Improved Log-splitting ax

Having tried a variety of log-splitting tools--axes and mauls, not machines--I have yet to find one ready made with the right combination of weight, handle length and material, and edge. I have a 16 pound all steel model which is completely useless unless you need a boat anchor. I clamped it in my mill and tried to shave some metal off while reshaping the steel 30 degree isosceles triangle into something that had a prayer of penetrating a log with less than hydraulic force, but in the end, it is still too heavy and the too-short steel handle will transfer all of the force directly to your spine. No good.

Inversely, the various fiberglass handle mauls I have are the equivalent of trying to whip the log into submission. It feel like half the force of your swing is absorbed into the handle on impact. No good.

I also have a nice Finnish model with a very excellent bit, but its light and the handle is some silly molded plastic tube. And the Europeans must like to stand very close to the log, because the models Ive looked at--hand made and very expensive--all seem to have short handles, like 30" or so. Very uncomfortable for me, even though I am not tall. I like a long handle so when it glances off a log, there is a little leverage giving you a chance to steer it away from your shin. Plus, I think head speed is where the force is generated, which is why I like a very specific weight range, so as to get good speed and force without wearing myself out.

My current thinking is that a good sharp axe head weighing about 5-6 pounds with a 36" hickory handle is the best for me. I can swing it until the handle breaks or I have enough wood, without getting too tired. And the handle is easy to glue back together, usually. I've improved the standard axe, which is a bit light, by welding a wedge on either side of the bit so that a good swing will drive the log apart further than the standard bit will. This is especially useful when the bit gets stuck in the log but doesn't split it. A 2 pound sledge with a 24" handle can be used to drive it through with one hand, while holding the axe handle and the log steady with the other. I call this the "windmill" technique and it works well for me.

This is the prototype version, or I guess "beta" or maybe "beata". Having a donated axe bit without a handle, a handle without a bit, and a couple small pieces of tool steel, I decided to put this together. The bit eye was a little smaller than the handle I had--odd--so I had to whittle it down in the band saw. It was homeless because my "windmill" technique is hard on cheap axe bits--I had cracked the original bit through the eye and the welds did not hold--I think because the casting was really poor--couldn't have been my welding. So I cut the tool steel into 2 wedges with a angle grinder and cut-off wheel and welded them to the bit. You can see that I didn't take too much time with the layout, as this was deemed experimental. It works pretty well, so I may take the time to do a nicer job on the next version.