Splitting kindling

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Splitting kindling

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cassandra

Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 15 8:18 am Post subject: Splitting kindling
If, like me you are regularly narrowly missing (or not quite missing) your fingers when splitting kindling, this seems like a brilliant invention. If not appropriate, mods please remove. https://www.kindlingcracker.com/the-product.html

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 15 9:14 am Post subject:
Looks quite neat. I wonder how easy/hard it is to sharpen.

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 15 9:30 am Post subject:
Kindling Crackers are shipped from New Zealand to the United Kingdom for $120 GBP (1 unit)..... $210 GBP (2 units) Delivery is included, even to a rural address (Usually 4- 5 working days)

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 15 9:59 am Post subject:
Not for 120 quid though.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 15 11:28 am Post subject:

sean wrote:

Looks quite neat. I wonder how easy/hard it is to sharpen.

Shouldn't need to be particularly sharp.

sean wrote:

Not for 120 quid though.

Nor even dollars.
A stout knife placed atop the stick and whacked with a bat is a way to cut kindling without risking your fingers.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 15 11:58 am Post subject:

Looks like it makes small logs rather than what I regard as kindling. For that I would just stand a suitable log on a level chopping block and hit with a suitable axe - no fingers need to be near the sharp bit.

For finer kindling, lay the log flat, hold one end with one hand (to stop it flying up) and split the other end with the axe.

Having said that, I tend to find enough kindling is produced when splitting logs to not need to specifically split kindling.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46212
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 15 2:42 pm Post subject:

i try to choose bits that can be split into short,thin, boards with an axe or maul,hammer and wedge and them turn em into sticks with a gentle double bump with a decent general purpose woodsman's axe or short heavy general purpose knife (saxe,kukri,small cleaver,etc ,even a good quality bushcraft knife )and a log as a mallet can make wedges ,boards and kindling and so on.

to do it properly some sticks should be feathered to create the initial kindling

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46212
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 15 10:46 pm Post subject:
ps the thing above looks like a "log grenade" or similar pointy twisty thing welded into a frame. pps if the log is fully driven in but not split how easy is it to free it and reject it or start again?

cassandra

Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 15 6:13 am Post subject:
I imagine that is what the flanges at the bottom are for dpack - they drive the split open as the log travels downward under the force of the blow. But yes, if the log shifted sideways and got wedged one side or the other of the central splitting face that could be a problem!

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15967

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 15 6:34 am Post subject:

It looks like a good idea for small quantities, but as Treacodactyl says, looks as if it would make small logs, and they would have to go in again. Certainly useful for someone who can't safely use an axe of hatchet, but could use a hammer or mallet. It has given me an idea for something that might suit us and make our particular set up, which doesn't use logs, but split stuff, faster. Will have to discuss it with husband and work out about things like how to sharpen before it goes any further than my head though.

I always wear a leather glove on the hand not using the hatchet in case of accident, so that gives me some protection anyway. Thanks for posting Cassandra.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 15 9:39 am Post subject:
The most impressed I have been at a kindling machine was simply a small motor driving a large flywheel with a crank to a blade. Blade constantly goes up and down, you put the log in: bam, bam, bam, it's in pieces.

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