Cant split it !
- Thread starter woodking
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
- Status
weatherguy
Minister of Fire
Hornbeams a great wood, didnt realize it was so hard to split since Ive never had any.
Weatherguy
You will know when you get some mall will just bounce off of it fair wood to heat with was used for rollers as it won't split,it will rot
quickly much like birch if on ground in about one year
You will know when you get some mall will just bounce off of it fair wood to heat with was used for rollers as it won't split,it will rot
quickly much like birch if on ground in about one year
Manitoulin Maples
Member
That's definitely elm...been splitting lots of this myself recently. Eastern Hophornbeam (common name Ironwood) is also very tough to split but it has flaky strip like bark.
its been dring for a little while now, still won't split.
I will i.d. trees near it and likeit this summer,with leaves, then i'll get to the bottom of this
!
I will i.d. trees near it and likeit this summer,with leaves, then i'll get to the bottom of this
!
Manitoulin Maples
Member
Beat me too it. Doesn't have the coloration for hornbeam. Bark and split screams elm.
chuckie5fingers
Member
My best guess w/o a pic would be beech.
If you can post a pic., that would help.
good luck,
chuck
chuckie5fingers
Member
Sorry guys, posted before I saw the pic. I was splitting a bunch of that today and as soon as I saw the pic. I thought elm too. I had this sorry piece that the splitter just mangled, just crushed it. ( a little 5 ton task force at that LOL)
Realstone
Lord of Fire
weatherguy
Minister of Fire
Mr A
Minister of Fire
No.
Nothing makes this stuff split easy. There are trees that are easier than others, but if you get a bugger - it stays a bugger.
Seriously . . . Why are you making kindling out off such difficult to split wood? 6"????
BURN IT ! !
BURN IT ! !
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
Around here beech either tends to have smooth, gray bark . . . although it often has pock-like marks that look like the tree has acne.
The winner is gum! Of course, I didn't take pix. I took a ride to the spot i was cutting this past winter, found the patch of trees on the ridge, and took a branch with leaves home.
Using one of the tree id links from this site, it was easy to id with the leaf.
To clarify the branch situation, they grow at a 90 Deg. angle mostly. The leaves are smooth, not jagged like elm.
I think the main winter id problem was the tree was pretty young.
As for splitting, I try to split all rounds over 4". It really helps in drying, and with red oak, locust being what i usually split, its easy.
This gum was tough, and still wont split several months later!
I will just burn it!
Using one of the tree id links from this site, it was easy to id with the leaf.
To clarify the branch situation, they grow at a 90 Deg. angle mostly. The leaves are smooth, not jagged like elm.
I think the main winter id problem was the tree was pretty young.
As for splitting, I try to split all rounds over 4". It really helps in drying, and with red oak, locust being what i usually split, its easy.
This gum was tough, and still wont split several months later!
I will just burn it!
Woody Stover
Minister of Fire
Case closed! Thanks for getting back to this one. 
With the leaves, ID is easy.
We've got some Sweetgum around here but I haven't processed any yet. I thought I read here that it splits better when it's dry. From what you're saying, if I ever get any I will probably let the rounds sit a couple of years and then hit 'em with hydraulics! Or maybe I will just run the other way!
With the leaves, ID is easy.We've got some Sweetgum around here but I haven't processed any yet. I thought I read here that it splits better when it's dry. From what you're saying, if I ever get any I will probably let the rounds sit a couple of years and then hit 'em with hydraulics! Or maybe I will just run the other way!
Well, it was free. You know the deal! Just like the nice elm limb down the street from me, I'm not smart enough to stay away!
Wood Duck
Minister of Fire
Any tree with lots of small branches tends to be hard to split, and Black Gum is hard in the first place. A Black gum with lots of small branches is a perfect storm of bad splitting. I made kindling out of whatever rounds split really easily. No sense trying to make gum or elm into kindling, stick with a nice straight piece of soft maple, pine, spruce, or almost anything provided it is straight grained.
- Status
