Splitting elm

[iowawoodcutter]

I usually don't split or burn elm, but I had a leaner over my sons playground so I took it down. Man, that stuff was stringy and VERY hard to drive the maul through. I split with a maul because I like the excersize and am partly insane I guess. Is all elm that way? I had A LOT of trouble splitting eight to nine inch rounds with no knots. I have split 52" white oak with the maul no problem (after five or six well placed shots), but this elm stuff is impossible.

thanks
C

 

[kevin j]

pretty much. It is so stringy the wedge has to fight all the way to the end. None of the '4 inches in and the wood pops apart.'
One of the reasons that I keep harping on speed. In my applications I don't need a mega ton machine, I want SPEED of cycle, as each cycle has to go full stroke in elm.

If the wedge stops short of the end plate like on several purchased splitters, (assuming moving wedge, fixed plate) you have to fight the wood apart by hand the last inch or two. The fibers are like rope holding it together. Dinged fingers many times that way, so I added some bar stock on the end plate about 2 inches apart. Holds the wood an inch or two out so the wedge now goes fully through and actually splits to the end.

I use as much elm as I can get. It is usually 12 to 18 inch. Don't have much big wood around here anyway and I like the elm. Burns deep through to the core, not just on the surface,so it looks like a big red chunk of glowing jello.

I have done very little elm by hand, am sure thankful for splitters

k

 

[Nailsbeats]

You should get a splitter for that stuff. I used to split a little of it with a maul when I was a young man, but not since. I split everything I can with a maul but the Elm always goes straight to the woodsplitter pile.

 

[Lignum]

I added some bar stock on the end plate about 2 inches apart. Holds the wood an inch or two out so the wedge now goes fully through and actually splits to the end.

+1

Awesome tip! As soon as the weekend comes round, I'll weld some square tubes!

 

[KsWoodsMan]

The only Elm I have been able to split without much difficulty, by hand, was Red/Slipery Elm. Any other type I will cut only big enough to fit the stove door.

Firewood like that, I will save for the coldest week of the year to split by hand. Something about the moisture in it freezing that seems to help. Or it is so frigging cold out there I want to get it over with and put more swing in the splitting axe.

 

[Old_School_Nut]

yeah, elm is always fun.... sometimes some of my city slicker friends will come over and i will let them swing the maul.... into elm, they get frustrated in a hurry with an all new respect for folks that split wood.

 

[gink595]

Most everything I burned last year was American or Red Elm, I just gave up at times and borrowed a friends splitter. Elm is the toughest stuff I have found so far, and it was seasoned, I have some green Elm in the pile now that has bark on it, that might be a first for me, That is the one thing I do like about Elm is most of the time it is seasoned standing there with no bark left, just cut, split and straight to the wood stove no mess and I think it produces decent heat and hardley any ash especially Red Elm. It lights easily also. A lot of people dislike it, I have to say it is one of my favorites

 

[046]

ugggg... usually will avoid elm... even with a splitter

 

[shokidq]

ugggg... usually will avoid elm... even with a splitter

Last piece I had went straight to the bonfire didn't waste my time, not a popular timber for firewood over here.

 

[Mike Van]

Fresh cut elm is the stringiest, did some this year. Had a few logs left from last year, they were half as bad. The 'stringy' must let up some as it lays.

 

[Rookie1]

I have some Elm on my property that keeps dying from Dutch Elm disease. I let the tree die then all the bark falls off then it is seasoned and bugfree. I cut it down split it with a borrowed hyd. splitter and straight down the basement into the woodroom. I like the way it burns,hot and ash is real powdery and fine.Ive never harvested a green tree but ive heard its a pain.

 

[Mike Van]

Around me, it all dies sooner or later. I had a nice 18" elm behind the house, a few summers ago the leaves just turned brown & that was it -

 

[Ole Farmerbuck]

Thats all we have here, elm. Not a problem at all if its good and dry. Juts because the bark is off doesnt mean its dry and it will be hard to split. Mots of the stuff I have, the wedge just goes in a couple of inches and usually about all it takes. On the other hand, the crotches can be very challenging.

