unacceptable, since wood chips flying in all directions are traumatic.

Product selection rules

In order to make the right choice of a cleaver, several important parameters must be taken into account. Only in this case it will be easy to use, durable and reliable.

1. The weight. The product should not be too heavy. Chopping wood requires a lot of effort, it takes a long time, so working with a heavy tool will lead to quick fatigue. But a very light cleaver will not allow you to deliver a strong blow. The optimal weight is considered to be 2-2.5 kg. This cleaver can handle small logs with ease. The hand will not get tired for quite some time.
2. Blade. The performance of the tool depends on this detail. There are several types of blades on the market. The latest development is the "eared" design. Only dry chops can be chopped with such a cleaver. It is not designed to work with raw logs. The blade starts to get stuck. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to deliver a stronger blow. When stuck with a butt, a second blow is applied. The chock should crack.

There is a cleaver with a wedge-shaped blade. It is very easy for them to split raw wood. The wide, blunt blade does not get stuck in the log. It shatters into pieces in a few blows.

A quick overview of imported cleavers

Consider the dimensional models of foreign production, the quality of which is at a normal level:

• The Swedish-made Wetterlings manual cleaver-sledgehammer weighing 2.5 kg without a handle and a kilogram more with a handle, the length of which is 81 cm. The handle is made of American walnut wood - hickory. The ax is impregnated with wax and linseed oil. The cleaver is supplied with a leather case. The blade is long and narrow. Working with such a tool differs from the preparation of firewood with a Soviet-style cleaver. The product is convenient to use, reliable and durable.
• Finland is considered the country of origin of the Firskas X17 and X27 models, but the enterprises of this company are also located in Hungary, China and Italy. Without a handle, the X27 weighs 1.8 kg and with a handle it weighs 2.6 kg. This weight is not enough to handle large logs. The length of the handle is 91.5 cm. The handle is made of fiberglass and cannot be replaced. The case for this tool is made of polymer materials. In terms of quality characteristics, Firskas cleavers are often not far from Chinese products.
• The Husquarna Sledge Ax is a Swedish sledgehammer, very similar in appearance and quality to the Wetterlings described above. Its weight without a handle is 2.6 kg, and with a hatchet - 3.2 kg. Handle length - 82 cm, material - impregnated with linseed oil and hickory wax. The product is sold in a leather case. Husquarna may cost slightly less than Wetterlings.

How to choose a good cleaver

It is very difficult to make a good cleaver: you need both the handle to be correct and comfortable, and sharpen your head according to all the rules. However, finding such a well-made instrument by someone is also not so easy. Here are some rules to help you navigate the world of axes:

The hatchet must necessarily be made from resilient tree varieties: elm, beech, maple, ash or birch. It is especially good if the handle is made of ash.

But it is better to refuse plastic and metal analogs, especially for beginners.
Such handles may not withstand the shock from the impact and simply burst in the hands. The same can happen with the oak handle, which is significantly inferior in this regard to its more flexible counterparts.

The cleaver should be selected individually. Different cleavers can have different weights, shapes and handle lengths. You cannot take the first option that comes across without even holding it in your hands. Ideally, if you can hold all the presented models, wave them and try to throw them over your head

Of course, all this should be done carefully, or what if the head of the ax is poorly attached to the handle? So you can lose your own head.

These two rules are general. However, when choosing a cleaver, one should also take into account what kind of firewood it will be used for:

• Dry and thin firewood is easier and more convenient to chop with a short cleaver with a handle 40-60 cm long.
• Thick logs should be cut with a heavy cleaver with a large head weight and a sufficiently long handle.
• For splitting damp or tarry logs, it is better to choose a cleaver with a rounded blade.
• Sometimes even the heaviest cleaver cannot handle a particularly thick and stubborn log. Then a special "fighter" comes to the rescue, whose head has two working sides. One side is a blade, and the other is made in the form of a sledgehammer. Thanks to the second side, you can insert the pegs into the slot punched by the blade and expand it with blows on them.

The correct manual firewood cleaver. How easy it is to chop wood.

Of course, you don't always have to cut the same wood. Sometimes you have to work with one kind, sometimes - with another. However, you can try to predict which option you will have to face most often. And, if you manage to pick up a cleaver that literally "lies in your hand", there will be no problems with chopping wood.

Step-by-step assembly instructions

After drawing up a drawing of the future design and preparing the necessary units and materials, you can proceed to the assembly of a mechanical cleaver. It is best to use the ready-made instructions and carry out the work in strict accordance with the plan.

1. Using an angle grinder, metal corners and profile pipes are cut into pieces required for making the bed.

2. A rectangular overlap of the table top and the bottom shelf are cut out of a metal sheet with a thickness of 4 - 5 mm.

3. Using a welding machine, the parts of the upper and lower frames are connected, after which the legs are welded to them.

4. In the mobile version, axles are welded to the bed, on which the wheels are installed.

5. Mount the countertop and shelf.
6. Assemble the support frame of the electric motor and attach it to the bed.
7. An electric motor is mounted, a drive pulley is installed on its shaft.

8. The assembly of the working shaft of the cone is assembled, for which the bearings are pressed into the housings. After that, the shaft is mounted and the pulleys are installed. The assembly is attached to the bed with bolts and nuts, after having drilled holes in the table top. After assembly, the main shaft should rotate easily. Pulleys can be installed on a keyed connection or fastened with side screws, having previously made grooves on the shaft.

9. Install the belts and check the straightness of their trajectory. If necessary, the shaft with the supports is shifted by drilling a couple of additional holes. When rotating, there should be no radial and axial beats, otherwise the belts will constantly fly off and wear out quickly.

10. By means of a keyed connection, a screw cone is installed on the drive shaft, after which it is fastened with screws. During operation, the cone can get stuck in the wood so that it can only be removed by reverse rotation.Since it is problematic to organize the reverse in this design, you will have to turn the wedge with a gas wrench. You can avoid slipping it by making flats on the protruding part of the shaft.

11. Install the divider.

12. Carry out electrical connections - mount a magnetic starter, RCD, wiring.

13. Start the machine and check it in action.

After testing, all parts of the wood splitter are cleaned of rust, treated with a rust converter, primed and painted.