live oak??

[Ron660]

To me, live oak is harder to split with a maul than the different species of red oak here in Louisiana. They all burn well if dry. I like adding slightly green wood after I have an adequate accumulation of coals...lasts longer. Red oak species are premium wood burning.

 

[Fireaxman]

Scored 2 dead Live Oak today, one of them about 32 inches DBH. Flood plain Victims of Isaac probably, although they have been in decline since Katrina. Much Tough to split, but worth the trouble in my estimate. Burns slow and hot. Many more of these available in the coastal areas of SE Louisiana, especially along the Misssissippi River Gulf Outlet Canal (Mereaux, Reggio, Violet) where salt water intrusion is killing them, mature Quercus virginiana, by the hundreds. Hate to see them going to waste. KFD518 and others are right on target. Severely interlocked grain, very hard to split, but very hot and slow burning, lots of BTU's. Dramaticly different from Red Oak. In my open fire place Live Oak burns easily twice as long as a similar sized log of Red or White oak. Splitting, I usually get the first split off a Red Oak log with one, maybe 2 licks from the Fiskars. A similar sized Live Oak log soaked up 15 blows from the Fiskars tonight before I got the first split. Understand, this tree died last winter, and all summer long the SE Louisiana sun just baked it into a (seemingly) solid steel beam. First couple of blows from the Fiskars just seemed to ricochet off, the log just threw the Fiskars right back at me. Be out there tomorrow to finish the job. I will try to remember to get some picts. Thanks KFD, your picts are excellent, they illustrate the difference Very Well!

 

[woodchuck357]

Scored 2 dead Live Oak today, one of them about 32 inches DBH. Flood plain Victims of Isaac probably, although they have been in decline since Katrina. Much Tough to split, but worth the trouble in my estimate. Burns slow and hot. Many more of these available in the coastal areas of SE Louisiana, especially along the Misssissippi River Gulf Outlet Canal (Mereaux, Reggio, Violet) where salt water intrusion is killing them, mature Quercus virginiana, by the hundreds. Hate to see them going to waste. KFD518 and others are right on target. Severely interlocked grain, very hard to split, but very hot and slow burning, lots of BTU's. Dramaticly different from Red Oak. In my open fire place Live Oak burns easily twice as long as a similar sized log of Red or White oak. Splitting, I usually get the first split off a Red Oak log with one, maybe 2 licks from the Fiskars. A similar sized Live Oak log soaked up 15 blows from the Fiskars tonight before I got the first split. Understand, this tree died last winter, and all summer long the SE Louisiana sun just baked it into a (seemingly) solid steel beam. First couple of blows from the Fiskars just seemed to ricochet off, the log just threw the Fiskars right back at me. Be out there tomorrow to finish the job. I will try to remember to get some picts. Thanks KFD, your picts are excellent, they illustrate the difference Very Well!

Get a bigger hammer! An eight pound maul that has convex faces and a sharp edge will work well. Knocking splits off around the edges is the way to go.

 

[GeeVee]

I have live oak from 2004 that I'm still burning. Can hold moisture in my climate for years if uncovered, and covered? Well, lets just say it takes more than two years for a 18"x 6" split to be ready. Hard, harder to split, but in the fire, can't be beat. I have Hickory, beech and poplar, Gum and Maples. Live Oak I'll seperate.

Take it with a grain of salt, I'm as coastal as its gets, and contrary advice from Wisconsin or Tenn, is going to be quite- contrary.

 

[sunfish]

Are you serious? Oak is one of the easier things I split. It's a ton easier than hickory.

You live too far north to know anything about 'Live Oak'. It don't split like 'Oak'.

 

[c5rulz]

You live too far north to know anything about 'Live Oak'. It don't split like 'Oak'.

I just looked at the pictures and see where there would be serious problems splitting "Live Oak". The red oak here as long as there are no branches is straight grained and splits like a dream.

