I find most wood splits easily when green and some a tougher dry, but it isn't always the case. Split wood will dry get faster and stack of in less space (.....12 page argument coming now after that comment!)
Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)
- Thread starter mainewoods
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I agree with London Neil. But some wood doesnt split the greatest when green if not using a mechanical splitter.
JAXJEREMY
ArboristSite Operative
Hah..appreciate the input..people will argue about anything..Guess it's in our nature..The oak I've been getting has been a b**ch to split, no trouble with the maple or birch..
I'd rinse it lots in cold water and then dry and put a good coat of paste wax on it.
Red oak that was cut in march/april and split shortly after the tree was alive just not any leaves yet because it was march/April
Yea dry maple with no knots splits easily. I hand split 2 cord of mixed hardwoods oak ash maple popple birch, wood was a couple years old oak and popple was the worst maple ash birch was super easy.
JAXJEREMY
ArboristSite Operative
I need one of those...considered renting one..
It's also because there are so many types of Oak. The Southern Live Oaks I've heard are a beech to split. Partially because they can grow well near the shore and are constantly wind twisted. The past two days I split two nice size, 24", Red Oaks for my neighbors dad. Grew straight and tall in the woods, no limbs for 50 feet. His tree guy gave him a break to leave the wood. He had them all cut and setting on end, about 16" long. First thing I did was walk around all the ones too big to lift and quartered them with my Fiskers. Three four pops and they were in half, then one pop and the halves were in quarters. The stump cuts and the few with limbs I noodled so I could put them on the splitter. If I was 20 years younger I would have done it all with the ax and made less money. $20 bucks an hour friend price. As it was I had to drive 20 miles round trip to take the splitter over, come home and do it again with the trailer and JD. Then repeat coming home.
My best advice would be to split (or noodle then split) that stuff and get it off the ground and cover the top only.
It was the county line one from tsc splits vertical and horizontal
Dudders
ArboristSite Member
I always try to split as soon as possible. I've only found it gets tougher as it dries, whatever the wood, but there may be some I don't know of that split easier when dry? I can't see your oak getting any easier to split if you leave it!
JAXJEREMY
ArboristSite Operative
when you said noodling I thought you meant fishing for channel cats with your hand..never heard the term used in wood cutting before..learn something new every day.
It is best (to dry the wood w/o rot) to split as soon as possible, even though it is often harder to split it when wet. (Cold and dry splits easiest).
Cover only the top (not the sides) with an air gap if possible, and as FS said, keep it off the ground (it can absorb water from the ground).
Red and Silver Maple are usually easy to split, Sugar and Norway Maple can get pretty tough to split.
Cover only the top (not the sides) with an air gap if possible, and as FS said, keep it off the ground (it can absorb water from the ground).
Red and Silver Maple are usually easy to split, Sugar and Norway Maple can get pretty tough to split.
Yeah, it’s a secret code here on this forum. I haven’t heard it anywhere else.
Tree location has more affect on splitability than type, the lone tree in an exposed position won't split like a middle of the forest tree.
I expected the stacks in less space comment to cause the argument... I'm surprised!
I expected the stacks in less space comment to cause the argument... I'm surprised!
Took a couple of months but the new radiator for my Chevelle showed up today last corespondent was it may ship the 26th of February and if I wanted to I could cancel the order with a full refund . I’m sure it because the rad is now $250 more .
Dewitt HP 2 row with 1.25 inch tubes good for up to 700 horse. Dual Spal fans
Dewitt HP 2 row with 1.25 inch tubes good for up to 700 horse. Dual Spal fans
Also used some firewood to make a router plane . Just need to tig a SS nut to put the cinch bolt in 
calamari
ArboristSite Operative
Congratulations for being the first to give me an answer that made me slap my forehead. Sounds like it would take big wood and burn awhile before you had to feed it.
