I decided this year to finally take advantage of the wood burning stove my house came with. so i went and bought me a dolmar 5105 20" and a firewood maul (excuse the poor terminology). the problem is the stove's opening is about 5" x 7" or so. the wood i've cutting is anywhere from 10' to 18" in diameter. i'm having trouble getting the wood down to the right size. after cutting a 8" section off the log i can't really split it with the maul due to it's large diameter.anyone have any suggestions on techniques or what else i could do to get a 18" tree trunk into a 4"x6"x9" piece?
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isaaccarlson
Addicted to ArboristSite
A 9" long piece of wood should split like butter.....what kind of wood is it?
what maul do you have?
what maul do you have?
Not sure on the type of wood. the maul has a steel handle and 30lbs or so wedge head. the problem is even though it's only 9" long it's between 10-18" around. so with the maul i can't get it to split
First, if the maul has a beveled edge, grind the bevel so it is a straight tapered edge. Then, if it freezes at night were you are, let the wood sit out over night to get frozen. Frozen wood splits better. Don't try to split the round in half.Chip away at the round about 2-3 inches from the edge and work your way around like coring a apple. HAVE FUN
isaaccarlson
Addicted to ArboristSite
That maul will wear you out, try a lighter one. Lighter ones are easier to swing
and you can move them faster. I think mine weighs 4 lbs.
Energy increases directly with weight. It increases as the square of speed.
SO
If you double the weight, the energy doubles.
If you double the speed, the energy gets multiplied by 4!!!!
and you can move them faster. I think mine weighs 4 lbs.
Energy increases directly with weight. It increases as the square of speed.
SO
If you double the weight, the energy doubles.
If you double the speed, the energy gets multiplied by 4!!!!
gwiley
Addicted to ArboristSite
You might want to look at a splitting axe or 6# maul - those can be used to split bits off the edges of the round which is often easier than busting the round down the middle. And are less likely to lead to rotator cuff surgery later I have the monster maul but don't use it - that thing will destroy your body (I am 6'4", 250lbs and it owns me when I reach for it).
When going for the smaller pieces an axe is the way to go , a fiskars or luddell splitting axe will be magic. Steel toe boots are a must (Wal-mart, $30) - I had to break my toes to learn that lesson, with a splitting axe you will remove the toes rather than break them.
If you feel compelled to bust it up rather than taking pieces off the side then when you split, look for checks (cracks) in the round and aim for them.
Bear in mind that freshly cut wood will usually not burn well, especially in a stove - it needs to season for a few months to a year.
I have the monster maul but don't use it - that thing will destroy your body (I am 6'4", 250lbs and it owns me when I reach for it).When going for the smaller pieces an axe is the way to go , a fiskars or luddell splitting axe will be magic. Steel toe boots are a must (Wal-mart, $30) - I had to break my toes to learn that lesson, with a splitting axe you will remove the toes rather than break them.
If you feel compelled to bust it up rather than taking pieces off the side then when you split, look for checks (cracks) in the round and aim for them.
Bear in mind that freshly cut wood will usually not burn well, especially in a stove - it needs to season for a few months to a year.
danieltree
ArboristSite Operative
18 inches is not big and if you are cutting it 9 inches long it should split like butter (depending on species and how knotty of course) . Accuracy is key when splitting and its hard to be accurate with such a heavy tool, go with a smaller maul , 4 pounds is enough, and try to hit the round in the same line across the top. With enough PRACTICE you will get to were you can get it split in just a few swings . The sound of a round of oak letting go is music to my ears.
Treecutr
ArboristSite Operative
Don't try to split it down the middle, hit it on the edge. It will take of thin pieces at first, but once you have the inside exposed, it splits easier. I will post a couple pics for demo in a few.
Treecutr
ArboristSite Operative
Can't find my maul, it's buried in snow, sorry
Holy ####! 30 lbs? I've never heard of such a monster. I saw a 25 lb. sledge hammer one time. I thought it would be cool to have to hang on the wall for a conversation piece.
gwiley
Addicted to ArboristSite
As a percentage of body weight the 20/30# maul is approaching the silly zone for most folks. 30lbs would be 20% of the weight of a 150lb man. Most people can't properly accelerate an 8# maul to make it effective (it will work, but not optimally). It takes a lot of strength to accelerate heavy striking tools, just getting it to make contact isn't going to do the job.
I feel manly swinging the monster maul, but I finally realized that I would feel less manly with my arm hanging limp by my side for 6 months recovering from shoulder surgery.
yeah i'm guessing it's 30lbs. i got it from the place where i bought my saw. i traded an old broken mcculloch for the maul. it was the only one i saw there. i'll play around with it some and see what happens.
http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=15780&productid=15780&channelid=FROOG Is this what you got?
Swamp Yankee
Addicted to ArboristSite
Is the wood really stringy, with no grain structure?
From your description, it sounds like you're working with elm.
If so, my advice is to fill the 5105, sharpen the chain, and cut those rounds to the necessary size.
Renting a splitter for a day may be another option.
Good Luck.
