Excellent evolution of bringing your vision to fruition. There are several manufactured kindling splitters that I have seen on RU-vid, but there is a certain satisfaction & pride related to making your own!!!
Barry, I must admit that it was definitely satisfying using it after it was built. It is easier on the back and easy on the knees. I think it’s one of the better ones on RU-vid personally. Thanks for taking the time to comment and thank you for the support!
@@firelifeproject6755 I agree. I welded an ax head to a plate years ago. I like how yours is at working height and has a bucket to catch the flying kindling. Nice work.
For those who don't have an electric welder it is possible to construct a "holder" for the metal splitter out of hard wood that is bolted together. Also it is possible to use an old axe head as the metal splitter .
Or use an old brake disc as base which brings plenty of holes to screw on a stand and the metal splitter onto. Great Idea with so much potential. :) thx
Perfect for keeping right at the wood stove near your split wood. Grab a piece of wood and split it. Kindling captured along with small debris. Minimal clean up. Great idea.
Hello and happy new year. I built your kindling spliter this afternoon, and it is amazing . No longer am I chasing bits of kindling around on the floor. I hope you and your family have a wonderful new year. Thanks, Ben from Nova Scotia
Ya know that's a great idea and I appreciate the fact you can do it yourself. Trouble is not everybody has welding skills or the equipment to weld so for most people it's just cheaper to just buy a kindling splitter already made. I did find it very painful watching you scraping the bark off that piece of wood with a hatchet and big knife. I would have taken that wire wheel used to clean the rust off bottom the plate to remove bark mush faster.
Love it! Got the original, saw how small it was, returned it for the XL. It splits my ~7x16" firewood into smallwood and kindling in a flash. ru-vid.comUgkxSRemO77LrM90rx_It_Wh6ZnKAS0H2A8t Good for debarking too. It's so fun I now have too much kindling and have to fight the urge to split the big pieces. I usually split dried cedar, but I've split dried oak too. The edge on mine has stayed razor sharp. I mounted it on a couple pieces of pressure treated 4x4 to hold it steady and quiet the ringing. Several reviews and videos show people having trouble keeping the wood straight. How do I put this gently?... You have to be smarter than the wood. Don't try to split knots, or badly curved grain. And hold the wood (with leather gloves) and tap it once to set it on the blade before giving it a good whack. And you have to know how to swing a hammer. If you don't know what wood grain or knots are, and you can't swing a hammer without hitting yourself or things around you, I suggest buying firewood and kindling pre-split. But if you're smarter than a log, this beautiful tool will make splitting firewood into kindling safer, faster and way more funner! I highly recommend it, and get the XL.
I like how a lot of the comments on here are people saying that this can't be diy because they can't afford the tools needed to do this project. Lmao. Not everything revolves around you buttercup. I think this is pretty cool, although I just use my hatchet, a hammer, and an old level log on the ground to chop up some kindling, seems to do the trick well, but this certainly would speed it up some.
Simply loved this tutorial vid. Raw, real, entertaining and useful. Was considering buying one of those cast iron gadgets for $80+... Now I'm going to build one of these before the snow flies here. Thanks...oh, and good beats!
Great concept, as already stated I think you should cut the bottom of the pail with a custom fit that goes over your splitting wedge. When the pail is full just pick it up and take it to your stove. A little too much video on you shaving that piece of wood down, just saying.
Thank you for the feedback! This works really great and the only thing I would do different is possibly put a hole in the bucket so when you’re done splitting the wood into kindling you can just take the bucket away with you.
For car camping I use a parallel wood clamp to stand up a small axe and use it in the same way with a make shift wood baton. Sometimes I get fancy and lash a rock to the baton with paracord for extra weight.
Great idea! I almost bought the popular commercial splitter but this is much better having the bucket to contain the kindling. On my bucket list to build this winter in the shop. I'm pretty sure I have all the parts so $0.00 cost other than electricity. Subscribed hoping you make the big 1000 soon - I know that is a milestone in the RU-vid world. Good luck and happy holidays.
👍👍👍 A very good idea. For those without the relevant welding and steel cutting equipment, one's local Engineering Works, given a template, should be able to rustle up something at a reasonable price. I needed a tow hitch height adjuster for my caravan / new tow vehicle. Measured it all up (thrice 😏), transferred the measurements to a stiff cardboard template, down to my local engineering works and 'bobs your uncle' .. appreciably cheaper than those on offer at the Caravan Dealership and customised for my setup to boot.
Awesome. Simple. Functional. Great for a situation where safety is a bigger concern than speed (this should always be the case). Especially for an elderly person, kids, etc.
