Splitting

 

Here are a couple shots of splitting some sugar (hard ) maple.  I cut some plywood strips 2.5" wide and use them to make the pencil (indelible) marks, then I use the wedge to pre split the log, which means following the pencil marks with a wedge, striking ( tapping really) as I go along.  Then, set the wedge on the mark and wail way.  The hardest part is getting the wedge to stick, once that happens, put another wedge or two along the line, and split.  Usually the maple pops right apart.  Remember to always, always split in halves.  I've tried to cheat before, trying to split a piece into thirds, and almost always I end up with one, instead of two fat halves. 

I used to use a store bought froe that was simply a wedge, parallel sides and a double bevel edge.  It didn't work at all, it simply split the piece, you couldn't steer the split at all.  Then a friend, Jeff Hemphill, gave me a properly shaped froe, which is roughly teardrop shaped, and boy what a difference, night and day.  Now I can place the fatter side down, and push against it, and steer the split should it run to one side, but again, always try to split equal halves.