Wedges!

[alleyyooper]

Not all wedges are created equal. Some have a nice taper to them and will start in most rounds farily easy. some are rather blunt and resist starting with out a starter crack.



This one is only about 10 years old the last of a couple I bought at Home Depot I believe that I have not redid the tapper on.



This one is over 50 years old. It is ones my dad bought many years ago, He had 10 of them. He and my uncle would use them to split 8 and 10 foot logs to a size they could lift upon the old buzz saw rig. Yes they used 2 man cross cut saws then too. Some have been beat on so much they are getting sort of short.



Al

 

[turnkey4099]

I bought a new splitting maul to get away from replacing wooden handles every year. Idt is shaped like the blundt wedge. About the most useless "maul" I have ever owned. Since I split 90% of my wood with a Fiskars X27, the maul is used to bust apart stubborn stuff that I have already started with the Fiskars. Hit a round that doesn't have a crack started and it just bounces off. Someday I should grind away and reshape that POS to a slim taper.

Some wood, green Black Locust for one, needs a saw kerf to get a wedge started. That stuff is a pleasure to split except for 'bouncing wedges'.

 

[Jon E]

I bought an Estwing wedge from Home Depot a couple years ago. It's a pretty sharp wedge with little "wings" on the sides. Works well, even without a starting crack.

 

[svk]

I have a big wedge made out of a chunk of steel that I think was a tooth from a piece of heavy equipment. I'll try to get a pic of it. Works great on those rounds when the axes and mauls bounce off.

 

[AT sawyer]

25 years ago a neighbor gave me a "monster maul" -- heavy beast with a iron pipe for a handle. It was too heavy for him to swing, but has served me well ever since. It outperforms any other maul I have ever used and it hits so hard I have only occasional use for steel wedges.

 

[row.man]

The only wedge I use is a wood grenade.

 

[c5rulz]

I've got one of these, absolute POS.


http://www.farmandfleet.com/products/111883-estwing-sure-split-wedge.html

 

[brenndatomu]

Not all wedges are created equal

You got that right!

 

[turnkey4099]

I've got one of these, absolute POS.


http://www.farmandfleet.com/products/111883-estwing-sure-split-wedge.html

I agree. When I use a wedge it is always to bust a problem chunk, knot, crotch or similar. Last place in the world for wood grenade. They might be okay on clear grain rounds but I have better tools to use on them. I also like to have some control on just where and in what direction a chunk will bust. Wood grenade doesn't let you do that.

IMO it is another of those "great ideas" that don't pan out.

 

[Philbert]

I have some 5 pound splitting wedges, some 4 pound wedges, and one 3 pound one (OCD makes me nuts not to have a pair!). Bought a pair new, and picked up the others at garage sales, etc.
The blue ones (only one is shown) had the heads so far mushroomed over that I had to remove those edges with a cut off saw - it is clearly a different style than the basic, forged wedges sold today. Otherwise, I clean them up, and shape the splitting edge, with a bench grinder. Paint them to resist rusting in the garage.

Philbert

 

[milkman]

Wedges???? I thought I was gonna see pictures of wedgies.

 

[c5rulz]

I agree. When I use a wedge it is always to bust a problem chunk, knot, crotch or similar. Last place in the world for wood grenade. They might be okay on clear grain rounds but I have better tools to use on them. I also like to have some control on just where and in what direction a chunk will bust. Wood grenade doesn't let you do that.

IMO it is another of those "great ideas" that don't pan out.

The thing that made me mad is I cost more too. Seemed like a good idea but is not.

 

[Philbert]

The only wedge I use is a wood grenade.

Seemed like a good idea but is not.

Not a new idea. Here are old steel and alloy versions by Oregon. I have seen several shapes and variations. Maybe they work on certain types/sizes of wood in specific situations? I tried these, but now just save them for show-and-tell.

Philbert

 

[turnkey4099]

View attachment 459615

I have some 5 pound splitting wedges, some 4 pound wedges, and one 3 pound one (OCD makes me nuts not to have a pair!). Bought a pair new, and picked up the others at garage sales, etc.
The blue ones (only one is shown) had the heads so far mushroomed over that I had to remove those edges with a cut off saw - it is clearly a different style than the basic, forged wedges sold today. Otherwise, I clean them up, and shape the splitting edge, with a bench grinder. Paint them to resist rusting in the garage.

Philbert

BTDT. If every wedge I have lost out in the wood patches sprouted there would be a forest. I am now down to one. I haven't found any wedges in years anymore in pawn/secondhand stores. They used to be a good source for cheap wedges - most of them with horrendous mushroom.

I lost one of my favorite ones in a spot no bigger than 20 square feet. Even made 2 exstra trips back to look for it. No luck.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

View attachment 459666

Not a new idea. Here are old steel and alloy versions by Oregon. I have seen several shapes and variations. Maybe they work on certain types/sizes of wood in specific situations? I tried these, but now just save them for show-and-tell.

Philbert

I first heard about them back in the early 60s. Looked at one in a store and could see the problems right off, didn't buy.

 

[alleyyooper]

I have one of those Oregon ones a chain saw dealer gave me to try about 1978. Makes a nice paper weight not very good for splitting wood even the straight grain rounds a single bit axe splits.

I also paint my Wedges red or Blaze orange. The red seems to work better as the orange fades and the red doesn't\.
Thought about yellow.

Al

 

[hardpan]

The blunt one in the top picture is a non performer for me and I have spent considerable time grinding to get the taper much further back. I like philbert's blue wedge but they are more difficult to find these days and the prices are crazy. I used to buy 5 pound wedges for $5 new. I paint the non - contact sides yellow or orange to avoid loss but never paint the contact sides because I have had the paint kind of gum up with wood fiber that I think resists sliding and makes them stick tight easier. I like slick bare metal sides. I have never used the wood grenades or the spiral/twist wedges. Yes, this is my actual experience with wedges.
Has anybody used the spiral/twist wedges?

 

[hardpan]

I've got one of these, absolute POS.


http://www.farmandfleet.com/products/111883-estwing-sure-split-wedge.html

I actually might have tried one of these. Thanks for the tip. Can you tell me what the downfall is for this wedge? Maybe the "wings" press in instead of opening the split?

 

[Philbert]

Has anybody used the spiral/twist wedges?

Have not tried them. Seen several brands/versions.



Philbert

 

[Jimbo209]

Any point of spraying with Teflon, I think the x27 has a bit of that in it originally.

I have a few big old wedges I'll get a pic up later