How to Build Your Own Jig for Cutting Kindling Wood

Nail a 6 by 2 scrap on top of a 4 by 4 block of wood so that the edges of each piece of lumber are lined up flush with each other on one side. This first 4 by 4 block will be referred to as chopping block No. 1.

Rip a scrap of 6 by 2 so that it makes two 2 by 2 scraps. The first 2 by 2 piece should be the same distance in length as the 6 by 2 used in the previous step. Nail the 2 by 2 piece on top of the 6 by 2 piece on chopping block No. 1. Nail the other 2 by 2 piece on top of a second 4 by 4 scrap (chopping block No. 2), making sure that the edges are lined up flush, as in the previous step.

Cut two more 6 by 2 scraps to match the length of the previous 6 by 2 scraps. Nail one 6 by 2 on top of the 2 by 2 scraps on each of the chopping blocks, both of which have 4 by 4 blocks of wood as their bases.

Make holes along the 6 by 2 lengths with a jigsaw. The holes should be slightly larger than semicircles, so that only half of a hole is cut out on each of the boards. If you have several different sizes of wood to chop up for kindling, make multiple holes, with each hole being a different size. However, if you only make one big semicircle in the middle of each 6 by 2, then that will suffice. Make sure that all of the holes line up on chopping block No. 1. Also make sure that the hole on chopping block No. 2 lines up with those on chopping block No. 1.

Slide chopping block No. 1 toward chopping block No. 2, so that the 6 by 2 scraps fit together as in a tongue and groove type of fitting. Attach two bungee cords along the height of chopping block No. 1. Staple or hammer a nail into the chopping block and bend it around a bungee cord, so that the cord stays on the chopping block when it is stretched. The bungee cords should be long enough to wrap around the chopping blocks and reattach to themselves, making a full circle of bungee around the chopping blocks.

Slide a piece of wood into the hole cut into the 6 by 2 scraps, which will wedge the wood in an upright position. The bungee cords will serve to hold the chopping blocks together. Use a hatchet to split the wood into kindling.