 

[SWI Don]

I believe live oak was used for ship masts back in the day due to its resilience. Isn't the USS Constitution primarily constructed of it?

 

[MrWhoopee]

is live oak a decent firewood??

Where are you? There are numerous of species of "live oak" around the country, this is the problem with common names. There are 2 different species of "live oak" here in California, Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) and Canyon Live Oak (Quercus chrysolepis). Both are very high on the btu charts (over 30 mbtu/cord). "Live oak" simply refers to the fact that the tree is not deciduous. Generally "live oaks" are slower growing, producing denser wood with higher btu values.

So, your location will reveal which species of "live oak" you are likely to encounter and provide more info on the nature of the wood.

 

[sunfish]

I just looked at the pictures and see where there would be serious problems splitting "Live Oak". The red oak here as long as there are no branches is straight grained and splits like a dream.

Yeah, I grew up in North Florida, lots of Live Oak around there. I used to split wood for $25 an hour as a teenage in the late 70's. I had a hydro splitter, but did most of it be hand. That was a lot of money back then, until I got a job one day and it was a very large pile of Live Oak.

No Live Oak around here in Missouri that I know of...

 

[Woody912]

I believe live oak was used for ship masts back in the day due to its resilience. Isn't the USS Constitution primarily constructed of it?

I believe white pine was the tree of choice for ship masts, the King banned cutting anything over 12" so it could be used only for HMSwhatever. Live oaks have limbs that sweep almost down to the ground, don't think I have ever seen one that had a saw log in it. They were used to build coastal forts in SC during the Revolution, British cannon shot bounced off them like tennis balls I have read

 

[Ron660]

After hurricane Katrina, the only trees left standing in Louisiana were live oaks and cypress trees....great root system. Also, they make the best shade tree but takes a long time to grow. I have several in my yard. Since they're evergreen, they actually drop leaves all year...not just in the fall like deciduous oaks.

 

[ReggieT]

Are you serious? Oak is one of the easier things I split. It's a ton easier than hickory.

Yes...Shagbark is always fun with a maul...NOT!

 

[c5rulz]

Yes...Shagbark is always fun with a maul...NOT!

This shagbark could not be split with a Fiskars, This tree was going in a dumpster until I talked to the construction guys and they said I could have it. 1 tree yielded a full cord.

Actually this hickory, was the first job for the new splitter. These rounds didn't break after being run vertically, I had to use a hatched on the strings.

 

[ReggieT]

This shagbark could not be split with a Fiskars, This tree was going in a dumpster until I talked to the construction guys and they said I could have it. 1 tree yielded a full cord.

Actually this hickory, was the first job for the new splitter. These rounds didn't break after being run vertically, I had to use a hatched on the strings.

Wowsers! Some mighty fine looking chunks of shaggy...I'm burning some right now mixed with a little black locust/hedge...and I'm having to keep it low...else I'll pass out from the heat!
How long did you try the Friskars, before you delegated it to the splitter? I usually get pretty good results from Friskars even on big stuff...if I slab the sides and work inward...although it can still be quite exhaustive & backbreaking...something I'm not that fond of! lol
GREAT JOB!

 

[c5rulz]

Wowsers! Some mighty fine looking chunks of shaggy...I'm burning some right now mixed with a little black locust/hedge...and I'm having to keep it low...else I'll pass out from the heat!
How long did you try the Friskars, before you delegated it to the splitter? I usually get pretty good results from Friskars even on big stuff...if I slab the sides and work inward...although it can still be quite exhaustive & backbreaking...something I'm not that fond of! lol
GREAT JOB!

Those rounds were close to 300#s each. I tried whacking them into quarters and the I got a few slabs off the outside, but no where close to breaking into quarters. It was even hard to quarter with the splitter vertically. The rounds would break but not separate. So turn the round around and hit from the other side and the center strings would hold it together. Then I used the Fiskars to break the strings. I had a hatched by the splitter to use when splitting horizontally.

