Wet Red Elm

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byQ

byQ

Minister of Fire
May 12, 2013
529
Idaho
My second trailer load. This stuff pooped me out. The guy hurt his back and was going to quit splitting wood for at least a year. Now I can see why. He had 10 cords of mixed woods dumped by a tree service friend. My choices,

* Recently cut wet red elm (6 cords)
* some sort of semi-dry fir/pine (1/2 cord)
* Plum & Apple dry (1/2 cord)
* Poplar & Cottonwood semi-dry(1.5 cord)
* Miscellaneous - (1.5 cord) ash, willow, aspen, few more

red elm 001.JPG red elm 002.JPG
I went right for the elm (like a fool?). I filled the trailer twice. Man this wood was heavy. There were two 10 foot trunks in the 48" range - no thanks. Even still, I had to bust some of the smaller stuff with wedges and a sledge. The first day I had enough energy to fill the pickup.

First, I went for the ash - I had to wedge 2 or 3 big rounds down. By this time I was tired so I grabbed the plum and some small pieces of pine to finish the truck bed off. The second day I just filled the trailer. I should have grabbed the apple but it required work before loading, and I was too pooped after wrestling with those big bad rounds.
 
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So now comes the new hydro splitter
Tell the boss it's a must have ::-)
 
johneh said:
So now comes the new hydro splitter
Tell the boss it's a must have ::-)
Click to expand...

I have a 22-ton dirty hands splitter that goes vertical. The poor homeowner had a large homemade log splitter that can only be used horizontally. I'm sure he was glad to see the red elm being taken. I guess red elm/slippery elm isn't as bad as the other elms to split. But even still if I didn't have a splitter I might have chosen one of the other fire woods. The firewood choices aren't as good here (Southern Idaho) as most other areas so red elm is a top wood. I've had more trouble splitting knotty ash than I have had with wet elm.
 
byQ said:
My second trailer load. This stuff pooped me out. The guy hurt his back and was going to quit splitting wood for at least a year. Now I can see why. He had 10 cords of mixed woods dumped by a tree service friend. My choices,

* Recently cut wet red elm (6 cords)
* some sort of semi-dry fir/pine (1/2 cord)
* Plum & Apple dry (1/2 cord)
* Poplar & Cottonwood semi-dry(1.5 cord)
* Miscellaneous - (1.5 cord) ash, willow, aspen, few more

View attachment 177585 View attachment 177586
I went right for the elm (like a fool?). I filled the trailer twice. Man this wood was heavy. There were two 10 foot trunks in the 48" range - no thanks. Even still, I had to bust some of the smaller stuff with wedges and a sledge. The first day I had enough energy to fill the pickup.

First, I went for the ash - I had to wedge 2 or 3 big rounds down. By this time I was tired so I grabbed the plum and some small pieces of pine to finish the truck bed off. The second day I just filled the trailer. I should have grabbed the apple but it required work before loading, and I was too pooped after wrestling with those big bad rounds.
Click to expand...

Must have cost at least:
3 heating pads
3 ice packs
1 12 pack
1 bottle IBP
1 new splitter for that elm.

bob
 
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Nice score. I would have taken the elm too. It all ends up split one way or another, have fun.
 
Starter slot with the chain saw couple wacks with a sledge and wedges big rounds become smaller, could noodle them down but that makes a huge mess.
 
blades said:
Starter slot with the chain saw couple wacks with a sledge and wedges big rounds become smaller, could noodle them down but that makes a huge mess.
Click to expand...

If I ask, the homeowner would call his friend (the tree service guy) back to cut the 20 feet of 48" trunks of wet red elm into rounds. Let's see at 18" per round - 20' = 240", 240"/18" = 13 or 14 big rounds.

I have 5 steel wedges, and one wide steel wedge. I don't think 6 wedges would be enough. I'm sure I would get them all stuck (I have before on elm). I think I would need at least 10 wedges. And that would be a lot of swinging.
 
I didn't think Red Elm got all that big before Dutch Elm Disease killed 'em. Biggest one I've got here is the 19-incher that recently fell. Most are 12" or less.
 
Woody Stover said:
I didn't think Red Elm got all that big before Dutch Elm Disease killed 'em. Biggest one I've got here is the 19-incher that recently fell. Most are 12" or less.
Click to expand...

They cut down these big (48" trunks) red elm when they were alive - must have been clearing a site in town. The only way they are getting that big around here (mountain desert) is if someone is watering them. Dutch elm disease is here but must not be as bad.

I've ran some of it through the 22-ton splitter. The big rounds will split vertically but it can be slow going right at first. And there is usually little strings between the 2 split pieces. There is none of that splitting where the splitter goes in 2 inches and the wood splits apart - I have to run the wedge the whole distance.
 
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