Worst splitting wood

For me its was this spruce tree in my mother- in- laws front yard . Three days of noodling,machine splitting,and some swearing spike in the middle of the trunk .

Don't try to split that beech through the heart else it is twice as hard to split. Splitting from the outside in works much better.

Thanks Dennis! I'll try your method on what's left.

After American/White Elm that's either green,standing dead but still has all its bark,spiral or interlocked grain,growing in the open - I'd say large old gnarly twisted Apple crotches/stump pieces (Not much left around here since most orchards started switching to dwarf trees some years ago),Honey Locust/Mulberry knotty or twisted,large old Eastern Red Cedar (its usually VERY knotty,makes a good splitting stump,great for woodturning also),occasionally some extra string Shagbark or spiral grain White Oak..Read the bark that'll show the grain direction.I've heard Ironwood/HopHornbeam is extra stubborn,I've only seen 2 pieces growing around here big enough that needed splitting,it spirals a lot also.

For me it would def have to be Gum...when that stuff gets a little dry forget it.

Box Elder. Stringy, smelly, all around a pain. They're considered a invasive species in this area. It's an ongoing task keeping them at bay with cutting and spraying. For all the work, I do get to watch it burn in the end.

That's the same method I used on the bigger cottonwood rounds.

Just split my first elm ever, my vote goes to Elm.

zap

That holds on most large rounds. Too many inexperienced hand splitters waste their time trying to split through the middle. Whittle away at it from the outside in. It's rarely that difficult, if you know what you're doing.

Just as importantly, if you're hand splitting, pay attention to how you buck your rounds! If there's a knot, cut on the knot. Avoid putting knots or elbows in the middle of a split at all costs. Split from the clean end, toward the knot, crotch, or elbow.

As someone already said, hand splitting is more about technique than strength. I probably put 1/10th the effort into it I did when I was new at it.

So true. It does not require massive strength, or monster tools.

Split both Elm and Gum......Gum is by far the worst thing I ever split....That being said my Huskee will still blow right through it.

I don't think you need to wittle most rounds from the outside in...........if you have some tuff stuff then yes

Agreed, usually I take a few swings in the center, if it doesn't budge I rotate it 90degrees and give a few pops again. Still nothing I flip it end over end and try again. After that I start at the edges.

My father in-law offered to buy a splitter for me..I turned him down. I love the work out it gives me....but of course I only use a cord or so a year.

Damn! That's nasty stuff.

Most of the wood I cut isn't too hard unless there's an exceptionally knotty piece. I had some hemlock last year with twisted grain that was probably the hardest splitting I've ever experienced.

Ok maybe this is a dumb question. Besides the species, I read here where and how it grows also will "twist" the grain. I would expect a solo tree exposed to a lot of wind have twisted grain? I would imagine a tree bending and bowing through other trees for light would also?

Hmmm, I take it that isn't a good comparison? Although if you put the apple in the pigs mouth, it would also be flying right?

So I take it the grain isn't a big concern with the one searching for sunlight?

And rightfully so! Good job figuring that out.

Sycamore can be really tough sometimes, almost like elm.

Love this board -
came upon a potential scrounge today of a bunch of big bucked rounds that have been laying in a yard for a week. Got out of car, started to walk to house rehearsing my wood scrounge rap, looking at an easy 2 truckfulls of ....
oh, %*&$#@ - that's gum.
Got back in car - don't have hydros yet.

I have found fresh cut Gum will split pretty easy, you run into problems when you let the rounds sit for a while and dry out then try to split it.

I've got a nice pile of sycamore waiting to be split. I guess that will get done on splitter rental day.