How to Split Wood Without an Axe

If you’re a woodworker, you’d already know how important an axe is to split wood. But what if your axe is dull or you don’t have one at all at the moment? How do you split wood in such a situation?

Luckily, there are several alternative ways you can use to cut wood fast. I’ll discuss these methods one by one in this article and they’ll allow you to split wood without an axe.

How to Split Wood Without an Axe

Modern technology has developed many devices and tools that can help you split wood if you don’t have an axe. Choose any of the following methods based on your preferences and convenience to get the job done.

1. Use a Hydraulic Firewood Splitter

Using a hydraulic firewood splitter is one of the most popular and easiest ways to split wood without an axe. This tool comes in a range of sizes and you can choose the one that meets your wood splitting needs the best.

It has a hydraulic cylinder that pushes a wedge through the wood for splitting. If you have a lot of wood to split, I recommend you go with the hydraulic firewood splitter that comes with an electric motor and pump.

But if you need to split wood once in a while, consider opting for a manual pump model as it’ll allow you to save some bucks. However, both models are expensive as compared to many other tools you can use to split wood without an axe.

2. Use a Hammer and Wedge

If you’re on a tight budget and want to keep things single, using a hammer and a wedge will suit you the best. All you need to do is to place the wedge on top of the log and push it into the wood using a hammer. It’s a slow process and you should only use it if you don’t have a lot of wood to split.

Note: You can accelerate this process by using a large and wide splitting wedge along with a hefty hammer.

3. Use a Auger Splitter

An auger splitter comes in a range of different designs. Some of them come with an electric motor and others can be attached to the lawn tractor’s axle.

The auger is like a very big screw that widens rapidly. It acts like a big wedge that presses on the wood in a circular motion to split it apart.

It’s also a very expensive tool just like a hydraulic firewood splitter. However, if you already have a powerful motor or tractor, you’ll only need to buy the auger screw to save a huge amount of money.

4. Use a Table Saw

Using the table saw is another easy way to split wood without an axe, but it will not cut the wood completely. You can use a table saw to make cuts in a wood log in a few different spots. After that, you can use a hammer and wedge to split the wood completely.

Using a large cabinet table saw will allow you to come closer to the center of a wood log and it’ll make it easy for you to use a wedge and hammer to split the wood entirely. It’s a little time-consuming method but you’ll be able to get the job done if you don’t have an axe.

5. Use a Band Saw

In many ways, band saws are made for splitting logs. The wheel of a bandsaw allows the blade to make a continuous cut through the log, which makes it a safe way to split logs in half.

Make sure you’re using the best band saw with a large blade, as you’ll need the clearance to push the log through.

5. Use a Smart Splitter

A smart splitter is a great tool that uses weight as the driving force to cut the wood. The working mechanism of a smart splitter is straightforward. You need to mount this tool to a wood or stump that you use as a work surface.

After that, you need to place the wood log that you need to split below the smart splitter’s blade so that it touches the top end of the log.

Once the wood log is in place, lift the drop weight/hammer of the smart splitter upwards and throw it down with full force to split the wood. The only downside of this method is that it’s not a very quick way to cut wood without an axe.

6. Use a Log Splitter

A gas-powered log splitter is a heavy-duty equipment commonly used on the industrial level and it cuts the wood apart like butter. In many ways, its somewhat similar to having a portable sawmill to cut your wood

While it’s one of the most expensive alternatives to splitting wood with an axe, it’ll keep you from the hassle of manual work and save a lot of time.

However, you can save some money by opting for an electric log splitter. It won’t be as powerful as the gas-powered splitter but it’ll fulfill your domestic wood splitting needs. The gas-powered models can cost you thousands of dollars but you can buy an electric log splitter for a few hundred dollars.

You only need to place the wood log on the “footplate” of a log splitter and pull the lever. The blade will instantly split the wood into two or multiple pieces depending upon its blade type. In addition, manual log splitters are also available that come with one or two levers. You need to move these levers back and forth repeatedly to cut the wood.

Tip: Consider a high quality milling machine if you do this frequently

7. Use a Fixed Blade Knife

Using a fixed blade knife to split wood is also possible. It’s a bushcraft technique, known as batoning, that involves placing the knife on top of the log horizontally and hitting it with a hefty object, like a piece of wood, repeatedly to cut the log. I recommend you use a knife with a long blade if you need to cut thick wood logs.

You’ll also need to make sure that your knife is perpendicular (90 degrees angle) to the wood. If your knife isn’t positioned straight, hitting it with a heavy object can damage its blade. In addition, you should also avoid using a metal object for hitting to make sure your knife doesn’t break during the process.

Tips to Keep in Mind While Splitting Wood

Keep the following tips in mind while cutting wood using any of the tools discussed above to ensure safety and achieve desired results.

• Using levers and handles of different tools repeatedly will create a lot of friction that can hurt your hands. Therefore, wear protective gloves, especially while using a tool that requires manual work.
• Wear safety goggles and a woodworking dust mask to protect your eyes and nose from wood debris, especially if you’re planning to use a table saw as it creates a lot of dust. You should also wear earbuds to protect your ears from loud noises.
• Wear thick trousers to protect your legs from flying debris. You can also wear shin guards for better protection against stripes if they’re hurled at you during the cutting process.
• Consider wearing a strong pair of shoes, the ones that come with steel toes. They’ll protect your feet even if you accidentally drop a wood log on them.
• Make sure no one is standing nearby while you’re cutting logs because it’s impossible to predict when a piece of wood would fly through the air.
• Most accidents take place when the worker is becoming fatigued. So, stop working immediately if you feel tired. Take a break to regain your energy and get back to work when you are feeling fresh again.

Final Words

Each method discussed above requires a different level of expertise. So, take your time to determine your workload and analyze your circumstances in order to choose the method that suits you the best.

Follow the tips carefully to protect yourself from an unforeseen injury and choose the method depending upon your needs to split wood without an axe efficiently and effectively.