Axe Man
ArboristSite Operative
As stated previously, elm will eat wedges and make them disappear. But I like it.
Worst Wood to Split by Hand?
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flushcut
Addicted to ArboristSite
Your question got me to thinking that I may not know what I was talking about so I looked it up. And I knew I was in trouble when Google had no hits for "shagbark maple".
I know it was not shagbark hickory because we have some of that growing on the edge of fields around here but I believe they are planted, not native. This is definitely a maple and is what I have always called "shagbark maple" since I was young. However, looking at maple ID websites, it turns out it actually is a silver maple. Older silver maples have bark very similar to older shagbark hickories.
So thanks for calling me out on that - learned something new!
nomak
ArboristSite Operative
yeah and that silver maple that gets bark that rough on it is a real pain in the u know what to split as I am learning.. I have noodled 36" rounds in to halves and still can split smaller pieces from one side to other. the branches of these trees were no problem but nothing but a wedge and sledge or noodling them almost down to nothing before the main trunk of the silver maples can be split with ease.. or is there some trick about splitting maple when its first cut.. cause it is been in rounds for 2 or 3 months now...
What is this "split by hand" you speak of...:monkey:
Those of you that split all your heating wood by hand are far better men than I...
Those of you that split all your heating wood by hand are far better men than I...
Ductape
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Blowncrewcab
ArboristSite Guru
About a week ago I was splitting a 5" round of elm with my SS (Super Splitter) and it got stuck, when I rocked the SS to get it loose the wood pinched it so hard it spit it out fast enough to fly up and hit me in the Lip, All I could do was laugh.....
Now the Sweet Gum..I borrowed some firewood earlier this year when mine ran out, a Pick-up load of Sweet Gum showed up (from a guy at work ) I took a swing at it with my (non SS Maul, didn't have it yet) Regular Maul, I spent the next 15 minutes trying to get the Maul back Out of the wood. There are marks on my cement slab front porch where I was banging the piece on the end of the maul onto the cement, It smoothed the texture of the cement it was so hard. I have split wood there for 13 years and never left a mark, this sweet Gum gave a whole new meaning to:censored: Hard Wood
Now the Sweet Gum..I borrowed some firewood earlier this year when mine ran out, a Pick-up load of Sweet Gum showed up (from a guy at work ) I took a swing at it with my (non SS Maul, didn't have it yet) Regular Maul, I spent the next 15 minutes trying to get the Maul back Out of the wood. There are marks on my cement slab front porch where I was banging the piece on the end of the maul onto the cement, It smoothed the texture of the cement it was so hard. I have split wood there for 13 years and never left a mark, this sweet Gum gave a whole new meaning to:censored: Hard Wood
super3
Addicted to ArboristSite
What is this "split by hand" you speak of...:monkey:
I couldn't agree more!
fredmc
Addicted to ArboristSite
Elm, hickory, white oak and hedge knots.
ct greenman
ArboristSite Guru
What is this "split by hand" you speak of...:monkey:
Thanks
Alright, whenever MNGuns posts, I spend more time staring at his avatar than thinking about the thread... ah, it's such a tough life.
I rarely encounter elm these days, so I can't complain too much about it, though it did cause lots of cussing as a kid trying to split it for Dad and getting all the wedges stuck. These days rock maple (aka sugar maple) takes way too much effort, so I just noodle it with a saw for the most part. I had an enormous cherry log mixed in with a tri-axle load: that stuff would split down a spiral such that the wedge would start at "noon" and the split at the bottom would be at 3 or 4 o'clock.
I rarely encounter elm these days, so I can't complain too much about it, though it did cause lots of cussing as a kid trying to split it for Dad and getting all the wedges stuck. These days rock maple (aka sugar maple) takes way too much effort, so I just noodle it with a saw for the most part. I had an enormous cherry log mixed in with a tri-axle load: that stuff would split down a spiral such that the wedge would start at "noon" and the split at the bottom would be at 3 or 4 o'clock.
nomak
ArboristSite Operative
What is this "split by hand" you speak of...:monkey:
well it wont be split by hand after tonight.. im reserving a splitter for the weekend next week to finish off what I have cut in rounds of maple and locust in the yard and the two more (S10) truck loads of ash rounds I will be getting... I have already split 2 cords by hand since it got in the 50 degree temps this spring and cut back a few weeks ago when it turned to 90 plus every day not counting the humidity.. so no more splitting by hand for me.. gonna rent me a splitter for the weekend for a decent price and be done with it all but the stacking..and have enough wood for this season and most of next.
dingeryote
Blueberry Baron
Elm.
Frozen it just sucks.
Green and warm it's a pointless and fruitless endeavor unless your plan was to drink beer, sweat, and cuss.
Shagbark hickory ain't much better, but frozen it's not too bad.
I like burning Elm though. It holds the burn as well as Oak and dosn't ash out too bad.
It might be more work, but in the long run, it's less splitting time for the same heat from lesser species.
Stay safe!
Dingeryote
Frozen it just sucks.
Green and warm it's a pointless and fruitless endeavor unless your plan was to drink beer, sweat, and cuss.
Shagbark hickory ain't much better, but frozen it's not too bad.
I like burning Elm though. It holds the burn as well as Oak and dosn't ash out too bad.
It might be more work, but in the long run, it's less splitting time for the same heat from lesser species.
Stay safe!
Dingeryote
bcorradi
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Cottonwood for me.
stevohut
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What is this "split by hand" you speak of...:monkey:
I have to split by hand can't afford a splitter. I do a lot of noodling for the real wet hard stuff. Besides I need the workout from swingen the super splitter. I've only almost taken out a shin 3 times with supper splitter off of a deflection.
Yep. When I prepare to split that stuff my hatchet lays right there to cut the unsplit stringers. Beats pulling the round and turning it over to complete the split.
Harry K
What is this "split by hand" you speak of...:monkey:
I split most of mine by hand for the excersize. Splitter only comes out for the tought stuff.
Do a 1/2 hour or so most mornings just to get the blood pumping again. Gotta do something to get this old body woke up
.Harry K
Black locust? That stuff splits nice by hand green and almost falls apart when dry. I am closing in on around 40 cords of it in my "retirement stock" and a good half or more was done by hand.
I have a small rick out there now waiting to be done in the morning.
oops. Right after I sent it I recalled one grove I 'did' a couple years ago. That stuff was tough and I ran it through the splitter.
Harry K
wooddog 066
ArboristSite Operative
Elm or locust
