Cordwood challenge.

[Bushleague]

Wondering if anyone else has stumbled accross this? I recently inherited a bunch of old axes and have been re-handling them, tuning up them up, and using them to buck up firewood whenever I've got a couple spare hours to kill.

In my attempts to get better at re-hanging, sharpening, and using my axes I ran across this online challenge that has been going since about 2016 as far as I can tell. The goal is to process at least a face-cord of wood in a year using only an axe, with a few mini-challenges also thrown in. Fallen wood can be used, and a hand saw can be used for the back cut if wedges are required for safety reasons. Other than that everything needs to be done the hard way, with the main goal being to keep these old skills alive.

Since thats basically what I've been doing since about Christmas anyways, with one axe-cut face cord already stacked, it piqued my interest. Seems like a bit of an "eclectic" bunch, but I respect the intent and the effort. Figured I'd share it on here and see if there is any interest.

https://youtu.be/QILgmngJY-c?si=ichsAzOLKsBK3VrS

[obsessed1]

I had been a cordwood guy for years. Up until i got arthritis in my hands. Nowdays i just resharpen my axes every couple months and dream of past years when i could swing them all day.. loved working with the 1man and 2 man buck saws as well. Absolutely love everything to do with cutting wood, from power saws to axes. Made quite a few of my own axe handles over the years with a draw knife and 4 in hand. Man i miss doing that stuff!

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by obsessed1

I had been a cordwood guy for years. Up until i got arthritis in my hands. Nowdays i just resharpen my axes every couple months and dream of past years when i could swing them all day.. loved working with the 1man and 2 man buck saws as well. Absolutely love everything to do with cutting wood, from power saws to axes. Made quite a few of my own axe handles over the years with a draw knife and 4 in hand. Man i miss doing that stuff!

I think I'm going to have to make my own handles the next time I need one. The handles I can find in hardware stores basically resemble a cross between long board, and a small baseball bat. If I dig through about 20 of them I might find one with decent grain, then I use an angle grinder with a sanding disk to hog off material until the it resembles something that should be attached to an axe, then re-shape and sand... I think its actually more work than just making one from scratch.

[obsessed1]

Hardest part about making them from scratch is sourcing good slabs of hickory. Then its just cutting out the rough shape and using the draw knives to get rough shape then 4 in hand and scraper to finish. Enjoyable process. For store bought i have found the hultfors to be amoung the most reliable as long as they fit the eye correctly. I like to get them slightly oversized so i can fit them up exactly. Even the hultfors need to be tuned as they come pretty thick. I like to tune them so they will flex nicely during the strike which adds a ton of power to your swing without vibrating the crap out of your arms. Sadly i have gottin rid of / given away most of my good american pattern axes...i still have most of my sweed made axes but they dont get worked much. Its truly amazing the difference between a 50$ canadian tire axe and a good quality axe properly sharpened and tuned.

[Geraldsh]

20 years ago I would have taken the challenge. I have enjoyed splitting wood since I started at age 12 keeping grandma’s kitchen stove supplied; the treats that came out of that stove were well worth it.

Clearing survey lines for dept. of highways in the late ‘60s was all axe work because the chief didn’t like the smell of chainsaws, kept me in shape.

[antlercarver]

Grampa always had one years supply of wood ahead incase something came up that prevented him from resupplying the pile. The logs were brought in by a team of horses and cut up with a tractor powered buzz saw. What I want to bring up is that he split the blocks when they were frozen, they split much easier. Also because the trees design to protect it self from branches breaking off under sometimes heavy snow loads, the blocks split easier from the bottom up rather than from the top down. Work smarter rather than harder.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by antlercarver

Grampa always had one years supply of wood ahead incase something came up that prevented him from resupplying the pile. The logs were brought in by a team of horses and cut up with a tractor powered buzz saw. What I want to bring up is that he split the blocks when they were frozen, they split much easier. Also because the trees design to protect it self from branches breaking off under sometimes heavy snow loads, the blocks split easier from the bottom up rather than from the top down. Work smarter rather than harder.

I'm mostly cherry picking green birch, which splits really nice in the winter. I've learned to split it on the ground using a well placed golf swing, being extremely carefull where my feet are. For some reason birch just doesnt seem to split sideways very well, wich becomes essential when the ends arent flat and your doing it on a block. I'll have to remember that bottom-up tip.

