Hi Vincent hope all is well.i'm sure myself and many others are eagerly awaiting another video from you now we are at the colder time of the year. we have lit our Woodburner several times already since the so called summer 😡😁. all the very best to you. Jill in North Devon
Morning Jill, yes I am fine - thank you - and I am very aware it has been ages since the last video. And I do have several ideas! I seem to have been swamped with work and family stuff, and trying to write a book on finding gold. I have resisted lighting a fire yet - it is still September! Thanks for your thoughts, all best, Vince
Great channel. I have just spilt a 10-15ton OAK tree that fell over my drive with the Fiskars X25 (I also have the X27 but not used it yet) - brilliant. I also have a splitting maul but it is just too heavy to use for any length of time. At first I thought I would cut it with my own chainsaws but realised it was too high (25ft in places) so called in a professional tree specialist to cut it into manageable lengths, £600 well spent as the danger would have been significant for me trying to cut it at height.
Absolutely right - I would not have climbed the oak either! That is a totally professional job and I read a while back that most throats cut with a chainsaw happen to people working at height. And apart from the safety angle - with the price of firewood now you will have easily got your money back in logs!? I would say give your X27 a good go too - they are really good - although just a tiny bit heavier would have been perfect for most British firewood species. All best. Vince
This very much is the reality with splitting axes. It is not easy to find a fat cheeked vintage axe that is heavy. In the US we do have some very old axes that are fatter and sometimes when worn they are even better suited to splitting. So far the heaviest decent splitting profile axe I've found is about 4.5lbs. I'd say about 4.25-5lbs is the sweet spot. On a long handle they're heavy enough to do most jobs a heavier maul would and light enough to swing for an extended time. My best splitter is likely from the 1800s, 4.25lbs with a nice wedging, fat profile. Even has the high centerline. A high centerline can help a bit with sticking but if the axe is keen and thin in the cheeks it doesn't matter much. Most axes now are flat in the cheeks though unless it's a maul. As always excellent video. I actually hung a maul on an 18 inch handle, call it a house maul and it does way more than one would think. I can split kindling with it and most everything a regular splitting axe can. It's completely dull as well. I tried this out because outdoors55 made a video about splitting force. He did some decent enough testing that I thought he proved the heavy heads still provide a lot of force even at a lower velocity. And man it really worked out. It's a 6lb maul but I plan on trying an 8lber eventually. There is a bit of added safety for beginners when the handle is long. But eventually, with good strategy and experience there's a lot of room for experimentation.
Thank you for such a thorough comment. And it is so interesting that, after about 50 years of splitting logs, I feel a 4.5lb head with a 36 inch handle is ideal for me. I was then fascinated to read that you have come to the same 'sweet spot' perfect splitting axe conclusion! I will look for the video on splitting force, as I find even a basic understanding of these physics really helps - acceleration, speed, impact forces. This is what we are all doing, and understanding why it works really helps. All best, Vince
@WoodFiresWithVince ruclips.net/video/OmjMJRjJa7U/видео.htmlfeature=shared I believe thats the video I was talking about. Not perfect but i believe there's great data in there and I put a conclusion about that data to the test with great results.
Vince, I suppose I should post this on the kindling vid but after watching your froe use i tinkered with the idea. £50 or thereabouts was pricey (for what the item actually is). I then looked into the forest master (stump mounted) splitter. Got myself one and i am very impressed. Still need a beetle or club but very quick nonetheless. Still looking for an old froe though🙂
Yes froes do seem to be more expensive than a simple blade on a stick actually warrants! But a good one lasts for ever I guess. I have seen but never used a chopping block mounted blade - I do hear that they are very good. All best. Vince
hi Vincent.....hope you are well. we very frequently look back on your videos and watching your favourite fire lighters we were wondering what knife you are using or what you would recommend for slicing the fine wood for kindling.thank you. Jill .🧐.......we are all waiting for your next videos. 😀🤞 thanks again and take care
I will make some more soon! I am just trying to get up to date with the Christmas tree work, etc. Now, the knife is a little Mora, carbon steel, about a 4 inch blade. Cheap, cheerful and good, although I do like a bit more of a finger guard. Thanks for your patience! All best, Vince
Nice to see you post again, and up to your usual high standard. Cornelius Whitehouse and Sons, Hedgehog brand. Known names from a high volume manufacturer of quality stuff. I have a hook and a slasher - sometimes they are stamped 'Cannock' and the older ones have no 'sons'. Modern ones (high quality hammers and geology hammers just say 'Whitehouse'. The poor neglected thing has also had it's head smacked down on something to 're-set' the head which has burred over the exit of the eye. That means the head can't go 'down' the haft to tighten. Only cure is to take it off the haft and re-work it before the erosion of the haft where it goes into the head gets too bad. Once nails and screws get whacked into the haft end, re-working becomes less viable. I'm going to bet you don't need it, but this vid shows how to re-work (and re-haft) socketed tools. Concentrates on hammers but there is also my favourite splitting axe that I've had over 30 years and the principles are the same. ruclips.net/video/NzfT_u86An8/видео.html It's linked to part 2 so you can choose to go there if you want. Boot the link off if you want, use the info' if you want. My vids go up to spread information and hopefully get people to think and make their own decisions and maybe ask questions..... Yes the axe did get finished and has done a winter's splitting since.
