Splitting Wedges?

[osage outlaw]

I'm taking some of my wedges to work so I can clean up the mushrooming.  My wedges get quite the work out. 

What kind and size of trees will you be splitting?  That will determine what kind of wedges you need.  The railroad spikes might work well on smaller stuff but I don't think they will do much on a big gnarly osage log. 

[PatM]

I'm generally splitting Elm of about 6-7 inches in diameter. I kerf and then get the split started with a normal wedge and then use the spikes to open it up as I go. Any strands can be cut with a saw or  slim hatchet.

 Obviously normal wedges are fine. Spikes are  just free by the bucketful if you scan the edge of the rr tracks. 

[Carson (CMB)]

 For staves, I use a crappy old harbor freight axe for starting the split on the end of the log and then use combination of wood plastic and steel wedges depending einceon situation. Plastic or wood wedges are great for when you have to hike in and split a big tree on sight.  I have bought all my wedges second hand at garage sales.

I have come to appreciate how much wedges and sledges can vary in quality of steel from experience splitting doug-fir into arrow bolts. We have some newer cheap wedges and we have this one old heavy wedge stamped IRELAND. That Ireland wedge is always our go to wedge. It doesn't mushroom and it sure feels better driving it. Somehow it absorbs blows better.

[justsomedude]

I have a friend with 100 acres, a tractor and a giant bandsaw/milling setup
He lets me hunt his land too and it is full of Osage, ERC, Hickory, Persimmon, Locust etc.
He is clearing some land at the moment....

I will scout out some trees and he'll help me cut, haul and cut them up.

[mikekeswick]

If you have mushrooming going on you need to grind it off. That is the dangerous stuff. As mentioned properly made wedges won't mushroom until that have years and years of service under them.
Cheap modern wedges are another example of poor materials being used because most can't tell the difference.

[---GUTSHOT--->]

Buy a few steel wedges for 8-10 bucks each and never worry about it again. Whatever you choose, wear glasses/goggles and pants EVERY time you split staves up. You WILL catch shrapnel. 

I start the end split with my axe and sledge, then chase the split the rest of the length with wedges and sledge.

+1

[DC]

Am I right in saying that if you keep the end you hit dressed and tapered a bit you won't get shapnel?

[PatM]

Not to the point where you can dispense with safety glasses.

[DC]

True nuff.

[justsomedude]

I got a cheap half hatchet, a pointy 'grenade' wedge, a flat wedge and I have the big Estwing.
I wear glasses and padded gloves

[gifford]

My collection includes two old Craftsman wedges, two old 'farm bought' wedges, two 'antique store' wedges, and two felling wedges. I got the sears ones years ago. Not a bit of peening. The others, well, handle only with gloves, however for a couple of bucks each, worth it. Might as well toss in a splitting maul/sledge.  I have used as many as four at a time on some recalciterant osage logs.