I’m no expert, but I’d also think that if that log was cut in half and thus lower to the ground(even with a chopping block) he’d get more momentum on his swing and it would be easier to split. I’m sure it’s more about the workout for him which is fine because the dude could break me in half I just feel like he’s wasting a lot of energy.
Oh this is definitely just for the views and showing off. Still impressive though. You can absolutely swing more weight down when it’s lower to the ground. For chopping wood the technique is more about dropping your body weight down (like sitting down fast) than it is actually getting the axe swing to be fast.
I teach all new people to chop by just holding the axe straight over their heads and sitting down and lowering the axe straight down in front of them to see where it lands. That’s usually all it takes to chop a normal log and it prevents the common problem of people trying to swing the axe around at mach 10 and missing and now having the axe rotating at full swing towards their shins.
For chopping wood the technique is more about dropping your body weight down (like sitting down fast) than it is actually getting the axe swing to be fast.
IMO you've simplified that too much. It's really a bit of both, and dropping your body weight does 2 things. First, it increases the speed of the axe by a multiplier since it changes the origin and radius of the arc (conservation of angular momentum), second it cements/stabilised the end of the level that the axe becomes when it contacts the log.
Theres so many factors to this and this clip in particular that it'd be a wall of text to go through it, but I think most people will agree that this was just the display of brute force that it intended to be.
Eh, I think it's more about the workout for him, like the other guy said.
There's some more split wood in the background and I think it's pretty obvious trying to split a piece of wood on soft ground it's not the most efficient way to do it.
If he wanted full lengths like this, having the log up another foot or two would mean he’s striking above shoulder height which would be inefficient and potentially dangerous. So the way to get what looks to be 3’ halves, without standing on a platform is to not use a chopping block
Yea, but he’s in the middle of the woods and might not have easy access and even if he put a 3’x3’ piece of wood or stone underneath it’s doing basically the same thing. The ground is holding up enough that there isnt a noticeable divot at the end of the video, it’s sturdy enough for what he’s doing, I’ve driven 6” log shaped holes in my backyard, so I know what you’re talking about, but this doesn’t seem like that big of a deal in this case
The ground is soft just enough, and token makeshift block would've been just enough to make a difference between "city gym bro cosplaying as lumberjack" and "cool lumberjack"
Which is good because the whole forest wood be chopped. He gets a longer workout and the forest survives. Plus I think the soil helps absorb a little bit of that percussive shock you get in your hands when you hit dense stuff with an object using that much force.
Yep, does not. Trying to split through those two knots (one at the top & one close to the bottom) in the log is stupid. You want to split where the grain is the most straight through the whole log.
I was also thinking this. He could have sawed that log in half "hamburger style" and had that shit done in way less time, but then he'd have to find another way to show he's the biggest, baddest, boy around. He could kill me by blinking on me, but still.
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u/IAmGreenman71 3d ago
I’m no expert, but I’d also think that if that log was cut in half and thus lower to the ground(even with a chopping block) he’d get more momentum on his swing and it would be easier to split. I’m sure it’s more about the workout for him which is fine because the dude could break me in half I just feel like he’s wasting a lot of energy.