Splitting wood for the cold winter to come has it's benefits. I do it manually because I enjoy it doing it, and the fact that it makes me appear to be a jock lumberjack in Jeanette's eyes. I mean hell...look at her eyes in this picture I posted of us, it's taken from back in the 80's.
Most mornings I'll split word for an hour, while the dogs spend an hour chasing those woodpile lizards. It's a good workout for Farmer Deno and his five dogs. I just wish that I could teach these dogs how to split wood..........so I can chase woodpile lizards!
Let me give you, the reader here, a few cool tips on splitting wood. After all, Farmer Deno is doing this blog to help out the novice farmers of America! There's the hard way....or the easy way. Here is the easy way:
The picture below is a wood splitting Grenade aka splitting wedge. I wont use any other wedge design......tried them all in the past. One or two whacks with a ten pound hammer and the round easily splits. Always set the tip of the wedge right into a crack, dead center of the round if possible.
Use wood that is seasoned for at least two years. Seasoned wood will have multiple cracks exposed, and will be much lighter than "wet" wood. A whack of the 10 pound hammer will give a crisp crackling sound......if not...then your wood is not ready to burn.
Next, I change from using that heavy ten pound hammer to using an axe wedge, as shown in the picture below. Slam that axe directly into the crack of the round.....it'll take only one whack. About one hundred pieces of wood can be derived from one hour's worth of work.....and yes.....Farmer Deno did indeed take an official count! One hundred pieces! Whack Whack Whack!
Doing this task most mornings has given me all the wood I'll need for Winter. I am now done with this choir. There is three cords of wood up front now. Also.....I have an emergency cord of wood split and sealed with a tight cover in the rear field, in case I should get sick and am unable to split more wood.....such as the case was last year.
This woodpile below is long gone now, all split. There is a problem though.....we now have 167 very angry homeless little Godzillas..... looking for revenge.
