Ideal size to split wood?

[Jay106n]

My red oak is finishing its 2nd summer c/s/s top covered and it still registers 25-30%. My splits are pretty large and I have no intentions of even touching them until at least next winter or maybe even the next.

 

[redyute]

That's a big ole tree there and might be laced with some fun stuff that will leave you scratching your head ...and everything else. Good hot wood, might be worth it.

Lol will be sure to investigate before approachingredients lol. Might spray it with some round up to kill the stuff growing around it before I attemp the kill lol

 

[Woody Stover]

Yeah I got to figure out what imma do this winter quick, just got my brand new catalytic insert ordered now my wood isn't dried dam.

I'd be hunting for any standing dead

From your sig pic, it looks like you may have a wood lot. If so, go look for small dead-standing trees with the bark fallen off. The majority of those will be dry enough to burn. In fact, I cut a dead-standing (5 years) White Oak last week and most of the top branches up to about 9" in diameter were around 20%. Red Oak might not be quite that dry, as a rule. But focus on those small dead ones before you gamble on dropping an Oak.

I think your best bet now is to try a poor man's solar kiln and get some shrink wrap around the oak if you have it in a nice sunny spot. Do some searching and you will find threads about it.

I like this idea except it involves the use of plastic, the production of which yields a lot nasty, toxic by-products. A kiln would probably work, though, especially if this summer weather holds on a while like it seems to be doing so far...

That's a big ole tree there and might be laced with some fun stuff that will leave you scratching your head ...and everything else. Good hot wood, might be worth it.

Lol will be sure to investigate before approachingredients lol. Might spray it with some round up to kill the stuff growing around it before I attemp the kill lol

Just wear long sleeves, gloves, and keep your eyes peeled so you can avoid contact if possible. You should be OK unless you are hyper-sensitive. Here is the kind of stuff I have to work in here from time to time. Cut and rip the vines off as much as possible to prevent getting ivy juice on the ends of the rounds.

 

[redyute]

I don't know what poison ivy and the others look like, my neighbor is the wizard and always point them out so I approach with caution, but yeah I wouldn't consider it anow official Wood lot but I got space lol.

 

[yooper08]

Also have some red oak that fell alive and has been c/s/s since last August. Looked at it today, saw some rather large splits and wondered what I was doing last summer. Re-split most of it, smelled just like it did last summer and could still feel the moisture. It was really dry this summer so I was getting hopeful...what was originally split on the smaller side is usable, but most of it it'll have to wait until next year. Oh well.

 

[redyute]

Also have some red oak that fell alive and has been c/s/s since last August. Looked at it today, saw some rather large splits and wondered what I was doing last summer. Re-split most of it, smelled just like it did last summer and could still feel the moisture. It was really dry this summer so I was getting hopeful...what was originally split on the smaller side is usable, but most of it it'll have to wait until next year. Oh well.

Exactly my situation, all of my wood is oak and I got plenty more trees on my property to cut

 

[Dobish]

i found the biggest log I could fit in my stove yesterday... 22" through the front load, and 22" through the top load when it was empty I could do a 14" through the top load when it was fuller..... do I need multiple stacks? I did not try and go NS, but I think 10" might be the max....

 

[FaithfulWoodsman]

Exactly my situation, all of my wood is oak and I got plenty more trees on my property to cut

You might have more variety than you think, sometimes not. I got through my first year with dead ash and cherry. Both can be ready to burn dead standing, especially cherry. Elm without the bark is ready to go too.

 

[redyute]

You might have more variety than you think, sometimes not. I got through my first year with dead ash and cherry. Both can be ready to burn dead standing, especially cherry. Elm without the bark is ready to go too.

Good point as I really don't know alot about identifying species except for the chit load of pin oak leaves I be picking up fall season lol

 

[CheapBassTurd]

Like some of the last few posts that's how I got by last winter.

Bought a stove knowing nothing and having no wood.
While shopping for a hearth builder/ installer, joined this site.
Living in a combo of farm/ forest, just started grabbing all the dry dead stuff I could
and dropped it into the trunk of the Stratus. A coupla chimney threads made me think
to look what properties had tree crew rounds but a house w/ out a chimney. Efficient stuff started
clicking fast on it's own. A few decent logs close to the road (and home) got dragged by chain. lol
I stayed anywhere from a month to a week ahead on wood and have been continuously collecting until
last week. The C/S stack averages 6 ft high currently and is 95 ft long. (Major cordage.)

