Hand Splitting Large Rounds: Questions

[HarvestMan]

Until today, I have never needed to split a round any bigger than perhaps 12-14 inches. I just started working on a pile today where some of the pieces are up to around 24-30 inches. First impressions are that I LOVE these huge rounds; just amazing how many splits I get from one and so little of it is bark, just awesome. Here are my questions.

Regarding how to split these. I tried two ways and was wondering if one has an advantage over the other and what other peoples preferences are. Here are a couple pics of the two ways I tried:

First one kind of like a pizza, tried to leave half of the outside pieces larger for longer burns.
Second one was trying to create a rectangular block in middle so that block could then be split into rectangular shapes; as you can see, these didn't look too much like rectangles.

Question 1: Which style do you use? 1 ,2 or some other variation I have not shown?

The pile I am working on is all red oak; while I haven't tried any tough pieces yet, the ones I have split have been remarkably easy to split. I'm already planning to order two more loads of these large rounds and was wondering about the ease of splitting other species (white oak, locust, hickory, etc.).

Question 2: Which species should I try to get next? (more red oak, white oak, black locust, hickory)

My source already told me he could not guarantee me one species, but I'm pretty sure he won't mind any "open orders" for a load that contains a healthy portion of the species I am looking for.

Only worked a few full size pieces and some of the delivered quarters and shorts. Here is my first bite of a rather big pie.


Thanks.

 

[WoodpileOCD]

On a big round sometimes I'll go around the outside and split off big slabs. Maybe 8-10" across then work the inside to cut rectangles which make great pieces for the ends of my stacks. There is a name for the end pile that cris cross each other that stabilize the ends but I can't think of it right now. Other times pizza slices like you said. Nothing better than working over a big straight Red Oak round. [emoji2]

That Fiskers is a real joy to swing isn't it?

 

[WoodpileOCD]

I find that making the first split through the middle with a wedge makes the rest go much easier. The ones I was working here were about 30" or so I think.

 

[D8Chumley]

Cribbing the ends. Next wood I would get is something you can burn next year. Maple, ash, stuff that seasons in one year. Unless you already have that base covered

 

[WoodpileOCD]

Cribbing. Tks.

 

[HarvestMan]

Cribbing the ends. Next wood I would get is something you can burn next year. Maple, ash, stuff that seasons in one year. Unless you already have that base covered

Got about 2.5 years worth already stacked, this is stuff I hope to use to get up to my 5 years worth goal. I only burn about 3 cord/year +/- so not a huge amount compared to some on this board. Have a good supply of dead standing elm/black cherry I will be getting in spring to cover needs for next couple years.

 

[Wilhelm911]

75% of the wood I get is Red Oak. Its plentiful, splits easily by hand (for the most part), and is great to burn. Most of what I get is large rounds. I love the big stuff. I normally split in quarters. Small enough to fit into my tire. Then Ill make my final splits.

 

[Lakeside]

I like to make pizza and 4X4's too with my Fiskers.




The Red Oak look sweet.

 

[Osagebndr]

I like to work outside in . Get some ash, maple and cherry for next year15-16 let the red oak dry for a couple years it's worth the wait.

 

[Shane Collins]

Depends on the round for me. I find it very pleasing to split a huge round right down the middle. But sometimes it just wont happen so outside in is the best way to go. I always do it as you did in the second split because I like to have more square splits for cribbing.

 

[HarvestMan]

75% of the wood I get is Red Oak. Its plentiful, splits easily by hand (for the most part), and is great to burn. Most of what I get is large rounds. I love the big stuff. I normally split in quarters. Small enough to fit into my tire. Then Ill make my final splits.

Red Oak really is nice to split.

How hard is it to split large rounds of species like White Oak, Locust, Hickory,Maple, etc.?

I'd like to get a few other kinds of wood to burn but I don't want to request a bunch of a particular kind of wood if the splitting will be a nightmare. I only split by hand because I enjoy it (well, not so much with elm); so need advice from others who have split large stuff by hand before I bite off more than I can chew. When I ordered this load I was expecting a mixed species load; was hoping to get a feel of what it took to split different species.

