Splitting Large Frozen Oak

[logbutcher]

This +/- 3' DBH Red Oak was just dropped and sliced for moving to the woodpile for later split and stack. To move the butts -by Msr. Goodbody- I need to split the larger butts into at least quarters for humping into the trailer. The harvest, TSI, pulping is done with low level gear: ATV, trailer, saws, hand tools.
Problem: the grain is not all straight as in most oaks, the wood is frozen, and hard. This is one tough tree. I've cut grooves into the heartwood at the core to 3" to 4", but the wedges, sometimes 2-3, barely move into the wood hammered hard with a 8 lb.
I need ideas...big ideas. This has been a cold, snowy winter here; never had this problem in years past. Can't really wait for Spring since the ground gets too soft and wet, the bugs come out, the heat makes Msr. Goodbody melt.
No access to Semtex anymore, or skidders.
Serious Suggestions ?

 

[Husky137]

Leave the rounds on their side as if they were lying on the ground like a log and rip them into quarters. You will know you are doing it right if your chain makes lots of curly fries. If you try and quarter them with the saw by sawing down from the top as if splitting with wedge and maul you will make slow progress and lots of bugdust.

 

[logbutcher]

Leave the rounds on their side as if they were lying on the ground like a log and rip them into quarters. You will know you are doing it right if your chain makes lots of curly fries. If you try and quarter them with the saw by sawing down from the top as if splitting with wedge and maul you will make slow progress and lots of bugdust.

Standard edge on chain ? Nice idea thx. In fact, VERY nice +1....will try it after this AlGore snow ends late tomorrow or Thursday.
How did you know that I tried it top down ? Sloooooowwwww and "bugdust" galore.

 

[58hydraglide]

Leave the rounds on their side as if they were lying on the ground like a log and rip them into quarters. You will know you are doing it right if your chain makes lots of curly fries. If you try and quarter them with the saw by sawing down from the top as if splitting with wedge and maul you will make slow progress and lots of bugdust.

+1
just keep an eye on your clutch cover as it can fill up with the fries and bind the chain. as far as splitting, place your wedge or strike it with your splitting maul parallel to the growth rings. start from the outside and "chip" away to the heartwood

 

[EastwoodGang4]

slice and dice

+2 That's the right track. slice them right down the middle. Thats how I get all the gnarly bas-turds out of the woods when the sledge and wedge won't cooperate, and it's fun too! makes the saw sing a beautiful song!

 

[PLAYINWOOD]

How about towing a vertical log splitter into the bush with an atv ? Much faster then sawing and you don't have to lift anything just roll them around.
Check the local rental stores and see if one is available. We have half day rental rates of 30$ and you could do it all in 4 four hours.You'll get a pile of wood from that stick.
Knarly,curly red oak is a bear on both equipment and your patience..lol.

 

[acer saccharum]

+1
as far as splitting, place your wedge or strike it with your splitting maul parallel to the growth rings. start from the outside and "chip" away to the heartwood

I think of as peeling an onion. In my experience it can be quite effective on rounds that refuse to broken in half. Especially when there is a hidden knot from a long ago removed limb lurking inside.

 

[logbutcher]

What a Site

Anyone want piles of frozen Red Oak curly fries ? Plenty for smoking.
What a site ! When the old dog can't learn a new trick, it's time to not come down for breakfast . The advice from Husky137 was right on. If you weren't so ugly :monkey: , you'd get a hug from the boss lady SWMBO , maybe, just maybe even moi. Spent much of today in spitting snow, making the slice and dice fries. That gnarly, multi grained, crotched, burled oak is now drawn and quartered as per your idea. Even those "quarters" are well over 150 lbs each.
And yes, the clutch cover quickly fills up with those fries 58Hydra. BUT: this kind of frozen gnarly oak won't split any which way.
Eastwood: where's the "singing saw" ? None here.
Playin: there is NO way that butts the size of this oak, +/- 3' could be moved onto a vertical splitter even if it could be pulled to the site. Good thought.
+2 for all of you. If you're Downeast someday, PM us.

