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fepo 10-11-2005 11:46:16 192.75.88.232 160359 Report to Moderator	I have a non tool related question, but know I will get a good answer here since so many have been 'making log splitters' :) I have some Pine, Elm and Oak to split, the trees have been freshly cut, is it best to split the logs now or wait a season or two for them to dry out ? I will most likely be splitting them manualy so want to have the easiest possible time splitting. thanks!! [Reply]   [No Email]
Ben loggin 10-14-2005 07:59:36 208.44.151.58 160485 Report to Moderator	Re: splitting logs in reply to fepo, 10-11-2005 11:46:16   Hardest wood I ever tried cuttin or splitten was this wood out in Arizona they called "petrified" wood. I went thru dozens of blades and wedges and didn't get any of it cut or split. Couldn't get the small chunks to even burn. I don't know what good that wood is for.   [Reply]   [No Email]
Bill Drew 10-12-2005 18:59:05 4.159.8.146 160424 Report to Moderator	Re: splitting logs in reply to fepo, 10-11-2005 11:46:16   I"ve found that having the wood pile just outside the door so I can whack at it a bit at time takes the pain out of splitting. If I"m bucking up a big oak, I"ll split in the woods so it is in managable pieces to load. I think it does split easier in the cold, but it has to be below something like -10F (-23C) to be noticable. I won"t haul any elm that is big enough to need spliting.   [Reply]   [No Email]
Tim B from MA 10-12-2005 09:10:03 68.162.218.211 160405 Report to Moderator	Re: splitting logs in reply to fepo, 10-11-2005 11:46:16   fepo, I've split a couple hundred or more cords of wood by hand (sold it in my younger days) and I never noticed much difference between green, dry, warm or frozen wood. It depends mainly on the species, the grain of the particular tree and the particular piece. The pine and oak will likely split relatively easily - elm is soft and stringy. You will need wedges for the elm and the uglier pieces of pine and oak. I copied the advice below from a post I made on the Tractor Talk forum a while back. Splitting good wood by hand can be faster than splitting with a hydraulic splitter. Good luck and enjoy. This is a follow-up of sorts to a thread that went through here a few days ago re: splitting wood by hand. I sold firewood through college and grad school, and I have guessimated that I have split about 500 cords by hand. It occurred to me a few years ago that when you have good or decent splitting wood the most work, and worst on your back is bending over to pick up the pieces that go asunder after most splits. Now I stand several pieces in a circle (3 or 4 in the center, surrounded by 5 - 8 depending on size) and binding them together with a length of rope wrapped around the "stand" and tied with a cinch knot. As you split the wood pieces stay up on end, no bending over, no time waste and you go through those pieces in no time. When splitting interior pieces you need to lift up sharply on the maul handle just as the maul makes the split to avoid breaking the handle, but it is easy with a little practice. This is a great way to make kindling too. It is satifying to whack away at a few pieces of wood for 5 - 10 minutes and have half of the kindling you need for the year. As far as my tool of choice, I only like a 7 pound maul. I have tried 6 and 8 pounders, and those giant wedge "bombs" but they are just a bit too light, a bit too heavy, and way too heavy respectivly. I also like Oregon brand or equivalent. This is just a simple "maul shape" and a wood handle. Don't go for the cross between and axe and a maul where the wedge side has a few inches of a straight blade shape before expanding into the wedge. This just gets stuck in the wood. I now have a nice haudraulic splitter with a 2 stage pump, but I sometimes still split by hand. When you have good splitting wood, the method I described above is faster and I enjoy it more.   [Reply]   [No Email]
Lanced 10-13-2005 15:05:24 67.142.130.12 160448 Report to Moderator	Re: splitting logs in reply to Tim B from MA, 10-12-2005 09:10:03   I havnt got a 2stage pump splitter yet, and find myself splitting a little more than 12 fullcord by hand for every winter. You are right it is much faster than a single stage splitter, did you make your splitter? I would also agree with you that the grain pattern and knot size and dispersment is more of a factor than moisture content.. unless they froze green, and then they will pop open like your some kind of superfreak. If I had to pick green or dry wood to split I would pick the green regardless of species. nothing like hand splittin wood.....   [Reply]   [Send Email]
