Wood chopping tips
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Simonkenton
Minister of Fire
If you are going to cut them in half anyway, cut them in half before you split them.
As mentioned, easier when frozen. As also stated, slices off the sides.
I used to get wood cut 16 - 18". I last asked my tree guy to cut 14 - 16". I also cut my last trees 14 - 16".
The shorter pieces split a lot easier than you would think for just going down a couple of inches.
I used to get wood cut 16 - 18". I last asked my tree guy to cut 14 - 16". I also cut my last trees 14 - 16".
The shorter pieces split a lot easier than you would think for just going down a couple of inches.
Caw
Minister of Fire
Very valid point on shorties splitting easier. However....my OCD cannot handle the "wasted" airspace in the stove with a 14" log. I load EW and my stove takes up to 17.5" logs. I try to cut between 16-17" for that reason.
A lot of good advice here. Definitely work in from the edges of wide rounds. Makes a huge difference! I found hand-splitting to be a lot easier after purchasing a four-sided grenade wedge. Find a split to work the point into and get it in there tightly. A half inch should be plenty. Then have at it with the flat side of your maul. You'll have that round split in no time.
Also, if there is or was a crotch in the round, it's 90% easier to split from the bottom of the round than the top. In other words, orient the round in the opposite direction than it would have been oriented when the tree was growing.
Also, if there is or was a crotch in the round, it's 90% easier to split from the bottom of the round than the top. In other words, orient the round in the opposite direction than it would have been oriented when the tree was growing.
hickoryhoarder
Minister of Fire
Rounds from low on the tree are usually tough for me. Rounds from branches or high up usually go pretty well. 20" is tougher than say 16".
I don't work long on a piece. If two hits don't take me deep into the wood, I set it aside, try it 6 months later.
Those big rounds from the bottom are usually the only thing this old and small guy with bad elbows has trouble with. The key with a maul is use the weight of the tool. I don't use a lot of arm power. And hit it right where you think it needs to be hit, usually in the center. It's about aim and moving straight down through the wood.
I find it easier to split after 6-12 months seasoning. And in cooler weather.
If it's not twisted, black cherry is the easiest. Ash is also easy, as is tulip poplar. Maple a little harder. Red oak a little tougher than maple. White oak tougher than red. Chestnut oak a little tougher, about like beech. Hickory is stringy, but if you power down through the round, it goes. Elm -- I look for a friend who wants to learn to split wood, LOL.
There's a small tree called ironwood, blue beech, or musclewood. It fits that last description if you see it in the woods. One of my goals is to never find out what it's like to split it.
I don't work long on a piece. If two hits don't take me deep into the wood, I set it aside, try it 6 months later.
Those big rounds from the bottom are usually the only thing this old and small guy with bad elbows has trouble with. The key with a maul is use the weight of the tool. I don't use a lot of arm power. And hit it right where you think it needs to be hit, usually in the center. It's about aim and moving straight down through the wood.
I find it easier to split after 6-12 months seasoning. And in cooler weather.
If it's not twisted, black cherry is the easiest. Ash is also easy, as is tulip poplar. Maple a little harder. Red oak a little tougher than maple. White oak tougher than red. Chestnut oak a little tougher, about like beech. Hickory is stringy, but if you power down through the round, it goes. Elm -- I look for a friend who wants to learn to split wood, LOL.
There's a small tree called ironwood, blue beech, or musclewood. It fits that last description if you see it in the woods. One of my goals is to never find out what it's like to split it.
I usually just use an electric chop saw to shorten up the pieces. Obviously cant use it on stumps.
That makes sense. I've got a tree guy coming in the next few days to take down some big half dead Norway Maples, I'll ask him to cut the rounds to 12". The TN10 is so tiny it only takes about 12-13" pieces [.8cubic foot firebox]. I was worried my shed is only about 200sf and a bigger stove would be too much. Was going to go with a VC Aspen [love the looks] but redesigned for epa with no manual controls. At first i thought it was me but some pieces i can split completely with 4-5 hacks where others take more than i can count.
