# Splitting big elm score by hand!



## Bwhunter85 (Jun 8, 2012)

Noodling away.  They are tough


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## Archie (Jun 8, 2012)

Popeye's in the house! Lookin' good. Don't forget the spinach!


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## Woody Stover (Jun 8, 2012)

You might try a sledge and wedge to halve those big ones, then hit 'em with an 8# maul. That 4-pounder won't keep moving through that tough stuff.
I can't find my 4-pounder right now...I don't know if it fell off the quad or what. I hate to buy another one too quickly because as soon as I do, the lost one will turn up. 

Wow, that pic really has a red tint to it. Any way you can balance it?


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## ScotO (Jun 8, 2012)

Stay with it, looking good so far.  For the really knotty ones, save her time and bodily suffrage and just noodle them with the chainsaw.


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## bogydave (Jun 8, 2012)

Looking good so far.  
Some o f hose rounds may just bounce the maul back up at you.
Good exercise if you have a good back.  Have fun!  Swing harder 

 Sure is pretty looking wood.


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## midwestcoast (Jun 9, 2012)

Oh come on now, it's not like it's REAL Elm. Red Elm doesn't hardly count.  
 For what it's worth I did 2 cords or so of red elm with a fiskars a couple years ago & other than crotches & crooked pieces it split OK. And that was before they put a full sized handle on the fiskars. Basically a glorified hatchet! 
Keep that axe sharp & when it bounces off, just get mad & as Dave says 'Swing harder!' 
I'll be sitting back enjoying a cold one for ya.


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## Oregon Bigfoot (Jun 9, 2012)

That's some beautiful looking firewood!


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## raybonz (Jun 9, 2012)

Glad you're having fun! I got a truckload of American Elm and ended up ripping it with a chainsaw.. Decent enough firewood but way too much work to process! I would pass on it even if was delivered to me..

Ray


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## blujacket (Jun 9, 2012)

> I would pass on it even if was delivered to me.


 
Worst wood I have had the displeasure of processing.


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## raybonz (Jun 9, 2012)

blujacket said:


> Worst wood I have had the displeasure of processing.


+1 .. My electric splitter just bounced off lol.. Used lots of chainsaw fuel and time to rip up the elm.. Really not worth the trouble to me..

Ray


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## aansorge (Jun 9, 2012)

I've never split Red Elm, just American Elm.  American Elm stinks!  I never split it by hand anymore.  Luckily I cut wood at my uncle's farm and he has two hydraulic splitters.  Unfortunately, I have wrecked one of the splitters doing....guess what?   Splitting Elm!!  The stuff is tough!


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## lukem (Jun 9, 2012)

Red elm is the easiest of the elms.  Siberian and american are what give elm a bad reputation.


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## Ash_403 (Jun 10, 2012)

Hand splitting (maul) Siberian Elm is as much fun as beating your brains out.

I gave up on about a dozen rounds (had to noodle them).  12 swings hitting in the same spot on a round was my limit.

I plan on giving up a sinister laugh every time I load one of these splits in my stove... 2013/14 season.

Cheers


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## red oak (Jun 11, 2012)

A few years back I split some American Elm with a sledge and wedge - toughest wood I've encountered for sure!  I think now that I am a bit older/wiser I would use the chainsaw.


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## Ashful (Jun 12, 2012)

Woody Stover said:


> You might try a sledge and wedge to halve those big ones, then hit 'em with an 8# maul. That 4-pounder won't keep moving through that tough stuff.


 
I must be missing something.  My "light" maul is 8 lb., and my regular maul is just shy of 12 lb.  What can you possibly split with a 4 lb. maul?

I also go to the sledge and wedges for halving large rounds.  After halving, splitting pieces off with the maul is usually easy enough.


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## RORY12553 (Jun 12, 2012)

Joful said:


> I must be missing something. My "light" maul is 8 lb., and my regular maul is just shy of 12 lb. What can you possibly split with a 4 lb. maul?
> 
> I also go to the sledge and wedges for halving large rounds. After halving, splitting pieces off with the maul is usually easy enough.


 
Never swung a 12 lb maul and if that is your regular maul you must have arms and a back made of steal!! I have an 8 lb maul which I use rarely and I use a 4 lb fiskars which splits mostly everything.


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## mecreature (Jun 12, 2012)

I have about 2 face cord of elm. I have swung enough to split 5 full cord of any other wood.


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## Flatbedford (Jun 12, 2012)

I leave Elm to rot!


