black powder wood splitting wedge

[hrt4me]

Has anyone ever used a black powder wood splitting wedge?

 

[russellshaffer]

Never heard of one so I did a youtube search. Wow!!

 

[Phil Coffins]

Yes, it was loaded with blasting black powder and worked great. You drill a hole in the log and put the “wedge” in then powder and fuse. The log basically fell in two.

 

[hrt4me]

Were these homemade or commercially produced and sold?

What kind of black powder charge was used?

 

[Phil Coffins]

The one I was involved with was manufactured but I didn’t notice by who. After about fifty years some details are fuzzy but it wasn’t a lot of powder. The logs were around 8 feet long and I believe were elm. We used a hand auger to make a hole about center of the log then set the wedge and got back to watch the action. I’m not certain but I think it had a chain on it to keep it from going very far at the bang.
Thanks for bring it up I hadn’t thought about it for a very long time.

 

[hrt4me]

here they set another log against the wedge to keep it from flying off somewhere...

 

[Phil Coffins]

I think they are overloading by a lot! The ones we did didn’t fly at all. It maybe fun to scatter chunks all over but the coarser powder and less is cheaper and safer.
My black powder wood splitter.

234 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

 

[Dale Lilly]

I remember my grandad using one about 80 years ago but do not remember any details. I will look it up on U tube. Thanks

 

[JamesA]

Pretty cool. Having fun splitting wood and getting a daily dose of black powder smoke. Having said that, I'd rather do it in the field or at the range.

However..................illegal in California.

Illegal in California is a motto on the back of a T-shirt I wear on occasion. The T-shirt is from a gun store in Boise, very near the Cabela's outlet.

We all know virtually anything intelligent or wise is illegal in California, deemed so by the hair gelled moron that runs the state.

 

[azmntman]

I need one, no really.

 

[hrt4me]

I need one, no really.

I was thinking the same thing...

 

[Woody Morgan]

Pretty cool. Having fun splitting wood and getting a daily dose of black powder smoke. Having said that, I'd rather do it in the field or at the range.

However..................illegal in California.

Illegal in California is a motto on the back of a T-shirt I wear on occasion. The T-shirt is from a gun store in Boise, very near the Cabela's outlet.

We all know virtually anything intelligent or wise is illegal in California, deemed so by the hair gelled moron that runs the state.

Yabbut that doesn't stop folk from acting stupid. He's just the most visible one.
Outside the cities there's plenty of open room for loud recreation...illegal in California or not.

wm

 

[sheriff john]

I have one, passed down from my grandfather, made from an axle. steering shaft ? Uses blasting powder (or shooting powder). Cousin of my grandfather was killed with one - came back and skewered him.

Doesn't take much powder. Stuff newspaper over the charge and stick fireworks fuse in the touch hole. Dad and I set it off a couple of times. You MUST have a sizeable chunk of log behind it. Ours still has a bit of heavy cord around it. They work - if you're careful.

 

[B P Arn]

Pretty cool. Having fun splitting wood and getting a daily dose of black powder smoke. Having said that, I'd rather do it in the field or at the range.

However..................illegal in California.

Illegal in California is a motto on the back of a T-shirt I wear on occasion. The T-shirt is from a gun store in Boise, very near the Cabela's outlet.

We all know virtually anything intelligent or wise is illegal in California, deemed so by the hair gelled moron that runs the state.

Illegal, or causes cancer in California!

 

[Rifleman1776]

Yes, I have one I used extensively until powder got very expensive. A friend showed one that had been in his family for many years. It had a 1" bore and a chain at the end for tying a rag on so it could be found after firing. I made one from a cut-off .50 cal. ml barrel. I did not put the chain and rag thing on. For use I inserted some cannon fuse and put in a charge of bp. 120 gr. if memory serves me right. The muzzle end was ground down to a bullet point leaving a sharp edge all around the muzzle. No drilling. I just pounded the sharp end into the log. The breech end was a couple inches of steel that I hit with a hammer. Sometimes I would back up another chunk of wood to the breech to keep the splitter from flying off into the woods. I think I still have it, will post a pic later if I find it. BTW, I used it for many years because it was/is a good tool. It can be carried in one hand and cost a lot less than a gas powered splitter.

 

[hrt4me]

sounds like it functions as a shaped charge

 

[hrt4me]

 

[hrt4me]

 

[hrt4me]

 

[hrt4me]