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  1. f3cbboy Feeling the Heat

    joined: Jan 19, 2009
    431 posts
    rockland county, NY
    i am glad i read this thread - i have a pile of this stuff that requires much work to split. My 8 lb maul bounces off but i get it started with a splitting axe and then use the wedges. is it worth leaving this stuff sit for another year in rounds that are bucked about 16" long and anywhere from 12 - 15 " in diameter?? Thanks
    #26

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  2. savageactor7 Minister of Fire

    joined: Jan 25, 2008
    3,698 posts
    CNY
    Loft try and not split down the middle...come in about 3-4" for the outside diameter and work it that way. It's not as neat looking but it works...btw that's the way we work elm by hand up here...that's stringy too.
  3. WOODBUTCHER Minister of Fire

    joined: Mar 1, 2006
    935 posts
    Pomfret, CT
    I'd try to split it while it's frozen, hickory is tuff stuff on a maul and your back.
    When I split it green, I have to run the splitter ram all the way through on just about every chunk.
    I wish it split like red oak.......

    WB
  4. wahoowad Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 19, 2005
    1,207 posts
    Virginia
    2 years later and I am finally burning some of this stuff. It burns really, really good!
  5. rphurley Feeling the Heat

    joined: Nov 5, 2008
    435 posts
    Central/Eastern CT
    Split lots of Hickory. I'm not sure what type but it seems stringy to me. Heavy as heck too, but worth every bit of sweat!
  6. wendell Minister of Fire

    joined: Jan 29, 2008
    2,026 posts
    Madison, WI
    I'm on my last 20 rounds of over 3+ cords of elm (beggars can't be choosers!) and anybody man enough to split it with a maul gets my respect. It's hard enough with a splitter, not to mention time consuming because you have to run the wedge all the way through every split to tear the fibers apart. I didn't realize how easy splitting could be until I got into a few pieces of soft maple. That stuff splits itself just looking at the wedge.

    The only thing I have to help split elm is doing when the temperature is around 0.
  7. f3cbboy Feeling the Heat

    joined: Jan 19, 2009
    431 posts
    rockland county, NY
    I’d try to split it while it’s frozen, hickory is tuff stuff on a maul and your back.
    When I split it green, I have to run the splitter ram all the way through on just about every chunk.
    I wish it split like red oak.......

    WB

    Thanks WB - i got this stuff last summer and it was a bear - i'll try to take care of it now while it is still frozen. I can't believe how much i have come to know about tree id in the last couple of months. thanks again
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