Splitting Wedges

[Philbert]

Plastic wedges are for falling and bucking, where they could be nicked with a saw blade, chain, or tooth. Metal wedges are for splitting!

Forged or cast?

3, 4, 5 pounds (or more)?

'Wood grenades'?

This is not the thread to say, "just get a hydro-splitter", or , "all you need is a Fiskars . . .". Please keep those comments in appropriate threads, please.

Philbert

 

[huskihl]

My dad drove truck when I was small, so he wasn't around much. I remember when I was 7 or 8 being too young to split with a maul. I had a 3 or 4 lb short sledge and wedge that I helped split wood with. I can still remember as I got older, graduating to an 8lb sledge/wedge and finally a splitting maul when I was 10 or 12. Ahh yes. The good old days

 

[RI Chevy]

Same here. Splitting helped with my baseball swing. Lol

 

[redoakneck]

My dad scored some titanium turbine blades from a jet engine back in the early 70's, they were only 5-6" long, and 1.5 wide, and 1" thick. We had several of them, and would use 6-8 of them to split one piece of wood, stacked and alongside one another. Those things were indestructible.

Left one in the grass and hit it with the old case 222 hydrostatic mower, not good

 

[RI Chevy]

I'll kick it off with a couple of my splitting wedges. One oldie, and one newer design. My favorite is the older wedge. Steel is much better.

 

[redoakneck]

These two kinda fat, haven't beat on them yet

 

[plcnut]

We were at a farm auction about every Saturday when we were kids. We picked up a pretty good stash of old wedges. When Dad had our 80 acre farm logged, we (us 4 brothers) took the logs that were hollow or had other problems and hand split a split rail fence for all the way across Mom's front yard.
Our inspiration came from the old split rail fences that we had seen, and from watching "Sergeant York" where York (Gary Cooper) was splitting rails by hand to try to pay for a farm.

 

[fearofpavement]

I never ever split wood with wedges but have used a number of my collected steel wedges to add onto log splitter wedges. (two side by side, welded together and then welded on top of the existing wedge). Did this more than once.
Not to say I have never split wood with a wedge. I buried three or four in a big round one time. Don't remember how I ever got them back... (maybe fire?)

 

[Philbert]

Here are some photos of my splitting wedges:



I have about 4 pair (?). Started with 1 pair - you always want at least 2 wedges, in case the first one gets stuck. Then I started seeing them at ridiculous prices at hardware stores ($18 each?), but occasionally $2 -$3 at garage sales and estate sales. So, started 'collecting' them as opportunities presented themselves.

The used ones often have extreme 'mushrooming' at the striking end, which has to be removed ('dressed'); it can cut into the users' hands, or sharp chips can go flying. I used to grind this off on a bench grinder, but found it easier to cut it off with an abrasive wheel in a chop saw or angle grinder. Sorry; no 'before' pictures.

Then I shape the cap smooth, and profile the bevel with a bench grinder. Many people feel that the bevels on newer wedges are too blunt, but they are easy to thin out. l spray paint them to reduce rusting until used.

There are definitely differences in the steel. Some appear to be forged, some appear to be cast (is that possible?). Some marked 'USA', 'India', 'Mexico', 'China', . . . Before you judge, the last one I cleaned up was marked 'China' and was the toughest, densest steel I have seen in a splitting wedge.

Weights are also approximate: '3', '4', '5' pounds. When I actually weighed them, the '3-pound' wedge was actually, well you get it: some weighed quite a bit more, some quite a bit weighed less.

Philbert

 

[RI Chevy]

Cool. A buddy of mine said he would weld the top of my wedges with his Electric welder and make the hitting portion much harder by running some lines through it and strengthen the metal.
Hopefully it will prevent the mushrooming of the tops.
I always use at least 2 wedges when splitting as well. The first wedge goes in and spreads, the second wedges usually pops it open. I only hand split hardwood. I have no experience with any woods other than oak, apple, maple, black walnut, and other local hardwoods.

 

[Philbert]

'Wood grenades'. Just for show.

One is some kind of steel. One is some kind of alloy.

Philbert

 

[RI Chevy]

I never had any real luck with the grenades.

 

[Philbert]

STIHL

At the STIHL booth at the State Fair:



Philbert

 

[RI Chevy]

Looks like a grenade, wedge, corkscrew. Cool

 

[Philbert]

AND, . . . It says 'STIHL' (for the fan boys)!

Philbert

 

[RI Chevy]

Lol. You going to buy it and try it out for the team? Lol
Comeon, you know you want to.

 

[Philbert]

I would try it, but don't want to pay STIHL prices for that privilege.

Philbert

 

[RI Chevy]

Ask them if you try it first before buying it. Lol
Take it for a test ride.

 

[Philbert]

Here is my fleet of splitting wedges: all dressed up and no where to split!


Top wedge, in the middle, and 3 wedges at bottom right, have little or no use. The other 6 have been used extensively, and just cleaned up nicely. Some had mushroomed edges sticking out as much as 1/2 inch at the top!

The blue wedges, and the black wedge (top row, second to the left) have the densest feeling steel. I can't imagine that cast wedges would hold up well, but I am sure that there are differences in the steel, and the forging methods used.

I will have to pack them into my carry on luggage and go visit some of those guys with the monster oaks to split!

Philbert

 

[RI Chevy]

Nice!