How long do you let your green rounds sit before splitting?

[nvrs]

Do you split them right away or do you let them sit a while to dry out a bit?

I ask this since I have a ryobi electric splitter and it wont split most stuff when its wet(like pine but it does eucalyptus ok).

Curious as to what others think/do.:newbie:

 

[burroak]

depends on the species. The easy to split woods like oak, ash, walnut I split whenever I feel like it, but Sycamore has to be split ASAP, otherwise it will break into pieces when split dry.

 

[branchbuzzer]

Do you split them right away or do you let them sit a while to dry out a bit?

I ask this since I have a ryobi electric splitter and it wont split most stuff when its wet(like pine but it does eucalyptus ok).

Curious as to what others think/do.:newbie:

I let mine sit about 5 minutes, about long enough for me to get a drink of Mtn. Dew.

But then, I'm splitting mine by hand. How many tons is your splitter thingy...

 

[nvrs]

I let mine sit about 5 minutes, about long enough for me to get a drink of Mtn. Dew.

But then, I'm splitting mine by hand. How many tons is your splitter thingy...

I dunno.... think 5 maybe... nope just checked.... 4 man that thing needs to be replaced with something cool... think I might build a all electric one but don't know where to start(hmmn... new topic idea )

 

[branchbuzzer]

I dunno.... think 5 maybe... nope just checked.... 4 man that thing needs to be replaced with something cool... think I might build a all electric one but don't know where to start(hmmn... new topic idea )

There's another thread on here that discusses electric vs. gas splitters.

We could maybe also debate your electric vs. my maul, eh?

I did half a cord for a lady today in about 45 mins. 'Twas oak, so no biggie, but I wouldn't trade mine in for a splitter- at least not an electric. But that's just me, to each his own situation.

 

[audible fart]

Remember what homer simpson said. "If something is hard, it's not worth doing." Out of the many, many cords of wood I've maul split, there are about 6-10 huge rounds I just let sit there. I could easily half or quarter them them w/ my 24" then split, but........who cares. If the wedge starts to get stuck or the round is just "fighting" I move on. I have too much wood to let one knotty round frustrate me. So it can just sit there.

 

[biggenius29]

My rounds get split when I get to it. Sometimes a year later (or more...) some times right after I'm done cutting.

 

[Bruce 46]

I try to split mine as soon as possible after cutting. (I split by hand, also)

 

[HeX0rz]

I will not deal with anymore stringy wood. All the wood I will be getting will be paper birch, red fir, tamarack, or vine-maple. I think they are all straight grained woods except the vine-maple. But vine-maple is easy to split too. I have done almost 2 cords of paper birch now with mostly the maul. Real fun stuff to split. Bigger rounds need a noodle.

But to answer your question, I split mine right after they are bucked up. No need in wasting time letting it dry in rounds when you could get it to dry out quicker when split. Exceptions would be for the species that are pains to split. Like the stringy stuff. Don't really matter for me, as I have a 22ton hydraulic splitter and it will split anything I seem to put onto its cradle. :chainsawguy:

 

[nvrs]

Is it just the pine that I may have been getting is tough? It seems like if its real heavy it doesnt want to split easy... have to let those sit for a while.

hmmn.... guess I just need a better splitter....

 

[jhoff310]

at most my rounds will sit around for a month or 2 before I split them. If I have a ton of them to do I fire up the splitter otherwise I breakout the maul and start swinging.

Jeff

 

[dingeryote]

I stack rounds up around the splitter untill my back hurts from bucking and hauling rounds, then loosen the back up with some splitting exercises, and then go back to bucking and hauling to the pile.

I figure 2-3 weeks wait before splitting, but some rounds have been in that pile for over a year LOL!!
I'm getting to the point that I LIKE having a pile to jump on whenever the mood hits.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[goanin]

You probably use most of the species we use here. Our climates are next to identical. From my experience:
Pines have to sit and get a few crackes before splitting (1-2 mths).
Ceders are rubbery and won't split well unless they've dried (2-3 mths). If you split ceders with a maul, make sure it's not sharp!
Cypress splits easily anyway (0-0.5 mths).
Eucalyptus isn't stubborn if it's not twisted, even when wet (0.5-2 mths).
Basically, all of the species above split easies the drier they are. If you cut them in the spring or summer, let them losse moisture before splitting. If you cut them in the wet winter you might wanna split them earlier so they dont rot (I don't have a lot of experience with rotting, and I don't know if that's the right approach).

 

[Rudedog]

I stack rounds up around the splitter untill my back hurts from bucking and hauling rounds, then loosen the back up with some splitting exercises, and then go back to bucking and hauling to the pile.

I figure 2-3 weeks wait before splitting, but some rounds have been in that pile for over a year LOL!!
I'm getting to the point that I LIKE having a pile to jump on whenever the mood hits.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

That is exactly what I do.

 

[giXXer]

I stack rounds up around the splitter untill my back hurts from bucking and hauling rounds, then loosen the back up with some splitting exercises, and then go back to bucking and hauling to the pile.

I figure 2-3 weeks wait before splitting, but some rounds have been in that pile for over a year LOL!!
I'm getting to the point that I LIKE having a pile to jump on whenever the mood hits.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

Same here. The knotty rounds and crotches never get split though. I usually leave them for two years and burn them whole, unless they're too big then I noodle them with the saw and burn 'em. I stock pile the nice, straight rounds and split them when I feel like it.

 

[Fronty Owner]

mine sit around until I get the boys out there to split and stack it.

I cut and load, they split and stack.

 

[logbutcher]

Routine has been to fell, buck, haul to a rounds pile (6-8 firewood cords) in winter for me to gaze at until.......

Later spring into summer, the rounds are split and stacked at my leisure. More gazing at the woodpiles. Until...

Later Fall into winter burning from thye previous winter's harvest.

 

[Kensterfly]

I like to buck a tree, then split and stack before I move on. Virtually everything I do is oak of various kinds, and pignut hickory. The hickory gets a lot harder to split the longer it sits, so I try to do it right away.
I split only by hand. Eight pound maul and a Fiskars SS.

 

[logbutcher]

I like to buck a tree, then split and stack before I move on. Virtually everything I do is oak of various kinds, and pignut hickory. The hickory gets a lot harder to split the longer it sits, so I try to do it right away.
I split only by hand. Eight pound maul and a Fiskars SS.

I have O.E. ( Oak Envy ). Why oh why is all the good firewood South ?:chainsawguy:

 

[ks_osage_orange]

IMO greenwood splits best when frozen. The colder the better. But I agree with other posters it definately depends on species.