Happy splitting 🪓
Learn More:
Axes: • Beginner's Guide to Axes
Knots and Big rounds: • How to Chop Big Rounds...
Firewood: • Firewood: Stacking, St...
Differences and difficulties: • Woodchopping: Differen...
POWER CHOP: • How to POWER CHOP!
Full playlist:
• Beginner's Guide to Axes
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Nicole wants to thanks all the logs for their kind participation and their willingness to split on demand (if you don't count the ax persuation).
Excellent tutorial. If you are chopping wood that was not cut perfectly straight (like it was me with the chain saw), use a chopping block that has a little slope to it. That way, you can rotate the log you are chopping until it stands up vertically.
And def remember to let the tool do the work. The motion, guidance, momentum, that's all the lumberjack's purview but don't try to drive the axe into the wood. You will quickly exhaust yourself and the axe will bounce in weird directions. Y'all be safe! (and I hope you're safe with all the Canadian fires going on right now!)
I was taught to drive the axe in the wood right before it makes contact with the wood and when I use it it usually takes one chop
@@pavle1milano598I was taught similarly, and to swing through the piece
Thank you. Good info. Always impressed by your accuracy when you have the bigger pieces, the line of strikes is so straight.
That's the only straight she's interested in.
@@TheErinbishlmao
I agree. I’ve split my share of logs over 60+ years, but Nicole is way more accurate than I am,
The synchronization of the two slow mo shots was really helpful and satisfying at the same time 💜
Excellent example of a KZhead video that gets right to the point and is very entertaining. Thanks very much.
A tutorial everyone needs to watch in order to split wood safely and correctly. Nicole is a fountain of information with great demonstrations. CHOP ON NICOLE!!!❤
I find I am so much of a New York City boy that I never realized there is a logical method of easily chopping and splitting logs. Several times I have visited my sister who lives in southeastern Alaska and between your videos and what I have seen at my sister's, I would never make it up up north. It takes a special talent like you and my sister & her husband has, very impressive!
Sir, please do not blame the city you live in but take responsibility. I am so much of a London (real London) city boy yet I can chop wood and shoot just fine.
@@luxuryvagrant6496 I'm not sure what I'd be taking responsibility for, no one walks around New York City with an axe and chopping down trees in Central Park , that's just how it is.
Thanks so much for your videos. I have NEVER chopped wood. My landscapers took out a huge mesquite tree in my back yard. I asked them to leave the wood for me, since I have a fireplace and also wanted to use it for bbq. They left huge pieces for me, so now I have to figure out how to get it into smaller pieces for my little bbq. I rather use my own wood than buy it from the local supplier, since it's very expensive. I just purchased my first axe ever thanks to watching a few of your videos. I'll ask my neighbor to watch and supervise, just in case someone needs to call 911 for me. Lol. Seriously, I think it'll be great exercise.
Unless your logs are perfectly cut, its better to use a slightly uneven stump so you rotate the log on top of stump till it stands up straight. Don't put the log you are trying to split in the center unless you have a huge stump. Put the log on the far end of the stump away from you so that when the axe or maul swings through the log it goes into the stump. Bending your knees near the end of the swing adds power and keeps the head of the tool more in line with the ground and is safer. Don't aim for the center of the log when splitting otherwise you will overstrike and damage your axe handle and you also gain more splitting leverage aiming for the end closest to you. Only aim in the far end and center if you got a big round you are trying to split across and you know isn't going to open on the first few swings so you establish a crack going across. If you have to split a log with knots, flip the log being split so that the biggest knot or knots are on the bottom so you have more leverage to potential split the knot. Sometimes just flipping the legs helps if you have been going at it from the other side and its not splitting easy. Even your maul needs to be sharp though it doesn't have to be shaving sharp like your axe should be. Reprofile your axe or maul to a sharp convex wedge if it isn't already as most cheap axes aren't properly profiled. Don't try to flick your wrist on a swing you think probably won't split the log as you can sprain your wrist. I've done that before. Not every log should be split down the center, sometimes its better to take chunks but follow the rings of the wood. Splitting wedges are your friend for logs that are tough as you will just wear yourself out if you try to only use a maul for everything. A sledge or maul landing a powerful strike a metal wedge can sometimes ring painfully loud and piercing so consider ear plugs or certain headphones for that. Cut yourself a really huge fat wedge to compliment your steel splitting wedges and to follow them in particular tough pieces if needed. Use the axe for small pieces and when you get comfortable and you have appropriate wood you can golf swing your axe and quickly split small stuff on the ground quickly and efficiently striking the end of the logs laying across the ground. Don't trip over the carnage. You can clean sticky sap off your axe so it goes smoothly through the wood with alcohol, and it works for your hands too.
Underrated comment, really interesting!
