Big Hickory
- Thread starter Firefighter938
- Start date
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![[Hearth.com] Big Hickory](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/173/173496-852a6263d625c21e469eb25ccbb376b3.jpg?hash=BPWFOW-Zs- "[Hearth.com] Big Hickory")
You got a splitter!!
Way to go!!
Good stuff there...
So tell us what you did...did it split vertical?
Way to go!!
Good stuff there...
So tell us what you did...did it split vertical?
I borrowed a splitter from a friend. I'm glad I did also. Apparently it does split vertical, but I didn't know that.
Tuesday I split the big rounds into quarters so I could easily pick them up. At first I used a sledge and three wedges. Then I moved to a large 14lb maul. That was wearing me out so the last two rounds I noodled several inches into and then finished splitting with wedges. I found this the most productive and wish I had started this way.
This was a yard tree and there were many old branches that had long ago died and been completely grown over. None of the big rounds split as easily as I had hoped.
Today I used the splitter on most of the wood, but I did hand split a lot of the larger straight limbwood. Now it will sit for two or three years.
claydogg84
Minister of Fire
I believe I suggested this method. I also told you it was much easier than trying to bust the big rounds apart with an axe/maul. Glad it worked for you. It's been an invaluable lesson for myself since I tried it a few months back.
I will give you credit, just wish I took the advise earlier. It whooped me busting them up by hand. Like trying to split an anvil.
Splitting vertically is the only way to go when splitting big rounds. No way I'm going to try to lift +125 lb rounds nor am I going to bother with a maul or whatever.
I use my tractor to get the large rounds to the vertically oriented splitter, split them into manageable sizes, reload them into the FEL and then final-split them horizontally on the log splitter into firewood.
Two pics:
![[Hearth.com] Big Hickory](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/173/173656-efc6f53ca73cac2ff5ecc5e2042e843a.jpg?hash=kXhBF21r62 "[Hearth.com] Big Hickory")
![[Hearth.com] Big Hickory](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/173/173657-e4a716eeb09737d410ef959b54693b6a.jpg?hash=35Ml5UNnZ3 "[Hearth.com] Big Hickory")
I use my tractor to get the large rounds to the vertically oriented splitter, split them into manageable sizes, reload them into the FEL and then final-split them horizontally on the log splitter into firewood.
Two pics:
claydogg84
Minister of Fire
Only passing along helpful information I've received on these forums. If someone else hadn't mentioned it to me I'd still be noodling those big rounds.
Jags and some other folks may disagree with your statement about splitting vertically being the only way to go when splitting big rounds . . . but then again they have some pretty decent looking log lifters to move the heavy stuff into position.
Just an update. I was walking the stacks and checking to make sure none were leaning over. Man did the borers go nuts over this hickory. Chaff all over the place. I assume they attacked it while it was green, and that their activity will slow down now that it has a year of drying under its belt.
