Chop, chop goes the wood splitter, putt, putt goes the motor. Now, watch and see how easily the wood splits. Kevin Verney showed how old-time Mainers used to split their logs for the cook stove. If you missed Verney’s Sunday visit at Woolwich Historical Society’s Farmhouse Museum, you can see him next month at one of the July 4 parades.

Verney, a welder and machinist by trade, demonstrated his vintage “double wood splitter” that is unique because it is equipped with an up-and-down metal wedge on both sides. “It took a while for me to put it back together. I found it pretty close to home in Whitefield.” He said the splitter was manufactured in 1910 by the American Sawmill Machinery Company in Hackettstown, New Jersey. The motor Verney uses to run it is a six-horse International. “It’s what they call a ‘hit and miss’ engine equipped with an under igniter and magneto that fires its coil. I rebuilt the motor, everything but the magneto; I sent that up to Fort Kent to have it worked on. You wouldn’t believe to look at it but this motor weighs 830 pounds,” he said.

The engine which is painted an emerald green runs on gasoline, although initially it ran on kerosene, Verney said. As for the wood splitter, Verney told his audience after he cleaned up its metal workings his next task was building a rugged wooden frame to support it.  “The hardest part was fabricating the bolts for the frame,” he said. When the splitter was finished it tipped the scales at about 2,100 pounds.

But Verney told his onlookers he was not finished yet. He still needed a trailer rugged enough to haul his splitter and motor together. “To be honest this is the first place I’ve hauled it to,” he said. And then the big moment came, Verney fired up the motor and voilà – the wood splitting began. Up and down went the wedges as Verney and others took turns placing wood under them making big lengths of firewood into kindling.

Verney said he resides in Sheepscott, with two t’s. “Be sure and spell that the right way with two ts. My grandmother, Selina Verney, she married John Waldo Verney, was the Postmaster there years ago and the sign on the front of the post office spelled it with two ts, Sheepscott!” Sunday being Father’s Day, Verney was joined by his son, Brett Verney along with Brett’s twin boys, Garrett and Bow, who would be celebrating their 10th birthdays the next day.

Verney’s visit was arranged by Selectman Jason Shaw. “We thought people would really enjoy seeing this and are very grateful Kevin was willing to come and share his time with us on Father’s Day,” said Shaw.