SHOTGUN AXE MK2

Quick Overview

The creator successfully tested a custom-built, 3D-printed shotgun axe head attachment, which uses high-pressure gas from a shotgun shell to blow wood logs apart when struck, ultimately succeeding in splitting pine and Tasmanian Blue Gum Eucalyptus logs, though the first attempt on the eucalyptus cracked the axe head.

Key Points: The creator designed and built a custom 3D-printed axe head attachment that uses the gas from a shotgun shell to split wood. The initial test splitting pine wood resulted in the log splitting cleanly, producing 1.4 liters of gas, which burned at 2 inches/second (5 cm/s). The second test on denser Tasmanian Blue Gum Eucalyptus caused the axe head to crack upon impact, although the log split. The custom mechanism, made of brass, features a trigger mechanism to release the gas upon impact with the log. The creator noted that the initial axe head design had a square-edged blade, which was less effective than the final arrow-shaped blade design, which was then sharpened. The final successful axe head featured a narrow, pointed blade shape, which proved better at penetration than the initial rounded design. The creator spent a week building the trigger mechanism and mentioned that the Onshape CAD software was instrumental in the design process.

Context: The video documents the process of designing, manufacturing, and testing a highly unusual device: a specialized axe head attachment that utilizes the high-pressure gas from a fired shotgun shell to assist in splitting firewood. The creator designed the components using Onshape CAD software and had the metal parts (made of stainless steel or brass for later versions) 3D-printed. The experiment involves securing the modified axe head to a standard axe handle and striking logs with a mechanism designed to trigger the gas release upon impact.

Detailed Analysis

The creator details the construction of a 'Shotgun Axe MK2,' a device where a 3D-printed axe head attachment is modified to use the gas from a shotgun shell to aid in splitting wood upon impact. The initial design was made from a gray resin print, but the creator later opted for metal parts, specifically mentioning 316L stainless steel and brass for the trigger mechanism. The creation process involved extensive CAD work in Onshape, where the creator noted designing a specialized arrow-shaped blade geometry for better penetration, contrasting it with a rounder, square-edged prototype. The testing involved two main types of wood: pine and Tasmanian Blue Gum Eucalyptus. The pine test was successful, producing a clean split and generating 1.4 liters of gas that burned at 2 inches/second (5 cm/s). However, the subsequent test on the much denser Tasmanian Blue Gum Eucalyptus resulted in the metal axe head cracking upon impact, though the log did split. The creator also demonstrated the complexity of the brass trigger mechanism, which releases the gas when the axe impacts the wood. Ultimately, the experiment showed that while the concept works, durability (especially of the 3D-printed components or the initial metal parts) is a major challenge, leading the creator to conclude that the design needs refinement.