Cleaning the floor

[TimJ]

Went into the woods for about an hour with the intent to clean up hickory branches. With the size of some of the hickory I have, the branches can make up a truck load in a hurry. Nothing could have deviated me off this except for the fact that I ran into yet another petrified red oak. That is 4 of them in the last few weeks. This tree must have been down for 10+ years. There was very little punk on the smaller pieces and the rest of it was bone dry.

 

[thewoodlands]

Looks like a nice load of firewood TimJ, did you split the red oak yet?

zap

 

[TimJ]

Zap, I must have 15 cords of oak cut but not split. I split some white oak over the weekend and it was hard just getting through 4 rounds. I've got a single row about 50 feet long so far and havn't even put a dent in the wood I have cut waiting to split.

 

[thewoodlands]

The white oak I split Sunday split much easier than the red oak, is that normal.

zap

 

[TimJ]

I've had good luck with both. The red splits alot straighter to me. The white oak splits where it wants to

 

[bogydave]

Hickory & oak.
Don't get much better than that.

Might be time to rent a splitter & get caught up.
But with 15 cords CSS, you don't need to be in a big hurry.

 

[CageMaster]

I LOVE splitting oak, smells great, I find that it splits a lil straighter the colder out it is...usually do most of mine in the winter.

 

[steeltowninwv]

usually red oak splits like a dream...white oak can be a little more stringier but still splits nicely....ive got 2 large white oaks down and mostly cut up except for the butt logs....some already split..it was pretty stringy im dreading splitting the butt logs there is nothing straight about them.

 

[FireBones]

Nice looking haul there! I split some oak ( not sure what exact variety ) a week ago and wow it does smell nice. It was dry so the maul made short work of it.....

 

[Wood Duck]

The white oak I split Sunday split much easier than the red oak, is that normal.

zap

No, I think generally Red Oak is easier to split than White Oak. Of course a nice straight White will be easier than a crooked, branchy Red.

 

[swagler85]

The pin oak I have is little of both. The smaller rounds split great but the Main trunk is a beast and tough to split. The wedge bounced out of it after I got it started. Beat on it for a while then decided the splitter will do just fine.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I have no problem splitting either red or white oak but yes, white can be stringy. Both make excellent firewood.

 

[Thistle]

The white oak I split Sunday split much easier than the red oak, is that normal.

zap

Not for me usually.White Oak is a lot tougher,can be quite stringy,even straight grained knot free logs.Still better than any American/White Elm I've split over the past 3 decades....Only time that's even remotely 'easy' is long dead w/o bark & large lengthwise cracks.Frozen is much easier also.

 

[husky345 vermont resolute]

i love to burn elm thistle. it burns like crazy with good heat

 

[Gark]

To find such an old deadfall in the nearby woods still intact would be unusual here. oaks laying down get punky on the outside in two years and the ash trees down for two are often punky halfway through or worse. Nice catch, Tim.

 

[TimJ]

Zap, went out and split the red oak. Took all of 20 minutes. First round shows the already checking..........this wood was dry. Second picture shows the round split to show how red will split clean with one wack. All pieces took one wack except for a few stubborn ones with knots that took three. I'll take red oak to split over white. However anything knotty is going to be tough no matter who has the maul in his hands.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

To find such an old deadfall in the nearby woods still intact would be unusual here. oaks laying down get punky on the outside in two years and the ash trees down for two are often punky halfway through or worse. Nice catch, Tim.

Gark, that is really odd. We've had ash laying in wet areas with water covering for a couple months at a time then laying in the mud. We've gotten many after 4-5 years and no punk at all.

 

[Thistle]

Gark, that is really odd. We've had ash laying in wet areas with water covering for a couple months at a time then laying in the mud. We've gotten many after 4-5 years and no punk at all.

Same here.Sapwood on any of the Oaks will be gone in 2-3 yrs sometimes,especially in a lower hillside or wet area.But the heart of Red/Black is normally good,with usually several pinholes or small pockets of grubs/ants after 6-8 yrs.Especially if its upright or off the ground somewhat.I've cut some White/Bur Oak with hearts like hard coal that had to be dead/down 10 or 15 yrs easily.Some of that found in the past 2 weeks.

 

[thewoodlands]

Zap, went out and split the red oak. Took all of 20 minutes. First round shows the already checking..........this wood was dry. Second picture shows the round split to show how red will split clean with one wack. All pieces took one wack except for a few stubborn ones with knots that took three. I'll take red oak to split over white. However anything knotty is going to be tough no matter who has the maul in his hands.

My first impression splitting Oak is just the opposite, maybe I can order a load of White & Red Oak just to confirm it!

zap

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I can picture it now zap. What the heck, you do have room for it... Can you tell us what your wife would think of that idea?

 

[thewoodlands]

I can picture it now zap. What the heck, you do have room for it... Can you tell us what your wife would think of that idea?

At first she would think I'm nuts, but in 3 years she would be lovin it.
zap

 

[Backwoods Savage]

That's great zap.