# Hand splitting white pine



## Supersurvey (Feb 1, 2018)

Just cut a 8 to 10 inch white pine.  Any suggestions on the best time to split?  Green, dry, frozen?  Trying just one was like pulling teeth .


----------



## Easy Livin’ 3000 (Feb 2, 2018)

Supersurvey said:


> Just cut a 8 to 10 inch white pine.  Any suggestions on the best time to split?  Green, dry, frozen?  Trying just one was like pulling teeth .


That's when the electric splitter comes out here. Pine can be tough.


----------



## SeanBB (Feb 2, 2018)

I find that wood splits best when green. Also, the sooner it's split the quicker it will season.


----------



## trguitar (Feb 2, 2018)

I find white pine easy to split when frozen. Unless of course it is very knotty, in which case you'll need a few wedges. I've had to use 3 sometimes.


----------



## jetsam (Feb 2, 2018)

The coldest day of the year is the best time to split pretty much anything.

I used to sledge'n'wedge all the stuff I couldn't split with a maul; these days I just leave it and get it with the log splitter.

I like splitting pine better dry, but I almost never do. I want to burn the pine next year, not 3 years from now.


----------



## gerry100 (Feb 2, 2018)

When it's had a year to dry, from my experience.

But if you're going to do that, you may as well buck it into pucks short enough to slip into the stove door.

Throw it in a pile, next year it will burn great. ( for pine)


----------



## Supersurvey (Feb 2, 2018)

An electric splitter is a great idea.  Was actually just looking at a 5 ton Homelite $300.00.
Thoughts?


----------



## DuaeGuttae (Feb 2, 2018)

Supersurvey said:


> An electric splitter is a great idea.  Was actually just looking at a 5 ton Homelite $300.00.
> Thoughts?



We own one we got on sale a few years back.  It was perfect for our small suburban lot.  It didn’t bother the neighbors, and my fairly young children could help with wood work (with very carefully set out rules and monitoring).  It couldn’t handle everything, but my husband could split stuff down for me, and I could finish it off with several more splits.  I could haul it out and polish off some wood while my kids played on the swing set or had quiet time.  You can get a lot more power and versatility with larger gas-powered machines for not too much more money when there are sales.  Our electric splitter suited our needs.  If yours are similar, it’s great.


----------



## johneh (Feb 3, 2018)

I found the best time to split pine 
is when I have the splitter out 
friggen knotty stuff could 
drive a man to drink


----------



## jetsam (Feb 3, 2018)

johneh said:


> I found the best time to split pine
> is when I have the splitter out
> friggen knotty stuff could
> drive a man to drink



Pine is an easy splitting, straight-grained wood when there's no branches nearby.

Oh, and there's branches every 2 inches all the way up, all the way around.   

It's still not in my bastardwood list (which contains elm, elm, elm, elm, some hickories, and some maples).

Someone needs to come up with a chainsaw chain that is harder than steel so you can safely cut all of your wedges out of elm.... not that we even appear to have elm where I live now, so moot point for me.


----------



## hickoryhoarder (Feb 3, 2018)

I like to let it sit a bit.  Splits easier in cold weather.


----------



## Chimney Smoke (Feb 4, 2018)

I've hand split some pretty good sized white pine.  One thing I do, is first 2-3 swings with the maul.  If it hasn't started to split after that, I use a wedge to break it apart.  After it's broken apart it usually splits easily.  If you have some pieces with big knots/branches those can be pretty tough.  I've found that the bottom third of the tree splits pretty easily, the top third splits easily and the middle can go either way - sometimes easy and sometimes not even worth trying.


----------



## Ashful (Feb 4, 2018)

jetsam said:


> Pine is an easy splitting, straight-grained wood when there's no branches nearby.
> 
> Oh, and there's branches every 2 inches all the way up, all the way around.
> 
> It's still not in my bastardwood list (which contains elm, elm, elm, elm, some hickories, and some maples).



Add cedar to that list.  Soft and unthreatening appearance, but the damn stuff grows branches like a lumberjack’s beard.  Never have seen a round without at least 30 knots running thru it.


