Branched Pieces for Splitting

[heavy hammer]

Maul and some wedges you will get it split. If you are concerned about cutting with a saw and being hard on it get a loop of mill chain for your bar length will go through it no problem. Remember hit anything hard and long enough it will split just depends of the amount of time and effort you want to put forth on something like that. I have been always been told those pieces are some of your best firewood, the grain is the tightest where all those branches grow off and twist up and out. Swing away

 

[D9H]

I have been always been told those pieces are some of your best firewood, the grain is the tightest where all those branches grow off and twist up and out.

I like the ugly, gnarly pieces. They're my favorites and get the most honorable places in my stacks.

 

[Applesister]

Thats your best firewood, like someone said. That piece can be split in half. The limbs grow out from the center of the stem. All the branches are on one side, the other side is clean. Split off the clean. You can go further, but as long as it fits thru the stove door opening.
Dont toss it.

 

[Longstreet]

I was always told that cutting with the grain, or noodling, is really rough in the chainsaw and chain. True?

@Ashful

He's kind of a large tree specialist. Lot's of rounds/logs too large for most people to handle. Lot's of noodling them down to size to move, he might be able to give you an answer on how hard it is on your saws and chains.

 

[Oldman47]

Noodling is not hard on a chain but rip cutting is. When noodling your chain cuts like a chisel that is following the grain of the wood so it is easy cutting for the chain. When you rotate the saw to do a rip cut from an end you are going straight across the end of the grain. Try that angle with a hand chisel and you will know why ripping is hard on a chain.

 

[Fred Wright]

Oh those things make for some god-awful ugly splits. If they'll split at all. I agree with the suggestion of noodling, especially large diameter ones. Smaller forks and crotches can be mangled into pieces with a hydro splitter.

For my part I wouldn't leave 'em behind. Crotch wood is more dense than the rest of the tree. It burns hotter and lasts longer in your wood burner.