That's brilliant - many thanks - I will most certainly watch the link you have given. There is something special about axes for me, I don't feel the same about pruning saws or even my billhooks! Although I know one shouldn't have favourites! All best. Vince
@@WoodFiresWithVince Thank you! Each to his own, life would be less interesting if we were all the same. I do more coppicing and green woodworking than timber work, so I've come to appreciate hooks and draw knives (and chainsaws) rather than axes. I have made hook handles (surprisingly easy done the right way) and axe handles and fitted them. There's a vid about hook handles and fitting them to the user as well as the hook and why that's important. When splitting, do you use a block? I'm quite short and built fairly small so I like the right block (height, mass, a good footprint) to maximise my effectiveness when splitting. I too go for axe speed and accurate placement rather than power. I reckon the right block for the axe-wielder is important for this and for safety of wielder and axe. Do you?
Well, isn't it interesting how complicated this seemingly simple subject is! I do use a chopping block and it is so important - another of Newton's Laws - equal and opposite reactions! People who chop on the ground gain a little in axe speed - if they work that way - but generally lose more in the ground cushioning the blow. Unless a log is massive, I use a block. Then I keep the block as thin as possible, for axe speed, and have a slight slope on it, for angled cut logs. This would make a great video - The Perfect block! Tough, heavy, thin, sloping. I think all of the old woodsmen I have watched and worked with, went for a full swing, it really is the main point of having this 'splitting wedge' on the end of a long handle - speed and impact. I am surprised and puzzled when I see someone who does seem to know what they are doing more or less just dropping a heavy axe on the log. Lastly, I have known people who use a high block and have a wheelbarrow beside it to catch half of the logs - to save picking them up! As you say - we are all delightfully different!
@@WoodFiresWithVince Well there are some wrinkles I've not seen. Sloping block... I use a flat topped block so the target log stands securely and can't squirt out. Knee high so if the axe blows through it strikes the block and doesn't head for shins and toes. This also protects the edge on the axe - keep stuffing it into stony soil and you will be sharpening. Heavy, yes, we're on exactly the same page there - helps all the force and momentum go into the log, not soft ground - exactly your reason. Big diameter so more mass. I use a section out of a big diameter (trunk top) fork so the grain is wild and less likely to split and the end at the fork goes down to give a bigger base so better stability. I used to work for a countryside management service with a parallel charitable Trust the volunteers set up. The Trust sold logs produced as a by-product of woodland management work by the service (principally carried out by volunteers) and the proceeds (plus proceeds from other volunteer work like charcoal making) were used to fund nature conservation and public access work via grants. We used to split logs on a big block with vols working in pairs. 'Setter' sets a log on the block and steps back and says 'yes'. 'Splitter' swings. Log splits and splitter says 'yes'. Setter places another log and they keep at it until split logs get in the way. Both stop and clear up, they swap over. Splitters were taught to go for accuracy, not power. Most were male, some female. Big, little, old, young, they soon got the hang of it. If a log didn't split, it was put to one side. Knotty bits were put aside untried. Most of the timber used was cordwood from coppice restoration with some stuff from scrub clearance and logged in a brake (there is a video). Splitting logs with an axe is amazingly satisfying. Unsplit or big diameter stuff was saved up for the occasional hire of a log splitter with a delivery belt and operator who was fed by vols who stacked the split logs in the store (a shipping container with ventilation chopped in the walls). Logs were sold PYO from the container, buyer collected, filling the bag themselves. Not sure how they coped with the Woodsure stupidity. Thereby hangs another tale.
