How to: Protecting a Log Splitter

Between the last few hurricanes and storms there are a lot of fallen trees, and the wood burning stove is our primary source of heat during the winter, so splitting wood is a pretty regular activity around here. No matter how practiced you are with a splitter, it is inevitable the end of the handle near the head gets dinged and chipped, eventually causing the handle to break. To save your handle I’ve discovered a simple trick, wrapping it in rope.

Step 1
Start with any cotton or natural fiber rope, not nylon as a knot won’t hold. I used some old clothesline we’ve had around for years in the shop. Start with a simple over-and-under 3 or 4 inches from the handle as shown in the accompanying photo.

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Step 2
Make sure tail end of the knot is stretched along the handle between the knot and the head. Begin wrapping the rope tightly along the handle, overlapping the tail and holding it tight.

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Step 3
After winding the way up to the top, tie a tight knot and cut the end of the rope. You are done!

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