One thing I'm noticing is that the more machines I get involved, the more the emphasis becomes about speed rather than doing a good job. With hand tools, carefully doing things right, and getting things done effeciently are basically synonymus.

[Geraldsh]

Get an old truck tire, you can stand 1/2 dozen or more blocks in there and whack away until they’re all split. Satisfaction guaranteed.

[Big Grey Wolf]

I suggest using a good chain saw to cut wood into blocks then use axe for only splitting blocks. Right tool for right job.

[The Flint&Fly Guy]

Totally!
Ive been restoring, sharpening, hanging, and using axes for a bit now. I find it fascinating just how much work can be done in a day with just a well tuned chopper!

[obsessed1]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

I suggest using a good chain saw to cut wood into blocks then use axe for only splitting blocks. Right tool for right job.

The cordwood challenge is not about putting up your years firewood. Theres no question a chain saw and log splitter is the fasted most economical way to put up wood. The challenge is about learning to use an axe well, getting in good shape and most of all the satisfaction of looking at your hard work and saying man i just did that!. Cutting cord wood with an axe is actually quite wasteful unless you go back and pick up all the chips as each round is formed by chopping 45deg into the logs and popping the chips out.

[obsessed1]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

I'm mostly cherry picking green birch, which splits really nice in the winter. I've learned to split it on the ground using a well placed golf swing, being extremely carefull where my feet are. For some reason birch just doesnt seem to split sideways very well, wich becomes essential when the ends arent flat and your doing it on a block. I'll have to remember that bottom-up tip.

One thing I'm noticing is that the more machines I get involved, the more the emphasis becomes about speed rather than doing a good job. With hand tools, carefully doing things right, and getting things done effeciently are basically synonymus.

Whats your favorite head pattern? So far? I was really partial to michigan and Connecticut patterns and still have a 2.5lb bit on a 26" haft of each of them. I also have a 3lb montreal style bit made in the hults forge on a 24" handle that i like. I have a couple carpenter axes, one on a 20" and the other hung on a 26" that i used alongside the alaskan mill to fabricate my wood shed out of trees harvested off our property. I have a couple hultafors 2lbs axes one 19" and one 26" . My absolute favorite carry around axe is a 1lb hultafors hatched head hung on a super thin 24" handle.. similar to the GB small forrest axe but a bit longer haft..i use that thing for everything from knocking dirty bark off trees before felling to hammering small wedges,trimming limbs, cutting kindling and bushcrafting.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by obsessed1

Whats your favorite head pattern? So far? I was really partial to michigan and Connecticut patterns and still have a 2.5lb bit on a 26" haft of each of them. I also have a 3lb montreal style bit made in the hults forge on a 24" handle that i like. I have a couple carpenter axes, one on a 20" and the other hung on a 26" that i used alongside the alaskan mill to fabricate my wood shed out of trees harvested off our property. I have a couple hultafors 2lbs axes one 19" and one 26" . My absolute favorite carry around axe is a 1lb hultafors hatched head hung on a super thin 24" handle.. similar to the GB small forrest axe but a bit longer haft..i use that thing for everything from knocking dirty bark off trees before felling to hammering small wedges,trimming limbs, cutting kindling and bushcrafting.

Somewhat hard to say, since my comparisons are not exactly apples to apples. My two favorite axes are a Dayton style head that weighs about 2 3/4lb on a 28" handle, and a 2lb Rhineland head that I hung on a 26" handle.

My general impression is that the Rhine head is more efficient. For being lighter and having a shorter handle it keeps up with the Dayton surprisingly well, and despite having a really thin bit it is actually less sticky. That said, the extra weight and handle does have its undeniable benifits, especially once the axe starts losing its edge a bit.

I think the 2.5lb Montreal axe currently made by Hultafors would split the difference nicely. I ordered one a month ago from Good2Go, and am currently in the process of getting my credit card company to get my funds back from these scam artists.

[Bushleague]

About as much as I'll do untill next winter, not including some dead spruce that I already burned and some more birch that I've got stashed in the bush. Its been fun, and I've learned a lot, but its getting about time to quit playing around and fire up the saws.

RIMG0076 by , on Flickr

RIMG0077 by , on Flickr