BaldSawRunner
ArboristSite Operative
Drill a 1" hole in the top of the stick, about half the length of the stick, fill it with gunpowder, cap it off, light the fuse and get away.
splitting elm
- Thread starter woodhaven
- Start date
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IPLUMB
ArboristSite Operative
Splitter all the way! I LOVE burning Elm. I usually burn dead standing though.:chainsawguy:
SWI Don
ArboristSite Guru
Dead standing red elm isn't too bad. In my experience mulberry is just as bad. Siberian elm just sucks when green. And it is extremely heavy. My splitter actually passes the wedge through a gap in the ram for that reason.
My friends and I like to go elm hunting over the holidays. We start scoping them out when we are out hunting deer and try to go back and harvest our finds.
Don
My friends and I like to go elm hunting over the holidays. We start scoping them out when we are out hunting deer and try to go back and harvest our finds.
Don
Steve NW WI
Unwanted Riff Raff.
yup, mine as well. Don't make me get the videos out again!
Dead standing with the bark falling off won't leave but a real small pickup load of branches if I'm cutting it, anything over 2" sometimes less, goes in the pile. Nothing at all like having to clean up after a front yard oak or maple that seems to be 75% twigs once it hits the ground!
Nosmo
Addicted to ArboristSite
Seasoned Elm
I like seasoned Elm. However if I didn't have a splitter I would only cut it up into short pieces I could get into the stove. Splitting it by hand is one of the hardest things to accomplish.
Nosmo
I like seasoned Elm. However if I didn't have a splitter I would only cut it up into short pieces I could get into the stove. Splitting it by hand is one of the hardest things to accomplish.
Nosmo
woodhaven
ArboristSite Operative
This elm was not dead standing, but a recent blowdown from a storm last week, and it has a ton of branches. I'm going to let it sit for a while and hope no one else takes, maybe they will reconsider and let me leave the branches.
It's really "Stringy" stuff, but burns good.
If you have a splitter, you'll still want the chainsaw nearby to cut some of the strings that are still there after using the splitter.
If you don't have a splitter, do what some of the others have said and noodle it.
My buddies dad noodles everything...he starts at the base of the trunk and makes his cuts veritcally about 6 inches apart across the trunk, then he makes horizontal cuts about every 6 inches...then just cross cuts it all off and the end of the noodle cuts.
If you have a splitter, you'll still want the chainsaw nearby to cut some of the strings that are still there after using the splitter.
If you don't have a splitter, do what some of the others have said and noodle it.
My buddies dad noodles everything...he starts at the base of the trunk and makes his cuts veritcally about 6 inches apart across the trunk, then he makes horizontal cuts about every 6 inches...then just cross cuts it all off and the end of the noodle cuts.
Hey Woodhaven.
Hard Elm (Rock Elm) is one of the best firewoods out there for BTU output.
It has the highest btus per cord than any other firewood species.
But of course the cons are that it is harder to split and will take longer to dry.
But once nicely dried out and cut/split, it's like golden heat in a log.
Here's what you could do.
Tell them you'll take it all away for them.
Start by taking the best stuff first. Then take most of all the good sized stuff down to the kindling sizes, then if there is any small small stuff left tell them at that time that they'll need to burn that off on their own(if they can in their area) or just move it to the edge of the property for them.
You ARE in fact doing them a huge favour by taking it away for free and actually saving them thousands of dollars perhaps.
Just an idea.
Good luck.
Hard Elm (Rock Elm) is one of the best firewoods out there for BTU output.
It has the highest btus per cord than any other firewood species.
But of course the cons are that it is harder to split and will take longer to dry.
But once nicely dried out and cut/split, it's like golden heat in a log.
Here's what you could do.
Tell them you'll take it all away for them.
Start by taking the best stuff first. Then take most of all the good sized stuff down to the kindling sizes, then if there is any small small stuff left tell them at that time that they'll need to burn that off on their own(if they can in their area) or just move it to the edge of the property for them.
You ARE in fact doing them a huge favour by taking it away for free and actually saving them thousands of dollars perhaps.
Just an idea.
Good luck.
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you'll get more heat out of it trying to split it with a maul than you'll get from burning it
Right. I tried to split it with an 8lb maul and had to recut the pieces down to 6-8 inches. Even then, I eventually gave up
savageactor7
ArboristSite Guru
Unfortunately where I live elm is my best hardwood....woe is me.
Completely the opposite in any place I've lived. American (piss) Elm is hard to split and only so-so for btu's. Red,or Rock Elm splits beautifully and is great firewood. I wonder if this is a regional thing?
Here is what awaits you. This log below didn't even need split. I was just trying to see how tough elm is with a wedge and sledge. Note the size of the log vs. the size of the wedge. As they say...a picture is worth a thousand words.
max2cam
ArboristSite Guru
This is the way I'd go too. Even smaller elm is hard to split; at least the stuff here is.
woodhounder
ArboristSite Operative
Here is what awaits you. This log below didn't even need split. I was just trying to see how tough elm is with a wedge and sledge. Note the size of the log vs. the size of the wedge. As they say...a picture is worth a thousand words.
It doesn't really split it just kind of tares.
Vibes
Addicted to ArboristSite
I'm burning allot of elm this year. It is stingy but my timberwolfe powered right through it. I'm not sure what kind of elm the majority of it is. I know the one is red elm for sure. The other I think is Chinese elm. Also, if its yard wood, there will be a lot of 2 to 5 inch rounds that won't need split, and when I split mine, I was left with more kindling than I could use in a year.
BTW the red elm that I'm burning came from a freinds property. He had 2 dead trees their when he bought it. We took the trunks to a sawmill and he got some rreally nice boards out of it.
BTW the red elm that I'm burning came from a freinds property. He had 2 dead trees their when he bought it. We took the trunks to a sawmill and he got some rreally nice boards out of it.
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I cut a dead elm down on my property last week and got the trunk pieces up by the wood pile. This is the 1st. elm I have split so after reading this thread I was a little concerned. This elm was about 24" across.
Drug the splitter out this morning and went to town. It took me dang near 2.5 hrs to split 3/4 of a cord. My lord that is some nasty wood! It never stoped my splittter but it sure did have it grunting alot. I cut alot of strings with the axe and had to fire the chain saw up on a few of the bigger pieces.
Drug the splitter out this morning and went to town. It took me dang near 2.5 hrs to split 3/4 of a cord. My lord that is some nasty wood! It never stoped my splittter but it sure did have it grunting alot. I cut alot of strings with the axe and had to fire the chain saw up on a few of the bigger pieces.
You do not split elm. You argue with it and hope to get in the last word.
diggers_dad
Sawchologist
I do have a splitter and I do mess with it. One of the best firewood species that there is.
OP, please ship all of that elm to me as soon as possible. TIA.
