I found that my accuracy and efficiency increased when I stopped swinging the axe behind me, but used more of a lifting straight up, then chopping straight down motion. If you watch timbersports competitors doing the underhand chop, they never bring the axe past vertical. Just something to experiment with if you're interested at all.
Always a good thing to improve on the accuracy … but those axes they use in timbersports are quite a bit heavier than mine. I rely on the momentum to get power in the hits. But I’ve seen how Ben Scott chops, and for one thing at least I’ve started trying to come down with the arms more straight. That seems to be benefitial. But in the end I think there’s a lot of old habits to get past in order to learn new techniques …
@@myableways in my case, I started to modify my swing when splitting with a 6lb maul, and continued because it was less strain on my back and shoulders. To be honest, I can't chop the way you do at my age, due to having both shoulder joints replaced and having degenerative disc problems and curvature of my lumbar spine (not related to anything axe-related).
With those issues I guess you’re happy with whatever kind of chopping you can manage. Doesn’t sound like much fun. I’m not in the same situation yet, actually one reason I want to work more with axes is to get some excercise to hopefully stay fit enough to work with my body as I get older. My back isn’t that strong unfortunatly, that’s why I tend to use lighter axes.
Is there a particular reason why you are using axes to chop your firewood? I totally get the "feel" and desire for a genuine handicraft, but why not use chainsaw for firewood? Opportunity to practice your skills with the axe? And while I'm at it (nagging away at your good mood); About how long did it take you to fell this birch and chop it up into manageable pieces?
A couple of reasons for using axes instead of a chainsaw: *Independence from dealers of fuel and parts. *An axe is a lot cheaper than a chainsaw. *Peace and quiet in the forest. *Good excercise. *A sense of self reliance being able to do the work with axes alone. *Axes can actually hold their own against chainsaws if you work with smaller size trees(although the tree in the video isn’t that small). With all that being said, I sometimes use my chainsaw to fell trees and make firewood. But only if I think the tree is too big for my axe skills. Or if it is a dead tree, since an axe cuts well into green wood, but not so well into dry wood.
Nice chopping and charming video! Have you thought about participating in this year's Axe Cordwood Challenge? I will reply with a link to the summary of last year's challenge participants.
@@myableways no pressure! I noticed I forgot the link so here it is: Axe Cordwood Challenge 2023 round-up and wrap-up! ruclips.net/video/QILgmngJY-c/видео.html
I actually started watching that video a few nights ago … maybe I should finish it tonight then. I’m thinking about getting a new axe soon. That could be a reason for me to participate in this year’s challenge.
I did my part of the job. You keep whacking away at that log. Now, I need to do my job again, as the first click unsubscribed me. You need to be more precise for stoopid folks like me! 😊
@@myableways haha, good banter lads, men der er også lidt sjovt at i snakker engelsk, to svenskere imellem ,D @Johan i do understand you and I agree to some extent. If i was felling in a grand scale, i too would look beyond the axe. However if you are just felling for your own firewood and cabin, there is something special about using the old methods. Try it out and see, maybe you''ll end up doing the same as @myableways :)
My neighbour is actually from the Netherlands, that’s why we speak English, and not for the video … I do all of my usual firewood work with axes, both the felling and the splitting. But in the winter when the video was shot, the electrical prices was racing and we used up all of our firewood as we did all the cooking on the woodburning stove and didn’t start the electric stove once during the entire winter. And close to the house, there were these big, dead Spruce trees … normally I wouldn’t fell trees of that size for firewood, but this was ready to be burned straight away. And we needed a lot, and fast. So there was no real alternative to chainsaws as I see it. If you want to see more of my outdoors content, mainly axe related, head over to my other channel, as I post all of that stuff over there now: youtube.com/@myoutdoorways?si=oaFGue1C2cN_y1fI
I enjoy your videos very much.
Thanks, glad to hear that!
Agreed!
😊
Thanks for another lovely video. Maby you should get a hors to drag the logs 😅
Yes, that would be fun. But it probably won’t happen anytime soon.