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## Jags (Jun 12, 2012)

I believe it is once again time for the money shot:


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## tfdchief (Jun 12, 2012)

Jags. Every time I see that pic I laugh.  Try stacking those splits


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## Normande (Jun 12, 2012)

Jags said:


> I believe it is once again time for the money shot:
> View attachment 68603


Looks like the elm I'm trying to split now, good thing mine is smaller


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## bogydave (Jun 12, 2012)

Jags said:


> I believe it is once again time for the money shot:
> View attachment 68603


 
Cut that into small pieces, dip in wax, "Super elms" fire starters. LOL


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## chuckie5fingers (Jun 12, 2012)

aansorge said:


> I've never split Red Elm, just American Elm. American Elm stinks! I never split it by hand anymore. Luckily I cut wood at my uncle's farm and he has two hydraulic splitters. Unfortunately, I have wrecked one of the splitters doing....guess what? Splitting Elm!! The stuff is tough!


 yup: I just destroyed my poor little electric doing the same with a red elm... snapped off the guide bars and bent the ram!!
dont think I can fix it this time.
chuck


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## firefighterjake (Jun 13, 2012)

tfdchief said:


> Jags. Every time I see that pic I laugh. Try stacking those splits


 
For me that split would be a prime candidate for my "fire pit wood" or "camp fire wood."


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## Ashful (Jun 13, 2012)

RORY12553 said:


> Never swung a 12 lb maul and if that is your regular maul you must have arms and a back made of steal!! I have an 8 lb maul which I use rarely and I use a 4 lb fiskars which splits mostly everything.


 
I work with a smaller guy (maybe 5'-7" / 140 lb.) who actually uses this crazy 18 lb. maul as his only means of splitting, and heats his house with an old smoke dragon.  He loaned the maul to me once, and it went thru anything I swung it at, but sure wore me out quick.  I also found keeping the orientation difficult, since the handle was round schedule 40 pipe, and I could not feel which way it was pointing.  He cauled it a Monster Maul, but it was much larger than what I see sold as a Monster Maul today.

When I got back into splitting wood last year, after many years away from it, I was using the 12 lb. maul for everything.  More recently, I've been using the 8-pounder, only grabbing the 12 when I have large or difficult rounds to split.  I get better head speed, more precise aim, and less fatigue with the 8-pounder.  It might be worth trying the Fiskar's 4-lb., if you like it.  Perhaps it has a narrower head, which makes up for the lack of heft?


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## Jags (Jun 13, 2012)

Joful said:


> He cauled it a Monster Maul


 
I have a lot of swings to my name behind an 18 pound monster maul.  I hate that thing.


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## Thistle (Jun 13, 2012)

Jags said:


> I have a lot of swings to my name behind an 18 pound monster maul. I hate that thing.


 

Had mine since I was 17,was reinforced 5 yrs ago w/ 1/4" thick wall galvanized pipe handle.Now 20 lbs total on very accurate (unfortunately) bathroom scale.Havent used it in 10 months,but its backup for the gnarly or huge ones that just laugh at the X25.Usually I just 1/2 or 1/4 those beasts with the saw now,its almost as quick & much less work.


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## bogydave (Jun 13, 2012)

Jags said:


> I have a lot of swings to my name behind an 18 pound monster maul. I hate that thing.


 +1
No planning to ever use it again


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## tfdchief (Jun 13, 2012)

Split everything with my Sotz Monster Maul for the first 30 years of burning wood. Had to buy a hydraulic some years ago though. I am small, 5 ft 8 in and 135 lbs, so as the body got old, I just couldn't swing it any more. However, it will split wood! I took a bet one time that for a 1/2 hour, I could out split a hydraulic splitter (All Hedge) I won. That is when I was young and no broken back. You either love em or hate em. I loved mine.
Here she is, retired to only an occasional swing to make some kindling.


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## RORY12553 (Jun 19, 2012)

Joful said:


> I work with a smaller guy (maybe 5'-7" / 140 lb.) who actually uses this crazy 18 lb. maul as his only means of splitting, and heats his house with an old smoke dragon. He loaned the maul to me once, and it went thru anything I swung it at, but sure wore me out quick. I also found keeping the orientation difficult, since the handle was round schedule 40 pipe, and I could not feel which way it was pointing. He cauled it a Monster Maul, but it was much larger than what I see sold as a Monster Maul today.
> 
> When I got back into splitting wood last year, after many years away from it, I was using the 12 lb. maul for everything. More recently, I've been using the 8-pounder, only grabbing the 12 when I have large or difficult rounds to split. I get better head speed, more precise aim, and less fatigue with the 8-pounder. It might be worth trying the Fiskar's 4-lb., if you like it. Perhaps it has a narrower head, which makes up for the lack of heft?


 
It has a narrower head...yes I might have to swing once more every so often but its not lifting 8lbs every time!


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## Thistle (Jun 19, 2012)

The original Sotz monster mauls made from mid 70's to sometime in the 80's whenever the patent expired had the last 12" or so of pipe handle 'flattened' to a somewhat oval shape for better control & ease of use.Mine still does,under that thick replacement pipe that fits over it down to the collar.Am thinking about slowly heating the end one of these days & hitting it a few times with 20lb sledge over the old anvil....


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## Beardog (Jun 20, 2012)

I hate elm


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## firefighterjake (Jun 21, 2012)

I like elm . . . it got me through my first year of burning since I had a lot of standing dead elm.

That said . . . I have a hydraulic splitter. I think it makes a difference on whether or not you like or hate elm.


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