Take Care
Treecutr
ArboristSite Operative
I've used my technique on some stubborn wood, including Oak, with success, and sometimes not, but for the most part " filleting" the wood off the edges to start works well.
yeah that looks like it. damn it fills alot heavier than 15lbs!
yeah i'm betting it's elm. that's pretty common around my area
You are going to want to split from the edge through the centre, so you will be splitting parallel to any knots and not against them.
First, create a plane of weakness (similar to splitting rock using feather and wedges) by hitting first on the far edge, then the close edge, then connect these splits through the center. If there is already a crack in the wood then follow this. Now just rehit where you have your splits until you get through it.
If it is really knotty, you may need a steel splitting wedge, or you can rip the block with your saw (just makes a bit of mess with the extra sawdust).
This is the technique we use at work when we have to split large rounds (36-50") in diameter to carry them to and load into the truck.
First, create a plane of weakness (similar to splitting rock using feather and wedges) by hitting first on the far edge, then the close edge, then connect these splits through the center. If there is already a crack in the wood then follow this. Now just rehit where you have your splits until you get through it.
If it is really knotty, you may need a steel splitting wedge, or you can rip the block with your saw (just makes a bit of mess with the extra sawdust).
This is the technique we use at work when we have to split large rounds (36-50") in diameter to carry them to and load into the truck.
I just came in from slpitting wood so I went back out and snapped some pix. I tried to get my son to come out and shoot a 10 second vid but he said it's too cold. If you're splitting elm my pics will make you cry. Elm is hard splitting wood . The stuff I have in this pile is all straight grained Red Oak and splits really easy. The dead dry tree I cut down yesterday and the green wood I cut down last friday.
These quarters are from a dead Red Oak that was standing long enough the bark had all ffallen off. All the blocks are cut to 17 inches to fit my stove. As mentioned allready, don't stick you ax in the center of the log. Either shuck thin pieces off the outer edge, or if you quarter like we did, pick a check line where the log has a crack. My buddy was using a 4 lb ax like in the next picture and I was using the 6 lb maul. He would hit the far edge and get the crack going and then I hit the near edge with the maul and the blocks popped right in half. Most of the rounds popped with just 2 hits, one each. All of the quarters popped with one hit.
These are the little pieces I was splitting earlier. I was using the 6 lb Maul because the handle on the ax in the picture sheared off right at the handle yesterday and is just stuck back in for the pic. I would usually use the lighter ax for all of my splitting on the small and quarered stuff. I usually only use the mall to halve and quarter bigger blocks. The maul stuck in the little block is just as I swung it. It stuck in a little chip on the right hand piece and the left hand piece went flying. I set it back up for display.
The green quarter I would usually split with a lighter ax. I would take the point off first like the pointed piece in the pic and then split along the rays from the center out. Then I cut those pieces into smaller ones splitting along the annual rings.
There are lots of methods that work equally well. The bigest thing I've found is like in base ball, bat and ax speed count. If I can get ax speed I don't have to use a lot of strength. I start with my hands apart on the handle, one at the end and one close to the ax head. I only lift it a little over head height and slide my top hand down to meet the the bottom in a fast motion. Practice is your friend. On small pieces like the ones I was cutting great care must be taken. If you miss and hit the edge of the log a glancing blow the ax head can and will take a chunk out of a leg.
As for those 15 and 30 pound monster malls, I'd have a heart attack before I got to my second piece. Be real carefull, use stought foot wear, and practice, Joe.
These quarters are from a dead Red Oak that was standing long enough the bark had all ffallen off. All the blocks are cut to 17 inches to fit my stove. As mentioned allready, don't stick you ax in the center of the log. Either shuck thin pieces off the outer edge, or if you quarter like we did, pick a check line where the log has a crack. My buddy was using a 4 lb ax like in the next picture and I was using the 6 lb maul. He would hit the far edge and get the crack going and then I hit the near edge with the maul and the blocks popped right in half. Most of the rounds popped with just 2 hits, one each. All of the quarters popped with one hit.
These are the little pieces I was splitting earlier. I was using the 6 lb Maul because the handle on the ax in the picture sheared off right at the handle yesterday and is just stuck back in for the pic. I would usually use the lighter ax for all of my splitting on the small and quarered stuff. I usually only use the mall to halve and quarter bigger blocks. The maul stuck in the little block is just as I swung it. It stuck in a little chip on the right hand piece and the left hand piece went flying. I set it back up for display.
The green quarter I would usually split with a lighter ax. I would take the point off first like the pointed piece in the pic and then split along the rays from the center out. Then I cut those pieces into smaller ones splitting along the annual rings.
There are lots of methods that work equally well. The bigest thing I've found is like in base ball, bat and ax speed count. If I can get ax speed I don't have to use a lot of strength. I start with my hands apart on the handle, one at the end and one close to the ax head. I only lift it a little over head height and slide my top hand down to meet the the bottom in a fast motion. Practice is your friend. On small pieces like the ones I was cutting great care must be taken. If you miss and hit the edge of the log a glancing blow the ax head can and will take a chunk out of a leg.
As for those 15 and 30 pound monster malls, I'd have a heart attack before I got to my second piece. Be real carefull, use stought foot wear, and practice, Joe.
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