I found that my accuracy and efficiency increased when I stopped swinging the axe behind me, but used more of a lifting straight up, then chopping straight down motion. If you watch timbersports competitors doing the underhand chop, they never bring the axe past vertical. Just something to experiment with if you're interested at all.
Always a good thing to improve on the accuracy … but those axes they use in timbersports are quite a bit heavier than mine. I rely on the momentum to get power in the hits. But I’ve seen how Ben Scott chops, and for one thing at least I’ve started trying to come down with the arms more straight. That seems to be benefitial. But in the end I think there’s a lot of old habits to get past in order to learn new techniques …
@@myableways in my case, I started to modify my swing when splitting with a 6lb maul, and continued because it was less strain on my back and shoulders. To be honest, I can't chop the way you do at my age, due to having both shoulder joints replaced and having degenerative disc problems and curvature of my lumbar spine (not related to anything axe-related).
With those issues I guess you’re happy with whatever kind of chopping you can manage. Doesn’t sound like much fun. I’m not in the same situation yet, actually one reason I want to work more with axes is to get some excercise to hopefully stay fit enough to work with my body as I get older. My back isn’t that strong unfortunatly, that’s why I tend to use lighter axes.
Is there a particular reason why you are using axes to chop your firewood? I totally get the "feel" and desire for a genuine handicraft, but why not use chainsaw for firewood? Opportunity to practice your skills with the axe?
And while I'm at it (nagging away at your good mood);
About how long did it take you to fell this birch and chop it up into manageable pieces?
A couple of reasons for using axes instead of a chainsaw:
*Independence from dealers of fuel and parts.
*An axe is a lot cheaper than a chainsaw.
*Peace and quiet in the forest.
*Good excercise.
*A sense of self reliance being able to do the work with axes alone.
*Axes can actually hold their own against chainsaws if you work with smaller size trees(although the tree in the video isn’t that small).
With all that being said, I sometimes use my chainsaw to fell trees and make firewood. But only if I think the tree is too big for my axe skills. Or if it is a dead tree, since an axe cuts well into green wood, but not so well into dry wood.
I think I worked somewhere between 2 and 3 hours on this tree. Including filming, which takes a bit of extra time.
Nice chopping and charming video! Have you thought about participating in this year's Axe Cordwood Challenge? I will reply with a link to the summary of last year's challenge participants.
ruclips.net/video/QILgmngJY-c/видео.html
Thanks! Yes, I’ve been thinking about the Cordwood Challenge. But I have not decided yet.
@@myableways no pressure! I noticed I forgot the link so here it is: Axe Cordwood Challenge 2023 round-up and wrap-up!
ruclips.net/video/QILgmngJY-c/видео.html
I actually started watching that video a few nights ago … maybe I should finish it tonight then. I’m thinking about getting a new axe soon. That could be a reason for me to participate in this year’s challenge.
I did my part of the job. You keep whacking away at that log. Now, I need to do my job again, as the first click unsubscribed me. You need to be more precise for stoopid folks like me! 😊
Funny guy.
Alwa-... Sometimes! 😁
😊
@@myableways haha, good banter lads, men der er også lidt sjovt at i snakker engelsk, to svenskere imellem ,D
@Johan i do understand you and I agree to some extent. If i was felling in a grand scale, i too would look beyond the axe. However if you are just felling for your own firewood and cabin, there is something special about using the old methods. Try it out and see, maybe you''ll end up doing the same as @myableways :)
My neighbour is actually from the Netherlands, that’s why we speak English, and not for the video … I do all of my usual firewood work with axes, both the felling and the splitting. But in the winter when the video was shot, the electrical prices was racing and we used up all of our firewood as we did all the cooking on the woodburning stove and didn’t start the electric stove once during the entire winter. And close to the house, there were these big, dead Spruce trees … normally I wouldn’t fell trees of that size for firewood, but this was ready to be burned straight away. And we needed a lot, and fast. So there was no real alternative to chainsaws as I see it.
If you want to see more of my outdoors content, mainly axe related, head over to my other channel, as I post all of that stuff over there now:
youtube.com/@myoutdoorways?si=oaFGue1C2cN_y1fI