youre 56 and want to chop wood without injury!

[steve rollnick]

Friends,

I'm 56 and bought a lovely logmatic chopper so as to avoid what I feared with a conventional axe - back problems (I have a history of them).

Then the downward vertical thrust of the logmatic eventually caught up with me - now I have some kind of undiagnosed problem in my left elbow. Anybody want a lovely logmatic chopper, just come and get it!

Jokes aside, and I can see a few coming my way in this posting, what the hell can I do? We've got this truly lovely Welsh woodland, with lots of mature oak, and for firewood, lots of larch and spruce to chop up.

What size axe would be best to avoid injury, i.e. not too heavy? At what height is it best to lay the piece of wood to make maximum impact with the least strain to one's body?

I''m heading back into axeland.....

Thanks,

Steve

[jillybean]

Im going the same way with my back. I wear a back protector, which dosen't do much, but reminds me to take care. Try clenching your buttocks as you chop. I chainsaw my smaller oak into logs as its so hard. Have you looked at the totally mechanised splitters? they fit onto a small tractor. expensve I know, but what is your back worth? The other thing my mate Mick does, is he does not more than half an hour's chopping a day or he is done in.

[tracy]

Looking forward to hearing some suggestions, as I end up aching too.

This guy seems to think you can split wood with a knife!

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-split-wood-using-an-axe-or-a-knife

Some more information here

http://www.safegardening.co.uk/UsingAxesAndHatchets.html

I am pretty sure Greyman will know more - he is on holiday I think...

[Adrian]

I saw this this morning when looking for new chainsaw trousers

http://www.abbeypro.co.uk/accessories-lubricants/breaking-bars-forestry-tools/showitem-OR-111141.aspx

[Darren]

I recommend a Gransfors Bruks large splitting axe. I tried one last weekend, very good, hardly any effort needed even when splitting knotty spruce.