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Patron Version Video: Splitting the Big Log (Patreon)

Published:
2024-03-23 11:00:07
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

Friends:

First, thanks to all of you for making the Vise Block release such a success. We’re nearly sold out and that’s a huge accomplishment for a tool that’s been in development for so long. Thanks to everyone who bought one!

Thanks also to everyone who made a suggestion for improving the tool. We know the left-handed woodworkers are interested in a leftie version. We’re about to start the long process of getting the Vise Block injection-molded, so we’ll try hard to get a left-handed version. I wish it were less complicated. 

But back to actual woodworking!  

This week, Rob Patrick was back in the shop and we split open the huge log on our way to making the Jenny Alexander chair. Getting that log open was WAY harder than I expected, and we found some real surprises inside. 

Making this chair, especially for the first time, is a long journey. Each step is pretty small, but there’s a lot to learn along the way. We hope this series of detailed videos is valuable. There’s a lot of work here, but also a lot to learn.

This Patron Version of the video is extra long and packed with details you can use on your next greenwood build. The regular version of this video will be shorter.

Happy Saturday!

–Rex

Files

Previews only

Splitting the Log Greencut

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Comments

Mark H

GET YOUR FINGERS OUT OF THERE REX!!!

Chris St. Cyr

So, one post, three hours, two guys. $120-$240/post…That’s an expensive chair already.

L Ko

Rob might I suggest that sitting and hammering while leaning over is a great way to end up in bed for a few days with back pain! Fun video though.

Ethan Chitty

RE: when to pull the froe, I don’t pull it out to fully split when you get the quarters, but I will use that to cut in my line to guide the other cuts at that point because I can do one cut, then switch to the narrow profile wedges

Kevin S Thomas

Thanks for showing the reality of Green woodworking. Wood sometimes has a mind of its own.

Skully Wood and Metal

Great video, my only experience with splitting logs was making firewood. Just remember, "If you break the laws of physics you will get punished."

Redscale

Regarding the vise block, one idea that comes to mind is molding it from two pieces and adding something you can use to put in an extra piece where the vise blockers meet the shelf that sits on the bench allowing it to flip 180. Then you'd have a right and left handed version and you could replace either part if something goes wrong with one... but it might also be less economical to manufacture. I'll admit I'm just guessing here, I'm newer to this kind of thing and I've not used the vise block at all... but it seems to me like the only thing that needs to change to make it a left handed version is that you have some manner of flipping the teeth around. It just has to withstand the compression from the vice and hook onto the bench. My idea is this: Make a square frame around the top of the vise block's teeth on the same plane as the part that sits on the bench (the shelf? I'm gonna call it that for now). Maybe have a little overhang on the frame over the top of the teeth, and you can rotate it and pin it to the shelf body somehow, giving the tool an arbitrary orientation so the same manufacture satisfies both left-and-right oriented use cases. You could probably adjust the pour of the mold a little to just not have the holes on the teeth go all the way through the top to create this 'frame', and give it a lip of whatever dimension you prefer on the two ends. I had a few other ideas how to match them together, but removable pins or clips seems the most feasible and easily replaced by the user, but maybe a slide in t-track arrangement or something similar on either side could work depending: I don't know the specifics well enough. Might need to weight the shelf a bit more to make it sit flush if the extra material is too front-heavy on that design. I've had to edit this a few times as I played with the idea, I'll admit, it was a fun thought exercise if nothing else. I do think a two piece construction like that would work, even if I might be wrong on one specific or another.

Richard C von Brecht

I retired from one of the world’s largest construction companies and that industry has strong safety culture, which has allowed a lot of workers to nightly go home to their families. It is easy for the less skilled such as myself to swing and hit my hand or leg. So consciously plan what you are going to do. Where could that hammer go if I miss or it jumps. As aways use the right tool of good quality. In situations like this, wear the right PPE; good safety glass, work pants and shirt. No shorts, I get this one wrong all the time. While using axes and sledges, steel toe boots, they aren’t expensive, less than a okay hand tool. A work glove or at least for the hand holding the wedge. They found that wearing gloves cuts way down on finger injuries which are one of the top job injuries, to say nothing about blisters. Sorry for the preaching but if it helps one person avoid a serious injury….