Well lots to think about there, thank you. When I was a student at Dartington we split logs commercially - some of us split and the others delivered the logs to customers. My sloping block is only about 10 degrees - just enough to help with most angled logs and the well cross-cut logs sit on it fine. I try and get a stump for a block as they tend to be cross or wavy grained and very strong. And good to hear you taught the volunteers that after reading the log, then accuracy and speed is the secret to splitting. I hope we get to meet up one day. All best, Vince
Hi Vince, another really useful video, many thanks! I'm an X27 man. Tough to beat imo. Never gets stuck, feels great, its just better. Also have a very heavy Stihl maul, and a Granfors Bruks splitting axe, which is great, but dare I say it, the X27 is better tool for me, suits me better. Keep going with the channel, my wife and I both really like the woodland walk videos you made. Oh - and we are Clearview Vision 500 users as well. The Vision 500 is great. I was worried it was getting a bit old, and newer tech with Tertiary air and the like was getting better results. But I recently had a couple of good stove shops round to look at a bedroom installation and new flue, and they both said, oh keep hold of the Vision 500 mate, they're still excellent. The Clearview company seem to have chosen a combative stance in the market, and I cant help thinking it won't work out for them as regs tighten, but we'll see. For now, as long as you can still get spares, I will keep it and enjoy what is a fantastic stove. We burn both softwood and hard wood, as its what we have in our small woodland here in Sussex. We dry at least half the winter wood in a polytunnel open wide at both ends. Works a treat as a pre-wood store / solar kiln. That's it for now. Keep up the good work. All the Best, Rich😀
Morning Rich, we have two gems in the X27 and Clearview Vision 500 - nice we are fans of both! One of my Clearviews is 19 years old now and still fine, they were/are very well made. You might know there was a tragedy in the family and the whole tone of the business seemed to change after that. And I agree, with the flack wood stoves have been getting in the last couple of years, while wholly ill-informed, I think the total sector needs to look and be as clean and efficient as possible - and being 'combative' may not be wise. I went to school in Sussex and have family there, great county - oh and, like you, I used a polytunnel to dry my firewood when I lived in Scotland. All best, Vince
Hi there Vince, thanks. Ah, I didn't know the back story on Clearview. We've had our 500 and the house about 17 years, and all I've done is replace rope once, and the firebricks twice or three times. Last time though I couldn't get them right away from Clearview, so had to go with a pattern set online. Yeah we live in East Sussex at Mayfield, near Heathfield - High Weald. Most woodland here is sweet chestnut and ash (ours) but there's a lot of oak / hornbeam woodland nearby that's over stood. Would be great to see this managed properly again. We have several hugely outgrown thuja in the garden, really like burning this, as we gradually replace what used to be a hedge in the 1970's and is now 80ft trees, with a new hedge interspersed with the odd mature thuja. It smells great as you know, and once dry, burns hot. Our polytunnel fell into disuse as my wife became too busy with other things, so I commandeered it as a supplementary woodshed! And it's worked out better for that, than it did for fruit and veg (our fault - in that being badly sited, it was always a chore to water it as much as it needed). 🙄 Cheers! Rich 👍
Morning, thank you, your set up sounds really good. I am up in Norfolk, but when I worked for the FC as small woodlands Market Development Officer I did a lot in East Sussex with David Saunders and Tony Penrose - just a chance you might know them!? And I went to school in Rye which is such a great area. Quick thought on big Thuja. I used to use some big trees as an over-spill wood store, stacking split logs in a ring around the trunk. I had noticed that the ground was very dry and the chickens used it all year as a dust bath - they had to find somewhere else! All best wishes, Vince
Hi Vince, no don't know those guys. Sounds like you've travelled around a lot in your time! We are often in Norfolk as madame is RSPB, mostly Blakeney / Cley area, stay in or around Holt. Lovely county. Ah - I wish id known before about wood underneath thuja, too late, as its been thinned somewhat, those dry areas are no more. Our favourite local restaurant is in Rye by the way! All the Best , Rich 👍
Morning Ben, yes I have noticed that nobody seems to talk about using a 7lb axe - too much for me! My teaching, both at Dartington Hall and Newton Rigg, was that the axe was mostly used to dress any buttressing and put in the 'throat' 'dip cut' and then, as you say, the felling cut was a big crosscut or 36 inch bushman saw. We used 4lb axes to do this that were staggeringly sharp. I was able to shave a hair three times with mine - silly really, but we were very competitive! Also we practiced accuracy, jamming a matchstick into a stump and then trying to split it - which we sometimes could do. There is something beautiful about axes, the thoroughbred of woodland tools, it is really good to see you working with them. All best, Vince