 

[Woody912]

This shagbark could not be split with a Fiskars, This tree was going in a dumpster until I talked to the construction guys and they said I could have it. 1 tree yielded a full cord.

Actually this hickory, was the first job for the new splitter. These rounds didn't break after being run vertically, I had to use a hatched on the strings.

Hit them puppies right where the sapwood joins the heartwood parallel to the growth rings and take it off in slabs, works well for me

 

[Fireaxman]

I believe live oak was used for ship masts back in the day due to its resilience. Isn't the USS Constitution primarily constructed of it?

Southern Live Oak was used primarily for curved structural members of the hull such as knee braces, and yes, the Constitution (Old Ironsides) had live oak structural members. Too short and crooked to be used for masts or planking though. According to Wikipedia, Red Oak and White Oak were more generally used for planking. According to the National Park Service Gulf Shores National Park "The Live Oak Story", "Early famous live oak vessels include the Hancock, an American revolutionary privateer, and the USS Constitution and Constellation, built in the 1790's. "

Got well over 20,000 pounds of Live Oak from those two trees. A freind who helped me cut and load them heats his house with a small wood burning stove. Before he went to bed last night he put a single Live Oak log about 16 inches long, 5 inch diameter on the coals and closed the air intake. We had a light freeze that night (unusually cold for SE Louisiana, do you feel our pain?) but the next morning the house was still 67 degrees and he still had live coals to start his morning fire. Same proceedure with Red Oak in similar weather leaves him in the morning at 60 degrees and nothing left but fine ash. Again, the extra work is well worth the extra BTU's. By the way, part of the reason it is difficult for him to stay warm is that his house is on pilings 12 feet off the ground, to keep him dry during the spring floods. Seen the signs "Bridge Will Ice Before Road"? Houses too, when they are built up on pilings like his.

 

[c5rulz]

Hit them puppies right where the sapwood joins the heartwood parallel to the growth rings and take it off in slabs, works well for me

I have split wood for 30 years by hand and very well aware of technique on large rounds. On this hickory all you would get off is the sapwood. The centers could not be split with the Fiskars.

Besides, with a 28 ton splitter sitting there, is wailing away all day on a single chunk productive? I will leave rounds in the woods before I would use wedges. As I said above, even with the splitter these pieces once broke would not separate. I had to use the fiskars to break the chunks apart and a hatchet to cut the strings once on the splitter. FWIW, I am saving this cord for myself.

 

[4seasons]

Back to the topic of live oak. It is near the top of any BTU chart and although it may be a pain to split. But if you look at the growth map it only grows deep south US. Basically below the same line that temps stay above freezing all winter. I have always thought it funny that the best firewood grows in the parts of the country that need it the least. The farther north you go, particularly northwest the fewer good firewood species of trees grow. So while I can get 12-24 hours of heat from loading the stove one time with oak, hickory, and locust, my winter time lows rarely drop below 0F. But those in the northwest are loading their stove with wood that only has half the BTU of mine and dealing with much colder temp at the same time.

 

[1project2many]

That Live Oak is an amazing tree. I decided I'd better look it up before I made any comments, as anyone having consistent trouble with Oak in the northeast it probably trying to split with rocks. Everything about that tree seems foreign to me. I can only imagine what the first Europeans to find it must have thought.

Live oak when fresh is nearly impossible to split by hand.

I have always thought it funny that the best firewood grows in the parts of the country that need it the least.

It is ironic that the tough climates get lesser quality wood. I was completely surprised when a poster from AK said they had to settle for Birch and Pine. Of course, any species which might grow dense in a tough climate will be a slow growing tree and most places in North America have been settled long enough that any species like that will have been harvested off long ago. Another irony is that you can't use one of the northerner's "coolest" tricks to help split Live Oak... let it freeze solid before hitting the round. For some of us that's the ultimate "So there!" to a log that resists hand splitting. I'll bet LO is a worthy adversary to even sub-zero splitting.

With the advent of pellet stoves, I wonder if LO sawdust could become a profitable product.