What was I thinking

[TimJ]

Rented a 26 ton Iron and Oak log splitter for 24 hours and split about 4 cords of oak wood. I had huge oak rounds that had been laying for 5 to 6 years. I got my two sons and we split for about 7 hours. I put the splitter vertical and they man handled these rounds and we got er done. They were too knarly for wedge and maul. They don't look pretty but i will stack it where it lies and come get it in 3 to 4 years.

I'm changing my strategy for the fall and winter months as well. I will not split anything. I will gather wood, and then gather more, and then rent one of these Iron and Oaks for two days and split it all at once.

I thought I read on here that Sassafrass will not rot on the ground. I'm thinking about cutting some saplings down and stacking the oak on this and letting it stay out on the edge of the field where I cut it. Will those sassafrass saplings work ?

 

[ScotO]

yep, that sassafras should be a good 'sticker' wood for laying on the ground, and it will last quite a while because of the safrole in it (not sure but I am pretty sure that helps keep the ol' bugs away). Looks like a nice heap of BTU's, Timmy!

 

[TimJ]

That's one of six big stacks of that stuff .............just got done cutting two 25 foot long straight sassafrass about 3"diameter. Layed them down where I want to make a stack and layed 3 rows already. Put some knarls off to the side. With the splitter I am finally able to actually stack some oak proper. Got all that red elm I cut at the beginning of the week split and stacked. Now I got my wife talking Scotty.............even she knows I got alot of wood.

 

[fox9988]

Do you have a moisture meter? 5-6 years old, I wonder what the MC is.

 

[bogydave]

Sounds like a good plan.
Nice pile of splits.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Rented a 26 ton Iron and Oak log splitter for 24 hours and split about 4 cords of oak wood. I had huge oak rounds that had been laying for 5 to 6 years. I got my two sons and we split for about 7 hours. I put the splitter vertical and they man handled these rounds and we got er done. They were too knarly for wedge and maul. They don't look pretty but i will stack it where it lies and come get it in 3 to 4 years.

I'm changing my strategy for the fall and winter months as well. I will not split anything. I will gather wood, and then gather more, and then rent one of these Iron and Oaks for two days and split it all at once.

I thought I read on here that Sassafrass will not rot on the ground. I'm thinking about cutting some saplings down and stacking the oak on this and letting it stay out on the edge of the field where I cut it. Will those sassafrass saplings work ?

That pile of wood looks good and you should have no problem stacking those. And yes, sassafras will work quite wellunder the oak. We use some sassafras, soft maple, cherry or anything that is handy. Actually the soft maple lasts the least amount of time but we have lots.

What you are proposing to do is exactly what we do. I usually start cutting in December and do the splitting in March or April, depending upon the spring and snow melt.

Good for you for splitting right too. Vertical.

 

[TimJ]

Do you have a moisture meter? 5-6 years old, I wonder what the MC is.

Fox,the oak is heavy and dense and I saw the moisture and the splits were as fresh cut. The elm I had was pretty dry.
I cut a dead oak in the spring that was standing dead for a few years and it did not have near the moisture.
Every tree is different in so many ways