Morning, thanks for that comment. I have attached a link to a bit I did with the BBC about some gold we got off of a shipwreck - it was a wonderful adventure. All best. Vince www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06nntdn
Hi, I have recently found your videos as I am in the process of have 2 trees felled. A eucalyptus and a conifer both around 65ft. I was wondering if you have any suggestions on how we can use the logs? Do we chop them down and leave to dry for firewood? Or if there other ways you would use them? Many thanks for any advice
Hi Peter, Unless there is a small mobile bandsaw operator, or someone who could use those trees, it might well be that firewood is your best option. If that is the case, then get the trees crosscut into logs and split them - then probably best to get them stacked under cover but with plenty of air-flow through them. In general eucalyptus is a good firewood, conifers less so - but all are fine if dried out well - 'seasoned'. If you are in the northern hemisphere, then you now have all summer to season the firewood! Good luck with it all. Vince
Good luck with all that - I did have another thought, some eucalyptus species are cross-grained making them difficult to split. So maybe cut those logs a bit shorter and have a good splitting axe ready! Enjoy it all! Best wishes, Vince
My Dad used to put axe, head down, into the bucket full of water so the wooden handle would get bigger and fill the gaps. It wasn't really effective, but it helped a bit. I personally think it's a big no no because head can get rusty. What's your opinion ? Maybe an idea for next video.
He certainly had a point, and I sort of do something similar in that I do not let the handle get too dry - as then the head can get loose. So I don't keep axes in my house nor anywhere really dry. Too wet and the wood might rot of course. If your Dad's axe head was a bit loose giving it a soak before use, and not long enough to get rusty, probably worked fine as a temporary fix. All best. Vince
Thanks, I will add that idea to my list. I have not done any diving recently, and sadly have sold the NATO Combat Support Boat we used to find treasure. I am now using all my free time to write a book about gold prospecting, and it is taking ages as I am a very slow writer! Thanks again, Vince
Do you measure the handle length by holding the axe out, and having the end just reach your arm pit? I'm 5"10 and looking at a spliting axe with either a 28" or 36" handle. Cheers.
I am not at home at the moment so can't check that. Although I have never measured that way. I like the splitting axe handle to reach my waist, around my belt, when the head is resting on the ground. Then I will get a good splitting speed when I swing the axe and the head will not hit my legs if I mis-hit a log. I am 5'11" and the Fiskars X27 handle is perfect for me. I will check the lengths and let you know when I get home. All best, Vince
Hi, I am finally back home and done the measurement. My axe has a full length of 36" - and I am 5' 11" and it feels just right - for my swing and safety. I hope you get an axe sorted out that suits you. All best. Vince
I am away from home at the moment travelling, the joy of retirement is the freedom! I am back in early March and am hoping to make a video on overnight burning - it is so bad for the home if it is done badly. I have more ideas than I ever seem to have the time to film - sorry I am not more productive as I do really love everything to do with wood fires. All best, Vince
G’day, Vince. Thanks for sharing all those lovely old axes 🪓. I use a maul for all my hardwood splitting and my axes for kindling, I love them. Cheers mate.
Hands down my new favourite Chanel 🪵🔥🪓
Thanks again - I wish I had more time to make the videos, I have loads of ideas! All best, Vince
Hi Vincent hope all is well.i'm sure myself and many others are eagerly awaiting another video from you now we are at the colder time of the year. we have lit our Woodburner several times already since the so called summer 😡😁. all the very best to you. Jill in North Devon
Morning Jill, yes I am fine - thank you - and I am very aware it has been ages since the last video. And I do have several ideas! I seem to have been swamped with work and family stuff, and trying to write a book on finding gold. I have resisted lighting a fire yet - it is still September! Thanks for your thoughts, all best, Vince
Great channel. I have just spilt a 10-15ton OAK tree that fell over my drive with the Fiskars X25 (I also have the X27 but not used it yet) - brilliant. I also have a splitting maul but it is just too heavy to use for any length of time. At first I thought I would cut it with my own chainsaws but realised it was too high (25ft in places) so called in a professional tree specialist to cut it into manageable lengths, £600 well spent as the danger would have been significant for me trying to cut it at height.
