Splitting With a Grenade

[1project2many]

Well, my father did his best to find some old splitting wedges for me, but all he came up with is an old Oregon Wood Grenade. It's a 6" diameter cone shaped wedge and newspaper ads from the late '70s to early '80s say it will bust a log into multiple pieces. Reading Eagle - Google News Archive Search He only paid $2 so it's worth a couple of hits to see what happens. Judging by the top of this tool it was used for a while but wasn't someone's favorite tool.

Explosives aren't involved but expletives may well be.

 

[Big_Al]

I have one I bought from northern tool a few years ago, I use it on the stuff that the maul won't split in 3 or 4 swings. Normally big diameter stuff that's knotty as heck, it works ok , some real gnarly stuff I've had to use 2. If that doesn't do it there might be some expletives following.

 

[indiansprings]

Used one back in the late 70's and early 80's while cutting and selling wood for college funds, they work ok, not the best wedge in the world, I've misplaced mine over the years. If you decided you don't like it please PM me if you ever want to sell it, I'd like to find one for nostalgic reasons. It sure won't bust rounds in five or six pieces like the old ads led you to believe. I've stuck one more than once in a softer piece of wood.

 

[flyfshrmn]

wood grenade

I don't know about back east, but you can still buy the Oregon Wood Grenade round wedges at Orchard Supply, Tractor Supply Company, and I'm pretty sure I've seen them at Ace Hardware out here on the left coast.
I have a couple of them, and used them mostly for knotty chunks of softwoods. They tended to pop out of dry hard stuff for me. I use wedges still on occasion, but mostly for breaking up rounds that are too heavy for the Timberwolf log lift (they have to be real big!) I do keep a couple of wedges handy for really difficult splits and you can use them on the splitter but you have to be careful. I don't like it when a chunk comes flying out of the splitter and I doubt that adding a big jagged piece of metal to one would enhance the experience. Wedges, sledges and mauls are for young guys with healthy backs and shoulders anyway. Us old farts like hydraulics and levers and the older I get the more I like them.

 

[Nosmo]

Orscheln

I have one of them. Orscheln Farm store is where I found it a few years ago.

Nosmo

 

[Chris-PA]

They still sell something similar around here, but they may be a little different from what is shown in that old add (it was drawn as more conical). The kind they sell now has become my main wedge, mainly because for all the use it's gotten it hasn't mushroomed on the back very much, unlike my conventional wedge. It does not split multiple pieces at once, I've never had success with trying to pound it into the very center of the grain ring, and it does pop out at times. It's also easier to start than a conventional wedge.

 

[Somesawguy]

I have one around here somewhere. They worked ok, but I don't think they were any better than a maul or regular wedges. They aren't all that expensive so try one if you'd like. They might be ok for straight grained wood.

 

[zogger]

Seen one, never tried one though.

What I *would* like to try is a manual you hit it hard with a sledge four way (some sort of multiple way, 4/6, like that) wedge. I'm not a good enough welder to make one though, and I have never seen anything like that for sale.

Not that I am in any huge rush to replace my FSS, just like to try different stuff.

 

[jhoff310]

I bought one last year at tractor supply just for novelty sake. I use it every once in a while. It does ok, doesnt split into 4 pieces. The one thing I dont care for is....when you are driving it home and it pops out because you hit a knot in the wood. Traditional wedges just go on thru, but the point on it allows it to bounce right off and pop out.

Just my.02

Jeff

 

[1project2many]

What I *would* like to try is a manual you hit it hard with a sledge four way (some sort of multiple way, 4/6, like that) wedge.

For pine, or Birch, or knot free sections of Maple that might be ok but pick the wrong piece of wood and you might be working twice as hard just to get your wedge back. Keep practicing with the stick welder. It takes time to get good.

 

[cuttingintime]

Makes a great paper weight.

 

[CJ8Ted]

Last straw

When I have all my wedges (3) sunk in a round and still cant pry the round open or get the wedges out to stack them or get another bite. This is when I use my round cone style wedge. It is alst larger than my 16# sledge so I can hit the cone wedge below the surface of the wood and drive it all the way to the bottom. I have had them pop out BAD, and never had them split in more than one dirrection.

Ted

 

[Nosmo]

I have one of them. Orscheln Farm store is where I found it a few years ago.

Nosmo

I believe this is the first time I have quoted myself. I have one but I don't like using it. Like some folks mentioned above it is bad about bouncing back out .

If a person can afford one a log splitter is the way to go.

Nosmo

 

[logbutcher]

Yes sir, "paper weight" it is. The moniker "grenade" is a market genius' prop.

The thing goes to the back of the line in splitting manually: pops out of frozen wood, buries itself in wet wood, sinks to oblivion in all softwood.

It is a male t#t---that is basically useless. Useless. Like the ever popular M² . :angry2:

What works= real wedges sharpened to enter the butt ( be sure to grind the mushrooms on the head !), the Fiskars SS, a Monster Maul, and of course the ultimate tool, NOODLING. If in doubt, a good gas or electric 22+ ton splitter.

JMNSHO

 

[zogger]

For pine, or Birch, or knot free sections of Maple that might be ok but pick the wrong piece of wood and you might be working twice as hard just to get your wedge back. Keep practicing with the stick welder. It takes time to get good.

Ya, I want to get better. I need to try and find a "sampler pack" of rods though, can't afford experimenting with the whole big boxes of one kind. Think I'll try and find a dang book, too.

 

[4seasons]

I have one, it will split wood. But you will never get that perfect 4 way split from one swing like they claim. You will spend more time picking the thing up and driving it back in than splitting with it because the only thing it is really good at is bouncing back out of the round you are splitting. I have even had it fly over my head as it comes shooting out of a knotted up white oak round before. That may be why they call it a Grenade. Cause mine has had me diving for cover more than once.

 

[Chris-PA]

Yes sir, "paper weight" it is. The moniker "grenade" is a market genius' prop.

The thing goes to the back of the line in splitting manually: pops out of frozen wood, buries itself in wet wood, sinks to oblivion in all softwood.

It is a male t#t---that is basically useless. Useless. Like the ever popular M² . :angry2:

What works= real wedges sharpened to enter the butt ( be sure to grind the mushrooms on the head !), the Fiskars SS, a Monster Maul, and of course the ultimate tool, NOODLING. If in doubt, a good gas or electric 22+ ton splitter.

JMNSHO

Such drama - I've used it to split a lot of wood for something that's "useless". Thank goodness I found this site, or I never would have known all the things I did to get my firewood didn't work!

Popping out is its biggest problem, offset by easier starting and less mushrooming. Yes, I have conventional wedges too, and they're sharp, and I use them. But I use the "wood grenade more".

 

[crowbuster]

Had 1 of the modern version, grenaded. Bought another 1, maybe just got a bad, nope, grenaded, least i figured out where they got the name.