That's a lot of knowledge. Also never hit metal against metal hard (like hammering the maul...) but put something in between the surfaces, as a splinter could come off and fly as a bullet (it happened to me when young); if you swing a small log with the maul stuck in it to strike it against the ground (or against the stump) without having to remove the maul, do so well away from any obstacle (and people obviously) in front (a wall, a rock, a pile of wood or whatever) because the log could come off while swinging down, hit the obstacle and bounce back to your face (it happened that too and it is like a hard punch)
@@giammira Splitting wedges are inherently soft steel, softer than the back of a maul. Generally splitting mauls are designed to strike metal splitting wedges. Splitting axes and felling axes are not made to strike steel on steel. Which is why one should never use old broken off axe heads as splitting wedges unless you are striking said axe heads with a large wooden mallet. The inherently soft steel of the splitting wedges leads to mushrooming out and I grind my splitting wedges so they never mushroom out and develop cracks and pieces which break off and its never an issue which is what people are supposed to do. They even have OSHA standards for it. 3M Cubitron grinding wheels are pricy but they remove metal very fast and make it even less tedious of a chore. Some people never maintain their wedges or they use an axe which isn't tempered for striking metal and then they end up turning pieces of tools into bullets. For people who do not want to maintain their splitting wedges, a maul like the Halder Simplex has a replaceable hard plastic face which is designed to mitigate the mushrooming effect of splitting wedges.
Wasn't sure what to expect from this, but this is a really solid tutorial! :)
Awesome!! I actually didn't know know about the flick at the end, so I'll give that a try next time I'm doing some chopping. Thank you 😄
And to learn how to flick watch buckin Billy Ray Smith on Vancouver Island. He always does that mean teaches you how to do it and why to do it. He does it with axes with mauls. He rebuilds axes and handles.
Only recently came across this channel, but I’m already greatly appreciative of your content! As of now, none of this information is relevant to me, but you never know. Good to be prepared than not! Thank you very much!
Someone: what's the most Canadian thing to do This girl : hold my axe😂
Whenever I split or cut wood, I can hear my dad laughing. He worked an axe like you do, could split a fly on a block of wood without effort. I come kinda close, love the around and down (better hit = less trys = less work), and he found my small errors very amusing. I always feel close to him again when I swing an axe. Great video, it's good to go over the basics sometimes. Love your technique and your power.
That was very wholesome :)
Having just bought a 100 year old house in Portugal and having the roof replaced your video has given me the confidence to give chopping the old wood a serious try. (61 year old woman) Thanks for being to the point.
Do no discuss anything with personal with fraudulent commenters.
I had no idea wood chopping had so many elements to learn. plus the different axes. very cool! 😄
She's so enthusiastic. I love it.
I promise, this has been the cleanest and informative video I’ve found as a beginner. Thank you
Excellent tutorial! "let the axe do the work otherwise you will hurt yourself" told me one oldwoodchoper. Took a while to understand that 🙂
Much appreciated! Around & down is the only way I've been able to split anything, so that puts into perspective how much more I need to exercise.
Excellent tutorial on reading the log, a very important part of splitting wood. With the checking she showed on the ends of the logs, the wood almost tells you where the split should go.
Solid footwork is paramount to mastering the fundamentals of chopping wood. It feels replenishing for the soul watching an expert at work. Thank you for redefining the rulebook standards of the current chopper generation !
Great tutorial and great video! I've been splitting wood for 30 years to heat my home. You're a beast! (In a good way...).
Not the knot, got it!
The knots be knotty
@@keithcole8536 lol!
@jennifers5560 I have seen alot of bad knots in my life they was rough
Thanks for a great video, Nicole ! I hand split my own wood. Sometimes I'll split green wood on it's side, if it's stubborn - I'm in the south so I split a lot of sweet gum, with is stringy when it's green (much easier to split when it's cured). I also tend to buck my wood a little shorter (I have a small woodstove so I'll sometimes buck at 12 inches), takes less force to split with a lighter weight maul. Also, the splitting block is much easier on your lower back the higher you make it! 🙂
It's always cool when you can hear on the first hit how easy it's going to break.
All I learnt by doing over decades presented in 3min by a young lady :) even that squats thing. Did not expect that! One more thing: using a very flat chopping block keeps the target piece low. That gives a bit more momentum and in case the axe wants to follow its own path, it is less likely to end up in my foot but in the ground instead.
i sometimes chop wood at my grandparents, this will be really helpful, thank you! :)
Very nice! Great information! I had to do a lot of wood splitting in my younger days!
Thanks for posting this. Sent it to my Sister in Laws partner, to help her. Much more useful than the GUY at the hardware store, who told her she "wouldn't be strong enough to swing an axe" (sigh...), so sold her a sledge and a wedge instead..... (W.T.F). So, when we went to visit them, i picked her out an 8lb maul, and showed her the basics. Now she has a link to your vids, hopefully she'll be confident enough to be a better woodswoman.
