So, we got wood delivered, a couple of weeks ago. Wonderful dry wood, peach, walnut and oak (mostly oak). A cord of wood is a LOT bigger pile than it seemed like in my head, mind you. It's about half stacked, slowly getting more stacked as the kids get badgered out there.
Now, normally, Steve splits kindling for me. He's not in very good health, so I figured it certainly couldn't be as hard as it seems when he comes in afterwards, you know? How hard can it be? Stand wood up, hit with hatchet, smack on chopping block a couple times, kindling falls off the side. Repeat.
Well, today, we needed kindling, and he's at work. So, off I go, with 2 big buckets and the hatchet. Stand wood up, hit with hatchet, WOAH! Hatchet bounces OFF wood! Barely even a dent! Ok, try again, harder. Watch fingers closely. Stand wood up, hit with hatchet, ok, it's in. Abouuuuuut...a half inch. Well, it's in. Smack on chocking block. Smack on chopping block. Smack a bunch more times. It's in about...another eighth of an inch. CRUD!
Ok, get a hammer. Smack back of hatchet with hammer, till arms fall off. Then rip the kindling the rest of the way off of the wood. Realize that hammer is broken (already was, split in handle, OW! Pinched my finger thumb). Get another hammer. Start allllllll over again.
I think a half hour of splitting got me about a half a bucket. I MAY have enough till lunch. Of course, finger sized pieces burn really quickly, so maybe not. And I only got that much because I hunted down a piece of scrap 2x4 (not pressure treated) and split that. Splits much easier.
Oh my gosh, if I'd been a pioneer woman, I'd have just died. Childbirth is much easier. I need to make something especially wonderful for Steve tonight, after he comes home and splits me wood. He deserves it!
I definitely believe wood splitting is "man work" and leave it to DH, who usually delegates it to our 18 yr old grandson who lives with us. Oh, what are we going to do when he moves away next year?
ReplyDeleteIsn't it wonderful you only need a little kindling to get the fire going, then you can burn the bigger stuff? My way of making it easier is counterintuitive - get an ax, instead of a hatchet. Unless you're splitting off little fingerlings of pine to get the oak started, it's a lot easier to use the extra weight of the ax to do the work for you. And a 1x3 piece about as long as your arm with a nail in the end is really helpful for balancing pieces - keep those precious fingers out of the way!
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