Preview: Harry Bryan’s Foot-Powered Wood Splitter

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If you’re heating with wood, have a sledge-hammer you can press into service, and can dig up one of those long, snake-like garage-door springs, you’ll be almost ready to manufacture kindling without bending over. In the end, you’ll have a contraption that’ll be a conversation piece as well as something extremely useful.

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28 Responses So Far to “Harry Bryan’s Foot-Powered Wood Splitter

  • Aaron Robarge says:

    Just thinkin’ …..this could do double duty as a light blacksmiths treadle hammer as well. Just replace the axe head with an anvil block an ….no electricity needed….

  • Donald Jones says:

    Now, if I could just get that High pressure water cutter to run for the fresh green logs I just cut down.

    • Chris Waters says:

      In the Blacksmithing world we call that a treadle hammer. Interesting to see it used like this.

  • Tom Roorda says:

    Thanks Harry, simple and brilliant at the same time. Working on my kindling splitter now.

  • Captain Keith Korporaal

    Captain Keith Korporaal says:

    Watching this video on fine Saturday morning was the best… thanks, Harry!

  • Sean Scully says:

    Good idea, and looks like it works great for small kindling to medium within its design size. Could see how a motor on a cam wheel could make it work for some one with bad knee’s, or unsure balance.

  • Eric Winter says:

    Simplicity in the woodshed is almost the surest guarantee of happiness.

  • David Tew

    David Tew says:

    What I like is that he says he pondered this solution for two years before settling on it. I’d love to know what other methods he imagined along the way and why they didn’t satisfy. I bet they were equally intriguing.

  • greg mclaughlin says:

    Have used several of Harrys videos on tool use and care.
    Always enjoyable and worth the time.

  • Earl Hall says:

    Awesome!
    I had planned to drop in and see Harry last June when we were travelling in the east coast. Unfortunately the ferry between Campobello island and Deer Island was not running yet so we had to drive all the way around to get to new Brunswick and we lost the time I had hoped to use to drop in on him. He is modern day inventor like Alexander Graham Bell. Incidentally the Bell Museum in Baddeck , Cape Breton is an eye opener re many modern inventions.

  • Anthony Wilkinson says:

    Wish I had seen this a few weeks back. Splitting many a round after the wind-storm here on Saltspring Island last December brought down many a tree – and resultant effort – and aches….! Thanks Harry for the ingenuity – and for making my life (in the future) easier!

  • Doug Bell says:

    Yes, this is just wonderful. My wife will love it!
    Now, a small conveyor belt to bring the kindling to the house and wood box. Like the conveyor belt at the grocery store it could feed just what you need.

  • Peter Hendrickson says:

    Dad, a Mainer by birth, always reminded me that “stoop labor” was some of the toughest work. He and Harry would’ve got along famously — a grand design, brilliantly executed.

  • Ronald Coddington says:

    Harry Bryan is simply brilliant. Thanks for this video.

  • Thomas Tracy says:

    fantastic! If only we had one when I was growing up in a wood heated home!

  • Matt Clouse says:

    While I always have enjoyed splitting wood, this excellent contraption would damn near make it fun.

  • Lester Nicholson says:

    Now all he has to do is switch off between legs to get a good workout. Kill two birds with one stone…er, axe.

  • Richard Maldonado says:

    Harry’s just smarter than the average bear.

  • Morgan says:

    What a absolutely wonderful man. Every video of him leaves me scratching my head in amazement. That is the best. Thank you all.

  • Bob Barnett says:

    You just have to love Harry, no one else would have ever thought of this. He has to be my all time favorite person I ever met.

  • Albert Larson says:

    What a clever idea. Because I also heat with wood and need to keep the kindling stack filled, I am intrigued. But I think I will start with harry’s two year version first. Even that will be an improvement over my chopping block and sledge.

  • James Cornwell says:

    I constantly admire the ingenuity of this man. Anyone who’s attained a certain age and still heats with wood as I do can appreciate the virtues of not stooping to tend a wood splitter and to pick up the splits from the ground. Oh my achin’ back! Brilliant!

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