This is the best splitting apparatus I've seen IMO, cuz the bucket catches all the mess. Pretty darn cool brother, you could probably build that into a TikTok and RU-vid ordering site for ths who cant or don't have the equipment to accommodate, just sayin
Yup! Imma have one of these next to the fire box soon. Fabulous idea, I'm sick of picking up kindling after hit with the hatchet and it squirts across the room. Thanks fir sharing
@@firelifeproject6755 Haha my back will be thanking me. Already looking for a bucket got an endless supply of drops at work for the circle as well as the upright blade. Imma rob your idea but gonna make my blade slightly wider. This is genius dude. Thanks again for posting. Where you from?
Thank you! It works real slick and it’s great for my mother and father because they have arthritis and they’re really getting old so this is a handy way for them to cut up some kindling if they need. And it’s safe for them lol I don’t have to worry.
Nice DIY idea.....awesome video, and simple welding that most people could do.....If not, then surely they can get inspiration to build a similar tool using different materials or methods....!
I had the help of special effects LOL Thank you, and thanks for the support! I am just learning how to make videos but I have some new projects as soon as I get home.
Awesome! You’re gonna love it. No more sore back or sore knees... thank you for your support and taking the time to comment. Please let me know how it works out for you.
Great idea! The modification that I will make is cutting a well-fitted hole in the bucket, bolting the wedge plate directly to the wood, and slipping the bucket OVER THE WEDGE. This way, I can just lift the bucket and all the kindling and dump it into my kindling bucket all at once instead of having to pick them out and restock them. It is supposed to be a labor saving device, no?
The time and the effort you put into this was impressive ! You could make a lot of money making and selling these because I would definitely buy one . Ps subscribing to your channel .
Thank you so much for your support and taking the time to comment! Thank you for subscribing as well. Honestly it’s refreshing to get positive feedback!
Don't get me wrong,.. I love the project it was just that never ending debarking session that needed a little editing. Actually, I have a similar method with an old fashioned Christmas tree stand with a wedge in the center and that sits inside an old garden tractor tire. It's set up so that I can split slab wood pieces. But, I like your idea a whole lot better and will be improving mine. Zo thank You for posting your method.
Next time try cleaning the metal base to promote better welding adhesion and cut the base of the wedge flat to make the best connection; use used this type of tool on my farm some 50 years ago, Lincoln welder, old stell plate and a wedge from Producers Co-Op, made making kindling quicker and easier, great to see it used again, thanks!
@@firelifeproject6755 keep it simple.. just use farmers rod.. AKA 6010 or 6011..designed to work on dirty metal and environments. Actually intended for use by farmers back in the day that would break down in the field.. 2 12volt batteries and jumper cables and weld away.
Yes I will do some videos with 6010 and 6011 for sure. I use 6010 quite a bit as I am a facility and a pipe fabricator welder in the oil and gas industry. Mostly used for root passes and hot passes. You’re right it does work good on dirty metal and filling gap.
Nice work man. The only thing I would adjust if I did it would be to make the base bigger and rip that bark off of it MUCH faster, but solid work my friend
Very nice idea. I've seen one similar to this from New Zealand in the past. Based on their design you could make yours safe by adding a "guard ring" above the blade. That way you would still be able to feed logs through the ring but your hand would be stopped by it.
Looks like it works well. The only change I would make is to use a rubber mallet to avoid damaging the sharp edge of the wedge. Perhaps a short piece of wood would do the job as the mallet.
I like this a lot, though personally I wouldn't fix the bucket to anything. That way you can carry the kindling to the fire - or wherever you want to stack it.
Clearly not your first go around with steel and a welder. Nice to see measurement and squaring done during the tack welds. Looks great. What rod did you use and amps?
I built one of these years ago and it's still running strong made mine an 8" length of a cylindrical pipe 30" off the ground on legs The kindal sticks just fall out the bottom.
That’s awesome! I definitely like this one but I think I’m going to build a new one and have a few more options on it. I’m going to build it out a steel. No wood the next time. Thanks for commenting and thanks so much for the support!
Thank you very much! I appreciate your comment. I might not be in the same area as you but i’m pretty sure your local Welder will weld that for you for a case of beer. It is a great tool! Thank you so much for your support! I am away at work finally but when I get home I will be making more videos to help grow my channel.
Excellent idea! I am a kind of wing it girl myself lol We just bought our daughter and daughter-in-law a Kindling splitter because I thought these were ingenious tools 👍It’s for their camping trips. I wonder if I can sit in a bucket like your idea? I love that you stored the hammer in it too. Question what was the spray you sprayed on the wood piece? And what does it do to the wood.What is its purpose?TIA. Keep up the great work
Thank you for the awesome comments and thank you for your awesome support!. All I put on the wood with a little varnish in a spray can. I did it more for looks than anything. I was worried that you wouldn’t be able to see it on the camera. Some people have commented already that I didn’t seal the ends. My thought was that it’s always going to sit on concrete Or gravel and the top is covered by the bucket.