Tim B from MA 10-14-2005 06:40:09 68.162.218.211 160482 Report to Moderator	Re: splitting logs in reply to Lanced, 10-13-2005 15:05:24   Lanced, I bought my splitter; it is a Mighty Mac made by Tilton. Good little machine; one piece of advice when you go to make or by a splitter. Get one with the wedge on the piston and the stop on the end of the machine - with this set up the log stays put, so for those that need more than one split you just back out the wedge, turn the log and split again. Much easier and faster than having to pick up the pieces on the ground, or even to pull them back into place if the splitter has a table on the end. I bought mine in the early 90s and could not find a horizontal machine on the market set up this way, so I had to modify it myself, which was a lot of work. With the internet now, it is easy to find horizontal models set up this way. With regard to splitting by hand, try my technique of binding several logs with a rope to hold them up as you split - you will be amazed at how much easier and quicker it is. Just be careful not to break the handle, as you probably know, good replacemet wooden handles are not cheap these days (they can even be hard to find!) Tim   [Reply]   [No Email]
fepo 10-12-2005 13:01:07 192.75.88.232 160411 Report to Moderator	Re: splitting logs in reply to Tim B from MA, 10-12-2005 09:10:03   excellent thanks for sharing your info !! I especially like the part about tieing the pieces together. /Fred   [Reply]   [No Email]
fepo 10-12-2005 08:10:17 192.75.88.231 160402 Report to Moderator	Thanks for info and encouragement in reply to fepo, 10-11-2005 11:46:16   had some good chuckles reading the replies. I'm in Montreal, so it will be plenty cold in Jan/Feb, I'll do some splitting when it's -20C!! Thanks again. /Fred   [Reply]   [No Email]
Nolan 10-12-2005 03:03:28 167.102.133.164 160394 Report to Moderator	Re: splitting logs in reply to fepo, 10-11-2005 11:46:16   A good dull maul does wonders at splitting. Back when I was a novice, I'd sharpened mine up to a keen edge. Out there cursing and fighting it, as it would sink in and get stuck in the log. Good-ole-boy took pity on me, and ground off my edge. The maul would then tend to split the log on the first blow. Dry seasoned wood splits easier than green wet wood. And frozen wood tends to split the easiest of all.   [Reply]   [No Email]
NC Wayne 10-11-2005 20:49:47 64.12.117.8 160390 Report to Moderator	Re: splitting logs in reply to fepo, 10-11-2005 11:46:16   I have to agree with the others, rent or build you a splitter. I've been splitting 2' diameter green elm pieces to make them easier to get up into my splitter and I'm here to tell you, it ain't no easy thing to do wether their fresh or dried. The typical piece has been taking me about 8 to 10 blows to get it split. I usually make one hit in the middle then another one or two closer to me and then a few further away, basically just making a split line across the face. Then I concentrate on hitting the middle evary time til it splits. Been using a splitting maul with a solid head that looks basically like a plain old big drive in splitting wedge instead of the fatter V shaped ones that are so popular. True it may stick once in a while because of the longer taper, but I'd rather it stick as for it to bounce back. Besides it has a piece of pipe welded on for a handle so I can get as rough as I need to to get it unstuck if the need warrants, or I can simply take a sledge and drive it on through. The main thing is always remember when your swinging to "swing through" the piece, pretend it isn't there and that your swinging all the way through it trying to hit the ground, this way you don't pull the swing at the last minute and you hit the log with alot more power. Good luck with the splitting and have fun with the powered splitter...your back will thank you in the morning.....   [Reply]   [No Email]
Farmered 10-11-2005 20:23:28 207.200.116.199 160386 Report to Moderator	Re: splitting logs in reply to fepo, 10-11-2005 11:46:16   Frozen wood splits quite well if you can get the wedge to stick. The ice crystals will cause the wedge to pop right back out. Build a small fire and heat the wedges a little and they will work just fine. I thought elm split hard until I tried cottonwood. Cottonwood does not split, it just tears apart. Ed   [Reply]   [Send Email]
Keith on DelMarVa 10-14-2005 05:38:43 151.197.254.44 160477 Report to Moderator	Re: splitting logs in reply to Farmered, 10-11-2005 20:23:28   the hardest Ive split was gum and black locust. that was my punishment as a kid, go split wood...... by hand. Worse part was , dad had my uncles gas splitter sitting right next to the pile. Man he was a spiteful ol fart.... maybe thats I got it..... heck got a big dose from both sides. Kept getting told " it builds character" seems I got enough for a couple men, need to give some out to all the suburbanites around here these days... they seem to be lacking. I still split wood for the exercise.... dont even have a place to burn it. My brother uses it. Keith   [Reply]   [No Email]
