I got a great free haul of oak and maple over the weekend. I have over 20 rounds that are anywhere from 3 to 4 foot in diameter, and about 16-18 inches thick The stuff was just cut a couple of days ago so it is very green. I wanted to see what the experts thought my best plan of attack on these pieces would be? I will be doing this all by hand with my splitting maul and wedges. I figured I need to let this dry a little while before I attack it. Thanks in advance.
Splitting Tips for Large Pieces
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The basics- some don't believe it, but sharpen the maul and wedges! I see a big difference in splitting ability with a file-sharp maul.
Take pieces off the sides first. Whittle it down.
Aim for cracks. Personally- if it's not a knotty piece (you knotty log, you)- I'll take a few whacks right down the middle. 3-4 FEET in diameter, however... maybe not. I would try and get a wedge (or an expendible axe) started in a crack, bang it in, then another if needed.
Not that you could pick it up anyhoo- but set it upright on the ground- not a chopping block.
I get better speed with a full roundhouse swing, force all the way through, but make sure that the head is traveling straight down.
Repeat as necessary until you pass out. Drink some water, then do it again. On the thrid try- rent a splittah.
Take pieces off the sides first. Whittle it down.
Aim for cracks. Personally- if it's not a knotty piece (you knotty log, you)- I'll take a few whacks right down the middle. 3-4 FEET in diameter, however... maybe not. I would try and get a wedge (or an expendible axe) started in a crack, bang it in, then another if needed.
Not that you could pick it up anyhoo- but set it upright on the ground- not a chopping block.
I get better speed with a full roundhouse swing, force all the way through, but make sure that the head is traveling straight down.
Repeat as necessary until you pass out. Drink some water, then do it again. On the thrid try- rent a splittah.
Good point- if you can't get a start in one with a maul or wedge- you can cut it with a saw- or at least cut a kerf to put the wedge in.
I just split an oak tree that was 3 ft round. Thats exactly what i did. I cut the first 3 or 4 inches in on the side of the log with my chainsaw (with a 3/8" tooth.) I found it ripped better with the log on its side. Then drive the wedge in on the side and it splits easy.
So you are saying just cut into the side like 4 inches and then start splitting stuff off the log? After that the rest is cake?
For the tough stuff:
Stand with feet apart next to each other, not one in front of the other. When rasing the maul, bring it up over your head, not your shoulder. As the maul comes up over your head, try rising up on the balls of your feet. I've found that last step especially really adds to the power, but might take some practice.
Aim small, miss small.
Stand with feet apart next to each other, not one in front of the other. When rasing the maul, bring it up over your head, not your shoulder. As the maul comes up over your head, try rising up on the balls of your feet. I've found that last step especially really adds to the power, but might take some practice.
Aim small, miss small.
yes, I cut into the side of the log (oak) and then drove the wedges into that. they split easy for me . Now they are more manageable sizes. The rest is still a lot of work but now you can split them conventionally. Its just they are half the size and for me now I could lift them into my hydraulic splitter.
Try not to go down the middle at first. Use the maul to peel away the edges. Do this all the way around, it is often, but not always, far easier than going through the middle.
I think I will fine as long as I can get them split in to. Howeve, my chainsaw is broke and I wasn't planning on fixing it. I think I will try my lcuk with the wedges and chip away. My luck I will get my wedges stuck and have a real mess on my hands.
Read the wood. With the rounds laying flat, look for a tiny crack somewhere in the face. There is almost always one somewhere. Drive a wedge in there. If your chainsaw is out of commision, you may have to start with a small wedge & then work up from there. Where ever you find a cross limb, split vertically in line with the limb, not across it. If you have big crotch sections, go to Home Depot & rent a Makita 6401 saw & rip those suckers.
I'm 60 & only 5'6" & about 150 lbs. Until 3 years ago I split my 6 or 7 cords every year by hand. Now I got lazy & have a splitter. I made a connection & now have logs dumped off in my yard. I can't pick & chose, so some of them are over 4' diameter crotches. I bought one of the HD rental saws rip those big ones down enough to get them to the spitter.