This is the issue for me. I won't give up and spend over an hour on one piece. Bought 2 wedges they definitely help. I got pushed into retirement, i really should get a job.
I don't work around first; I knock off a 8" long 2-3" wide slab from one side, then (if no knots), I can fairly easily split the rest of the (20" dia) round perpendicular to the newly exposed plane. That gives me a first square corner, and I work from that, either into squares or pizza slices.
Maul, splitting axe, 2 wedges. Wear gloves with the latter; the heads will mushroom after a day of whacking, and that will result in metal cutting you. And a chainsaw if all else fails.
I do like to get volume from no-crotch wood, but man, big crotches are behave well in the stove: long, hot fires. So I don't ever let those lay. All wood burns, and crotch wood makes me warmer - both in splitting and in burning.
Maul, splitting axe, 2 wedges. Wear gloves with the latter; the heads will mushroom after a day of whacking, and that will result in metal cutting you. And a chainsaw if all else fails.
I do like to get volume from no-crotch wood, but man, big crotches are behave well in the stove: long, hot fires. So I don't ever let those lay. All wood burns, and crotch wood makes me warmer - both in splitting and in burning.
Probably a dumb question but with a tall piece that won't split easily do you ever turn it on it's side and try to split it on the bark side? I tried it but didn't seem to work.
Yes. Even did so with crotches. iF I can keep it in place... (so it doesn't roll over)
Crack it with a splitting axe, use the wedge for the rest.
Thanks for the reply. I tried it with a few pieces but i wasn't getting good cuts in a normal position either so it was probably just tough wood. I'll try a few tomorrow.
I'm doing this to kill time [forced retirement] and for the exercise [won't go back to gym anytime soon]. I'll probably lose interest at some point but the learning curve so far keeps it interesting.
I also do it for the exercise. Fun swinging a maul and hitting round of wood. 
I'm doing less than an cord-and-a-half annually.
I'm doing less than an cord-and-a-half annually.
I like it to, it seems like stretching and lifting exercise combined. Plus when my wife complains im not helping her around the house i say when was the last time you helped me splitting wood.I also do it for the exercise. Fun swinging a maul and hitting round of wood.
I'm doing less than an cord-and-a-half annually.
Riteway
Burning Hunk
I'm not giving up my Fiskars unless you pry it from my cold, dead hands! ha ha
But seriously...as a guy who spends most of the work day sitting at a desk, splitting wood is pretty much my primary method of exercise these days. I don't plan on getting a splitter until I'm well north of 50 years old.
Hey man...let's keep this forum family-friendly...
You must be a young pup...lol...I felt the same way at one time until I started burning full time...then it wasnt so much fun anymore...a splitter is a blessing for this old man...
Caw
Minister of Fire
I do both. I try to split everything I can by hand but sometimes the rounds start piling up and I need to make a big dent so I'll borrow the neighbors or rent a splitter for a day.
With a 3 man team I can absolutely fly on the splitter. I'll operate it N/S oriented while I sit on a round. One person brings me rounds the other stacks. Can zoom thru multiple cords a day easily.
However, there's nothing more satisfying than splitting by hand. Especially when beer is involved...something you can't do with the splitter if you value your fingers. I enjoy the exercise too. I'm only 36 so I hopefully have many more good splitting gears ahead of me. Just some nagging old sports injuries to deal with.
With a 3 man team I can absolutely fly on the splitter. I'll operate it N/S oriented while I sit on a round. One person brings me rounds the other stacks. Can zoom thru multiple cords a day easily.
However, there's nothing more satisfying than splitting by hand. Especially when beer is involved...something you can't do with the splitter if you value your fingers. I enjoy the exercise too. I'm only 36 so I hopefully have many more good splitting gears ahead of me. Just some nagging old sports injuries to deal with.
I split a little by hand once in a while for fun, but almost all is done by hydraulics now. It’s the bending over 5,000 tomes when sitting by hand that’s maddening to me. I can use a pickeroon with the splitter and not really bend over at all.
mpaul
Feeling the Heat
Yes i find the constant bending over is worse than swinging the maul. I'll try to find a pickeroon on my next shopping trip.
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