Safest way to cross-cutt split wood for chunks?

I tell you guys, if you get the chance to have logs, just cut 3" discs and as needed, a hatchet busts them right up. Buy an el cheapo electric chainsaw if you can only get in log form. Chainsaw is probably the safest way to cut splits down too.

First time I tried I used my chainsaw. Once the pieces got small I decided it was too dangerous so I moved to the electric miter saw.

hedge said:

Get a chopsaw

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I agree. Using a chop saw (otherwise known as an electric miter box) works great. However!!!!!

Be sure to add on an auxiliary fence, with a very narrow "throat." I've had several instances where a less than perfectly straight piece of wood was pulled into the "throat" by the blade, resulting in a bind or severe kick. Keep those fingers clear and far away in case the wood is yanked hard. I finally had a kick so severe that the wood was yanked, bound up the blade, and bent the arbor of my best miter saw, ruining it. :doh:

The safety issue ought not be ignored, even by the "experts" - I had used that saw for well over thirty years professionally. Making an auxiliary fence will not make it perfectly safe, but will help immensely. Usually this can be accomplished by screwing, bolting, or clamping a 1" x 4" across both fences, then carefully lowering the blade through, creating a throat a blade-width wide. Even then, be aware that the blade may still want to pull the piece of firewood in its own direction, but with a narrower throat, it will have much less room to kick so severely.

BTW - to be safe, NEVER cut a piece of firewood once it gets less than 12 inches long - your fingers are way too close to the blade and uneven firewood is too inpredictable! Only attempt such a cut if the workpiece is solidly clamped and your fingers are far away.

jimithing78 said:

I tried to use a chop saw on some post oak I got and that stuff is so hard I couldn't keep it held down and it came back at me. Jammed my thumb pretty good. The blade on the saw is sharp but it's a medium toothed blade. It probably would work better with larger teeth. Anyways, I've resorted to cutting with an old fashioned hand saw for this stuff.

The pecan, hickory, etc is no big deal in the saw. The post oak is just too tough.

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Are you using a blade designed for a miter saw or a blade designed for a table saw? The tooth geometry is different and may be contributing to the instability. Some blades can be used on both. I will never recommend that someone use a miter saw to cut firewood, but if you do at least use the right blade.

Blades designed for a miter saw or RAS (radial arm saw) use a blade with very little or no hook angle at all. The same hook angle that works fine on a table saw blade could cause the miter or RAS type machines to suck the wood into the saw or run the saw towards the operator – called self-feeding. Using a blade that was designed for a table saw on a miter saw or RAS could be both ineffective and dangerous.
http://www.newwoodworker.com/basic/chossawblds.html

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I found a few guys on craigslist that sell chunks. Much better that they risk injury than me. You can still probably save a ton over the 5lb-7lb bagged stuff from Academy. The chunks are bigger but I am ok with that. I bet there are guys all over that do this. Here is an example... http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/grd/4377248633.html

go get'cha a 'bow saw' you know? looks like a hacksaw but with a way more aggressive blade. you can keep both hands on the frame if you clamp the split to a bench or in a vice