A sledge and a wedge really is helpful for really tough wood, or if you are in the unpleasant situation of having to split wet wood, or wood that hasn't seasoned long enough yet. It's not as quick as an axe on 'normal' stuff though.
@@gagenater True. But, i'd counter that the initial work should be done with an axe or maul. Once the wood has a split, expand on it with a wedge.
A couple more things: - For big rounds, it's easiest to split near the ends rather than in the middle. Work around it until the round is a manageable size - On tough rounds a shorter chopping block is best since it allows for a higher drop (more momentum) from your swing. 4" tall block is enough to prevent the ground absorbing force from the swing. - as you showed but didn't mention, stand with legs apart so the maul passed between your legs if it missed or split through too easily. More of an issue with shorter handle splitting axes than mauls. - For very large rounds from tough wood like locust or hickory, it's easiest to chainsaw it into smaller halves or quarters before splitting. - put your rounds inside an old tire before splitting. This helps contain split halves so you don't need to pick them up to split into more pieces. - keep your mauls and axes sharpened!
Watched a couple tutorials and yours is easily the vest. Thorough, slow enough to process,, good visuals, and just repetitive enough to drive home the point. Thank you for this cutting edge demonstration 😉
A good way to learn to chop wood is... To chop wood.
I spent a few summers rebuilding ten miles of railroad track using only hands tools. I did a lot of spiking and got pretty good at it. I swung the spiking hammer as a "windmill". I generally gripped the handle near the end, with my hands together. My hands never separated. I found the movement to be very efficient and precise. I was able to spike with my eyes closed, after the first stroke. I did that on occasion to show off, once in a while. This technique may not work so well for chopping wood but I was wondering if you have ever tried it.
It's also a great way to drive a wedge into very hard to split wood, I could get 2 hits per second, but then I also swung a truck tire sledgehammer for 17 years. Great video!
Takes wrist strength that a lot of is don't have.
Nicole, thanks for sharing! ❤
Excellent tutorial , thanks Nicole🙂
I am completely delighted to have found your channel.
Well done! Very informative for all the new splitters out. I'm a new sub and really like your content! You make me laugh you also have great axe content! Keep it up!
Okay I know I say it often but this was actually a really informative video. Thank you for that🙏
Keeping you in great shape!
thanks for the vid i have been chopping wood in my back garden but not with a good sized axe so i will def wathc this vid when preparing for the big logs!!!!!! Thanks you!!
If you have a stack of split-resistant logs, plan B is to set one log horizontal on the ground, and the prop the log to be split on it at an angle, then strike that log on it's corner. The ax sinks in further easier, and it'll start busting open easier too.
As a kid, my dad taught me to split wood much the same way. He had me use a splitting maul overall to split primarily pine wood. Good times 👍🏼
Great to see someone using and instructing others on the right tool for the job. So many folks cosplaying lumberjacks pounding away at a giant log with an axe until they're out of breath, instead of taking a good swing or two at it with a maul.
Clear instructions, but I like your bright smile !
A chopping tip from my dad: For logs with knots, always place the log with the end up that would have been higher on the original tree stem. You can usually tell by the way the removed side branches poke out the sides of the bark. If you think of the knots being V- shaped you are now hitting into the bottom joint of the V, not onto the apex. No pun intended. Even better to think of that already when cutting: Cut just BELOW a group of side branches. Then you can place the knots at the bottom when chopping as you say at 1:12, but still have the end up that was higher on the tree.
One thing you didn't directly address (although it was more-or-less demonstrated) was how to slide your high hand down along the handle as you swing the splitting maul downward into the block. Your lower hand stays put during the swing, the high hand slides down to meet it during the swing. This greatly increases the force and smoothness of the swing.
It's also good to hit the closer edge of the log with the first swing, ideally with just upper half of the maul- reduces friction, but be very careful! If you miss the log, your leg might take the hit
oh goodness your aim precision is just mindblowing
I don't have much interest in chopping wood--but you make it so darn entertaining that I watched the whole thing. Look forward to your next "Okiee Dokee"
Very charismatic presentation!
I was going to axe you some more questions, but who wood've thunk, you've covered most of it in this video, thanks!
You split logs with such joy, that you make it seem as if you have found your vocation. You were born to be happy. When you've finished that big pile of firewood, get out and meet someone. Good luck 🍀
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Thank you for these, i can say without an ounce of shame that i have taken up splitting wood literally because i want my arms to look like yours
She makes it look like so much fun!❤
Thank you! I'm a beginner and I really needed this. Now I just need to sharpen my aim which is awful (never twice in the same spot😅). Cheers from Spain!
In Oz, we use hardwood for firewood, cos that's what we got. Let's see you do this with a lump of eucalyptus.