Absolutely right - I would not have climbed the oak either! That is a totally professional job and I read a while back that most throats cut with a chainsaw happen to people working at height. And apart from the safety angle - with the price of firewood now you will have easily got your money back in logs!? I would say give your X27 a good go too - they are really good - although just a tiny bit heavier would have been perfect for most British firewood species. All best. Vince
This very much is the reality with splitting axes. It is not easy to find a fat cheeked vintage axe that is heavy. In the US we do have some very old axes that are fatter and sometimes when worn they are even better suited to splitting. So far the heaviest decent splitting profile axe I've found is about 4.5lbs. I'd say about 4.25-5lbs is the sweet spot. On a long handle they're heavy enough to do most jobs a heavier maul would and light enough to swing for an extended time.
My best splitter is likely from the 1800s, 4.25lbs with a nice wedging, fat profile. Even has the high centerline. A high centerline can help a bit with sticking but if the axe is keen and thin in the cheeks it doesn't matter much. Most axes now are flat in the cheeks though unless it's a maul.
As always excellent video. I actually hung a maul on an 18 inch handle, call it a house maul and it does way more than one would think. I can split kindling with it and most everything a regular splitting axe can. It's completely dull as well. I tried this out because outdoors55 made a video about splitting force. He did some decent enough testing that I thought he proved the heavy heads still provide a lot of force even at a lower velocity. And man it really worked out. It's a 6lb maul but I plan on trying an 8lber eventually. There is a bit of added safety for beginners when the handle is long. But eventually, with good strategy and experience there's a lot of room for experimentation.
Thank you for such a thorough comment. And it is so interesting that, after about 50 years of splitting logs, I feel a 4.5lb head with a 36 inch handle is ideal for me. I was then fascinated to read that you have come to the same 'sweet spot' perfect splitting axe conclusion! I will look for the video on splitting force, as I find even a basic understanding of these physics really helps - acceleration, speed, impact forces. This is what we are all doing, and understanding why it works really helps. All best, Vince
@WoodFiresWithVince ruclips.net/video/OmjMJRjJa7U/видео.htmlfeature=shared I believe thats the video I was talking about. Not perfect but i believe there's great data in there and I put a conclusion about that data to the test with great results.
That's great - many thanks.
Vince, I suppose I should post this on the kindling vid but after watching your froe use i tinkered with the idea. £50 or thereabouts was pricey (for what the item actually is). I then looked into the forest master (stump mounted) splitter. Got myself one and i am very impressed. Still need a beetle or club but very quick nonetheless. Still looking for an old froe though🙂
Yes froes do seem to be more expensive than a simple blade on a stick actually warrants! But a good one lasts for ever I guess. I have seen but never used a chopping block mounted blade - I do hear that they are very good. All best. Vince
Great video. I just put a new handle on my axe and my splitting maul.
It's a tricky job - well done. And my thanks for your comment.
hi Vincent.....hope you are well. we very frequently look back on your videos and watching your favourite fire lighters we were wondering what knife you are using or what you would recommend for slicing the fine wood for kindling.thank you. Jill .🧐.......we are all waiting for your next videos. 😀🤞 thanks again and take care
I will make some more soon! I am just trying to get up to date with the Christmas tree work, etc. Now, the knife is a little Mora, carbon steel, about a 4 inch blade. Cheap, cheerful and good, although I do like a bit more of a finger guard. Thanks for your patience! All best, Vince
Nice to see you post again, and up to your usual high standard. Cornelius Whitehouse and Sons, Hedgehog brand. Known names from a high volume manufacturer of quality stuff. I have a hook and a slasher - sometimes they are stamped 'Cannock' and the older ones have no 'sons'. Modern ones (high quality hammers and geology hammers just say 'Whitehouse'. The poor neglected thing has also had it's head smacked down on something to 're-set' the head which has burred over the exit of the eye. That means the head can't go 'down' the haft to tighten. Only cure is to take it off the haft and re-work it before the erosion of the haft where it goes into the head gets too bad. Once nails and screws get whacked into the haft end, re-working becomes less viable.