 

[EastwoodGang4]

Beautiful music

Man the sound the saw makes to make them curly fries is music to my ears! I love it

 

[Husky137]

Happy to help. Sounds like you enjoyed yourself.

 

[sawyerDave]

Save yourself a lot of trouble next time you run across one of these, split the whole log with a little black powder-no wasted wood in curley fries!

 

[logbutcher]

I Love You Guys

OK, no flamming from you machos in neverland. The suggestion to "quarter" big butts has been a godsend. Muchisimas gracias. I have learned a big something.
But let me tell you this has been a tough winter in the northern climes. We harvest firewood, pulp, do the TSI ONLY in winter. For you southern belles and West Coasties, it's the snow that makes getting around difficult. This winter began in November and moved on through December and January with big dumps ( no silly, not that :censored: ) of snow. With over 2 ' on the ground and repeated to more than 3 feet, over thawed, unfrozen wet land, getting to the trees and getting the wood out has been near impossible until recently. I'm a good month behind, then our mud time begins in late March into April. :angry2:
That idea to "curly fry" the wood ( I'm calling it "quartering") works.
Thanks once more. This O.F. owes.

 

[JackD_ME]

O.F. = Old Fart!

Quitcherbellyachin'! The snow here is over my belt, some place deeper.
I'm with ya on "it's been a long hard winter".

 

[Bowtie]

It has been a hard winter here in Kansas too. Lots of Ice, snow and freezing rain. I dont mess with large rounds. I dont split my wood in the timber, I cut it up and bring it home. I love cutting large rounds, so the 441 ripped them up throwing curlies until I got this 064, now the 441 handles the dirty stuff ripping and bucking, and the 064 does the glory work. Ripping rounds in the timber is a blast! Full-skip chain helps a bunch on not clogging the chain/clutch cover with noodles. Thank You Lakeside for the recomendation on skip!!!

 

[logbutcher]

Jack ain't Jack, Jack. Damn, if you can't see your feet, no wonder the snow is " up to" your belly. :monkey:

As time goes by ( it's a song stupid), the size of my saws goes down. No more 440, +20" bars. I now do the Scandinavian method of short ( but NOT super tiny Saw Troll 13" !! All they have north of the Arctic Circle are twigs for trees. ) bars: 260 16" non-skip will do 95% of what we have. That little baby will bury in big wood at full RPM. Bore methods, skill, brains :jawdrop: does most of the stuff.
We on the Right Coast 'don need no stinkin' 36" bars and skip chain.

 

[Zodiac45]

Standard edge on chain ? Nice idea thx. In fact, VERY nice +1....will try it after this AlGore snow ends late tomorrow or Thursday.
How did you know that I tried it top down ? Sloooooowwwww and "bugdust" galore.

Will it ever end? Sheesh we keep getting hammered one after the next, and then comes mud season

 

[logbutcher]

Will it ever end? Sheesh we keep getting hammered one after the next, and then comes mud season

First you live...then you die Steve. It's Karma.
Almost there for next winter's firewood--close to 5+ cord butts piled now. With these dumps and rain predicted tomorrow on top of ~ 2 feet of snow, it will be too damn close to mud time. Then black flies. Where are you AlGore ? Well, we can can always drink and eat bon-bons.:greenchainsaw:

 

[Zodiac45]

First you live...then you die Steve. It's Karma.
Almost there for next winter's firewood--close to 5+ cord butts piled now. With these dumps and rain predicted tomorrow on top of ~ 2 feet of snow, it will be too damn close to mud time. Then black flies. Where are you AlGore ? Well, we can can always drink and eat bon-bons.:greenchainsaw:

LOL for sure LB, I've got next winter's stacked in quarters out back and will be getting after 2 years out whenever I can get back in the woods. Untill then, my Italian cookings getting pretty good. Problem is, I'm my biggest fan judging by the expanding waistline