David wrote:
Further to the tinkering with my log burner I think that although it will
burn the big bits that I have, it may need more small bits to get going
and up to temperature quickly.
My log store (builder's bag) is under cover on hard standing and I no
longer have a section of trunk as a chopping base.
I see that you can buy a length of trunk for £20-£40 on line but I would
prefer something more discreet, ad I am likely to be splitting small
chunks into kindling using a hand axe and club hammer.
In the longer term I could possibly ask my wood supplier if they could
include a chopping block in the next load but that might be next Winter.
A solid block of rubber about 12" x 12" x 2" would seem to fit the
requirement for a solid base, edge protection for the axe, and easy
stowing when not in use.
My search skills, as usual, aren't getting me the results that I want.
Any suggestions and lateral thinking most welcome.
Cheers
Dave R
You can get machines to do that. There are electric splitters.
There are also manual splatters, which use a bottle jack and
pump handles, to generate the force to split the wood. The bottle
jack version has a "limited stroke", meaning the piston only
goes about 6" max, so cannot split a 7" stick to the very end. It
relies on the wood being dry and splitting along grain, so you
might have to pull the pieces apart with your hand when done.
If the wood had a knot in it, the manual splitter would leave
the stick, half-split.
Electric
https://www.amazon.co.uk/AL-KO-LSH-3.../dp/B084X5P1B9
Hand-pumped (take reviews with a grain of salt). Limited stroke using
a bottle jack in disguise. Store in a cool dry place. Don't leave a bottle
jack outdoors all the time or the seals will fail. It's hard to say
how long stuff like this will last. You might end up with the
worlds most expensive firewood when including the price of
this gadget in the budget.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Charles-Ben.../dp/B01N1OZUSN
The stroke on the electric one is longer.
The prices are all over the place.
They also make a device, which has a sharper angle
than the previous style of gadget, and you hit the
wood with a sledge and force the wood past a
splitting blade. The principle is bizarre and the
mechanical advantage limited. You're trying to
reproduce the 6 ton or 10 ton force of the other
gadgets, with a sledge. This is also featured, screwed
to a stump for support. I especially appreciate the
picture of a chick with a small hammer in hand, doing
her Mighty Thor routine. Ridiculous. You will work up
a sweat with a gadget like this (not that sweating is
bad, but you're sweating over a relatively poor tool).
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mighty-Hand.../dp/B07NQJ8PKG
*******
Various woods at our dump, are more or less appreciated.
They *hate* actual stumps, like the root part, and charge
10X the dumping fee for them. They cannot be sent through
the chipper at the dump, and they bury the damn things in
the landfill section.
Logs up to a certain diameter, are sent through the chipper,
so you are unlikely to snag one of those for free. However,
once the wood dropped off by people gets past that diameter,
you might have an item you can use.
Give the dump a call, describe diameter and length desired, and
see if they know of a "cache" of materials. At our dump, the
"tipping" place and the "storage" place are separated by
a good distance for safety. The storage area is a bit dangerous
because of the uneven surface made from debris. The tipping
place is clean enough to eat off.
Our dump now has a specification for steel toe boots, so you
need a green stamp shoe while on the premises. Although the
enforcement squad don't give a rats ass about this. It's
just the signage on the premises states this. This is a liability
trick (so you can't/won't sue).
Another place to get wood, is the Tree Trimmer companies.
They keep a property in the woods, and store cut down wood
which is too large for their chipper. Now, here at the moment,
we have a problem with an invasive species of insect, so there
are limitations on wood transport. Where you are might be OK.
Their wood cuts might be quite long, and they won't be cutting
them in short lengths like I did when felling a tree. I cut short
lengths, so I could lift them.
One Tree Trimmer service, they actually brought a logging truck
to their work site (a city park) and cut logging company length
pieces and loaded up the truck. These were mature trees, that
had grown with plenty of space around them, but needed to be
taken down for safety. Would make a beautiful stump for working.
Nice straight pieces that would stand upright and not lean at
an angle.
Paul