I'm going to bet you don't need it, but this vid shows how to re-work (and re-haft) socketed tools. Concentrates on hammers but there is also my favourite splitting axe that I've had over 30 years and the principles are the same. ruclips.net/video/NzfT_u86An8/видео.html It's linked to part 2 so you can choose to go there if you want. Boot the link off if you want, use the info' if you want. My vids go up to spread information and hopefully get people to think and make their own decisions and maybe ask questions..... Yes the axe did get finished and has done a winter's splitting since.
That's brilliant - many thanks - I will most certainly watch the link you have given. There is something special about axes for me, I don't feel the same about pruning saws or even my billhooks! Although I know one shouldn't have favourites! All best. Vince
@@WoodFiresWithVince Thank you! Each to his own, life would be less interesting if we were all the same. I do more coppicing and green woodworking than timber work, so I've come to appreciate hooks and draw knives (and chainsaws) rather than axes. I have made hook handles (surprisingly easy done the right way) and axe handles and fitted them. There's a vid about hook handles and fitting them to the user as well as the hook and why that's important.
When splitting, do you use a block? I'm quite short and built fairly small so I like the right block (height, mass, a good footprint) to maximise my effectiveness when splitting. I too go for axe speed and accurate placement rather than power. I reckon the right block for the axe-wielder is important for this and for safety of wielder and axe. Do you?
Well, isn't it interesting how complicated this seemingly simple subject is! I do use a chopping block and it is so important - another of Newton's Laws - equal and opposite reactions! People who chop on the ground gain a little in axe speed - if they work that way - but generally lose more in the ground cushioning the blow. Unless a log is massive, I use a block. Then I keep the block as thin as possible, for axe speed, and have a slight slope on it, for angled cut logs. This would make a great video - The Perfect block! Tough, heavy, thin, sloping. I think all of the old woodsmen I have watched and worked with, went for a full swing, it really is the main point of having this 'splitting wedge' on the end of a long handle - speed and impact. I am surprised and puzzled when I see someone who does seem to know what they are doing more or less just dropping a heavy axe on the log. Lastly, I have known people who use a high block and have a wheelbarrow beside it to catch half of the logs - to save picking them up! As you say - we are all delightfully different!
@@WoodFiresWithVince Well there are some wrinkles I've not seen. Sloping block... I use a flat topped block so the target log stands securely and can't squirt out. Knee high so if the axe blows through it strikes the block and doesn't head for shins and toes. This also protects the edge on the axe - keep stuffing it into stony soil and you will be sharpening. Heavy, yes, we're on exactly the same page there - helps all the force and momentum go into the log, not soft ground - exactly your reason. Big diameter so more mass. I use a section out of a big diameter (trunk top) fork so the grain is wild and less likely to split and the end at the fork goes down to give a bigger base so better stability.
I used to work for a countryside management service with a parallel charitable Trust the volunteers set up. The Trust sold logs produced as a by-product of woodland management work by the service (principally carried out by volunteers) and the proceeds (plus proceeds from other volunteer work like charcoal making) were used to fund nature conservation and public access work via grants. We used to split logs on a big block with vols working in pairs. 'Setter' sets a log on the block and steps back and says 'yes'. 'Splitter' swings. Log splits and splitter says 'yes'. Setter places another log and they keep at it until split logs get in the way. Both stop and clear up, they swap over. Splitters were taught to go for accuracy, not power. Most were male, some female. Big, little, old, young, they soon got the hang of it. If a log didn't split, it was put to one side. Knotty bits were put aside untried. Most of the timber used was cordwood from coppice restoration with some stuff from scrub clearance and logged in a brake (there is a video).
Splitting logs with an axe is amazingly satisfying. Unsplit or big diameter stuff was saved up for the occasional hire of a log splitter with a delivery belt and operator who was fed by vols who stacked the split logs in the store (a shipping container with ventilation chopped in the walls). Logs were sold PYO from the container, buyer collected, filling the bag themselves.
Not sure how they coped with the Woodsure stupidity. Thereby hangs another tale.