Perfect and nice explanation. Thank You
Looks easy ! I'll try tomorrow.
Very useful. Thank you
Really good video I'm going to start practicing on my flip here in about a couple hours I got 25 to 35 cords of wood to split and no splitter it is too far away and it ain't going to be back for a while and I got to get to work manually for a change. Just thought I'd watch some videos and pick up a few little ins and out tips and nice work thank you.
the axe cut at 1:36 was really good
Great and beautiful explanation.
Nice guns! Gotta love a girl who knows how to chop wood! I also use the "squat" trick, not only to generate a bit more power but also to protect your lower back from unwanted stress and leverage absorbing the impact of the heavy chops.
Don't know why this came up in my recommended but I found it very educational.
О, эти Канадские лесорубы! Бесконечно можно смотреть на три вещи; как течёт вода, как горит огонь и как работает женщина 😁
I always do it the hard way - without a stump to rest the log on. It does make the wonky pieces stand up straight, but it is about 3x more effort overall as the ground absorbs a lot of the impact. No stumps big enough around here, yet!
I agreed to help my country bro help chop wood for his family this weekend. As a city boy, I really need this
Good advice, and thanks 😊
She’s good at it; at one time, when we used a wood stove, I did a lot of chopping. Upside = cheap heat. Downside = both of my shoulders are now titanium and teflon.
Thank you!!
got me worried there for a moment, but you explained the real important thing in the end: stance! I like your content, and of course it´s part because you look gorgeus. Who am I kidding 😆 but I also enjoy just the woodcutting as in of itself. I wish my friend with his fireplace would ask me more often to get the work for it done 💪😁
Okie dokie is becoming a vernacular of mine now. Got the southern workers look at me strange. Right on 😂
Information we all need to know thanks for tutorial 😊
Informative and totally awesome 👏🏻
Love the sound of good dried wood
Thank you for this.
I'm 57 and live in a major city but grew up in the country and was the main wood splitter for our home . And we used a LOT. Well a few years ago I'm having dinner and start hearing this THUNK from next door. I look out my window and see a group of young folks trying to split some wood for a backyard fire pit and they had EVERYTHING wrong . Big green round , sitting on the dirt, using a felling type axe and terrible technique . I yelled down "You're doing that wrong" and of course , as I'd hoped , a young man yelled back "Well why don't you show us!". And I did . Luckily they had a maul and even some wedges so it turned out to be kind of fun to show them how to do it right . BUT I couldn't resist a little friendly wagering before all that .
This was so to the point thank you. It was like 50 tips in 3 min lol
will I ever find myself in a situation where I need to now that? No. Am I now fully intrigued and curious on the topic and your channel as well as IG account? Mayybee.... 😂😂😂😂😂
I love watching wood chopping for some strange reason
Thank you you’re very awesome and always entertaining
Well done! 👍👍
When I was a kid my folks in Upstate New York heated their home with wood. To be clear the winter's were long and bitter. So wood selection and splitting it correctly was very important. I don't know how much i split...but it was a whole lot. My uncle taught me the correct technique. The problem was he is left handed. To this day...everything I do is right handed...except for splitting wood. I have tried changing hands buti cannot split wood right handed... but I can split like an expert left handed. Haha
Dad taught us to "box" the wood with a double bitted axe. Just as the edge of the axe enters the wood, twist the handle in your hands and that movement would split the wood easily.
I bought an ax two days ago from the Okay brand. I have to chop wood too, the snow is coming to Switzerland !
Good info, thank you.
Not only, Nicole is great teacher from today's exercise, she is also pretty.😘😊
Thats interesting regarding the dominant hand. I have always used the dominant hand at the end of the handle. Same with rakes.
Thanks, good tutorial
I miss doing this honestly. But most of my uncles who have wood furnaces/heating all bought log splitters because they've gotten old lets say. So they don't much need for lets say bringing in the young bucks to chop wood for them. It's actually a lot of fun. Exhausting but fun.
"Owww that's a doozy" was the most Canadian thing I've heard on KZhead this year.
Also make sure that the axe head is vertically aligned with the piece of wood. If the axe is twisted sideways even a little, your swings are going to lose momentum/impetus and the shaft is more likely to break.
I like how you say okie dokie in ever video and I also really like your bandanna
You know what? You are good guy! and even I have learned hot to chop wood, I will use this experience soon! :))))!
Just get Fiskars splitting axe, like on your winter screenshot. It does half the work for you. It's lightweight and very efective. The best is X27, but anything above X21 goes.
I feel like a collab video of you and buckin billy ray would be one of the most wholesome videos on youtube
I was taught to squat at the end of the swing so that, if you do miss, the axe/maul will go into the ground instead of your shin
Loved this game and played it often with my brother.
You can also turn the axe around and let the wood break on itself. Cedar is amazing.