Ugg... I don't think I'll ever take elm again (I think that's what it is)

[SlyFerret]

I had a major score last year that I'm finally getting around to splitting.

The guy that gave it to me told me that it was maple. Not being an bark expert, and the leaves being gone, I didn't doubt him.

It's a ridiculous amount of wood. The trunk of this thing was 3-4' in diameter at the base. As I've started splitting... I'm finding it incredibly frustrating. The grain in this stuff goes every which way. Even the straight pieces have to be torn apart instead of actually splitting. Thank god my dad finished building my splitter. There's no way I could ever do this by hand.

As difficult as it is to split, it's going to stack even worse, since every split is oddly shaped.

Does this sound like Elm? or does it sound like I have some other type of wood?

-SF

 

[smokinj]

My Dad always said it will be a cold day in hell when you get that elm split....It was, running low on wood and temps very low swinging at that stuff.

 

[Jags]

Sure as heck sounds like elm to me. Pics of a split would help with a positive ID.

 

[oldspark]

Quit whinning and just split the wood, get er done. :lol:

 

[oldspark]

yep its crap to split but not that bad of wood, i avoid it if I can.

 

[Dune]

Split the elm in February, just let the splitter warm up for a while first.

 

[SlyFerret]

Split the elm in February, just let the splitter warm up for a while first.

I'll keep that in mind for the future. Once I get all this stuff split and stacked, I'll be far enough ahead that I can skip splitting in the summer completely.

I'll post pics later. I want to show off my splitter anyway!

-SF

 

[peakbagger]

I have run into several people over the years that had the choice of freezing or splitting elm by hand when they were growing up. Most of the them moved south or made darn sure that they would never heat with wood again!.

The end of the Dutch Elm disease epidemic in Maine lined up with the original oil embago, the local dumps were full of elm. More than a few enterpeneurs hauled it out the dump and sold it cut to length (but not split). My friends father built a two speed 35 ton splitter just in case he ran into elm.

 

[op_man1]

The other thing about elm - once dry, don't ever stack it without using gloves, unless you REALLY like splinters. I am currently relocating my stack into the wood shed and made the mistake of handling it without gloves yesterday. Result: I still have three splinters left to remove.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Sure enough sounds like elm. The splitting is why we wait to cut the tree after all the bark has fallen off. Then most of it splits fairly easy. Cut it green though and it is an awful mess.

 

[mike1234]

Elm is worse, but the huge maple I am splitting now (sounds similar to yours) is really a mess too. It stinks when it's wet, and much of it "rips" instead of splits.

 

[Jeff S]

Some pictures would be nice,it is possible to have a different type of wood that is as difficult to split,I have even run into some Ash that was twisted and difficult.What throws me off is the size of the tree you describe,while it is possible a 3 - 4' tree is rare for an Elm these days.

 

[firefighterjake]

I had a major score last year that I'm finally getting around to splitting.

The guy that gave it to me told me that it was maple. Not being an bark expert, and the leaves being gone, I didn't doubt him.

It's a ridiculous amount of wood. The trunk of this thing was 3-4' in diameter at the base. As I've started splitting... I'm finding it incredibly frustrating. The grain in this stuff goes every which way. Even the straight pieces have to be torn apart instead of actually splitting. Thank god my dad finished building my splitter. There's no way I could ever do this by hand.

As difficult as it is to split, it's going to stack even worse, since every split is oddly shaped.

Does this sound like Elm? or does it sound like I have some other type of wood?

-SF

While I've run across other wood that can sometimes be a bugger . . . sometimes it really depends on the individual tree and its growing conditions . . . the one constant is that fresh-cut elm can be miserable to split . . . I wouldn't even dream of attempting to split it by hand since even splitting it with a splitter sometimes results in some wood that looks as though Lizzie Borden had been going to town on it.

That said . . . I owe a lot to elm . . . thanks to an abundance of standing dead elm on my property (dead to the point of having the bark off it) I was able to heat my first winter with none of the issues many first year burners have when they discover that they cannot cut and split wood in the summer and burn it in the Fall with the EPA stoves . . . and in the process I learned that while fresh cut elm is no fun to split, dry elm splits much easier.

As for stacking . . . sure the wood may not fit into every crack and crevice and look quite as pretty as those nice square, slab or triangular splits . . . but they'll still stack . . . and more important they'll still burn once seasoned . . . and all those fibers running this way and that way . . . well you'll find they ignite rather quickly when you stick it in the firebox.

 

[Flatbedford]

The two times I have "scored" Elm I have stacked it on the curb for somebody else to split. My plan, get far enough ahead that I can be picky and bring home only easy splitting species.

 

[smokinj]

I look at a blue spruce 45-50 ft high and the limbs at the bottom spread atleast 30ft. They told me it was a pine tree I just had to laugh, and run fast.

 

[SlyFerret]

Alright, I finally got some pictures today of the wood I'm splitting.

As you can see, this round was a straight section of the tree, not a knot. This entire tree is like this!!

-SF

 

[SlyFerret]

Two more...

-SF

 

[SlyFerret]

And the last two!

-SF

 

[rdust]

Doesn't look like elm to me, I don't think I've ever seen an elm that big around these parts. Looks like a tree that grew under some tough conditions. I scored a 4' ash from my uncle earlier this year and the wood was a mess like that. A lot of twist and the grain was really compressed, it was a street tree grown in open.

 

[SlyFerret]

My wife snagged some video with my phone today of me running the splitter (this video was splitting maple, not the devil wood in the pictures above). The video quality is pretty crappy, but hey... it was from a phone!!

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

This thing is a hoss!!

-SF

 

[SlyFerret]

The tree was massive. This was the blog post (complete with pics) from when we hauled it home.

(broken link removed)

-SF

 

[Jeff S]

I believe it is Maple just as the person who gave it to you suggested.It appears to have a lot of burl in the wood which is not uncommon for Maple and would certainly make it difficult to split.This would be a dream for someone who turns wooden bowls out on a lathe.

 

[Spikem]

From the experiences I have had with Elm, it surely looks like it to me.

No fun at all to split (it's more like pulverizing it) PLUS you've got to pile it up as it doesn't really stack well.

 

[blades]

Not Elm, Likely silver Maple or similar, Box Elder? both of these get huge in the base and can get real twisted up in side especially Box Elder which I believe is also part of the maple family. From the pics I am going with Box Elder

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Sly, please do not take my comments wrong and I only wish to help and not criticize.

I'm betting with proper technique you could almost double your output or cut your splitting time in half. For one, there will be lots of folks catch on to your stance at the splitter. First you squat and then stand, etc. Get yourself something to sit on and don't stand until you have to move the splitter or move some wood to the splitter. It also appears you are a bit undecided on where to split the log. You'll soon catch on, put the log on and run the ram through it without all the twisting and turning. It also appears part of the problem is that the butt plate of the splitter does not sit on the ground which causes you to have to lift each log. Perhaps you could make something that fits around it so you can just roll the log up onto the butt plate. That saves a lot of work and in the long run will save your back. Perhaps next spring when I get started splitting wood I'll have my wife take a video. If so, then please if you see something that might help me, then by all means, post it! Good luck.