Black Powder Splitting Wedge

mooncoon

mooncoon

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For quite some time I have heard about black powder splitting wedges. Basically a cannon which shoots into the log with a blank charge. I have read one or two comments about them and the claim was that they did not use much powder. Anyway, I got inspired to make one and try it out on an alder log in the back yard. First charge was 70 grains based on the comments of only using as much powder as the writer(s) used in their rifle. It made a bit of a bang but only split the log for a foot or so. The second shot in the same log and I filled the barrel to the top withabout 100 gr of 3F. That one made a very satisfying krumpf but only split the log for about 4 feet. I think if my first shot was full strength it might have done better because I suspect some of the pressure may have leaked out the first shallow split. The splitter itself did not fly far; just a foot or so. It weighs 15 or 20 lbs and I shackled 30 feet of 3/8 chain on as well to restrain it. By comparison there was one used on Mountain Men a couple of weeks ago and it flew for 10 feet or more. I suspect it was quite a bit lighter and perhaps more powder.

cheers mooncoon








 
Right on!! That is neat - could use one of those right now....well looks like waaayyy more fun than the gas & electric versions are anyway (but those can be pretty fun too). I think it goes without saying this is also way, waaayyy better than an axe.

When I saw the title I thought this was gonna be about axe heads & round balls, my favourite side match. This is better though...Nice work.

Anyway you "split" it, Mooncoon's going to be having a better time getting HIS firewood ready, than most of us ;)

Good luck
 
Nice, I just saw that episode too. Seems to me the chain is a better idea than piling a couple sticks of wood on top like the hillbillies were doing.

Is it basically a tube capped on one end? Just wondering if there are any nuances to the design.
 
I will take some more photos tomorrow. It is basically a piece of 3 1/2" mild steel with the last inch turned down to 1.3" I drilled a 1.1" hole in the end of the log and hammered the wedge in. The wedge weighs about 15 lbs or so and I don't think I even need the chain. The one on mountain men was much lighter and perhaps more powder and it came flying out for what appeared to be 10 or 15 feet and I suspect it only weighed 2 or 3 lbs. After posting the thread, I did a google search and there appear to be several different types. One was about 2' long of what looked like 1 1/2 - 2" shafting and seemed to hold a tremendous amount of powder; looked like one or two ounces. The video did not show it being fired. Others looked sort of like a metal splitting wedge with a powder chamber in the body of the wedge and the blast came out on either side of the cutting edge. Finally there was one that looked like the one that Eustace used and it appeared to only use may 50 grains but it appeared to be only for splitting a block of wood.

I think for tomorrow, I will use a full charge of powder and 4' of alder and I expect that to split full length

cheers mooncoon
 
kennymo said:
Nice, I just saw that episode too. Seems to me the chain is a better idea than piling a couple sticks of wood on top like the hillbillies were doing.

Is it basically a tube capped on one end? Just wondering if there are any nuances to the design.
Click to expand...

a tube capped on one end is what muzzleloaders are for the most part
 
I tried the wedge again today, this time with no initial split, a full charge of powder (100 - 120 gr of 3F) and only 5 feet of log to split. Again a nice satisfying krumpf but the split only ran about 4 feet. I am coming to think that in order to split a fence post you must need more powder or perhaps one of the hollow splitting wedge type splitters and the same amount of powder. I took another series of photos to show the wedge installed, the smoke a couple of seconds after firing, the end of the log and another of how far the wedge moved and finally a close up photo of the wedge itself,
I can't really say that the method seems very practical except perhaps for splitting fence posts 6 or 7 feet long and using more powder.

enjoy

cheers mooncoon











 
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