Drying Wood & other related questions

[Backwoods Savage]

One thing I keep noticing with guys who like the horizontal is they complain about their backs if using vertical. However, my back is shot....and that is one of the big reasons I go for vertical. By my back being shot, I have scoliosis and have had 3 surgeries on my back. Doctors say I should never lift over 20 pounds the rest of my life. I'll stick to the vertical splitting so I don't have to lift.

 

[wendell]

That is a pretty cool unit, a little pricey but it does speed up the production quite a bit.
I watched the third clip down, that set up would definitely be the most forgiving on anyone's back.

(broken link removed to http://www.supersplit.com/video.htm)

I'd like to see them try that with elm!

 

[Deep Fryer]

By my back being shot, I have scoliosis and have had 3 surgeries on my back. Doctors say I should never lift over 20 pounds the rest of my life. I'll stick to the vertical splitting so I don't have to lift.

Very valid point Dennis, specially under your current circumstances, definitely stay away from lifting.

I got a chance to finish splittin my wood this saturday, hopefully I'll start stacking next weekend if weather permits.
The maple cut down in february was real easy to split & seemed really dry to boot, so I think I'll at least have a little something to burn this season. ;-)

 

[Wet1]

One thing I keep noticing with guys who like the horizontal is they complain about their backs if using vertical. However, my back is shot....and that is one of the big reasons I go for vertical. By my back being shot, I have scoliosis and have had 3 surgeries on my back. Doctors say I should never lift over 20 pounds the rest of my life. I'll stick to the vertical splitting so I don't have to lift.

Dennis,

I understand what you're saying. The two problems I have with this is what bothers my back might not bother yours and the speed (or lack there of) of working as you're suggesting. If I had all the time in the world and the patients to do it, I can see how your method might be well suited, but I don't. My time at home is very limited and valuable so I need to do as much as I can with the time I have available, w/o blowing out my back. Working vertical is too slow and painful for me.

As others have suggested, I really think vert/horz is more a personal preference, but having the equipment ergonomically optimized makes a huge difference.

 

[Wet1]

That is a pretty cool unit, a little pricey but it does speed up the production quite a bit.
I watched the third clip down, that set up would definitely be the most forgiving on anyone's back.

(broken link removed to http://www.supersplit.com/video.htm)

I'd like to see them try that with elm!

I'm sure it would be a PITA if the elm had any decent size to it. Most of my wood is oak, with a little maple and beech thrown in. The SS works as shown for these woods. If I were working with rounds larger than 24" all day, I would not want this for a splitter. But working with average wood typically found in New England, this splitter is the cat's meow. I don't plan on owning another hydraulic unit, but again this is just my preference.

 

[wendell]

If it works like the video for you, you are a lucky man. Next time I watch as my wedge SLOWLY moves down through a piece of twisted elm, I will think of you!

 

[Wet1]

If it works like the video for you, you are a lucky man. Next time I watch as my wedge SLOWLY moves down through a piece of twisted elm, I will think of you!

This is not the splitter I'd choose for processing elm, but then again I avoid elm as it's not worth the hassle to me. Most of what I process is oak (which splits nicely anyway) and the SS works exactly as shown in those videos with this and most maples (probably two of the more popular firewood trees in N.E.).

A new SS is pretty spendy, but worth every penny if you need to process a lot of average size wood, and need to do it fast. I found my like new SS for $1400, a deal I couldn't pass up. There's a guy in NH that makes a replica of the SS for a lot less money. There's not a lot to break on these splitters and they seem to last forever, any parts that might be needed can be bought through the manufacture or through McMaster Carr. If I were buying a new splitter today, the clone is probably the direction I'd go. This is assuming I worked with wood that was mostly smaller than 24" diameter...

 

[Backwoods Savage]

One thing I keep noticing with guys who like the horizontal is they complain about their backs if using vertical. However, my back is shot....and that is one of the big reasons I go for vertical. By my back being shot, I have scoliosis and have had 3 surgeries on my back. Doctors say I should never lift over 20 pounds the rest of my life. I'll stick to the vertical splitting so I don't have to lift.

Dennis,

I understand what you're saying. The two problems I have with this is what bothers my back might not bother yours and the speed (or lack there of) of working as you're suggesting. If I had all the time in the world and the patients to do it, I can see how your method might be well suited, but I don't. My time at home is very limited and valuable so I need to do as much as I can with the time I have available, w/o blowing out my back. Working vertical is too slow and painful for me.

As others have suggested, I really think vert/horz is more a personal preference, but having the equipment ergonomically optimized makes a huge difference.

Wet, you are exactly right. With back problems, people are different. However, on the speed thing, methinks you might be thinking what I am doing is slow. It is not! And doing it my way there is no lifting involved.

Perhaps it is a personal preference and it is good that we are different. We would not all want to be the same for sure.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I finally got around to watching those videos. The first thing that struck me was it was taking two men to do the job. The second thing, and this is what I do not like about horizontal splitting, is that man had to do a lot of lifting on all those big logs. That is what I will not do. I simply roll them onto the splitting plate; no lifting required.

They do have a good idea on how that splitter is built and I like the speed. Now if they could just build it for vertical splitting and bring the price down a bit...