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rockies
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# Posted: 6 Apr 2018 07:27pm
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I saw this on an episode of Ask This Old House (Season 16, episode 17). They were easily splitting wood and logs into small kindling with the whack of a hammer.
https://www.kindlingcracker.com/
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dmanley
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2018 08:41am - Edited by: dmanley
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Northern Tool sells this item for $100. I believe I can split a lot of kindling with an axe for less than that.
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FishHog
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2018 10:08am
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they are neat, and admittedly much safer than the manual way, but yeah they are a bit on the pricey side.
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cspot
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2018 11:06am
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These things are not really for splitting logs. These are made for taking smaller pieces and making them into really small pieces for kindling to start a fire. They work great for that. We still use a splitting maul for the larger stuff.
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cspot
Member
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2018 11:07am
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I will add that they are pricey but they are very well made.
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2018 11:50am
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https://www.kindlingcracker.ee/about
After reading this article we purchased the large one for our cabin this winter.
It's a small price to pay for a safer way to chop wood.
We'll be able to give a review once we use it this summer.
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 8 Apr 2018 09:59am
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http://www.leevalley.com/us/Wood/page.aspx?p=71432&cat=1,41131
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cspot
Member
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# Posted: 8 Apr 2018 11:31am
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Quoting: Wilbour http://www.leevalley.com/us/Wood/page.aspx?p=71432&cat=1,41131
I looked at that on before but it is for softwoods only. Pretty pricey too. The kindling cracker can handle hardwoods.
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bobrok
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2018 09:39am
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Quoting: silverwaterlady After reading this article we purchased the large one for our cabin this winter. It's a small price to pay for a safer way to chop wood. We'll be able to give a review once we use it this summer.
I've contemplated this purchase but some of the reviews I've read (some time ago, unfortunately cannot link to them) were not favorable, mostly referring to breakage.
I'd truly appreciate your no-holds-barred review of this item.
Truthfully, for us older folks that is a small price to pay for what I perceive to be a labor and muscle saving device.
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KelVarnsen
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2018 09:50am
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This same topic was discussed last year:
http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/3_7409_0.html#msg107428
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2018 10:26am
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My first thought is how much kindling does one need?
Not much where we live
Keep a bed of coals all winter
Fall, spring, yeah, some kindling, not so much though
and
I love that part of wood chopping
neat little device though
I got too many devices already
good thread, this'n
worth a consider
keep a fire
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slgerber
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2018 10:52am
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When I saw a picture of this gadget I thought I'd see if I could replicate the same functionality using the tools I already have on hand. I found that it worked pretty well to just use a C-clamp to clamp two scrap 1.5x1.5x4 inch blocks of wood on either side of an axe head and then place the axe on my cement driveway and pound kindling. (I just sat down on the driveway to get my working height right.) Worked pretty well with good dry wood that pops apart easily (I was using scraps of dry pine lumber) but doesn't allow enough distance to pound all the way through a long stringy piece. I imagine you could make some sort of slightly taller frame to hold the axe head so you had more room to pound. Would be good to make the sides of the axe holding frame sloping so that they continue to separate the piece that's being split. Maybe just cut a slot in a scrap piece of 6x6 and then bevel the sides?
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cspot
Member
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2018 04:47pm
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Quoting: bobrok I've contemplated this purchase but some of the reviews I've read (some time ago, unfortunately cannot link to them) were not favorable, mostly referring to breakage.
We have been using ours for a while with no issues. With how well it is made I would think it would be hard to break unless you were hitting with a sledge and hitting metal? Or trying to force to big of pieces? I think they recommend using a 2lb hammer/sledge.
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cspot
Member
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2018 04:48pm
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Quoting: Gary O My first thought is how much kindling does one need? Not much where we live Keep a bed of coals all winter
For us guys with recreational cabins we go thru a good bit of kindling percentage wise. Especially true if you have a small wood stove that doesn't last forever. You hunt all day and when you come back you have no coals.
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cspot
Member
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2018 04:50pm
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Quoting: slgerber When I saw a picture of this gadget I thought I'd see if I could replicate the same functionality using the tools I already have on hand. I found that it worked pretty well to just use a C-clamp to clamp two scrap 1.5x1.5x4 inch blocks of wood on either side of an axe head and then place the axe on my cement driveway and pound kindling. (I just sat down on the driveway to get my working height right.) Worked pretty well with good dry wood that pops apart easily (I was using scraps of dry pine lumber) but doesn't allow enough distance to pound all the way through a long stringy piece. I imagine you could make some sort of slightly taller frame to hold the axe head so you had more room to pound. Would be good to make the sides of the axe holding frame sloping so that they continue to separate the piece that's being split. Maybe just cut a slot in a scrap piece of 6x6 and then bevel the sides?
Yes you can make one if you would want to. One issue with a lot of homemade designs is that someone could fall and hurt themselves on it. The way the ones are factory made pretty much prevents that from happening. I have mine lag bolted down to a big cutoff log so that it is at the right height.
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cspot
Member
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2018 04:51pm - Edited by: cspot
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I can't copy the pic here, but go down and look at pic in 2nd post.
http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/3_7409_0.html#msg107428
This is one from last years post. Effective I am sure, but would make me cringe about leaving it set somewhere.
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beachman
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2018 05:53pm
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Once you loose a finger, the price starts to look very reasonable. I still prefer the hillbilly method - hold the axe in one hand and the wood on a block in the other, swing the axe and remove the holding hand at the last possible moment. So far, so good.
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rockies
Member
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2018 05:59pm - Edited by: rockies
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The nice thing about seeing products featured on the "This Old House" or "Ask This Old House" TV shows is knowing that they only promote the best. Being the oldest home renovation show on TV they must get inundated with hundreds of products every year from companies and inventors looking for their "Seal of Approval".
Needless to say, if they do feature a product on one of their shows and it turns out to be poorly made, poorly designed or unsafe they would lose a lot of the public's respect.
I find for the task of splitting a tree section into logs an axe would work fine, but using an axe for making small kindling puts a sharp swinging blade too close to my fingers. All you need is one bad aim out of a 1000 and it's off to the hospital.
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2018 10:54pm
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I do research on most products before I make a purchase.
The reviews on Amazon for the kindling cracker are really good. Plenty of five star ratings.
Hubby is on blood thinners and the hospital is one hour away. I consider this product a excellent safety investment.
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Eddy G
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# Posted: 10 Apr 2018 08:38am
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Quoting: beachman Once you loose a finger, the price starts to look very reasonable. I still prefer the hillbilly method - hold the axe in one hand and the wood on a block in the other, swing the axe and remove the holding hand at the last possible moment. So far, so good.
  Thank You.....That seriously made me "laugh out loud" and I needed that this morning.......Thanks again
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old243
Member
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# Posted: 13 Apr 2018 01:26pm
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If you have some bush or access to white birch. . find a standing , dead tree. Usually if it is punky , most of the bark will come off in sheets. This makes excellent fire starter. Another thing I have used is a piece of tar paper , mine was left over from a roofing job. Usually I have broken cedar fence rails or an old cedar post , I can recycle into kindling, as I have a farm. old243
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