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A Backwoods Home Anthology 128 The Third Year By Don Fallick ang! Bang! I raised my groggy head from the pillow. ‘What’s going on?” Then I remembered: eight-year old Mandy had volunteered to light the fire this morning. “Hey! She doesn’t know how to use an axe!” Thud/Clang! “Daddy!!! I hit my knee with the axe!” Two hours and several stitches later, after setting a new land speed record on the way to the hospi- tal in town, I vowed to teach all my kids to split kindling safely-even the youngest. You just never know when they might need the knowledge. Granny’s way I learned to make kindling from an old homestead granny who’s been splitting her own for 60 years and still has all her fingers and toes. She uses an old, double-bit axe, but instead of holding the wood and swinging the axe at it, she sticks the axe in a stump and drives the wood down on it with a club. This wouldn’t work well with hardwood or wet wood, but it works fine with bone-dry pine, fir, or cedar, which is what you want for kindling, anyway. I like to start with a piece of super dry wood, split into quarters with an axe or maul. Hold the wood vertically, so one end is resting lightly on the upward-pointing blade of the axe and strike down on the other end. Make a club You could use a hammer or a mallet, but you chance damaging the axe or cutting the mallet. It’s easy to make a club out of a small piece of firewood that will last for years if kept out of the rain. Just thin the end of a 3-inch diameter stick with a hatchet, then shape a handle by whittling with a Scout knife. The whole club should be about 18 inches long. Adjust the length and handle size to suit the strength and hand-size of the user. We keep several clubs of various sizes in the woodshed. Allow 2 or 3 inches for the club to taper down to the handle thickness. If you don’t taper it, the handle will break when you strike the wood. Besides, it’s easier to make that way. Good kindling The best kindling comes from old cedar telephone poles. Every year when I’m getting in the firewood I go by the electric company and ask if they have any useless old poles for sale for kindling. I’ve never had to pay for one yet. Sometimes, they even cut them to stove length for me. Don’t burn the creosoted ends! It fouls the air, and it’s a waste, as they can be split into excellent fence posts. The rest of the pole can be cut into billets of very fast-burning wood that splits easily into pieces as thin as you want. If you try to split thin slices off a thick piece, the thin slice will “run out” to a long, tapered splinter, because the thin part flexes more than the thick part. The trick to split each piece approxi- mately half. Old cedar poles split so well that you can easily get them down to matchstick size if you want. Safety tricks When the pieces get really thin, it’s best to lay them horizontally on the axe bit and strike lightly with the club. If you have stuck the axe firmly in the stump, you can pop the pieces off by starting them with the club, then pulling the end of the wood to one side. Kids love watching the split run down the length of the wood, and hearing the sproing! as the piece flies off. That’s the best thing about split- ting kindling this way -your kids will beg to do it for you! Teach your kids the fun, safe way to split kindling BACKWOODS LIVING B

Teach Your Kids the Fun, Safe Way to Split Kindling...by Don

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  • A Backwoods Home Anthology

    128 The Third Year

    By Don Fallick

    ang! Bang! I raised my groggyhead from the pillow. Whats goingon? Then I remembered: eight-yearold Mandy had volunteered to lightthe fire this morning. Hey! Shedoesnt know how to use an axe!Thud/Clang! Daddy!!! I hit my kneewith the axe! Two hours and severalstitches later, after setting a new landspeed record on the way to the hospi-tal in town, I vowed to teach all mykids to split kindling safely-even theyoungest. You just never know whenthey might need the knowledge.

    Grannys wayI learned to make kindling from an

    old homestead granny whos beensplitting her own for 60 years and stillhas all her fingers and toes. She usesan old, double-bit axe, but instead ofholding the wood and swinging theaxe at it, she sticks the axe in a stumpand drives the wood down on it with aclub. This wouldnt work well withhardwood or wet wood, but it worksfine with bone-dry pine, fir, or cedar,which is what you want for kindling,anyway. I like to start with a piece ofsuper dry wood, split into quarterswith an axe or maul. Hold the woodvertically, so one end is resting lightlyon the upward-pointing blade of theaxe and strike down on the other end.

    Make a clubYou could use a hammer or a mallet,

    but you chance damaging the axe orcutting the mallet. Its easy to make aclub out of a small piece of firewoodthat will last for years if kept out ofthe rain. Just thin the end of a 3-inchdiameter stick with a hatchet, thenshape a handle by whittling with aScout knife. The whole club should be

    about 18 inches long. Adjust thelength and handle size to suit thestrength and hand-size of the user. We

    keep several clubs of various sizes inthe woodshed. Allow 2 or 3 inches forthe club to taper down to the handlethickness. If you dont taper it, thehandle will break when you strikethe wood. Besides, its easier to makethat way.

    Good kindlingThe best kindling comes from old

    cedar telephone poles. Every yearwhen Im getting in the firewood I goby the electric company and ask ifthey have any useless old poles forsale for kindling. Ive never had topay for one yet. Sometimes, they evencut them to stove length for me. Dontburn the creosoted ends! It fouls theair, and its a waste, as they can besplit into excellent fence posts. Therest of the pole can be cut into billetsof very fast-burning wood that splitseasily into pieces as thin as you want.If you try to split thin slices off a thick

    piece, the thin slice will run out to along, tapered splinter, because the thinpart flexes more than the thick part.The trick to split each piece approxi-mately half. Old cedar poles split sowell that you can easily get themdown to matchstick size if you want.

    Safety tricksWhen the pieces get really thin, its

    best to lay them horizontally on theaxe bit and strike lightly with the club.If you have stuck the axe firmly in thestump, you can pop the pieces off bystarting them with the club, thenpulling the end of the wood to oneside. Kids love watching the split rundown the length of the wood, andhearing the sproing! as the piece fliesoff. Thats the best thing about split-ting kindling this way -your kids willbeg to do it for you!

    Teach your kids the fun, safe way to split kindling

    BACKWOODS LIVING

    B