Elm...

[blades]

nick name for slippery elm- piss elm

 

[TeeMan]

I just put up about a half cord by hand. Difficult to split- maybe worse than sweet gum. I cut it short for EW loading and then had it it. The sapwood often slabs off OK. The heartwood is another story. My farm store Indian wedge wouldn't even start but my nice sharp Gransfors wedge would. Then it is a simple matter of bashing the hell out of it with a sledge until the wedge is flush then banging a wooden wedge in to free the steel wedge and then finishing it off with the Fiskars to cut the strings.

I need less than 3 cords a year so I can use it for a fitness program. If I needed a bunch it would be a different story. Elm and sweet gum are the two most common hardwood species I am clearing right now.

How is sweet gum for firewood; I have never burned it?

 

[msmith]

I like elm pretty good, but I have an OWB and don't have to split much.

Years ago, I had a few big rounds of elm and tried my hand with the splitting maul to no avail so I switched over to sledge and wedge. Had to noodle the round to get the wedges out lol.

 

[bert the turtle]

Sweet gum is't bad. Seems to last
longer than the pine that is my mainstay. It isn't oak but it burns. Sucks to split.

 

[Erik B]

Yep..makes great firewood once you get a method to splitting it. I've seen some good ideas around here about adding a shear attachment to let the wedge go past flush on the foot plate..

Like this?

 

[Whitespider]

How 'bout a replay??
I split elm with this...

 

[JeffHK454]

Like this?View attachment 424392 View attachment 424393

That's the one I was thinking of...seems like it would do the trick.

 

[blades]

Nice a helper, like the auto return and speed kick down at end of return stroke as well.

 

[ggreene3]

Elm is just nasty to split. I had a bunch that I left until late winter when it was frozen solid, it seemed to split a little easier, but it still went hard.

 

[Whitespider]

Years ago, I had a few big rounds of elm and tried my hand with the splitting maul to no avail so I switched over to sledge and wedge.

Years ago... when I was young, dumb and bullet-proof... I split up a decent size elm with sledge 'n' wedge(s).
When I finally finished I made a promise to myself that I'd never do it again... I've kept that promise.
Oh course, not a whole lot has changed... I am older now, but I'm still dumb enough to believe I'm bullet-proof on occasion.
My wife assures me (usually as she's applying bandages and/or handing me pain killers) that it's an unavoidable guy thing.
She claims men are flat unable to remember "the last time" until after they've repeated it again... and again... and again.
According to her, we never really grow up, we just get bigger, more expensive toys capable of doing greater damage... it-is-what-it-is, women are fully aware of it, and they teach their daughters such.
But she ain't 100% correct... I still remember that elm... and I ain't ever repeated the sledge 'n' wedge thing.
*

 

[sledge&wedge]

I like elm pretty good, but I have an OWB and don't have to split much.

Years ago, I had a few big rounds of elm and tried my hand with the splitting maul to no avail so I switched over to sledge and wedge. Had to noodle the round to get the wedges out lol.

Did someone say my name? Oh wait, nevermind...

 

[Toxic2]

I am not one to ever turn down free wood but i will never haul elm in my truck again. Thanks for all the replys guys. very interesting to see the different species and different strategies for busting it into manageable sizes..

 

[sawjunky23]

I like burning elm, there is a lot of dead elm around me. I like to find standing dead with no bark, lot less ash to deal with and less bark around the splitting area. It seems to burn good too.

 

[fordf150]

try splitting from the but end of the log. I take the time to set elm logs on the processor with the butt end of the log facing the wedge and it splits much easier then if it ends up the other way around. thin sharp wedge works much better than the more typical wide wedges too.

 

[sawjunky23]

How 'bout a replay??
I split elm with this...

Nice little unit but I bet it comes with a backache bent over all day