spliting big maple rounds that are rock hard
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Soundchasm
Minister of Fire
I'm so glad to hear somebody say that!! Remember, all that stuff is permanent, or at the least, cumulative. My mantra is to NEVER use my hands as tools anymore. Working with a splitter, everything I handle is open-palm (mainly for safety). I try to use the least amount of finger power picking up rounds.
The tree I want backsies on was a big hackberry in 2012. Every single split had to be pulled apart by hand. They were "tweeners", not quite enough for a hatchet and a bit too much for hands. I was working with my BIL, and maybe we were kind of in a bit of a contest. For months and months afterwards, I'd be playing a gig when this screaming pain would come upon my left hand out of nowhere, and I had no memory of banging it during load-in. I couldn't push the strings down on the neck!! Sometimes it would pass quickly, and sometimes it wouldn't. I started questioning my sanity until one bad night I saw the hand was clearly swollen. What a relief (sort of). I finally remembered it was very similar to a pain I experienced with the hackberry and put two and two together.
Prevent the injury by not over-stressing something in the first place. These tools aren't appropriate for your current situation, but have really come in "handy" several times. Mix things up and don't be afraid to ice your hands. It really helps.
The tongs are cool, as is the two hooky thing. When the hooks bite into a round, off you go.
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Yes. Cost $100 for the day and I'd need to rent a vehicle to tow it. Since I only have ~$200 worth of wood I'd rather not pay to process it.
jaoneill
Feeling the Heat
I have about 15/17 similar rounds (a bit bigger) of similar hardness, two of which are solid knot and will probably rot into the forest floor. I started on these rounds last year (when there were well over 25) and had to noodle into halves or thirds to lighten up enough to get on the foot of the splitter. There were also two more of the solid knot variety that I noodled into 8X8 bricks. I have cut more than my share of wood over a lifetime and this tree is probably the hardest I've encountered. Using my old Pioneer (100 +/- cc) with a 30" bar I have to touch up the chain after every two noodling cuts.
Sounds familiar. You seems to have the right attitude about the process. The thought of having to repeatedly sharpen the chain is one reason why I'd rather not reply too much on the saw. I'd hoped that the wedges would be more effective. Sometime this week I'm going to make a few saw cuts and go again with the wedges. As needed noodle them down to thirds or quarters to begin pounds with the Fiskars X27. Based on the weight, I'd have to think these splits have some pretty good BTU storage. Will burn in 2018-2019.
jaoneill
Feeling the Heat
Two years ago I had one that was about the size of your's and I noodled the entire 35+ foot butt log worth of 2' rounds with one sharpening midway through. That tree wasn't 200' from this one, but nowhere near as hard, or quite as big. I'm only 5'8" but rounds from this old girl are chest high!
I can rent a logsplitter here for $90 including delivery. Check craigslist. We would all prefer not to pay to process wood.
Rare Blaze Color
New Member
ripping a lot of dry maple is brave work for an old chainsaw, hope you can file as much as you cut!
Rare Blaze Color
New Member
how old was the tree? healthy? it gets hard to count rings when the middle is hollow...
I second this recommendation to rent a splitter. My general rule of thumb is if I whack a round 3 times and make no meaningful progress it goes into the pile destined for a splitter which we rent 1x per year. Typical rental cost is ~$80/day when all said and done plus some gas. Not a bad deal.
The only downside, and reason why I'll eventually buy my own splitter, is that as I've gotten older I've noticed my body takes longer to recover from a 10 hour splitting frenzy. It would be nice to split for a few hours periodically rather than go at it manically for a single, long session to justify the rental cost.
I know I am repeating myself over the last several years, but here it goes...
My opinion is that if you plan on doing this for the long haul with any meaningful amount of wood, then get a splitter. Get one BEFORE you wreck yourself. Its one of the few investments I know that you can use for years and sell it for 80% of its original cost. Its also one of the few tools that will save your shoulders and wrists. A splitter doesn’t make it easy - it makes it easier.
Just one dudes opinion.
ETA: another way to look at it...you can own and use one for years and the depreciation is about equal to 3 or 4 days rental.
My opinion is that if you plan on doing this for the long haul with any meaningful amount of wood, then get a splitter. Get one BEFORE you wreck yourself. Its one of the few investments I know that you can use for years and sell it for 80% of its original cost. Its also one of the few tools that will save your shoulders and wrists. A splitter doesn’t make it easy - it makes it easier.
Just one dudes opinion.
ETA: another way to look at it...you can own and use one for years and the depreciation is about equal to 3 or 4 days rental.
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KindredSpiritzz
Minister of Fire
I have had success scoring rounds like that with the chain saw an inch or two deep then using a wedge and sledge. Once you get them broke in half then you should be able to nibble off chunks with just the wedge
maple1
Minister of Fire
I'm not doing any ripping. In anything. Hard or soft. Don't think I suggested it either - rather the opposite, orient so not ripping but rather noodling.
I'm no pro but the only thing I'd touch that with is a gas powered splitter and a good pair of goggles. Put an ad on Craigslist "old man with a few maple rounds needs to borrow splitter for an hour. Will pay a case of beer, pepsi, heck at this point maybe even hookers. These things are way too tough for my handaxe."
pernox
Burning Hunk
Little too far to tow the splitter over - would have been glad to help if you were out my way. (Hinsdale)
I might recommend waiting until they freeze up real hard and give them another whack if they aren't buried by then. When I hand split, I found that this would help with some of the tough stuff.
OK. Still trying. But now I understand why splitting this sugar maple by hand is a lost cause after it's sat for 2 years. It gets harder with age!.... Pun intended .....LOL
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/splitting-maple.47082/
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/splitting-maple.47082/
Oh yea. I'm done with that maple. At 54 yo I value my time and wrist/arm health so I can play my guitar. Too bad it has to sit and rot where it is. Unsightly. Should have had the tree company haul it away when they took it down. The $175 a cord I pay each year for the 1.5 to 2 cords I burn is money well spent!
I got 5 stitches in my nose and a black eye in April after a 5 pound wedge went flying, wile trying to split some knotted red oak into sizes I could lift onto my splitter.I know I am repeating myself over the last several years, but here it goes...
My opinion is that if you plan on doing this for the long haul with any meaningful amount of wood, then get a splitter. Get one BEFORE you wreck yourself. Its one of the few investments I know that you can use for years and sell it for 80% of its original cost. Its also one of the few tools that will save your shoulders and wrists. A splitter doesn’t make it easy - it makes it easier.
Just one dudes opinion.
ETA: another way to look at it...you can own and use one for years and the depreciation is about equal to 3 or 4 days rental.
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