Al
I'm 60 & only 5'6" & about 150 lbs. Until 3 years ago I split my 6 or 7 cords every year by hand. Now I got lazy & have a splitter. I made a connection & now have logs dumped off in my yard. I can't pick & chose, so some of them are over 4' diameter crotches. I bought one of the HD rental saws rip those big ones down enough to get them to the spitter.
Al
I just wanted to suggest the obvious...SWING HARD AND FAST REPEATEDLY. But in all seriousness, I'd try to split them green. I found greens is almost always easier. Good Luck.
Green wood or completely seasoned wood (less than 20% moisture) splits easiest. I would try to get it done right away if it's recently cut down. Once it begins to dry and is in the limbo stage between green and seasoned most species tend to become more "stringey" for lack of a better term. I've found that with partly seasoned wood the stick will tend to break open initially, but then it's difficult to break completely apart with the strands still holding.
Only other time wood splits easier is when you have frozen green wood. That pops right apart with very little "stringeyness". I'm guessing you won't want to wait for nature to take it's course and the wood to freeze solid.
Only other time wood splits easier is when you have frozen green wood. That pops right apart with very little "stringeyness". I'm guessing you won't want to wait for nature to take it's course and the wood to freeze solid.
Depending on how difficult the rounds are to split I may just wait until winter and let them freeze and then try to crack them open. I won't be using this wood until next year anyway. I figure I will give one a try with wedges and see how difficult or easy it is. I took about 5 swings at it the other day to see what I was in for and realize I have my work in stored for me.
Yeah back in the bronze age I split big pieces like that by hand (for 3 years)...so do what Adios P advised.
AP "I get better speed with a full roundhouse swing, force all the way through, but make sure that the head is traveling straight down."
...that's the key think all the way threw not just hitting hitting what your aiming for... hand splitting has a lot of karate zen like things going on. When you reach the point of impact bend your knees and go down with it.
AP "I get better speed with a full roundhouse swing, force all the way through, but make sure that the head is traveling straight down."
...that's the key think all the way threw not just hitting hitting what your aiming for... hand splitting has a lot of karate zen like things going on. When you reach the point of impact bend your knees and go down with it.
Use the splitting maul, it will serve you well. Look for the natural cracks in the wood, and follow them with your swing. If you think of the crack in the wood, the maul and yourself as one, then most of the time you won`t miss. It is like the bow and arrow, = target, arrow, bow, and the person shooting it is one.
It is the distractions that are potentially dangerous. Keep the distractions away and you will be surprised how powerful your maul can become. and how accurate. This is not horse(*&6;, it truly works. I have never used a splitter and find no need to do so now even at the sweet age of 62. :cheese:
It is the distractions that are potentially dangerous. Keep the distractions away and you will be surprised how powerful your maul can become. and how accurate. This is not horse(*&6;, it truly works. I have never used a splitter and find no need to do so now even at the sweet age of 62. :cheese:
Would this work! Take a circular power saw and set it to its deepest depth them cut right across the middle then try spitting with a wedge in that cut.
I used a maul for the first time the other day. The first hit made a dent, and the second hit landed exactly in the dent. I have no idea how that happened, but apparently you're correctsonnyinbc said:
When using wedges it's very important to have at least two so you can get the stuck one(s) out. Also, ear muff type hearing protectors are really good as the metal on metal impact is quite loud.
Those wedges are easy to lose too. I don't know if it's just me, but if I open my eyes wider at the moment of contact I am more accurate (though I have split for a while now).
Jeez, get a wood splitter that you can flip to operate vertically. Yeah, you gotta put gas in it, and it makes noise, but hydraulics can be a wonderful thing when used properly and with discretion. You wanna be Robo-Splitter, or do you just wanna get the damned wood processed? Rick
Well I spilt one of the pieces last night with just wedges and a maul. It was a pretty good task but I got it accomplished. The only thing is when I get to the center of the piece I am having a heck of a time getting it split. I am thinking maybe of just leaving them as big pieces for overnight burns.
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