Broken wood lamp

[emabear]

Can anyone tell me how to break /splinter a 4 inch square, 3 foot long wooden block in order to make a resin lamp. I think one option is to drill at the desired splinter point to weaken it before hitting it wih a sledg hammer. Grateful for thoughts

 

[alex robinson]

Can anyone tell me how to break /splinter a 4 inch square, 3 foot long wooden block in order to make a resin lamp. I think one option is to drill at the desired splinter point to weaken it before hitting it wih a sledg hammer. Grateful for thoughts

That is going to take some doing, especially without making it look obviously contrived. I think the drill marks risk being quite obvious afterwards. How about a hydraulic car jack?

I think you may be disappointed by how a real break looks. Have you considered cutting it into say 16 1 inch x section pieces and then breaking them? Might get more impressive splintering.

 

[Tris]

This is an ideal job for a froe. If not then a log splitting wedge and a few wooden wedges of similar size.

Take a look at how the grain runs along your piece. Does the grain run all the way down the block? If so then decide where you want the grain to split and start your split with the steel wedge. Once the block has started to open up you can lay it on one side and continue the split by driving the wooden wedges in to chase the split down the length.
Use an axe if needed to sever any fibres that still connect the two halves and clean up the cleft faces as required with axe or chisels.

Once split it is probably worth letting the wood condition for a while in the kind of environment the lamp will end up in before doing the resin bit.

 

[alex robinson]

This is an ideal job for a froe. If not then a log splitting wedge and a few wooden wedges of similar size.

Take a look at how the grain runs along your piece. Does the grain run all the way down the block? If so then decide where you want the grain to split and start your split with the steel wedge. Once the block has started to open up you can lay it on one side and continue the split by driving the wooden wedges in to chase the split down the length.
Use an axe if needed to sever any fibres that still connect the two halves and clean up the cleft faces as required with axe or chisels.

Once split it is probably worth letting the wood condition for a while in the kind of environment the lamp will end up in before doing the resin bit.

Interesting. I think we have both read the question in completely different ways. I am trying to snap the piece across the grain, you along it!

Must admit I can't quite picture why the original poster wants to do either, so would be keen to see a drawing of the planned lamp!

 

[emabear]

That is going to take some doing, especially without making it look obviously contrived. I think the drill marks risk being quite obvious afterwards. How about a hydraulic car jack?

I think you may be disappointed by how a real break looks. Have you considered cutting it into say 16 1 inch x section pieces and then breaking them? Might get more impressive splintering.

This is an ideal job for a froe. If not then a log splitting wedge and a few wooden wedges of similar size.

Take a look at how the grain runs along your piece. Does the grain run all the way down the block? If so then decide where you want the grain to split and start your split with the steel wedge. Once the block has started to open up you can lay it on one side and continue the split by driving the wooden wedges in to chase the split down the length.
Use an axe if needed to sever any fibres that still connect the two halves and clean up the cleft faces as required with axe or chisels.

Once split it is probably worth letting the wood condition for a while in the kind of environment the lamp will end up in before doing the resin bit.

Thamks for your thoughts on this but i didnt explain clearly enough that i want it ti splinter across the grain.

 

[Tris]

My mistake. Can't help thinking the one in the pic was a lucky find. Do you know anyone with farm machinery? Two concrete blocks and a front end loader would break it.
If you've got a few pieces to experiment with it would be interesting to see whether axing into the wood vertically on one face where you want the break would help, followed by a hydraulic jack or press to break as Alex suggested

 

[Luckosaurous]

Thamks for your thoughts on this but i didnt explain clearly enough that i want it ti splinter across the grain.

I suspect this was originally a much longer wooden beam. You would need a lot of force and a lot of leverage to snap a beam that thick.

Place a fulcrum in the middle, firmly secure one end of the beam and then apply force to the other end over the fulcrum.

I really can’t think in a domestic setup what you could safely rig up that could apply the requisite force though.

Difficult to tell from the image but maybe the beam was compromised by rot first?

 

[Luckosaurous]

Actually, thinking logically these were probably two separate rotten fence posts, dried, re-milled, and positioned to look like one beam that has snapped

 

[alex robinson]

Actually, thinking logically these were probably two separate rotten fence posts, dried, re-milled, and positioned to look like one beam that has snapped

I agree. Definitely looks like a fair amount of rot as well as the break. Pretty sure snapping good timber won't leave nearly as intricate and pretty a break pattern as that.

 

[Fitzroy]

Cool lamp, really caught my interest hence the post (pun intended).

If you look closely this is not a single piece of timber it is a number of boards/batons snapped and then glued together. It's more difficult to see on the one in the OP photo, but clear in this one. As others have said snapping a single piece of that size is a monumental force and would be dangerous to try and do.

F.

 

[Orraloon]

From the pic you can see its 16 bits of wood laminated up. I think each one was broken off before being glued up. That would also give the option of moving the broken ends around for the best look.
Regards
John

 

[TomGW]

If going the 16 segment approach (and it probably is the most practical way of achieving this) the overall effect would be enhanced by veneering the outside to make it look like a single log.