----------



## Supersurvey (Feb 4, 2018)

Looks like I have some work to do.  Thanks everyone.  My Dad starting cutting a bunch and left all the branch stubs about 2 inches long.  That was fun.


----------



## Easy Livin’ 3000 (Feb 4, 2018)

jetsam said:


> Pine is an easy splitting, straight-grained wood when there's no branches nearby.
> 
> Oh, and there's branches every 2 inches all the way up, all the way around.
> 
> ...


They have chains with tungsten cutters. They even have them at my local ace. I think that they are standard fare for rescue folks who can't stop to sharpen or change the chains. Handy to have around in the event you need to cut the roof of a car, when you're not cutting your elm wedges.

They are axpensive, and hard to sharpen, I imagine.


----------



## jetsam (Feb 4, 2018)

Ashful said:


> Add cedar to that list.  Soft and unthreatening appearance, but the damn stuff grows branches like a lumberjack’s beard.  Never have seen a round without at least 30 knots running thru it.



Because I kind of grew up in a woodworking shop, I have never split cedar.  I just can't bear the thought of using it for firewood.  (Tends not to be an issue these days, as I also never cut the trees down.)

I do have one cedar trunk that I got on a tree service load. So far it's made a footstool for the wife, and the rest is still waiting for a mission.


----------



## jetsam (Feb 4, 2018)

ED 3000 said:


> They have chains with tungsten cutters. They even have them at my local ace. I think that they are standard fare for rescue folks who can't stop to sharpen or change the chains. Handy to have around in the event you need to cut the roof of a car, when you're not cutting your elm wedges.
> 
> They are axpensive, and hard to sharpen, I imagine.



Wow, $5 a link, and you need diamond grinders...  I hadn't heard of those.  There's also a bastard child wirh tunsgsten carbide chips welded onto regular steel cutters. Much cheaper but apparently it's not hard to break the chips or the weld if you hit metal.

Next question: What noise does it make when you cut through a wedge or two with a tungsten chain?


----------



## johneh (Feb 4, 2018)

It's not the noise it's the sparks 
When you do here one it sound a lot like 
money falling from your pocket (new chain)


----------



## Easy Livin’ 3000 (Feb 4, 2018)

Supersurvey said:


> An electric splitter is a great idea.  Was actually just looking at a 5 ton Homelite $300.00.
> Thoughts?


Harbor Freight- $200 and change. Many of these electric splitters are all the same guts, slightly different, mostly cosmetic differences. All made in China, so I just went with the least $$$ and one-handed operation. When one of my "helpers" accidentally discarded the handle, we called the number in the manual to get a replacement. They transferred us to the Boss phone line, so I figure they are made by whoever makes Boss splitters over in China.


----------



## Easy Livin’ 3000 (Feb 4, 2018)

jetsam said:


> Because I kind of grew up in a woodworking shop, I have never split cedar.  I just can't bear the thought of using it for firewood.  (Tends not to be an issue these days, as I also never cut the trees down.)
> 
> I do have one cedar trunk that I got on a tree service load. So far it's made a footstool for the wife, and the rest is still waiting for a mission.


I feel the same way with oak, maple, birch, beech, mulberry, ash,... even poplar and pine. What I could make if I just had a bandsaw sawmill! 

Then I settle in front of the toasty stove on a cold winter night, and all regrets just drift away.


----------



## jetsam (Feb 4, 2018)

ED 3000 said:


> I feel the same way with oak, maple, birch, beech, mulberry, ash,... even poplar and pine. What I could make if I just had a bandsaw sawmill!
> 
> Then I settle in front of the toasty stove on a cold winter night, and all regrets just drift away.




I split some maple last year that I still feel guilty about. The tree had some water damage and the colored graining was just beautiful.


----------



## bunfoolio (Feb 5, 2018)

Supersurvey said:


> An electric splitter is a great idea.  Was actually just looking at a 5 ton Homelite $300.00.
> Thoughts?



I have the homlite 5 ton and it is amazing.  I have split over 5 cords of white pine with it.  Worth every penny


----------



## Supersurvey (Feb 5, 2018)

Thanks everyone.


----------



## billb3 (Feb 11, 2018)

For pine I wait for the sap to dry up - usually when the green bark turns red.
I use wedges on the bigger rounds.


