How to Split Firewood with Ease

Splitting firewood is a joy for some and a chore for others. Whatever it is to you, it shouldn’t be a struggle. With the right technique and approach, you’ll be able to deal with even the biggest logs and rounds of wood. This article will show you how to make firewood with a splitting axe, maul, splitting wedge, chainsaw or mechanical splitter. Read on to find out more!

First of all, you’ll need wood. It doesn’t matter what kind — you can split both dry, seasoned wood and greenwood. The latter will be harder to deal with, but split greenwood will dry out and season faster.

The logs that you’re going to split, regardless of diameter, should be between 16 and 20 inches (or 40 to 50 cm) long — 20 inches is about the maximum that can fit inside standard wood stoves.

Mauls are made for splitting wood, and splitting wood only. You’re not going to chop down a tree with a maul. But because of its wide cheeks and edge which is duller than that of a felling axe (by design), you’ll be able to split even the largest rounds of wood. Regular axes — with flat, thin edges and cheeks — cut into the wood and get stuck there. Mauls, on the other hand, force the wood apart.

Mauls usually weight from 7 to 10 lbs (including handle weight, or roughly 6 to 8 lbs head weight.) They will also have a hard, flat face — like a hammer — on the back of the axehead for driving mauls into particularly tough wood such as oak, beech, or ash.

Splitting axes are not mauls. They are still proper axes, with cheeks that are thinner than those of mauls, but wider than those of normal axes. Their edges are sharper and they are lighter than mauls. This makes splitting axes well-suited for all kinds of tasks — from the limbing of tree branches to splitting logs and rounds of wood to make firewood.

Wedges make a log-splitter’s life much easier. They do this by allowing you to keep one end of the log forced open while you split the center and other end. Even if you open up a split in the log with your maul or splitting axe, it’ll close back up when you remove the axehead for your next swing. This is a nightmare if you’re trying to split a large hardwood log and makes the process several times longer. By driving a metal or composite plastic wedge into a cut you’ve made or a natural split within the log, you’ll be able to lengthen it and, with any luck, split the log with just a few more strokes. You can also use several wedges on a large and hard log to force it apart.

Wedges come in several different sizes and weights. Originally they were wedge-shaped (hence the name), but nowadays you can get wedges in a diamond shape as well.

If you’ve got a bad back, hips, knees, or something else, lifting and splitting logs and rounds of wood with an axe or maul for several hours might not be your idea of fun. That’s where a chainsaw can help. Chainsaws are great for ripping (that’s what it’s called) logs and rounds of wood apart. Once a log or round of wood has been split apart, it becomes much easier to split it further, as the strength of the wood fibers holding the whole thing together just isn’t there any more.

Just make sure your chainsaw is well-oiled, in working order, with a sharp chain that is also appropriate for the job you’re doing. If you’re cutting dirty, frozen, hard and dry wood, you should be using a half-chisel chain. A full-chisel chain will degrade faster. And if you’re going to be cutting logs or rounds of wood on the ground, use an old, worn-down chain if you can — the grit from the earth that you’ll probably cut into will wear down a new chain quickly — no need to waste a fresh chain like that.

Finally, if you’re truly lazy and proud of it, you might want to get an automatic wood splitter. Just joking, of course — I don’t use a mechanical splitter myself, but I do have acquaintances who simply need so much firewood (or who sell it) that it’s madness to consider anything but a mechanical splitter.

SAFETY TIP: If you’re splitting a log, make sure it’s set firmly upon whatever surface you’re going to be splitting on. Otherwise it can roll with a bad chop and even deflect the axe into your foot. That’s also why proper stance is important — keep your feet away from where you’re going to be chopping! With rounds of wood, it’s possible and often a good idea to place them within an old tire. This will both stop them from flying away when split and possibly catch the axe if you miss your swing.

Wedges are great for splitting large logs or rounds of wood, or complementing a splitting axe or maul. That’s because wedges, once driven into the wood, hold the wood apart and keep up tension on the wood fibers, making it easier for you to finish splitting the wood with either more wedges or an axe or maul.

A chainsaw will make short work of anything you put in front of it. Here’s how to use it:

Most of all — have fun! Splitting wood is something that many of us (me included) don’t have to do as an everyday chore. So enjoy it as a break from your daily routine, train those muscles that you rarely use, and feel the satisfaction of turning a pile of logs or rounds of wood into proper firewood. It’s a beautiful sight!

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