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How to Make a Four-Way Log Splitter Wedge

According to self sufficiency expert Abigail R. Gehring [See Reference 1], a log splitter wedge is a useful device made of wood or steel. It is shaped in such a way that when you hammer it against the sawn face of a log, it will gradually split the log by forcing the heartwood to fracture and break, taking the pith along with it. A four-way log splitter wedge creates four logs at once.

Things You'll Need

2 steel triangles, 6 inches by 8 inches by 8 inches, each a quarter inch thick
Forge
Tongs
Anvil
Hammer
Bucket cold water
Welding equipment, such as gas metal arc welding kit

Instructions

- 1
  Heat one of your steel triangles in the forge until it glows orange-red.
- 2
  Remove it from the forge using tongs and secure it in place on the anvil so the 6-inch side is hanging 3 inches over the edge.
- 3
  Hammer the overhanging section until it forms a 90-degree bend to the half on top of the anvil. Plunge in water to cool.
- 4
  Follow precisely the same procedure for the second steel triangle.
- 5
  Weld the two bent triangles together by their bent edges, utilizing two complete lines of weld, one at each side, so as to produce a form whose aerial view is a cross shape. Observe how the other end of your four-way log splitter wedge is a strong, sharp point that will drive through logs with ease.

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