Hackberry

[Wild Knight]

I got a full tree of Hackberry last fall after Ike went through Kentucky. I started splitting it while it was green, and it was a real PITA. It is extremely stringy and doesn't want to split. The maul just sinks into the rounds without really busting it up.

I tried splitting some today and it still sticks together with a lots of strings.

You guys have any tips or special gear for splitting wood like this? I am trying to avoid renting a hydraulic splitter.

 

[kyle1!]

Hackberry is in the same family as the elms. You are in for a real workout The best way to attack it is to slab around the outside of the round par rel to the growth rings. I also cut my rounds smaller, 12" so they split easier. A hydraulic splitter is your friend and if you have alot of wood to split it is the way to go with this type of wood. :agree2:

Brian

 

[outdoorlivin247]

Noodle, then go from there...

 

[Mike PA]

rent a splitter for the day or cut it with a saw. miserable stuff to split by hand. Like said before, work around the edge to split by hand.

 

[JBinKC]

If you have the patience Hackberry seems to split much easier once the wood has begun to check. Place a wedge into the groove and swing away with a sledgehammer.

 

[Hlakegollum]

Try spiltting when below freezing maybe.

 

[coog]

Hackberry is in the same family as the elms. You are in for a real workout The best way to attack it is to slab around the outside of the round par rel to the growth rings. I also cut my rounds smaller, 12" so they split easier. A hydraulic splitter is your friend and if you have alot of wood to split it is the way to go with this type of wood. :agree2:

Brian

Might be a good way to split the wood, but Celtis occidentalis is from the family Cannabaceae, not Ulmus.Yep, it's in the hemp family...don't get any ideas!

 

[Stihl-in-Ky]

I cut a 40" hackberry tree back in the fall and it seems the best way to split the big stuff is to slab off the sides first and then work your way in it does help some to let it dry for a while.Also a 12-15# wedge type maul works better than the 6or 8# mauls.But as best I can tell it is usualy stringy so it helps to keep an ax on hand. That one tree had almost 3 1/2 cords in it and I only have about 6 more blocks to split all by hand not hyd.splitter involved.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

I use an axe on mine, no splitter and no handle in the maul. Stand alone trees do seem harder to split because of wind shake.
Try to sink your maul in the biggest natural crack. Thats the weak spot and should be easiest to split there.

Or like others have said, take slabs off the outside and relieve some of the coheision in the sapwood.. From there it should start getting easier.

I'd take Hackberry over American Elm for splitting ANY day. I even like it better for heat. Worthwhile tree in my opinion.

 

[coog]

Hackberry will be at least 1/3 of my firewood for next year, as the beavers girdled a couple of 40" trees next to my stream.

 

[sawinredneck]

If you have the patience Hackberry seems to split much easier once the wood has begun to check. Place a wedge into the groove and swing away with a sledgehammer.

Try spiltting when below freezing maybe.

Yep and Yep!!! Either freeze it, or let it season. Once it has seasoned it splits rather nice.
Frozen it will split like butter.

 

[kyle1!]

Might be a good way to split the wood, but Celtis occidentalis is from the family Cannabaceae, not Ulmus.Yep, it's in the hemp family...don't get any ideas!

Not to say you are wrong, but MSU extention says different. http://uptreeid.com/Species/elms.htm Same family but different genus

Brian

 

[coog]

Used to be Ulmus, later Celtis, and,since about 2003 ,APG II classified as, well,Hemp.I learned it as "false Elm" in woodlot management 101 back in the 80's.

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Hackberry

 

[Wild Knight]

Holy Noodle

Growing up cutting firewood with my godfather, we always used a hydraulic splitter. So, I had never noodled before; there wasn't any need.

I gotta tell ya, I love this noodling stuff. I was always a bit sad after cutting firewood b/c it meant a long road ahead splitting rounds and not getting to run the saw again for a long while. Now I can noodle and have another excuse to run my saws. Plus, splitting half rounds is cake! Seems like a win-win to me.

Made quick work of this hackberry too.

Thanks for all the comments and help!

 

[iowa]

I cut down a pretty large hackberry a few months ago. It wasn't that stringy to split up. I did have a splitter though and it did grunt pretty good on most pieces..

 

[Mr. Obvious]

CrapBerry

Crapberry splits pretty good by hand if it sits for a year +. The stringyness is not a problem after it dried. Wet it is messy to split even with a splitter. I've done a lot and some a few dAYS AGO.

If I was doing it by hand I'd let it sit til at least till fall.