Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood easier

vipukirves.fi

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 159 posts

Re: New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood easier

#21

Post by radiorental »

ghshephard wrote: post #4

That has to be some of most seasoned knot free wood ever split. I wonder how many logs he had to go through to find stuff that split that well - 20 logs for every one that did that? Sledge Hammer, Splitting Maul gets the job done 95% of the time. "Eccentric Axe" the other 5%. Well - maybe, 85% Splitting Maul 12% Eccentric Axe, and 3% splitting wedge (which typically has a torsion in it to create a turning effect to s…

Indeed, and that looks like birch. In my experience that splits if you look at it sideways.

Instead of a tyre I use a bungee & chain. That allows me to hold a wider range of log sizes upright.

This design intriques me the most, seems effortless http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=111_1363524786

Re: New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood easier

#24

Post by dfc »

bprater wrote: post #8

Knotted wood is much more challenging to split. Even with a hydraulic splitter, chunks of wood with lots of branches can stall a machine pressing with tons of force. Great demo, but unrealistic unless you only chop beautiful limbless tall oaks.

I think I would rather split birch than oak.

Re: New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood easier

#26

Post by rplnt »

UweSchmidt wrote: post #23

Alternative title: "New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood a lot easier" "Uses physics" sounds like "Stand back: I'm going to try science" to me.

And it suggests that physics isn't involved when it comes to traditional axes.

Re: New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood easier

#27

Post by easy_rider »

This is really cool. I've never split more than a couple dozen logs in my life but Ray Mears teached me to wedge the blade to the side on impact. This seems to emulate these physics. I'm not a big guy, and it's a pretty hard motion to get in to when you're swinging down as hard as possible.

This seems like a very capable survival/bushcrafting tool for less accomplished wood cutters.

tl;dr I wood buy.

Re: New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood easier

#28

Post by dfc »

UweSchmidt wrote: post #23

Alternative title: "New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood a lot easier" "Uses physics" sounds like "Stand back: I'm going to try science" to me.

When I read "uses physics" my grumpy morning attitude thought "Sorcery would have been cooler than Physics." How else does one split wood if not with physics? As someone pointed out elsewhere the article is not well written, 15 seconds on the product's homepage and you get a better idea of what is happening.

Re: New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood easier

#29

Post by flavor8 »

ghshephard wrote: post #4

That has to be some of most seasoned knot free wood ever split. I wonder how many logs he had to go through to find stuff that split that well - 20 logs for every one that did that? Sledge Hammer, Splitting Maul gets the job done 95% of the time. "Eccentric Axe" the other 5%. Well - maybe, 85% Splitting Maul 12% Eccentric Axe, and 3% splitting wedge (which typically has a torsion in it to create a turning effect to s…

+1 for mauls. Why people use axes to split wood I don't know. I have a 10lb maul which _usually_ will split logs (even large rounds) on first strike assuming the wood is reasonably well seasoned. I used to use an axe + sledgehammer/wedge for the tricky stuff, but it's a ton more work that way.

Re: New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood easier

#30

Post by jimmaswell »

bprater wrote: post #8

Knotted wood is much more challenging to split. Even with a hydraulic splitter, chunks of wood with lots of branches can stall a machine pressing with tons of force. Great demo, but unrealistic unless you only chop beautiful limbless tall oaks.

I don't think they've ever stalled mine.

I've always liked how it's like a brute force analogy on those things. Just keep pushing until it breaks, with literal tons of force.

Post reply on HN