MadMax Posted May 16, 2011 Posted May 16, 2011 Hey anyone ever split any wood or even drop trees with BP (or in some cases even F)?
alexthegreat00 Posted May 16, 2011 Posted May 16, 2011 No, but now I am thinking about it. It sounds both very fun and very dangerous.
mfstraydog1 Posted May 17, 2011 Posted May 17, 2011 i think it could be done but the amount of comp and and how u would have to confine it would not be considered fireworks.
Peret Posted May 17, 2011 Posted May 17, 2011 The only BP log splitting I've ever heard of is done with a steel wedge driven by BP out of a short steel tube. Hydraulic splitters are safer and much less trouble, although I did have a friend lose a finger with one.
Algenco Posted May 17, 2011 Posted May 17, 2011 I saw a video of a very large Oak log being split with BP charges, impressive!
319 Posted May 17, 2011 Posted May 17, 2011 Hey anyone ever split any wood or even drop trees with BP (or in some cases even F)? I use a powder wedge to split large logs (3'to4'dia.) into a size I can load onto the hydraulic splitter. The reason I found this forum is I ran out of BP and was shocked at the price. I also found mortars,shells,and other fun things here.Sam
Richtee Posted May 17, 2011 Posted May 17, 2011 (edited) I use a powder wedge to split large logs (3'to4'dia.) into a size I can load onto the hydraulic splitter. The reason I found this forum is I ran out of BP and was shocked at the price. I also found mortars,shells,and other fun things here.SamChrist... that sounds fun! Think the GIDG's (Guys in Dark Glasses) would let me do that?!? I DO have a big assed smoker... and it's hungry for wood! Edited May 17, 2011 by Richtee
NightHawkInLight Posted May 17, 2011 Posted May 17, 2011 (edited) I've got a few logs that need some BP splitting before I drag them out of the woods. I plan to make a nice deep plunge cut with a chainsaw and rock the tip back and forth in the log. That creates a hollow portion in the center that is larger than the opening. Insert fuse or ematch all the way to the bottom. Fill the cavity with enough BP that it's about half way full. Pack dry sand with a rammer tightly over top until the cavity is full. Light fuse and get away. That's more or less how I've seen it done in other cases. Edit: I found a video that uses just about exactly the process I was planning on. Personally I wouldn't have done it so close to that nice antique tractor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SUuUzAieig Edited May 17, 2011 by NightHawkInLight
Algenco Posted May 17, 2011 Posted May 17, 2011 I've got a few logs that need some BP splitting before I drag them out of the woods. I plan to make a nice deep plunge cut with a chainsaw and rock the tip back and forth in the log. That creates a hollow portion in the center that is larger than the opening. Insert fuse or ematch all the way to the bottom. Fill the cavity with enough BP that it's about half way full. Pack dry sand with a rammer tightly over top until the cavity is full. Light fuse and get away. That's more or less how I've seen it done in other cases. Edit: I found a video that uses just about exactly the process I was planning on. Personally I wouldn't have done it so close to that nice antique tractor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SUuUzAieig that's the one I was talking about, it would have to be a seasoned log.
MadMax Posted May 18, 2011 Author Posted May 18, 2011 Nice vids guys. Check this out... <-- What a monster log! The land we own needed logging. I guess every 10 years or so it's necessary to help maintain the overall health of the woods. So last year we had a service some in and analyze the trees and mark with red X's which trees needed removing. After they were done I went through and cleared out what I could with a chainsaw and axe but honestly I never did like doing it up close and personal so I came up with a useful pyrotechnic way of doing it. I ended up drilling a 1/2" hole at a downward angle and pouring in a couple grams of flash and fusing and corking it and found it much safer (IMHO) then sawing tall trees that might fall in any direction. When blasted usually a chunk of the tree flew off leaving a much thinner remnant looking almost like a pre-split standing log. Then with 1 or 2 more applications of this technique I was able to knock down so many without even touching a saw. I know this is kind of a "kewl" application but it ended up saving me quite a bit of work in the long run. If done safely it works and I used it to clear out a good bit of wood and with probably no more then a hand full of the stuff. I am not saying this is the best way but it sure beat walking up and sawing down tree after tree.
NightHawkInLight Posted May 18, 2011 Posted May 18, 2011 I think you need some practice with a saw. It's plenty fast and reliable with the direction of the tree fall. Just have to know how. Using flash sounds like more fun, but certainly not as efficient or reliable.
MadMax Posted May 18, 2011 Author Posted May 18, 2011 Oh it was definitely fun dude. That was admittedly the main reason I started out doing it that way but ended up liking the results. I popped the tree and if I did it right it would come apart in 3 equally split long slender chunks which could be sawed up without any additional splitting needed. It was just a very easy way to drop a tree I've found. I think you need some practice with a saw. It's plenty fast and reliable with the direction of the tree fall. Just have to know how. Using flash sounds like more fun, but certainly not as efficient or reliable.
alexthegreat00 Posted May 18, 2011 Posted May 18, 2011 I guess this is full circle. Buy stump remover. Make it into BP. Use the BP to remove a whole tree. The tree falls creating a stump. To remove the stump, you buy stump remover.......
pyrogeorge Posted December 17, 2012 Posted December 17, 2012 (edited) Hi,I did wood splitting with black powder.Here is the video. Edited December 17, 2012 by pyrogeorge
Potassiumchlorate Posted December 17, 2012 Posted December 17, 2012 That's a nice one, George! I once cut down a dead tree with potassium chlorate/Al flash
mikeee Posted December 17, 2012 Posted December 17, 2012 Several years ago I helped my nephew clear some trees from his acreage.We had some very large tree trunk sections that needed splitting.We drilled a 3/4" diameter hole into the center of the tree trunk sections.Added copious amounts of vitamin F into the 3/4" hole. We used a wine cork with visco fuse drilled thru the center of the cork pushed into the hole.We set another tree trunk section on top of the first one.Worked very well, splitting in two or three pieces each time.
AirCowPeacock Posted December 17, 2012 Posted December 17, 2012 I took down a dead tree once with 10g of whistle mix, never took care of the stump. Maybe I should go do that next year.
Arthur Posted December 17, 2012 Posted December 17, 2012 (edited) http://www.shedblog....-builds-a-shed/ Follow this link, and watch the small frame vid. If you like what you see look for the UK TV series that this was from. It was online and available in the UK, whether it's still available and in the US I don't know. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp71LsxRMog Could be one of several parts. The log splitting was done by Dr Sydney Alford -one of the UK's "character" explosives engineers. Many stories are told about him some may be true. Sydney does NOT tell you how he does it. It starts about 10 mins into this http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=axlnUQX4KWk&feature=endscreen but as this seems to be a compilation of several TV episodes there could be more later Edited December 17, 2012 by Arthur
MrB Posted December 18, 2012 Posted December 18, 2012 I might be daft, but i would make the hole in the treetrunk, poke a plastic bag down in to it, Preferably one of those that isn't crazy static as soon as you touch em, and put the BP in the bag, and fuse it with an electric match. Seal bag with a pair of cable ties, and fold it over to the side. Add a little sand, and then moist it with water. Repeat until hole is filled. The moist sand should contain the blast better, meaning you'd need less BP. But perhaps i'm just stupid, and anal about it all? Haven't tried anything like this. I did my tree-splitting with a canon.B!
Recommended Posts