# Is it easier to split green wood or dry wood?



## CajunBoy (Mar 1, 2010)

I was told that splitting green wood would be easier than splitting dead dry wood because when the wood becomes dry, it bonds the fibers and becomes more dense. Is this true, specifically talking about oak... not sure what type of oak.


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## matt9923 (Mar 1, 2010)

CajunBoy said:


> I was told that splitting green wood would be easier than splitting dead dry wood because when the wood becomes dry, it bonds the fibers and becomes more dense. Is this true, specifically talking about oak... not sure what type of oak.



let it freeze


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## CajunBoy (Mar 1, 2010)

Well it really doesn't freeze that often down here in south louisiana... although it has been a colder winter than i can remember.


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## matt9923 (Mar 1, 2010)

CajunBoy said:


> Well it really doesn't freeze that often down here in south louisiana... although it has been a colder winter than i can remember.



ohh, ignore the last post then. For me I like to cut, split, pile while its fresh it seasons quicker. 

Anything will split, big wet oak and a maul doesn't work for me.


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## ctrees4$ (Mar 1, 2010)

Both dead and green wood will split easy if you do it right,....look at the end of a piece of dead or seasoning wood and you will see cheeking.Follow the cracks like a road map and the wood will tell you where it wants to split. Elm is the worst,green or dead if you dont have a hydrolic spliter don't waste your time.


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## CajunBoy (Mar 1, 2010)

Alright thanks... I'll go ahead and get started on next years wood.


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## dingeryote (Mar 1, 2010)

CajunBoy said:


> I was told that splitting green wood would be easier than splitting dead dry wood because when the wood becomes dry, it bonds the fibers and becomes more dense. Is this true, specifically talking about oak... not sure what type of oak.



Get at that Oak ASAP.

In your neck of the woods, it will NEVER dry out unless split LOL!!!

Everything splits better when green. Except maybe Elm. There is no "Better time" to split Elm by hand, just more convenient times...like when the wife is really mad or the inlaws are visiting.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote


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## kevin bingham (Mar 2, 2010)

my experience is that logs are either wet or rotten. no such thing as dry, ready to burn logs. Even if its been sitting out for 2 years, you cant just split it and burn it, you still have to dry it out. then if they been sitting out for three, they are likely starting to get soft and worthless. varying depending on wood of course.


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## Fireaxman (Mar 2, 2010)

dingeryote said:


> Get at that Oak ASAP.
> 
> In your neck of the woods, it will NEVER dry out unless split LOL!!! ...
> 
> ...



True. Anything big enough to split will rot on the outside before it dries out on the inside if you leave the bark on it. However, you dont have to split everything all the way down to firewood size. You can split the big logs in halves or quarters so that the heart dries out, but wait until next winter before you split them on down into firewood size. I do this when I have more wood than I am going to use the following winter to keep it from drying out too fast, so that it will still burn slow enough to be useful a year or two down the road. It also speeds up the process when you have a LOT of wood, like after a hurricane. Down here, if you let small splits sit through two summers, the wood will be so dry it just quickly flashes off to a fine ash in the fire place, leaving few coals and therefor not much radiant heat. 

Obviously though it is not the most efficient thing to do, since you are handling the wood a second time when you split it for use.

When you split it the second time, after it has dried for the summer, it is much more dense. It gives me some trouble if I try to use an ax, because I'm not good enough to hit the checks exactly right. No problem with a wedge and sledge or splitter though, except that it is so brittle it sometimes comes apart violently enough to hit innocent bystanders.


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## CajunBoy (Mar 3, 2010)

Yea... i'm trying to save up some money to buy a fiskars super splitter axe because the only axe i have now is an estwing 26" chopping axe. I split all my wood this past season with that axe and i am just curious how much easier it will be with a better and much heavier axe, that is actually made for splitting wood. So as soon as i get that axe i will be off and chopping away, hopefully within the next week.


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