I've split the log in half—sorry for the blurry cell phone picture! See how my log is split in half in the above photo? Those two halves are okay for fence rails, but both could and should be split in half again. Keep splitting the log down into smaller pieces until you have fence rails that are the size you're looking for. To split the two halves of your log, follow the same steps as before.
The process is repetitive and labor-intensive, but oh so fun! Sometimes you just can't sink your wedge directly into the end-grain of the log because you're working at a funny angle. Sometimes the grain is really tight, and your wedge might pop out when you strike it. If this happens, try sinking the wedge into the edge of the end-grain, at a degree angle to the ground. Basically, you'll be driving your wedge into part bark, part end-grain.
Twisted logs are hard to split into two equal halves, but you can do it. Speaking to the log isn't enough—you have to fight the twist in the log, which is a result of the way the tree grew.
To correct this problem, you'll have to keep sinking wedges into the log where you want it to split , not where it's actually splitting. Stay focused on an imaginary straight line that goes right down the log from one end to the other, and keep sinking your wedges into that line.
It is possible to keep pulling a twisted split back to where you want it. This can happen too, especially if you're not paying attention and you're dealing with twisted or knotty grain.
There's nothing you can do about the chunk of log that you've already split off. If it's not long enough to be a fence rail, just cut it up and use it for firewood. Focus on splitting the rest of the log properly, so that you can save the rails that are still in there. See the above instructions for straightening out your split. Unfortunately, you can't split through knots—wood just doesn't work that way.
The grain is all balled-up and twisted in there, so there's really nothing to split. If you encounter a knot on your way down the log, you will have to carefully split around it. When you re-direct your split to go around the knot, work slowly to help ensure that you won't split the wood where you don't want it split. Next time, try to pick a line that will split the log in half without passing through a knot.
This is where the hatchet comes in handy. Simple use your hatchet to cut those stringy pieces of wood away. Some types of wood are more stringy than others, including red oak, locust, and cherry.
Sometimes you'll get into a situation where you've split the log all the way from one end to the other, but it's still not split in half because the side of the log sitting against the ground is still together.
The simple solution to this problem is to roll the log over and split the wood where it's still hanging together. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.
I have been making split rail fences for my own use, from black locust trees on my property. Some came out pretty good but some are badly bent and curved. But I have a nice fence in front of my house that will last literally forever, at least the rest of my life.
I want to do a couple more, but the trees are now all 80 feet tall and no place to fell them without hanging up, Enjoyed reading your article, BTW I am now 84 years old but still cutting and splitting my own firewood. Thanks for the article, I'm moving onto a 5 acres parcel of land and am looking forward to establishing a small modest homestead. I too love learning the old forgotten skills and this is why I stubled across your article. Thanks for the article, it pretty much confirmed my thoughts on how this was done, but contained a few bonus pointers!
Thanks again, God bless. Farmer Rachel. Helpful and a great honor to a part of our American and foreign history. Fact is, my grandpa on my mother's side, split rails for ten cents a day during the Great Depression and was proud to get the work.
No telling at the people he helped with his talent for splitting and hewing rails. It is always nice to learn the way things are done. I do many projects with wood and some with the raw tree itself, but I have never considered splitting trees to produce rails for fencing.
However, now I may split some logs for other projects. Thanks for the ideas. Hi Michael - I don't have any experience with hackberry, so I can't tell you much there. You would know better than me! Maybe it's worth testing out? Anyway, glad you liked the hub, and thanks for commenting.
Thanks for a fine article, Rachel. Very informative and an interesting read. Trouble is, about all I have on my place is hackberry, which I think would make relatively crummy rails :- Voted thumbs up!
Bill - Thanks! If civilization collapses, I'll be ready for it ; Nice to know you "old-timers" used to split rails. Wetnosedogs - You'd be surprised to find, I bet, that it doesn't really require that much "strength.
Splitting fence rails requires finesse. Honest :. This is a wonderful read. I wouldn't have the strength for this but I really did enjoy this and love the history. Great work. I haven't done this since I lived in Vermont back in , but for those who are reading this, it really is not that hard to do, and like you, I'm a big believer in history and in knowing these skills.
Hi DrMark! Thanks for the comment : Honeybear, my little genius dog, loves bark and sticks more than food. She likes when we work with wood because she gets plenty to chew on and shake ;.
Nice article. I have not split rails for over 20 years, so your hub brought me some excellent memories. Keep up the excellent work. Home Appliances. Air Conditioners. Water Heaters. Home Improvement. Interior Design. Home Furnishings. Home Decor. Lawn Care. Pest Control. Bed Bugs.
Beneficial Organisms. Garden Pest Control. Rock Gardens. You might be tempted to use the back side of an ax for this task, but resist the urge. Striking a metal ax against a metal wedge can break the thin ax blade. Mauls come in different weights. Choose a lighter weight maul to reduce fatigue from repeated swinging and to increase the speed at which you swing it. A faster swing creates more force, driving the wedge deeper, than a heavier maul swung slower.
An axe is basically a thin wedge with a long handle, and a hatchet is a smaller version of an axe with a much shorter handle. If you plan to insert rails into post holes, use an ax to taper rail ends so they fit into the post holes. Some woods tend to be stringy, and when split these strings hold the two pieces together.
Use a sharp ax or hatchet to cut these strings and separate the halves of wood. Use a pry bar to coax the halves away from each other. A pry bar is simply a long, metal rod with a tapered end that can be inserted into the crack created by a wedge. Once placed in the split, rock it back-and-forth to release the halves from each other. Diana K. Williams is a certified Master Gardener, has more than a decade of experience as an environmental scientist, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and environmental studies from the Ohio Northern University.
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