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Many people attempt to cut up timber for their log-burning stoves - but how many really know the time-honoured secrets practiced by the real experts? I will reveal the simple technique that I learned in Norway back in 1974, which will remove a lot of the stress and injury from this underestimated pastime. The sharpness of the axe is not important, by the way!

Just before I get into the details, I have to explain that, at the tender age of 18, with my friend Will (now a respected doctor), I worked on a dairy farm near Trondheim in Norway for about three months. There were twenty-six cows and ten pigs. Very little English was spoken. Einar, the farmer, showed us how to chop up logs within a few minutes of our arrival.

Whenever anyone came to visit, the womenfolk would look through photograph albums indoors, while the men would assemble in the farmyard and compete with each other in manly log-chopping contests. The techniques described below are those used by real Norwegians.

· First you need a chopping block - this is a big section of log which you are not going to chop up, but on which the main chopping will take place. It's worth spending a bit of time finding a good one, which won't fall apart. It must be bigger than the other logs, and the top and bottom should be sawn parallel.

· In Norway we chopped up quite big sections of log (quite heavy to pick up) (up to a foot each way) using a great big heavy axe. Back home in the UK I use a small one-hand chopper and much smaller logs, which I chop into little pieces for kindling, but the technique is fundamentally the same.

· Choose the log you want to chop. It's easier with a straight-grained log without knots. Place it on the chopping block with a sawed surface horizontal on the top. Look for a split in that sawn face, from the outside to the middle. That split is your target.

· Bring the axe (or chopper) swiftly down onto the split, so that the axe head becomes firmly embedded in the log, where the split was. The blunt part of the axe head should now be sticking out of the top of the log by two or three inches, maybe more.

· It is possible that the action described above might just chop your log in two. If that happens, so much the better. However, the point is this: you are not trying to bisect your log by bringing the axe down onto it. And you won't need to pull the axe head out and try again unless you missed your target. Read on...

· This is the clever part, which only Norwegians know about. Pick up the axe, with the log stuck to it, move the log round behind you, and then - in one graceful rotary action (not unlike an over-arm bowl in cricket) - swing the whole thing over your head and down towards the chopping block, while simultaneously turning the axe handle, so that by the time it's coming down, the axe head is underneath and the log is on top.

· The blunt back of the axe head hits the block and stops, but the log keeps going under its own momentum, and in so doing it breaks in twain. Viola! You have used the log's own weight to split it, rather than brute force.

· Repeat the process with the resulting smaller sections of log until you achieve the size of segment you require.

· If, like me, you are performing a miniaturized version of the procedure, by this stage you won't be turning the wood over, as it's lighter than the chopper. But there are three important things to remember when chopping up little bits:

· Keep splitting the segments of log from the outside to the middle, until they're so thin that it doesn't matter any more.

· You won't need to bring the chopper right down to the chopping block - you'll only need to slice sharply into the top of each segment and a piece will break off.

· There will come a time when the bits of wood are so small they won't stay on the block without falling over. Do not use your spare hand to steady the wood, or sooner or later you will lose a finger. Use a scrap of wood to steady the segment.

· In case you're wondering, I didn't learn that part the hard way. It's common sense; it's better to be safe than sorry, even if it doesn't seem manly at the time. I have known several people who have cut parts of their fingers off through milling timber, and I don't think it added anything to their machismo.

PS I'm amazed by the huge number of views this article has had! You can also see my video on the subject on Youtube (filmed by my seven-year-old son). Search for my name or "How to chop up logs".

The writer:
Tom Morrell has a PGCE in Music from Homerton College, Cambridge and many years of teaching experience in the UK. For other ideas and to find out how to supplement your humble teacher's income, visit http://steprightthisway.com

Make Concrete Blocks--Build A Concrete Block Machine

Making concrete blocks is a very profitable business. There is a constant demand for them almost everywhere. They are a commodity which is used for building all over North America and in fact all over the world.

When you manufacture concrete blocks you are not making here today,gone tomorrow widgets which may be in demand today but not next year. They are a necessary item for all kinds of building from huge warehouses to garages or barbeques in the backyard. As long as there is building the demand will continue.

For someone who wants a really solid business,with low initial cost,the concrete block business is near ideal. It is possible to start in your garage,using home made hand molds,to turn out one hundred blocks every day. One person can do this in a day's work. You can make molds from plywood and sheet metal and anyone can do this in their home workshop.

It is possible start a part time business,working evenings and weekends,and to build a highly profitable business. All you need is your home made molds and a supply of Portland cement,gravel,sand and water. The start up cost is very low and excellent profits can be made.

When you work from home,with your low overhead cost,you have a great advantage over bigger concrete block manufacturers who may have to pay for business premises and salaries.

The cost of transportation to bring concrete blocks to a building site from distant manufacturers is high,since they are very heavy. You have no transportation costs and can supply local buyers at a very competitive price while still making yourself a handsome profit.

One person working alone,with hand molds,will be limited in production by the time and effort needed. Part time work will soon not be sufficient to fill the demand.

You will at this point be ready to go full time in this very profitable business. You will also want to obtain a concrete block making machine with which you can make hundreds of blocks in a day. You will need a helper now and space to store the blocks for drying. The blocks must be dried properly before delivering to your customers.

Concrete block making machines are quite pricey. You may feel now that you need to spend several thousand dollars to buy a machine. However if you don't want to spend a lot of cash there is another way. You can build your own concrete block machine.

Can you build a machine yourself? Actually yes it is not at all difficult to do so. There are plans with instructions available which will enable you to build a concrete block making machine.

The components are auto parts and sheet metal. Welding is necessary but if you are not skilled at this you can have a welding shop do it for you. For a few hundred dollars you can build a machine that is every bit as good as the expensive commercial model.

Now you can turn out concrete blocks in large quantities. You can supply any building project,big or small,at a really good price.

The concrete block making business is an excellent choice. There is strong demand everywhere. By taking the route I have covered here you will succeed.

You can work at your job till you are ready for a full time business,as the demand for your product grows. Why not find out some more about it? You have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

About the Author

John Mowatt operated a successful concrete products business and now shows others how to get started in this highly profitable line. Want to know more about starting your own concrete block business? How to make your own concrete block machine? Check this out:
http://www.concreteblockmaker.com

Why was it necessary to call the 400 ci engine small block, when there was no big block 400?

Everybody seems to be missing my point. When speaking of Chevy engines only the 400 is constantly being identified as small block. As in: "what engine do you have?" "It's a small block 400."
Paul, as dense as I am sometimes I would never confuse 400 and 402.
Paige, it looks more professional to cite a reference when copy and paste is used. I read the article and it still doesn't say why only the 400 is referred to as small block.

Because there was a big block 400. It was actually a 402 but some fender badges in early seventies simply said "400". Could have been a small or big block.

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