Tool Talk
What's-It Forum => What's-It Forum => Topic started by: patack on March 19, 2016, 05:53:41 AM
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Hello,
I found this log splitter at an estate sale. Never saw one like it.
Got it home and see remnants of two stickers on it, and now I am more curious than ever.
Found one online referred to this as antique. It sold years ago with no information.
So, my questions:
How old do you think this really is?
Any idea who made this?
And, here's what I like most about this. The angles of this elongated pyramid look like the talons of a bird of prey.
Is there an intended purpose for these?
Thanks.
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Back in the late 70's my dad had one of those. They called it a Wood Grenade if I recall correctly.
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Something like this was still being sold in the 80s -- the last time I was in the firewood cutting & burning mode. The idea was this thing would apply twisting force as well as wedging force -- if you were cutting & splitting hardwoods like mulberry, elm, etc with twisting grain these were supposed to help wrench the block apart rather than just getting stuck.
I think my record for number of straight wedges used to split a piece of chinese elm was four -- three got driven in full depth & the block still was not split sufficiently to pull them back out.
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Thank you, both.
Enlightening, and interesting.
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It's only an antique to the degree that I'm an antique.
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I am absolutely shocked you all have never seen these before - Very common, you can still get em, and they work great.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200576433_200576433
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Well, I had seen 'em, Sudsy; I was just being a tad indirect in the way I said it.
Bill, probably an antique in the eyes of many, but in denial
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Well, I guess research pays off lol
I mentioned that I found one that sold a few years ago.
Ready? It sold for $75! (as an antique).
Thanks again for all your help and information.
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Well, I guess research pays off lol
I mentioned that I found one that sold a few years ago.
Ready? It sold for $75! (as an antique).
Thanks again for all your help and information.
So, here's the plan: you buy five or six at retail, then you bury them in the backyard after hitting them with a file to knock off the sharp edges; maybe wail on them with the sledge, so the top is marked. If you've got cattle or hogs, even better: bury them in the manure pit for a season.
Then you put them up on an auction site as anteeks, and make a fortune!
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There is a guy that was married to my wife's cousin long ago, who hung around some good knife makers. I knew him as a ne'er-do-well already, but he confirmed it one time. I saw him fashioning an axe head and he stated that he was going to "antique" it to sell on Ebay as a Civil war artifact!
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Something like this was still being sold in the 80s -- the last time I was in the firewood cutting & burning mode. The idea was this thing would apply twisting force as well as wedging force -- if you were cutting & splitting hardwoods like mulberry, elm, etc with twisting grain these were supposed to help wrench the block apart rather than just getting stuck.
I think my record for number of straight wedges used to split a piece of chinese elm was four -- three got driven in full depth & the block still was not split sufficiently to pull them back out.
I had a similar experience with a large wedge of green sweet gum. Two wedges, a maul an an axe completely stuck. I had to carefully saw off section until I could break each tool free.
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Something like this was still being sold in the 80s -- the last time I was in the firewood cutting & burning mode. The idea was this thing would apply twisting force as well as wedging force -- if you were cutting & splitting hardwoods like mulberry, elm, etc with twisting grain these were supposed to help wrench the block apart rather than just getting stuck.
I think my record for number of straight wedges used to split a piece of chinese elm was four -- three got driven in full depth & the block still was not split sufficiently to pull them back out.
I had a similar experience with a large wedge of green sweet gum. Two wedges, a maul an an axe completely stuck. I had to carefully saw off section until I could break each tool free.
I was once requested to leave a Fire Department Practice because I showed up on Jaws of Life night to see if they could get a couple wedges out of a hunk of burl. I of course thanked them, and when I got back to my place cancelled their hose winder from MY schedule. They also got a reciprocal treatment when they came by for the fund drive.
I spent that money on a stubby cylinder for my PortoPower.
About half the time you can just invert the block of wood and give it a couple love taps with the sledge and knock a wedge out. The other half are Game On.
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Definitely still made,I got a flyer in today's paper from Princess Auto ( Canada's version of Harbor Freight ) and they are on sale this week for $10.99. That's about $8.50 in US dollars.
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When i saw that, i was thinking we are gonna need a bigger boat.
Unknown.