Wood splitting question

[bogydave]

I've read on here of some folks re-splitting wood before taking it inside to burn.
My buddy does that but from all the info I've read, here & sites I googled,
that it seasons better if split small, so if you are going to burn it small,
shouldn't you split it small or to the size you are going to use, when you stack it to season?
Is there any advantage to re-splitting before bringing it in to burn?

 

[quads]

I've read on here of some folks re-splitting wood before taking it inside to burn.
My buddy does that but from all the info I've read, here & sites I googled,
that it seasons better if split small, so if you are going to burn it small,
shouldn't you split it small or to the size you are going to use, when you stack it to season?
Is there any advantage to re-splitting before bringing it in to burn?

That's the way I do it, split it the first time to the size I want it for the stove and then never touch it again until I burn it. I can't thinik of any advantage to leaving it large, only to have to split it again anyway.

 

[devinsdad]

I had my log length delivered late last winter before I knew what stove I was going to buy. I split some small and some large for overnighter chunks. Now I find that I don't need the large chunks to last the night as I can fit more wood in the stove if I split em down. Then I can pack it in tight and go to work /bed with out worrying about having coals

 

[devinsdad]

P.S. This new load is gonna get split once .

 

[wood spliter]

I split it to the size I use. Some gets split big and some small. I use the smaller to get the fire going in the morning and when we come home from work.

 

[jebatty]

I find that green wood usually splits easier than seasoned wood, so split to the size you want the first time. In addition, why handle handle the axe/splitter twice when once will do? Everything possible to reduce handling time.

 

[SolarAndWood]

A lot of the resplitting comments are from folks that buy wood.

 

[twitch]

A lot of the resplitting comments are from folks that buy wood.

I agree, this year I had to buy a couple of cords and they were much larger splits than my boiler likes, so I ended up having to split most if it again. When I cut and split from my property, I split it once to the size I need.

 

[firefighterjake]

The only time I may split some wood in the woodshed is when the wood was a bit on the large side . . . probably because I was getting tired or lazy and didn't split the wood as small as I like to the first time around.

 

[gzecc]

Probably 70% of my wood is used for overnight burns. I get a lot of solar heating (if the sun is out) and its above 25 degrees during the day. I make most of my splits big for overnight burns. If its cloudy, rainy, or snowy I then need some smaller splits. I leave most of my locust and ash big. If I need to slim down before bring into the house, its not a big deal.

 

[smokinj]

I've read on here of some folks re-splitting wood before taking it inside to burn.
My buddy does that but from all the info I've read, here & sites I googled,
that it seasons better if split small, so if you are going to burn it small,
shouldn't you split it small or to the size you are going to use, when you stack it to season?
Is there any advantage to re-splitting before bringing it in to burn?

some wood is to big to move without splitting so if your cutting other than on your own place the fastest way is how you move it.
So when it comes time to use it there going to be some bigger chunks in there that still needs splitt.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

The only time I may split some wood in the woodshed is when the wood was a bit on the large side . . . probably because I was getting tired or lazy and didn't split the wood as small as I like to the first time around.

Or maybe Jake was tipping a bottle at the time of splitting....

 

[PapaDave]

When we first started burning, some of the stuff we had from previous owners and what we got c/s/d was a little too big. We resplit about 1/4 of that stuff, but that was before it got stacked. Since I do all the processing now, and am ahead of the game a little, I split some a little bigger than I would have before to use for longer burns.
However, I do sometimes split a few of the larger pieces before they come in the house just to check the MC. Nice to know how well they've dried.

 

[Wood Duck]

If I am trying to split a set amount of wood (e.g. I want to finish that stack over there today) I find that the splits get larger as I get more tired or start running out of time. This might mean some resplitting later, I guess.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I've read on here of some folks re-splitting wood before taking it inside to burn.
My buddy does that but from all the info I've read, here & sites I googled,
that it seasons better if split small, so if you are going to burn it small,
shouldn't you split it small or to the size you are going to use, when you stack it to season?
Is there any advantage to re-splitting before bringing it in to burn?

