Inertia splitter faster than traditional hydraulic
Steve Maxwell House Works
Q: Can new deck boards be finished to match older ones? I’m reviving a pressure-treated deck and had to replace a few rotten boards here and there. What’s the best way to finish the new wood so it looks similar to the old?
A: It sounds like you’re doing a great job on your deck. I always like to see things repaired rather than replaced. These days pressure treated lumber is often a medium brown colour, and not the rather ugly green colour that pressure-treated lumber was for so many years before. I’d install the new boards, then sand the whole deck with an 80grit abrasive in a random orbit sander. The new boards might not look exactly like the old ones under a layer of finish, but they will be similar.
There are many deck finishing products out there that simply don’t work no matter how diligently you apply them. You can get specific product recommendations from the deck finish testing program I began back in 1990 at baileylineroad.com/ deck-stain
INERTIA WOOD SPLITTER PERFORMANCE
Q: How do you like the inertia wood splitter I’ve seen in some of your videos?
I’d like to buy the same DR model you own, but I can’t find any place to test one first.
A: An inertia splitter uses the force of heavy, spinning flywheels to break apart logs for firewood. This system is much faster than traditional hydraulic wood splitters and it’s mechanically simpler, too. We’ve probably split 400 to 500 face cords of wood with our inertia splitter over the years and I like it a lot. Even though I own a large hydraulic splitter, the DR is my go-to machine for most splitting. It’s not perfect, but we can easily split wood twice as fast compared with our hydraulic model.
There have been no mechanical issues with the DR except the usual maintenance. My only complaint is that the model we have isn’t quite as powerful as I’d like. Occasionally it takes two or three attempts to break through a tough block of wood. Once a day or so I might get a gnarly block stuck on the wedge and have to use a lever to wiggle it off. No big deal. My DR only has 75 pound flywheels, so I wouldn’t call it a super powerful splitter. It’s claim to fame is speed and it certainly lives up to that. Since I got this splitter, models with larger more powerful flywheels have come out. I’d definitely consider one of these. They’re just as fast, but stronger.
FINISHING AN OLD BUT GOOD DECK
Q: What prep and finishing approach should I take with an old, unfinished softwood deck in a shady location?
A: One option is to leave your deck bare and let the wood weather. This won’t shorten the working life of the wood and it would be the easiest approach, long-term. My main concern in your case is the shady location. If it’s shady enough, moss might start growing on the unfinished wood, making the deck surface slippery.
If you do want to apply a finish, start by pressure washing. This is easier than scrubbing and gets dirt out of nooks and crannies better. Let the deck dry, then sand the surface with an 80-grit abrasive before finishing. The shady location could still come back to haunt you, though. Even with a deck finish in place, mould and mildew could start growing on the finished wood, creating stains. If you do plan to apply a finish, use a dark colour to hide some of what might grow on the surface.