Single-bit axe modified to be a 'Maul'

[CharlesWaugh]

My neighbor had some big trees come down this year and is bringing me the wood cut to length, but in rounds.
So, lots o' splittin'!

I use a fiberglass handled maul for the big stuff, then switch over to a modified single-bit axe for the less-monster stuff.

It's a lot faster and easier with the axe thingy than the big maul, and the round I use as a splitting block doesn't get chewed to bits as fast. And, I don't use the single-bitted axe much, I've got a double-bit that I keep one side razor sharp for actual felling-stuff, and the other side ugly for cutting roots when trenching.

Mauls have a somewhat 'blunt' wedge angle, to spread and split quickly, without getting stuck.
An axe, on the other hand, has a sharper wedge angle to act like a chisel. If I tried to split with the unmodified axe, it would just stick in the endgrain and do very little, other than irritate me.

So, to make the axe angle more blunt, I simply welded on a hunk of 1/4" mild (keeping the tool edge cool with a wet rag) and then ground things down.
I put a small chunk of 1/2x1/2x1/2 under the raised side to keep it from collapsing.

Such an elegant approach!
: - )




I also added some plywood slats around the splittin' round to keep stuff in place while I flail away:

>>> AFTER SPLITTING SOME >>>
It makes for a lot less retrieval work while splitting.

Out here in Boring, we have to keep occupied somehow!
BTW: Our sister city is Dull, Scotland