John Griswold

Runout is the tendency for a split to follow the path that the fibrous tubes that ferry water and nutrients up and down the trunk have grown. This is essentially a hidden grain...sometimes the tubes, called xylem and phloem, grow straight up the trunk, sometimes they spiral to the left or the right. You can see the path they have taken on a dead standing tree after the bark has fallen off; the tree will crack along their path. A sawmill ignores this grain, and sawmill timber will sometimes split and fail along the hidden grain, or the "runout". Builders of musical instruments and chairs often try to reduce thickness, either for sonic performance or aesthetic reasons, and pre-splitting allows them to avoid the inherent weakness of having the wood fibers run across the width of a member instead of straight down its length;)

Robert A Carbo

That's a lot of work, but it actually looks fun. Nice work guys.

Dave West

Nice job. I have done some log splitting like this and it's a lot of fun. I started doing it to use up some logs that had been taken down on property but instead of chairs I made benches. It was a good way to apply stuff I had read and seen on videos but without the pressure or complexity of making a chair. You can make the bench as big or small and rustic or ornate as you want. I needed wedges, gluts, hatchet, small sledge, big sledge and a chainsaw to cut the log into the lengths and to cut notches in the bench posts to accept tenons on the ends of the bench seat.

Mark H

This does give me hope for the ash log sitting in my garage. What sort of splitter did you use?

TheMadBadger
>>133153316

As a community of hobbyists we need to all get behind each other and throw out the stigma that PPE is for soft hands etc. Learning from others is one of our biggest strengths as humans. Let’s take the lessons from those who have lost limbs, lost lives or suffered awful conditions (asbestosis, silicosis etc) and make sure we teach ourselves, our children, our friends the proper PPE is always worth it.

Jerry Moomaw

White collar log splitting at its finest! Nice work.

Matt Evans-Koch

NIce work gentlemen. That process just replaced a week's worth of workouts at a fancy spa and got you some lovely parts for a chair. Thank you for bringing us along.

Tim Smith

Loved the video with all the detail. Now I've got questions: I cut down a large white oak 2 years ago. It has been lying on the ground since. I would like to quarter it ultimately to make planks, It is about 2.5 feet across. Is this still green enough to split easily, or will I need to get it to a mill? Probably 4 foot lengths. Any reason not to do the scoring with a circular or a chain saw? Thanks.

Robert Dennett

I tried doing this with a piece of green pecan from a local tree trimmer about 2 years ago using some pecan gluts and a couple of HF wedges. They kept bouncing out and today. I still have that unsplit hunk of pecan sitting in my driveway. It appears I need narrower wedges. Fortunately, I am a blacksmith and can make some. I am somewhat reluctant to take on any woodworking projects, though, since I still don't have a place to work.

Michael Bennett

Awesome episode. just listened to it and it brought back a flood of memories of splitting firewood as a teenager. I can't even count how many cords of oak and sugar maple (Gods, that sugar maple!) I split. Getting my fingers caught, breaking the handles on splitting mauls (at least once a season). If you've got a splitting maul, that works well as a wedge - a wedge with a HANDLE on it. You can use the handle to straighten the wedge if it goes off and can also pry with it sorta like a froe. Although, you don't have as good control. Speaking of prying, I also used a prybar (you know one of those big-ass 5+ feet long iron bars). We sharpened the end and used it to cut those stringy grains that stopped the log from splitting cleanly. With all that weight, it works a lot better (after you get used to it) and is a lot safer than using a hatchet or an axe. Also, if you ever find one at a garage sale for cheap, grab it. It's *tool steel*. Although, I wish I had a froe back then. It would have made kindling a lot easier and safer to make. BTW, while I was listening, Rob's voice kept reminding me of Donal Logue, the Irish/Canadian actor. I have lousy face recognition skills, but I can normally identify people by their voice super-easy. I pulled up a picture of Donal and damned if he doesn't look kinda-like him. Any chance they're related? Lastly, are you gonna split this up into a 2-parter?

Meryl Logue

I would have loved a peek inside that brake!

