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		DO wear safety glasses and steel-toed shoes. DON’T think that you need the muscles of a woodsman to do this. As is the rule with many things, technique is more important than size.

Firewood that Really Stacks Up

1. Start with a sharp axe or maul. To sharpen the axe, use a whetstone covered with a thin layer of water. Our grandfathers would have spit on it, but you can use a sponge. (see fig. A)
   
2. Hold the blade at a consistent angle and gently rub the blade along the whetstone, always moving in the same direction. (see fig. B)
   
   

   Fig. A		Fig. B

3. Now that you have sharp tools, safety equipment and dry weather, you’re ready to begin. (see fig. C)
   
4. Check that the wood you are about to split is dry. Dry wood splits much more easily. You can tell if wood is dry by looking at the end of the log. If there are cracks along the edges, it’s ready to split. (see fig. D)
   
   

   Fig. A		Fig. B

5. Make sure that the pieces you are to cut are not too long. About 12 inches is a good length for beginner choppers.
   
6. Some wood splits more easily than others. Birch and maple split quite easily but pieces with knots present more of a challenge.
   
7. Place the wood on a hard surface. You don’t want the strike of your blow to be absorbed by soft ground below. (see fig. E & F)
   
8. Hold the axe as close to the end as possible and do a full swing.
   
9. A good strike lands near the edge of the wood, not the centre. If possible, aim for a crack and work at splitting the wood on a vulnerable point.
   
   

   Fig. A		Fig. B

10. Always watch the point where you want the axe to strike. This is equivalent to “keeping your eye on the ball” when hitting a golfball.
    
11. Practice makes perfect. Keep swinging and before you know it, you can wriggle your toes in front of a roaring fire.
    

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