Richard Scott 10-11-2005 18:36:47 64.233.107.129 160383 Report to Moderator	Re: splitting logs in reply to fepo, 10-11-2005 11:46:16   It's best to split them when you can rent a splitter! With a hydraulic splitter, in a couple hours you can split more than you could all weekend doing it manually. Works best if you have another person handing you the wood and stacking. Don't try to split thru the knots, split beside them or between them. If knots are on one end of the piece and not on the other, split from the knot free end. If you insist on doing it manually, you will want wedges and a sledge hammer as well as a maul, because mauls and wedges can get stuck. Make sure no one stands close, as a bad swing can send the maul off to the side. My experience is that dry wood splits far easier than wet & the wood we have around here needs a full season to dry adequately. Again, just rent a splitter. Put the $ you would have spent on mauls & wedges toward the splitter rental & you'll get the job done a lot faster and easier for not much more money.   [Reply]   [Send Email]
Chop-Chop 10-11-2005 16:09:10 148.134.37.2 160373 Report to Moderator	Re: splitting logs in reply to fepo, 10-11-2005 11:46:16   You could stack a portion or all of the wood off the ground and covered for a atleast a month and then split what you need for fuel as you need it. this will give you plenty of exercise all winter long. When I split red oak in the South I like to let it dry for about six months then it usually splits on the first or second blow on 14-16" logs. Bottom line is the longer it can dry the easier it is to split, but that Elm wood will seperate the men from the boys no matter what. If you keep it off the ground and loosely covered the air will circulate better and it will dry better and resist rott better.   [Reply]   [No Email]
JT 10-11-2005 15:17:50 70.226.193.86 160368 Report to Moderator	Re: splitting logs in reply to fepo, 10-11-2005 11:46:16   We cut a bunch of elm one fall, went back to it when it got bone chillin cold, the elm split like good oak, surprised the daylights out of me when it split that easy   [Reply]   [No Email]
DRL 10-11-2005 14:54:07 24.32.122.56 160367 Report to Moderator	Re: splitting logs in reply to fepo, 10-11-2005 11:46:16   If your elm is like the elm here, good luck on splitting with maul and wedges! Green or seasoned, most elm around here is real stringy and sometimes a hydraulic wood splitter has to grunt and groan to get it split. Doesn't really split, but tears apart. Any of the other species you mentioned should be no problem as long as you get the right tools and eat your Wheaties.   [Reply]   [No Email]
gcs 10-11-2005 14:43:54 24.184.131.241 160365 Report to Moderator	Re: splitting logs in reply to fepo, 10-11-2005 11:46:16   Split em when you have time, have split green, and seasoned, a lot depends on the type of wood and the grain structure. Splitting manually is an artform on difficult wood,lol I would suggest one of those monster mauls, rarely sticks, and will split most splitable wood quickly.   [Reply]   [No Email]
Mattlt 10-11-2005 13:33:57 71.48.123.213 160362 Report to Moderator	Re: splitting logs in reply to fepo, 10-11-2005 11:46:16   Don't know where you're located, but if you're in a cold climate, wood always splits best when the weather is coldest. Helps warm you up on those cold January days, too.   [Reply]   [Send Email]
jfp 10-11-2005 12:57:27 205.188.117.66 160361 Report to Moderator	Re: splitting logs in reply to fepo, 10-11-2005 11:46:16   Get a good splittin maul at a local hardware, not the kind you get at Wally World. It makes all the difference in the world. You want a blade like an axe with a hammer on the other to use wedges just in case. If the wood was green cut it may rot if you wait till next season. Oak is the easy one to split. Just remember to put any knots in the wood facing away from you or facing to you( not on the side ) splitting smaller sticks that don't need wedges. Wood that is cut in Dead of winter won't rot. Summer cut will unless its split to air dry faster. Elm is the hard one to split of those three you mentioned.LOL   [Reply]   [Send Email]
Charles Park 10-11-2005 11:50:17 70.241.106.211 160360 Report to Moderator	Re: splitting logs in reply to fepo, 10-11-2005 11:46:16   If you are going to split manually you will need to have dry logs. Have been down the other road and it is not an easy one.   [Reply]   [Send Email]