Well lots to think about there, thank you. When I was a student at Dartington we split logs commercially - some of us split and the others delivered the logs to customers. My sloping block is only about 10 degrees - just enough to help with most angled logs and the well cross-cut logs sit on it fine. I try and get a stump for a block as they tend to be cross or wavy grained and very strong. And good to hear you taught the volunteers that after reading the log, then accuracy and speed is the secret to splitting. I hope we get to meet up one day. All best, Vince
This was a great video thank you for posting and sharing your knowledge and views
You are very welcome - thanks for your comment. All best, Vince
Hi Vince, great to see you after all these years. Sue x
You did so well to recognise me - it has been a very long time! I hope life is good. V x
Hi Vince, another really useful video, many thanks! I'm an X27 man. Tough to beat imo. Never gets stuck, feels great, its just better. Also have a very heavy Stihl maul, and a Granfors Bruks splitting axe, which is great, but dare I say it, the X27 is better tool for me, suits me better. Keep going with the channel, my wife and I both really like the woodland walk videos you made. Oh - and we are Clearview Vision 500 users as well. The Vision 500 is great. I was worried it was getting a bit old, and newer tech with Tertiary air and the like was getting better results. But I recently had a couple of good stove shops round to look at a bedroom installation and new flue, and they both said, oh keep hold of the Vision 500 mate, they're still excellent. The Clearview company seem to have chosen a combative stance in the market, and I cant help thinking it won't work out for them as regs tighten, but we'll see. For now, as long as you can still get spares, I will keep it and enjoy what is a fantastic stove. We burn both softwood and hard wood, as its what we have in our small woodland here in Sussex. We dry at least half the winter wood in a polytunnel open wide at both ends. Works a treat as a pre-wood store / solar kiln. That's it for now. Keep up the good work. All the Best, Rich😀
Morning Rich, we have two gems in the X27 and Clearview Vision 500 - nice we are fans of both! One of my Clearviews is 19 years old now and still fine, they were/are very well made. You might know there was a tragedy in the family and the whole tone of the business seemed to change after that. And I agree, with the flack wood stoves have been getting in the last couple of years, while wholly ill-informed, I think the total sector needs to look and be as clean and efficient as possible - and being 'combative' may not be wise. I went to school in Sussex and have family there, great county - oh and, like you, I used a polytunnel to dry my firewood when I lived in Scotland. All best, Vince
Hi there Vince, thanks. Ah, I didn't know the back story on Clearview. We've had our 500 and the house about 17 years, and all I've done is replace rope once, and the firebricks twice or three times. Last time though I couldn't get them right away from Clearview, so had to go with a pattern set online. Yeah we live in East Sussex at Mayfield, near Heathfield - High Weald. Most woodland here is sweet chestnut and ash (ours) but there's a lot of oak / hornbeam woodland nearby that's over stood. Would be great to see this managed properly again. We have several hugely outgrown thuja in the garden, really like burning this, as we gradually replace what used to be a hedge in the 1970's and is now 80ft trees, with a new hedge interspersed with the odd mature thuja. It smells great as you know, and once dry, burns hot. Our polytunnel fell into disuse as my wife became too busy with other things, so I commandeered it as a supplementary woodshed! And it's worked out better for that, than it did for fruit and veg (our fault - in that being badly sited, it was always a chore to water it as much as it needed). 🙄 Cheers! Rich 👍
Morning, thank you, your set up sounds really good. I am up in Norfolk, but when I worked for the FC as small woodlands Market Development Officer I did a lot in East Sussex with David Saunders and Tony Penrose - just a chance you might know them!? And I went to school in Rye which is such a great area. Quick thought on big Thuja. I used to use some big trees as an over-spill wood store, stacking split logs in a ring around the trunk. I had noticed that the ground was very dry and the chickens used it all year as a dust bath - they had to find somewhere else! All best wishes, Vince
Hi Vince, no don't know those guys. Sounds like you've travelled around a lot in your time! We are often in Norfolk as madame is RSPB, mostly Blakeney / Cley area, stay in or around Holt. Lovely county. Ah - I wish id known before about wood underneath thuja, too late, as its been thinned somewhat, those dry areas are no more. Our favourite local restaurant is in Rye by the way! All the Best , Rich 👍
If our paths ever cross, we will never be short of things to discuss! All best. Vince
7lb felling axes are pretty unique to England, more for rounding a tree and the majority of the felling cut with a double handled saw
Morning Ben, yes I have noticed that nobody seems to talk about using a 7lb axe - too much for me! My teaching, both at Dartington Hall and Newton Rigg, was that the axe was mostly used to dress any buttressing and put in the 'throat' 'dip cut' and then, as you say, the felling cut was a big crosscut or 36 inch bushman saw. We used 4lb axes to do this that were staggeringly sharp. I was able to shave a hair three times with mine - silly really, but we were very competitive! Also we practiced accuracy, jamming a matchstick into a stump and then trying to split it - which we sometimes could do. There is something beautiful about axes, the thoroughbred of woodland tools, it is really good to see you working with them. All best, Vince
Thanks for some great videos. Would love to see/learn a bit about gold from you.
