Where in the world is Tom Clark's "Buster"?

[Rooster]

Hello Friends,

Tom Clark was a blacksmith and expert axe-man from Potosi, MO and passed away in 2009.  I and a few of my fellow axe junkies are looking to find info on the custom axes that he made called the "Buster".  If anyone has info on him or knows someone who knows something about the axes that he made, please share.   The ultimate goal is to reproduce "Buster" axes in memory of this woodsman.

Thanks,

Rooster

http://youtu.be/_BxCmG5sG6A

[5quarter]

Here's another great video of Tom Clark...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95Z2UXEFUIw

[Rooster]

I saw that one..."That's Incredible"

And the editing really makes it look like the guys with the power splitter are struggling...even without racing...  lol

[screwy squirrel]

Rooster, I saw this video and was very impressed with how the axe worked ...so I made my own very much like it and it works great ! Took a little to get used to the swing but it does just bust the wood .  Tom Clark had a great idea to bad it never went into production.

[5quarter]

Here's a little info I trolled up from a guy named Ray clover:

   "I learned to really split wood from a blacksmith that lived in Potosi Mo named Tom Clark. Tom took a single bit ax and welded a 1.5 x 1.5 block on the back of the ax head and ground it to the contour of the original head. This added a weight that gave torsion to your ax head. TO use the ax you held it with the head canted about 30 degrees to one side rather than straight up and down. Tom's method made splitting wood very efficient and fast. Tom use to do local demos where he would take on a team of men using he latest miracle wood splitting gizmo. He never lost a contest. By time they got through a rank of wood he was usually way ahead.

I don't' have one of Tom's custom axes made for this but I have found that a double bitted ax gives almost as good results if held the same way. I'm not as fast as Tom was at it but it is the fastest way I can split wood myself. There is a technique to it but once you get the hang of it it is easy and a lot less physically stressful than using a splitting maul or wedges.

I don't know how to embed a video but I did find a vid on you tube of Tom splitting with his custom ax. Even hard to split hardwoods with interlocking grains would split using his method."

[Magicman]

I am glad to see you posting screwy squirrel.  Welcome to the Forestry forum.   

[Rooster]

Thanks for the replies guys!

And welcome to the forum screwy squirrel!!!

Rooster

[David B]

So...did ya make a buster? 

[Rooster]

Thanks for checking in on this older thread.
Out of respect for Tom's legacy, I did not make a "Buster", but instead designed a 5 lbs. Splitting axe, that is balanced and can be used like Tom's Buster.



 

[thecfarm]

I was impressed with what he did to the match stick!!

[Dan_Shade]

I agree we were splitting some wood yesterday afternoon. One of the kids wanted to use the maul.  He was pretty far behind the splitter.  

I'll have to show him the racing video. 


Rooster, how well does your axe work? 

[Rooster]

I'd say that it does well in many situations, but it is not a magic wand hooked to a laser beam.
There are too many variables for any one axe or splitting maul to split well every time.
It has become quite popular, as the sales have been steady and the number of referrals/recommendations have been growing.

The same head is also used to bang felling wedges.

[David B]

I have that head 28" and 36". Bangs wedges well. I rounded the poll some. The 36" splits wood that lends itself to splitting but eucalyptus usually does not. I usually noodle the large rounds and or 8lb maul, then switch to the splitting axe. I have a fiskars x27, but the axe is so much cooler. :-)

It has been interesting trying the euc at different stages of dry and trunk vs. limb wood. Most is very difficult but some easy.