Bob Berger

Great video, VERY informative. I just wish the sound quality had better and the volume had been more consistent. I’m looking forward to what’s coming next! Great coincidence: I was just looking for a side cross-section view of a knot. This video provided an EXCELLENT view and explanation of a branch’s growth process! (Plus more.)

Jennessa Lynam

That was so cool watching you guys split that log down into the sections y'all need. So much so that it got me in the mood to work some more on a mallet that I've been wanting to make for awhile now. I've had the log for almost two years now but other things came up so I hadn't really started on it yet. It too me some time to figure out which area of the log I have is the best place to have the material I need to make my mallet. I say that cause the log I have has a LOT of bug holes all through it. I'm not even sure if any of it is usable for my project. I hope so cause if it's not then I gotta find another log and start all over. Which would suck. Anyways, can't wait for the next episode lol.

Peter R Schuck

Hard work. Pity his microphone wasn't picking up his voice that well at times. Nice coloured grundies Rex, nearly showing a tradies crack nearly.

Rex Krueger
>>133144613

I admit, it took far more time and effort than i was expecting. I've busted up quite a few green logs, but working with a piece this big is a whole new ballgame.

Rex Krueger
>>133151928

It's a fine idea and one we've looked at. Unfortunately, making 2 pieces rather than one drives up the price substantially. We're working on it.

Rex Krueger
>>133153316

I totally agree. You saw Rob and I with the safety glasses and proper clothes. I admit that our shoes weren't the best, but I've got a bit of plantar fasciitis in my right foot and wearing boots isn't always realistic for me.

Rex Krueger
>>133160626

It's very useful to make simpler "chairs" to start. My Moravian stool build was meant to make me better at the core skills while still keeping things low-pressure.

Mark H
>>133169150

Perhaps I missed it—where can I find a low angle splitter like you used in the video?

Rex Krueger
>>133182441

I'm so sorry to say this, but if that log has been on the ground for 2 years, it's done. It's guaranteed to be infested with bugs, probably fungus, and it's begun to rot. Insects get into fallen wood in a matter of hours. You should check with the mill to get their opinion, but I suspect that log won't make good wood. I know that's disappointing and I hate to be the one to say it, but logs like that need to be stored off the ground with their ends sealed if you're going to save them for later.

Rex Krueger
>>133189781

I've never worked with green pecan and only a little bit with dry pecan. Not all woods will split gracefully. In fact, many will not. Oak, ash, and hickory are preferred for green work because of their easy, straight splitting. Pecan might not be a suitable species. A little research will tell you a lot.

Rex Krueger
>>133201908

We're so glad you liked it! No, we're not going to split it up. The "regular" youtube viewers will get an shorter, less detailed version and we're going to press ahead with the next phase: drawknifing the components.

Rex Krueger
>>133252480

Of course, my good mics picked that day to crap out and i was forced to use the backup set. We muddled through.

Rex Krueger
>>133268669

If that log has a lot of bug holes, then don't bother. Just find a better one. You'll be happier in the end.

Peter R Schuck
>>133290342

Fair enough. Looking forward to the next part of the build of the chair. Was interesting the discussions you both had with each other regarding the process. Pity abput what you found inside, but as you said, you can find anything at all. Wad great there appears to be no metal in the tree. Hope you are doing well.

Redscale
>>133151928

Fair enough, thank you for your reply. I'm certain you fine folks will figure out a clever, economical solution! Moving the teeth back a bit or making a lip on the opposite side might be just enough, truthfully... not sure, but I'm also just some commenter with notions, hah.

Jennessa Lynam
>>133268669

I figured as much. Thanks for saving me from the headache of having to deal with it. FYI I personally don't have any complaints with the sound quality on this video. I didn't have any problem hearing the two you. Although, I have been told that I could probably hear through a lead wall, not really but yeah I can hear things very well, can't see worth a darn but can hear. Lol

Frans van Ballegooijen

Whatever you do, don't put your fingers in the crack!!! Rex: Hmm, I think I can get my whole hand in there... :-)))

Carlos Alvarado

Why did you not split the log from the opposite side than you could have gotten thsplit to go better. I have gone from both sides and the split goes lots better