a no-no to split firewood with chainsaw?

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I just love the noodles that are made. I had to do this with a large Pecan. 3 of us just looked at the big hunks and moved on to smaller pieces when we were running the splitter.

As the other posts stated. No need to kill your back trying to man handle a piece that is too big.
 
In addition to quartering the big rounds, I'll also noodle any piece that is knotty. I'd rather use some fuel to get the knotty pieces split than to wail away on a wedge (or with the maul) to get some twisted, crappy looking pieces of firewood out of it.
 
Maybe it's the profile, cause I've seen mauls that weight anywhere from 4-16 lbs. Doesn't really matter. The point is that no one should be using an ax that's made for cutting wood to split wood.

I'm a 4th generation Arborist and my favorite "Axe" is a 3lb thin blade ax. If you missed a block the thing would slice your leg off as clean as a sergeons scalpel. On nice straight Oak rounds 24" and less why would anyone want to swing a heavy maul. If you can't hit a round in the sweet spot swing after swing you shouldn't be swinging anything and using a rented wood splitter, Joe.
 
In addition to quartering the big rounds, I'll also noodle any piece that is knotty. I'd rather use some fuel to get the knotty pieces split than to wail away on a wedge (or with the maul) to get some twisted, crappy looking pieces of firewood out of it.

You would be doing alot of noodling if you cut the osage and other twisted trees I always get. Most the trees we cut for firewood ain't good for anything else and it is sometimes hard to find pieces without knots that will stack purdy.
 
Noodling the big stuff is easier and faster than trying to bust it apart! I have a log splitter but keep it at home. Bring the stuff home stack it, let it dry a bit and then split it. Still like the feel of busting the little pieces apart with the maul or the axe. Swing the axe into one, lift it onto a big piece using the axe handle, give the axe a quick jerk to break it free, and then blow it apart with a quick chop. Put a big piece up and work off pieces around the edges, keeps the main piece from falling off till the end. Save the knotty stuff for the splitter! Fill the wood rack with all the nice picture perfect firewood. Love doing this work in the cool fall air and cold of winter; keeps me sane and fit.
 
Everyday chain saws are built to brake little chunks of the grain, and this is done when cutting across the grain. I noodle rarely, only if must, because it involves cutting along the grain. The regular chain isn't built for that purpose.
Most woods split easily because of the way they are "built". Use this property. Splitting wood with a maul is the easiest and cheapest way to reduce its diameter.
 
Elm and/or Sweet Gum

Well if I were splitting say for instance post oak or soft maple I'd agree with you how much faster and easier it would be to use a maul or axe.

However it is almost impossible to split seasoned elm or sweet gum with an axe or maul. These two types of wood are very hard to split when green with an axe or maul.

Nosmo
 
Everyday chain saws are built to brake little chunks of the grain, and this is done when cutting across the grain. I noodle rarely, only if must, because it involves cutting along the grain. The regular chain isn't built for that purpose.
Most woods split easily because of the way they are "built". Use this property. Splitting wood with a maul is the easiest and cheapest way to reduce its diameter.


LOL!!!!

If ya noodle lengthwise with the grain, you're still cutting.
Cutting the end grain is another matter, and you're right, Milling chain is needed to keep from heating things up.

Noodle till the Goats come home over there, and don't worry about it.;)

As for the Maul, you obviously havn't tangled with 30'+ rounds from a twisted up old fenceline elm. LOL!!
If ya never get the opportunity, you're blessed.;)

Stay safe!
Dingeryote
 
Tell me all about that when it's you and two teenaged boys trying to load 54" oak rounds into a pickup. :D


http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=74150

attachment.php

sissy,lol.
 
Or use a Vertical Log Splitter. No need to waste your chain.

I'm amazed at the people who just don't understand the noodling process.

Noodling is the easiest and fastest type of cut there is on a chain. The chain is tearing (ripping) along the grain rather than having to sever (cut) across the grain. It is the least likely to dull the chain and creates the least amount of drag and heat on a chain. The only real risk to the chain and saw are from heat caused by letting the "noodles" build up around the discharge or be caught up in the cooling fins or air filter. Any decent sawyer would keep an eye on the saw while cutting and not let that happen.

We (on very rare occasion) use one of our splitters in vertical mode. This only happens when we go to split wood for someone else and we don't take a saw for noodling. Working with the splitter vertical requires you to either work bent over on work while on your knees. Doing this for very long will do damage to your back. It's an unnatural position to be trying to move heavy logs around. Think it through... the only reason to go vertical is if the logs are too heavy to lift.

For us, it's so much easier to noodle the logs to a manageable size and keep working horizontal.
 
new wood splitter or new chainsaw? I dont split as much wood as i cut so i bought another 372xp that can noodle and cut for less expence then a splitter. I sometimes do a 3/4 depth cut three or four times accross a larger round and then finish by spliting with a splitting mallet. This has workedfor me because i donot burn wood. It can now lift the large rounds and sell the chunks.
 
I take the noodles and lay them out in the sun to dry. They make some of the best fire starter I've used. Less waste that way too :chainsaw:
 
Methinks the OP is rather green to all this. Let's explain the process from start to finish:

1. Cut the tree down with a chainsaw. (You can use an axe, but a chainsaw is much quicker, better, safer). Preferably an orange saw or an orange and white. Do not use green saws, and if you even think about a purple saw, go move to a big city and stay there.
2. Cut the branches off with a chainsaw.
3. Cut the trunk and larger branches into 16-inch long chunks called "rounds" with a chainsaw (some people prefer shorter or longer rounds).
4. Load the rounds into a trailer or truck. If the rounds are too big, use a chainsaw to cut them into halves or quarters or whatever your wife is able to lift. (Unless you are computeruser or discounthunter, then you just lift them yourself and write another check to your back doctor.)
5. Unload the rounds and use a maul or splitter (preferably a SuperSplit) to split them into burning size. There are also splitting axes, but the best setup is to have your kids using a SuperSplit.
6. Make your kids stack them into rows.
7. Get on AS and fight about whether or not to cover the rows or how long to let it season. Be sure to ask WhiteSpider about moisture meters.
8. Make the kids bring in wood and burn in your OWB or indoor stove (not a fireplace, unless you have an insert).
9. Get a good book, a cup of your favorite beverage, a lap blanket and your pet, and sit by the stove and smile for a few hours at a time.
 
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