- 1). Cut your logs using a chain saw to 24 inches in length for easy use and simple measurement. Measure the first log, then use it as a template to cut the others to length.
- 2). Choose a wooden chopping bock surface. A cut-off tree trunk works well, or a slice of a large trunk at least 16 to 18 inches across and 18 to 20 inches high. Set this stump on a level surface so that it is steady. Wedge wood shims under it if needed to keep it from wobbling.
- 3). Stand one piece of 24-inch log on one cut end on top of the stump, with the other cut end facing up. Swing a long-handled ax over your head and bring it down in the center of the top face of the log. Dry wood, with a sharp ax and a firm blow, may split on the first blow. If not, pull up on the end of the ax handle while holding the log down to remove the ax and strike again. Repeat the action until the ax head is buried, about halfway from the edge of the blade to its back face.
- 4). Lift the ax and log, bringing both down sharply on the stump. Repeat until the wood splits. Logs that are less than 8 inches in diameter can be left split in half. Stand one half of a larger log on the stump and repeat the process, cutting a 1/4-round wedge from the log, no more than 6 inches wide.
- 5). Stack your wood in two rows, with the log ends touching in the center to make a 4-foot-wide stack. Position each piece so that it is setting as tightly side-to-side with its neighbor as possible. Continue chopping and stacking until the base layer is two 24-inch rows back-to-back, 8 feet long. Add rows on top of this to a height of 4 feet to complete the cord.
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