This is how my neighbors in Southern Indiana split logs. They make a hole in the tree, pour a cup of black powder, insert a wick, fill the hole with sand and burn it. Try this at your own risk.

Comments: - Back in the 1930s at my great-aunt's farm in Connecticut, her husband lifted a large tree stump with a stick of dynamite... but only after he stopped her and dug up all the daffodil bulbs she had planted around her! Many farmers at that time kept dynamite to blow up logs and rocks. The soil in New England is mostly rock.

When I was a kid, my oldest brother (20 or so) used a splitting gun to break up particularly knotty logs for firewood. Back then, they used a "squib", which was actually just a paper tube filled with slow-burning powder. He blew up a large piece of wood about 25 feet up with it. The old man went out and took the gun. He obviously felt that a nap was more important than firewood...

Dear Dave. Congratulations Not many people know anything about these old dust wedges. I did some research on these, looked everywhere to find one to buy. There aren't many people out there and the people who have them wanted about $300 american, So I made my own out of extremely high quality steel...... There are some tricks to using these. Between them, a sandbag is placed on top of it and they go behind the trench. You only need Black powder. See how you drive the dust wedge into the center??? Do not do this. Try placing it about 1/3 or 1/4 of the edge at the 12 o'clock or 6 o'clock position. I just need 100 or 120 grains of black FFG and a fuse, make sure it rides very well, and a wadding that holds your load in place, plus a log to keep it afloat and not fly around.. Good luck. These usually work, but be careful