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My chopping block wears an old car tire. Here's why

It's one piece of the ten minutes I'd never skip before the first swing.

October 02, 2026

An 8-pound maul and a flat block split most stove wood.

My chopping block wears an old car tire. The tire holds the round upright while I swing, and the split halves fall inside it instead of across the yard. Less chasing.

That tire's one part of the ten minutes of setup I'd never skip before the first swing. The swing matters less than the setup. Most splitting injuries start before the maul comes down, with a bad block or someone standing too close.

A maul splits an oak round set inside an old car tire on a chopping block

And there's a test I run before any of it goes in the stove, because wood that looks dry isn't always dry. It can still be wet in the middle.

Splitting firewood by hand beats owning a log splitter. Agree?

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Some of you won't give up the maul. Others would rather save their backs and rent a splitter.

What the guide walks you through

  • The clear circle: how much room you need around the block, measured in tool lengths.

  • The stuck maul: what to do when you're tempted to grab the sledgehammer.

  • The inside test: where to check your wood so the outside doesn't fool you.

Talk soon,

James Thornton
Homesteading.com