Absolutely! Everybody’s been giving me a hard time because they consider not a do it yourself project. And I’ve mentioned to a couple of people they can find a local welder in town and I’m sure for a few dollars or a couple of beer he can weld a wedge on to piece a plate for whoever can’t weld or does not want to learn any new skills or simply doesn’t have the means to do it. Thanks for taking the time to comment
Easy and FREE solution for those who don't have a torch kit or 3/8" plate Steele at their disposal... Use an old disk brake rotor. They are scrap and have no use after they're turned down. they're perfectly round, weldable, a better, weight and the holes are already drilled into them... Any hobbyist, farmer, automotive shop will have rotors laying around. They would also tack your splitting wedge to it for a couple of bucks whereas, you might have trouble getting someone to fabricate the entire metal disk for you You could get your own together in less time than it took to watch this video ;-)
Definitely other solution for replacing the plate. Probably won’t look as nice though. Thanks for taking the time to comment. The video was a little long and I’m just new at making videos. I guess you could always use the fast forward button.
@@firelifeproject6755 - I'm not sure what the aesthetic issue would be when the disk is painted and in the bottom of the rubber bucket... It would look no different than yours. A removeable chisel head (for easier sharpening) might be something to consider on the 2.0 version if you're going to use it a lot. There's always more than one way to skin a cat. (and get rid of those damn brake rotors). ;-)
I’m not saying there isn’t. I have definitely got a lot of good criticism since I uploaded this video and I am all for looking at different ideas. I’ve just never seen a breaker rotor that small. I’ve had trucks all my life and I’m not a mechanic. The bottom of that bucket has a 7 inch diameter. You could definitely go to a bigger bucket as well. Being able to unbolt the wedge and sharpen it is a great idea. To sharpen it in place is also really easy.
@@firelifeproject6755 - Damn, that's a small bucket, and yeah, your 12" truck rotors are gonna be a problem... We see a lot of 9"(approx) car rotors here... in addition to that, if you flip the rotor so that the "top-hat" is facing down, the full diameter of the rotor would be raised a couple inches in the bucket where the diameter is larger. I'm not sure what you used, but this was my choice. www.masterwholesale.com/rubi-rubber-bucket-88911.html They are black, and are made of the strongest corded rubber imaginable as to be stepped on by cows or chewed on by goats... Freeze-proof too if you are leaving it outside. I'm going with one of those and figure it will last a lifetime of abuse.
No, don't paint them, the "Ace" RONCO auto wood splitter kindling maker..just leave wood sitting around logs start to split on there own.. :-) Why work hard when you don't have to...
@@airgliderz well, aren’t YOU clever! You might have noticed at 11:30 he introduces a log from which he forms the base of the splitter. It is part of the TOOL, not the workpiece. Would you imagine that this base should be encouraged to split or stay fairly intact? THAT is the wood that, in my opinion, be protected from splitting. Of course, if you would prefer regularly replacing the base I encourage you to follow your misguided thoughts. Personally, once I build a tool I like it to last a bit but maybe you prefer regular rebuilds and repairs. Each to his own preference.
I can guarantee that at some point you're going to wish you were wearing a leather glove on the hand that holds the wood in place. I only know this because I saw Wranglerstar get the "mother of all splinters" using a similar device without a glove on. It was pretty funny because it happened about a second after he commented on how nice it worked and how safe it was.
Hey, thanks for the comment. I appreciate you taking the time. I’m going to build a kindling cracker replica and I will test them both out and put it on a video and we’ll see which one does better. I think this one will. Cheers
@@firelifeproject6755 the opening at the top of the kindling cracker is not wide enough. They could have flared it out more to accommodate wider pieces. I assume they didn’t to save on packaging. I always start mine with a light tap on the wood anyway.
I have watched a few videos on n the kindling cracker and that was what inspired me to build this one. I like not having to bend over to pick up the kindling and also less of a mess with wood chips.
If I made one, I think I would mount the plate directly on the post and make a hole in several buckets. Place the bucket on the wedge fill it, take it in the house, when nearly empty fill another bucket.
Anyone can buy a welder and learn to use it. Did the man do this himself, yes so it’s a diy project. And yes building a project like this out of metal a welder did pop up in my mind because that’s what you use on most metal working jobs
Wow a bunch of condicending ass clowns here huh "buy a welder learn skills" lol really you realize you can't use or own a welder every where rite not to mention not every one can just go buy a welder is this diy technically but not a average diy job so there really is no need to be a douche canoe
That’s an awesome idea, I will definitely add that to the list of things to build. Thank you for taking the time to comment and I appreciate your support!
