Firewood Trying Strategy

[NSMaple1]

Do you noodle all the way through, or just to open up a kerf for the wedges?

Philbert

All the way.

The only wedge I split with, is the one attached to my splitter. So noodling part way then trying to get the splitter into it would kind of defeat the purpose of noodling - which was to make smaller pieces that are easier to work with. But I could see doing that if you were doing the old sledge & wedge thing.

 

[Philbert]

All the way.

Philbert

 

[lknchoppers]

Let me see if I can post this from my phone. It was a 39 inch across Pin Oak. I prefer to split Oak green, but really don't notice any difference if it's been standing dead for 5 years.View attachment 684971

What kind of blade do you use for noodling? I have a bunch to do and was wondering what blade would be the fastest to noodle with?

 

[Philbert]

Any chain will noodle.

Biggest problem is long chips / noddles clogging up behind the clutch cover; May have to be cleaned frequently.

Philbert

 

[Stihl a grasshopper]

I just split some fresh white oak a few weeks ago. Noodled the 24” rounds onto halves, and started chopping away. Definitely try to split parallel to the grain! Here are a few pictures of my experience. Perpendicular to the grain would barely penetrate with 3.5lb axe or the maul no matter how much oomph I put on itdue to trying to rip the grain apart that way.





Parallel to the grain easily flaked off and sent pieces flying leaving a smooth surface.

 

[esshup]

I cut/split/store a LOT of oak. White, Pin and Red. Some things I learned:
1) Storing it on the tarp will only allow the water to collect on the tarp, even if it's covered.
2) Rounds will not dry.
3) You need 2 years of drying to season Oak
4) When the Oak is split, remove the bark as soon as you can, those pieces with the bark won't dry as fast as the ones without the bark.
5) It won't season worth a hoot here in Indiana if I don't keep the sides open, up off the ground and a roof over the top of the wood to keep the rain/snow/heavy dew off of it.
6) If I am splitting White or Pin Oak, the splitter gets fired up right away. If the Red Oak is good, then it's possible to use a maul and wedges. When I was younger I listened to my dad and only used a maul or wedges. Then when I got older and dad had a bunch of wood to split he asked me to come over to help. I did and rented a hydraulic splitter. We knocked out in <2 hours what it would have taken him all day + some the next day to split. When we were done he said "I wish I would have use one sooner, I would have thrown the maul and wedges away years ago."

 

[pdqdl]

Any time I've noodled (which would be rarely since I avoid it unless I just can't), ...

What? Noodling is my favorite kind of chainsaw cut. Few cuts can ever produce so much satisfying cutting-action in the wood, and the noodles make excellent fire starter if you dry them up like kindling.

Long ago, prior to foam peanuts and air bubbles, one of the preferred methods of shipping fragile items was to pack them in "Excelsior", which was nothing more than curled up noodles of wood. I won a Boy Scout Jamboree competition using it as fire starter when I was young. My "Flint & Steel" fire start was so fast that they didn't believe it was possible to be done so quickly without using artificial materials. Apparently, my results were several orders of magnitude faster than anyone else.
The leaders inspected my starting materials and made me do it again. Yep. I was legit, and they grudgingly let me keep the award.