Morning, thanks for that comment. I have attached a link to a bit I did with the BBC about some gold we got off of a shipwreck - it was a wonderful adventure. All best. Vince www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06nntdn
Lovely vidéo, thank you very much.
You are very welcome, I hope there was something useful in there for you. All best, Vince
Hi, I have recently found your videos as I am in the process of have 2 trees felled. A eucalyptus and a conifer both around 65ft.
I was wondering if you have any suggestions on how we can use the logs? Do we chop them down and leave to dry for firewood? Or if there other ways you would use them? Many thanks for any advice
Hi Peter, Unless there is a small mobile bandsaw operator, or someone who could use those trees, it might well be that firewood is your best option. If that is the case, then get the trees crosscut into logs and split them - then probably best to get them stacked under cover but with plenty of air-flow through them. In general eucalyptus is a good firewood, conifers less so - but all are fine if dried out well - 'seasoned'. If you are in the northern hemisphere, then you now have all summer to season the firewood! Good luck with it all. Vince
@@WoodFiresWithVince Thtas great, thanks for your advice Vince. I think a DIY log store this weekend is in order! 👍🏾
Good luck with all that - I did have another thought, some eucalyptus species are cross-grained making them difficult to split. So maybe cut those logs a bit shorter and have a good splitting axe ready! Enjoy it all! Best wishes, Vince
My Dad used to put axe, head down, into the bucket full of water so the wooden handle would get bigger and fill the gaps. It wasn't really effective, but it helped a bit. I personally think it's a big no no because head can get rusty. What's your opinion ? Maybe an idea for next video.
He certainly had a point, and I sort of do something similar in that I do not let the handle get too dry - as then the head can get loose. So I don't keep axes in my house nor anywhere really dry. Too wet and the wood might rot of course. If your Dad's axe head was a bit loose giving it a soak before use, and not long enough to get rusty, probably worked fine as a temporary fix. All best. Vince
please do a video repairing the needy axes..btw..miss your under water adventures..
Thanks, I will add that idea to my list. I have not done any diving recently, and sadly have sold the NATO Combat Support Boat we used to find treasure. I am now using all my free time to write a book about gold prospecting, and it is taking ages as I am a very slow writer! Thanks again, Vince
The first axe is an amazing splitting axe. It wont get stuck hard. Have a go at it.
Agreed that it would split my birch and ash fine, it does have cheeks. But my x27 would still be my first pick! Axes are great, love them all! Vince
Do you measure the handle length by holding the axe out, and having the end just reach your arm pit? I'm 5"10 and looking at a spliting axe with either a 28" or 36" handle. Cheers.
I am not at home at the moment so can't check that. Although I have never measured that way. I like the splitting axe handle to reach my waist, around my belt, when the head is resting on the ground. Then I will get a good splitting speed when I swing the axe and the head will not hit my legs if I mis-hit a log. I am 5'11" and the Fiskars X27 handle is perfect for me. I will check the lengths and let you know when I get home. All best, Vince
Hi, I am finally back home and done the measurement. My axe has a full length of 36" - and I am 5' 11" and it feels just right - for my swing and safety. I hope you get an axe sorted out that suits you. All best. Vince
Also got a 36", fes safer.
When are you doing more video
I am away from home at the moment travelling, the joy of retirement is the freedom! I am back in early March and am hoping to make a video on overnight burning - it is so bad for the home if it is done badly. I have more ideas than I ever seem to have the time to film - sorry I am not more productive as I do really love everything to do with wood fires. All best, Vince
Cornelius Whitehouse and sons.
Such a beautiful axe! Thank you.
Been log time sins last video are still doing
Yes sorry about that, I will do more videos, but I have a book writing deadline that I am trying to meet and it is taking priority. All best, Vince
G’day, Vince. Thanks for sharing all those lovely old axes 🪓.
I use a maul for all my hardwood splitting and my axes for kindling, I love them.
Cheers mate.
Yes it is interesting how fond we can get of an axe - there is something very personal about them. Curious really! All best, Vince