Your gears are turning too it's quite obvious. You'll have a fine and warm winter.
CheapMark

 

[redyute]

This been split over a year and stacked, not even close to drying lol. I only burn just under 2 cords per season with my wood hungry insert, so I'm guessing with my new cat insert I should be around a cord or so.

 

[redyute]

This is my back yard I haven't had time to touch lol. That's just the back yard lol you don't want to see the front.

 

[gerry100]

2 years for split oak works fro me.

A few years ago a had to burn 1 year old.

it burned fine and clean but I couldn't help notice the reduced heat output

 

[redyute]

Standing dead for at least 6 years and still wet as hell inside.

Don't split wood in your garage lol


This was just to prove to my neighbor that its still wet till you split it lol, whole lot more where that came from. Thinking if I split this early spring small but not to small it might just be good enough to burn next winter and I can leave my other split stash for 2018 winter that would make it 3 years, that would put me 2 years ahead.

 

[MaineGuideMK]

Standing dead for at least 6 years and still wet as hell inside.View attachment 185939 View attachment 185940 Don't split wood in your garage lol View attachment 185941

This was just to prove to my neighbor that its still wet till you split it lol, whole lot more where that came from. Thinking if I split this early spring small but not to small it might just be good enough to burn next winter and I can leave my other split stash for 2018 winter that would make it 3 years, that would put me 2 years ahead.

If it's really wet, and you're using a maul, you might want to split it when it's frozen. The fibers aren't as pliant and those big oak rounds will just bust apart. This works for me. If I wait until the spring, I end up having to use wedges more than I like.

 

[redyute]

If it's really wet, and you're using a maul, you might want to split it when it's frozen. The fibers aren't as pliant and those big oak rounds will just bust apart. This works for me. If I wait until the spring, I end up having to use wedges more than I like.

Got a splitter I refuse to split by hand lol. But I will try splitting it frozen and see how I like it, thanks for the tip.

 

[TedyOH]

Why wait until Spring...get it split asap.....you'll get some decent drying in the winter.

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[redyute]

Why wait until Spring...get it split asap.....you'll get some decent drying in the winter.

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Gotta finish tile the fireplace and finish some drywall or I will be sleeping in the cold garage pretty soon lol

 

[redyute]

Finally got to clear up some of that big Ole pin oak the storm took down right next to my house early this spring.

 

[Jay106n]

Power tool overload! Mowing, weedwacking, bucking, splitting, and hauling all in the same photo!

 

[redyute]

Power tool overload! Mowing, weedwacking, bucking, splitting, and hauling all in the same photo!

Lol yep

 

[CheapBassTurd]

Power tool overload! Mowing, weedwacking, bucking, splitting, and hauling all in the same photo!

Insert Tim Allen grunt.

 

[volunbeer]

An alternative suggestion you might consider is to post on the swap board on craigslist that you have a cord of oak you thought would be ready and it is not - you may find someone who is sitting on far more dry wood than they need who might be willing to work out some kind of swap with you. I have a neighbor down the road and he offered to swap tamarack and fir with me if my piles were not dry as long as I hauled and stacked. Just a thought.

 

[redyute]

An alternative suggestion you might consider is to post on the swap board on craigslist that you have a cord of oak you thought would be ready and it is not - you may find someone who is sitting on far more dry wood than they need who might be willing to work out some kind of swap with you. I have a neighbor down the road and he offered to swap tamarack and fir with me if my piles were not dry as long as I hauled and stacked. Just a thought.

Good idea never thought of that, I will try it out and see how it go

 

[redyute]

will wood still dry during winter if I split then small and stack them loose. The red oak splits I split in half like 3x4" couple months ago dried pretty good, wish I had done a lot more pieces cause I have burned through all I split smaller. The plan is to split a whole lot more smaller and stack and cover then to hopefully be able to burn them around January or February. Moisture content is about 30 - 35%, I can get away with burning 25% moisture content.