Perhaps you are referring to people who have wood that isn't quite seasoned-some times they'll split it smaller and put it inside near the stove in hopes to dry it out a little more.

Plan ahead-don't get caught in that position if possible....

 

[CrawfordCentury]

I had about 3 dozen fully seasoned oak rounds from off-the-ground-deadfall cut in October that got stacked in the barn unsplit. Just wanted to get it in before snow flew. Had to shunt them aside as I came acrosst them in the pile in favor of appropriate sized pieces. Took a few minutes one afternoon and split them to size. That is about the extent of my splitting of wood intended for the current season.

I do occasionally leave a few splits on the larger size for overnight burning. Come Marh and April, I usually have an excess of these and they get split further. Figure that I can always split later, but once split, they don't go back together too easy.

 

[maplewood]

Cut once, Split once, stack once.
Season.
Move once, burn once, nap near stove.
Remove ashes.
Repeat process.

 

[gyrfalcon]

The only time I may split some wood in the woodshed is when the wood was a bit on the large side . . . probably because I was getting tired or lazy and didn't split the wood as small as I like to the first time around.

Bingo.

Since I'm a single non-testosterone person doing it by hand, it's a lot of effort and a lot of time to split down to the right size for my stove and stack a cord of wood, especially since I have no good level place on my property and have to stack really carefully or it all comes down again. So rather than leave it all on the ground for too long, I'll end up stacking some of it without further splitting.

Besides, I welcome the physical work involved in doing a little splitting in the winter-- most days.

 

[fossil]

I burn in two stoves, one of which is considerably larger than the other. I split for the large stove, because I don't want to mess with having two separate wood supplies. Quite often, during the season, I'll pull a few splits from the stack and resplit them for the smaller stove. No big deal, I can do this under roof in the corner of my shed. Rick

 

[leftyscott]

I've read on here of some folks re-splitting wood before taking it inside to burn.
My buddy does that but from all the info I've read, here & sites I googled,
that it seasons better if split small, so if you are going to burn it small,
shouldn't you split it small or to the size you are going to use, when you stack it to season?
Is there any advantage to re-splitting before bringing it in to burn?

Perhaps you are referring to people who have wood that isn't quite seasoned-some times they'll split it smaller and put it inside near the stove in hopes to dry it out a little more.

Plan ahead-don't get caught in that position if possible....

Guilty as charged.... All of a sudden, I'm having trouble finding wood 25% and less in the pile. Most of my wood is measuring 27% and up. Causing me mix in the less seasoned smaller pieces withh the good stuff once a good blaze is established.

 

[firefighterjake]

The only time I may split some wood in the woodshed is when the wood was a bit on the large side . . . probably because I was getting tired or lazy and didn't split the wood as small as I like to the first time around.

Or maybe Jake was tipping a bottle at the time of splitting....

Nah . . . I never drink or swig down any Nyquil while operating heavy machinery . . . I'd end up accidentally splitting off a finger or two . . . and I'm ungainly and klutzy enough without adding alcohol to the mix.

 

[ChillyGator]

I've read on here of some folks re-splitting wood before taking it inside to burn.
My buddy does that but from all the info I've read, here & sites I googled,
that it seasons better if split small, so if you are going to burn it small,
shouldn't you split it small or to the size you are going to use, when you stack it to season?
Is there any advantage to re-splitting before bringing it in to burn?

Perhaps you are referring to people who have wood that isn't quite seasoned-some times they'll split it smaller and put it inside near the stove in hopes to dry it out a little more.

Plan ahead-don't get caught in that position if possible....

Guilty as charged.... All of a sudden, I'm having trouble finding wood 25% and less in the pile. Most of my wood is measuring 27% and up. Causing me mix in the less seasoned smaller pieces withh the good stuff once a good blaze is established.

It's the Bane of the first year burner...... hh: