Hand Splitting Beech

[Laird]

So far I've been splitting all my wood with a monster maul. Worked on some seasoned unsplit beech last winter and it was a beech to split. I had a good sized beech go down this week blocking the road to the rest of my wood so I can't ignore it. Does green beech split easier than dry? I'm not going to mess with it prior to November but I'm curious now.

 

[tomtrees58]

we are removing 50" now tom trees

 

[WoodViking]

Does green beech split easier than dry? I'm not going to mess with it prior to November but I'm curious now.

I did split a lot of green beech last year with my Fiskars and a Hultafors maul, but didn't finish it. Tried to split some of the dry rounds the other day but it was allmost impossible. So I think that green beech splits WAY easier than when it's dry.. . .

 

[Circle B MN]

Nothing better than splitting 16" fresh cut red oak with a Fiskars. Don't even really have to swing on it.

 

[GlennG]

Spitting beech with an axe is going to be tough. I love to burn beech. But when it comes to splitting Beech your in for a workout. I think it would spit better dry. If I had to hand split Beech I would approach 1 or 2 rounds per day. If it took me a month to get the task accomplished so be it. Beech is one of the woods I bring the log splitter out. It splits like Elm but burns so much nicer. Its worth the trouble with the propper tools or patience.

BTW I dont understand TomTrees58. Does he ever make any sense? I just dont get what he is saying, ever.

 

[pvwheeler]

I have found green beech splits pretty easily.Dunno about dry, I dont wait that long.I have been using a 6 lb maul.

 

[Iron Mike]

Spitting beech with an axe is going to be tough. I love to burn beech. But when it comes to splitting Beech your in for a workout. I think it would spit better dry. If I had to hand split Beech I would approach 1 or 2 rounds per day. If it took me a month to get the task accomplished so be it. Beech is one of the woods I bring the log splitter out. It splits like Elm but burns so much nicer. Its worth the trouble with the propper tools or patience.

BTW I dont understand TomTrees58. Does he ever make any sense? I just dont get what he is saying, ever.

I used to think the same thing about TomTrees, but I realized he is just a guy of few words. If you spend enough time on the forum you see what he is about, so I interpret his post about the 50" beech thus: I am taking down a 50" beech and have a firewood business so it is possible to work with beech:rockn:

 

[ropensaddle]

Hand splitting is a beech<a href="http://www.sweetim.com/s.asp?im=gen&lpver=3&ref=11" target="_blank"><img src="http://content.sweetim.com/sim/cpie/emoticons/00020191.gif" border="0" title="Click to get more." ></a>

 

[Laird]

Hand splitting is a beech<a href="http://www.sweetim.com/s.asp?im=gen&lpver=3&ref=11" target="_blank"><img src="http://content.sweetim.com/sim/cpie/emoticons/00020191.gif" border="0" title="Click to get more." ></a>

It'll keep me young till I'm too old to do it.

 

[ropensaddle]

It'll keep me young till I'm too old to do it.

You maybe, it made me old before my time

 

[Kevin in Ohio]

We cut a fair amount of Beech every year and I would say it does split easier dry but it's a total crapshoot from my experience.

In the same woods with trees side by side one will split by hand like ash while the next one you can't even get a thin wedge started without it bouncing out. This is all old growth(3 ft or better) straight grain wood. Some of the worst ones will have a wave grain on it and will tax a hydraulic splitter.

Anyone who wants to try to split one with a maul, let me know and I'll save a round for you. You'll make a 1/4 inch impression in it and that's it.

 

[CUCV]

Seems to split easier for me when its frozen.
Some days I really don't like my monster maul, she's got a pretty good bend in the handle now and has been welded several times.

 

[woodbooga]

I agree with the crapshoot comment. I've had some that's fallen apart like slow-cooked pork off from the bone. And some that rivals any elm I've split (or cast off in frustration).

One thing I've noticed is that some of the tougher spittling stuff has had outer bark as pockmarked as the face of a ginsoaked Hobokener. There's some kind of affliction that gets at beech and muddles the smoothness of the bark. The afflicted stuff seems in general to split tougher. In my experience, anyway.

 

[Laird]

I agree with the crapshoot comment. I've had some that's fallen apart like slow-cooked pork off from the bone. And some that rivals any elm I've split (or cast off in frustration).

One thing I've noticed is that some of the tougher spittling stuff has had outer bark as pockmarked as the face of a ginsoaked Hobokener. There's some kind of affliction that gets at beech and muddles the smoothness of the bark. The afflicted stuff seems in general to split tougher. In my experience, anyway.

Well we'll see how your theory holds up. The bark on this tree is smooth as a baby's butt.

 

[chainsaway]

woodbooga

Man you crack me up real good, in my neck of the "woods" we don't know what a "ginsoaked hobokener" is, but sure makes me laugh, care to explain?...
cheers! alain

 

[TJ-Bill]

Last year I split 5 cord by hand and there was a couple beech throw in the mix, I spilt about 1/2 of the beech and then said screw it.. I left out by the wood pile thinking I'd split them later in the fall or early winter. LAst day of splitting a buddy of mines shows yp, Said he came to help and was dissapointed that I had everything already split.. SO.. I pointed to the Beech and said " You can split those!" That was the best 45min I've had in awhile. I guess you need to know the guy to know why it was so funny.. He's a big guy goes to the gym religiously, Only eats natural products nothing proceseed and he's always right and your wrong, he's smart your dumb, you get it.. It took everything I had not to fall down laughing as the 6lbs splitting maul he was using kept bouncing off every piece. He used to work in the woods and he was going to show me how to split wood you see.I wish I had a camera that day..

ANyway.. I'm not a huge fan of splitting beech.. It Burns really nice,, I just don't split it..

 

[Laird]

Well this particular Beech is splitting like Red Oak. Starting on the outside and working my way in it is only requiring one whack per piece. So I'm not going to let the rounds dry out before I move on to the next tree.

 

[BigPITA]

We cut a fair amount of Beech every year and I would say it does split easier dry but it's a total crapshoot from my experience.

In the same woods with trees side by side one will split by hand like ash while the next one you can't even get a thin wedge started without it bouncing out. This is all old growth(3 ft or better) straight grain wood. Some of the worst ones will have a wave grain on it and will tax a hydraulic splitter.

Anyone who wants to try to split one with a maul, let me know and I'll save a round for you. You'll make a 1/4 inch impression in it and that's it.

Nice pics you got there!

 

[BigPITA]

Man you crack me up real good, in my neck of the "woods" we don't know what a "ginsoaked hobokener" is, but sure makes me laugh, care to explain?...
cheers! alain

I believe ginsoaked Hobokener is a dude from Hoboken who's been sucking down the gin! :jester:

 

[woodbooga]

I believe ginsoaked Hobokener is a dude from Hoboken who's been sucking down the gin! :jester:

Oops. Missed that originally. You got it. Thanks for picking up the slack!

I went with ginsoaked after a Tom Waits song, the blues tine "Ginsoaked Boy." And I've met some rough looking pocked up folks from Jersey. Figured Hoboken's funnier than Newark. (Say Hoboken 5 times fast and you'll get my drift )