 

[wdchuck]

There are varieties of elm that split with the ease of oak, or ash, hardly any effort at all, I know this because there are multiple varieties growing on our place.

The real stringy elm, with whiter wood and only slightly darker heart/pith, its grain is crossed in such a manner as to make it excellent for certain construction applications, unrivaled in some. Due to this cross grain, you'll have to wait until its about rotted through, before it gets easier to split, that dry/creamy/sponge feel, just before its punky.

Red elm is no treat either, but is not quite as bad. Beautiful wood for many uses, doesn't fuzz up as bad during finishing.

The easy splitting elm, is dark on the inside, very little sapwood, beautiful straight grain, it just pops apart. I'm thinking siberian/chinese elm, have to take some pictures next time and post it here for you guys.


The real advantage to the stringy stuff, it comes with its own kindling, a very efficient product, just split with a saw or hydraulics.

:greenchainsaw:

 

[gink595]

Thats all we have here, elm. Not a problem at all if its good and dry. Juts because the bark is off doesnt mean its dry and it will be hard to split. Mots of the stuff I have, the wedge just goes in a couple of inches and usually about all it takes. On the other hand, the crotches can be very challenging.

Must be nice, Thats never been my experience as of yet, we must be have different species of Elm growing here than there. What type are you refering to?

 

[iowawoodcutter]

wdchuck, not a bad idea, split with the saw ! Just traded in the ms361 for a ms460, why not put it to work!!!!! I am always looking for an excuse to run my new saw...:greenchainsaw:

thanks!!!
C

 

[woodbooga]

Before I knew what I was doing, I remember finding 1/2 a truckload's worth in the burn pile at the dump. 14" length rounds between 8" and 12" in diameter. No branches or leaves to help me identify, so I just loaded up.

I remember when I went to split the stuff, it was darned near impossible. Had my father-in-law whose been burning wood all his life take a whack. He wasn't much more successful than I was.

I refused to bring the wood back to the dump, however, out of a sense of yankee cheapness - waste not, want not, yada yada. Plus, bringing it back would be an admission of defeat and my honor was at stake!

The old timers here in NH are ambivalent about elm as firewood. Back in the fifties and sixties when Dutch Elm disease was ravaging the landscape, it was the most abundant firewood, free for the taking. So gathering the winter's supply was easy in those times. But the sheer amount of work and frustration involved in the splitting off-set the convenience of availability!

 

[stihl sawing]

Have not tried any with the splitter, But have bounced off them a bunch of times with a monster maul.

 

[wdchuck]

wdchuck, not a bad idea, split with the saw ! Just traded in the ms361 for a ms460, why not put it to work!!!!! I am always looking for an excuse to run my new saw...:greenchainsaw:

thanks!!!
C

WHen you are done, the pile of curly fries will fill many a paper grocerybag, or potato sack for firestarter in the winter.

Also a fun way to break in a new saw.

 

[kevin j]

Awesome tip! As soon as the weekend comes round, I'll weld some square tubes!




Probably bend sideways if tubing. I used 3/4 thick by 1 or 1.5 bars, welded securely both sides of the 3/4 dimension. Another one that was borrowed, didn't want to weld on the plate, so I made a slip over plate with I think 1/5 x 1-1/5 bars, something like that. but I think tubing would bend or crush. You get localized loads so all the pressure is in one place with crooked end butt.

edit 5/30: I should have noted, I left an inch or two gap below these bars, no reason for the specific dimension, but DON"T weld around the bottom end of the bars to the top flange of the beam. Depending on the location of the welds with respect to beam web, and the flexibility of the top of beam, there could be forces/stresses introduced that cause flexing of top of beam and eventual cracking. Just weld them onto the end plate.
k