I've used a 5 ton electric splitter in the garage but wow some splits can go flying when they pop suddenly.


----------



## Allagash350 (Feb 15, 2018)

Always amazes me how easy I can split a 20 inch red oak, but pine kills me. Poplar too. 
The oak I cut green and it is just no effort. 
Pine after a year in my opinion is better, but still a lot of knots. 
I use it for the fire pit so any pieces that require a wedge just get put in whole regardless of the size haha. 
I took down 6 pines last year near the house that were 50-70 ft tall. Saving some to mill and build a woodshed, chipped 4 dump trailers full of brush, and must have had 20 fires in the back yard of just limbs. 
I wish I cut them down one at a time lol. We didn’t finish cleaning it up until August and they were cut in January. 
Sorry for the rant haha!


----------



## Ashful (Feb 15, 2018)

Allagash350 said:


> Always amazes me how easy I can split a 20 inch red oak, but pine kills me.


I'm going to have to remember this, for all those folks always telling me pine is so great, and I should take a break from my endless miles of oak to find, fell, buck, limb, haul, split, and stack some of it.


----------



## jwfirebird (Feb 16, 2018)

I only messed with pine once, I was huge and free, really only reason I took it was I have a splitter. it split like ringing a wet towel, kept getting stuck, had to put another split in to push the old one far enough to clear it. and it only lasts half as long as the other wood. not sure why anyone would bother unless its all you have access to


----------



## Hasufel (Feb 16, 2018)

jwfirebird said:


> I only messed with pine once, I was huge and free, really only reason I took it was I have a splitter. it split like ringing a wet towel, kept getting stuck, had to put another split in to push the old one far enough to clear it. and it only lasts half as long as the other wood. not sure why anyone would bother unless its all you have access to


I'm not a big fan of pine and won't go out of my way for it but at least it dries fast. It's good to have in a pinch, like when you realize some of the oak you were counting on needs another season. And it's good for mixing in with hardwoods that are slow to light up.


----------



## HisTreeNut (Feb 17, 2018)

I split 90% of this with a Fiskars.


----------



## Supersurvey (Feb 17, 2018)

Yep all mine is hand split but going to pull the plug on the Homelite.  Do you guys think it will run ok on a 3,250 w generator?


----------



## jwfirebird (Feb 18, 2018)

i think 2k would be all you need for anything that runs off just a normal 110 plug

so fine, over kill but thats better than not enough


----------



## jdych (Oct 14, 2018)

Here's my homelite 5 ton with a cargo carrier from HD.  I rigged a simple foot pedal to operate both levers.  With the tailgate down it makes for a great work bench.


----------



## Supersurvey (Oct 14, 2018)

jdych said:


> Here's my homelite 5 ton with a cargo carrier from HD.  I rigged a simple foot pedal to operate both levers.  With the tailgate down it makes for a great work bench.


That looks like a nice setup.


----------



## Microduck17 (Oct 14, 2018)

I took some freebie pine last spring, it was a pain to split and sticky as glue.  Now that its  dried I use it for kindling since it lights easily. 





jwfirebird said:


> I only messed with pine once, I was huge and free, really only reason I took it was I have a splitter. it split like ringing a wet towel, kept getting stuck, had to put another split in to push the old one far enough to clear it. and it only lasts half as long as the other wood. not sure why anyone would bother unless its all you have access to



Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk


----------



## gerry100 (Oct 14, 2018)

cut it short and let it dry for a year

Splits easy


----------



## Ashful (Oct 15, 2018)

jwfirebird said:


> i think 2k would be all you need for anything that runs off just a normal 110 plug
> 
> so fine, over kill but thats better than not enough



If it’s a 115V only generator, then yes.  However, if it’s a 230V generator, then you’d want one more than double that capacity, as the rating is combined.  Also, even a 4 kW / 230V generator won’t be very happy with 15A load on just one leg.


----------



## Zack R (Oct 16, 2018)

Pine splits well when really green or really dry, not so much in between. I usually only run into trouble on larger rounds, in those cases I noodle them in half and go from there since I don't have a splitter.


----------