 

[WoodpileOCD]

Get a sledge and some wedges. Worth their weight in gold on big stuff.

 

[Osagebndr]

It will all split easy as long as there are not many knots and it's pretty straight. Just have to " read " the wood . Look for cracks in the end of your round and if it won't split on the upside flip it over it'll split and as stated before get a sledge and some wedges you'll need them on knotted stuff. Also try to setup where you can cut in either side if a crotch or knot

 

[j7art2]

Man, you guys use some tiny firewood. I use stuff that small for kindling. Lol. In my inefficient dinosaur of a wood furnace, I use 12" diameter logs whole most times. Loading door is 16". If it fits, it burns.

If it's larger than 12" diameter, I half it. Larger than that, quarter it.

 

[razerface]

, I use 12" diameter logs whole most times. Loading door is 16". If it fits, it burns.

If it's larger than 12" diameter, I half it. Larger than that, quarter it.

Glad I don't do that! Sounds heavyweight! How do you convince your wife it is her job to load the stove if she can't lift the wood?

I rarely split by hand, but I like your pizza split better. I use triangle wood a lot to fill space in the stove.

 

[j7art2]

Funny you mention that, as she's 7 months pregnant with our first right now.

Every morning I put in the big guns first thing, start a fire if it went out, or continue it if there's still coals. I get ready for work, then go check it before I go.

Once it's going, I set aside a bit of the smaller stuff for the wife to handle while I'm gone, and leave her a nice little stack right in front of the furnace to handle. Not all of my stuff is that big, but if it's about that size, I typically won't bother to split it. Some of the rounds I get are 2-3 feet and can barely make it into the truck at times, so once I hit it with the splitter a half dozen times, they get smaller than that.

 

[Paulywalnut]

I like to eat away at the sides first, and then go in half. I like some flat square splits for my ends. I use hydraulic now so once in half I can make any shape I need

 

[Flatbedford]

Red Oak is about the easiest spicies to hand split. Black Locust can be pretty easy too. I split about 3 cords of White Oak last year and some of it was just about unspittable by hand. I had to noodle a lot of it into quarters or smaller before I could hand split it. I could hand split monster rounds of Red Oak all day. Great stuff to work with.

 

[HarvestMan]

Red Oak is about the easiest spicies to hand split. Black Locust can be pretty easy too. I split about 3 cords of White Oak last year and some of it was just about unspittable by hand. I had to noodle a lot of it into quarters or smaller before I could hand split it. I could hand split monster rounds of Red Oak all day. Great stuff to work with.

I have the ability to order Red Oak, White Oak and Black Locust. I thought I would get a load of each; all to be split by hand. Would you suggest bypassing the white oak and doubling up on the red oak? Really like using the Fiskars X27 and I just refuse to rent a power splitter.

 

[nmaho]

Love to split red oak,it splits with no effort at all.

 

[Flatbedford]

Go Red Oak.

 

[ewlsey]

I find wedges too tedious. Plus, they can be a pain to get started in some species.

I put upside down (opposite of how it grows), then I start splitting slabs off about 4-6 inches from the outside. This makes slabs 4x8 to 6x12 that I can split one to three more times. I do that until all the bark is slabbed off.

At that point, I usually keep slabbing until I get to something I can split in half.

For crotches and other nasty stuff, I just start swinging. You have to take anything you can get with those pieces. Usually the grain is so twisted that a wedge won't really help you.

 

[jeffesonm]

I've had good luck with white oak, but find it splits best green.

At first I would try and split everything, but now I just put aside anything too knotty/ugly.... it just isn't worth the time or effort to struggle them. I have a decent pile going now and one of these days I'll rent a splitter for the afternoon and do them all at one.

 

[ewlsey]

I have a pile of ugly stuff as well. Sometimes I can get a few more splits if I try them when they are frozen.

I'll probably just burn mine in the fire pit outside. Even if I could split them, they would be so nasty I couldn't stack them. It doesn't seem worth it.

 

[Osagebndr]

I keep my uglies and unsplitables on a seperate pallet. Sometimes I rip split with my saw, but it's rough on chains with the heat it creates although with my grans fors bruks knots haven't really been an issue