Nothing like splitting nice straight red oak!

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rdust

rdust

Minister of Fire
Feb 9, 2009
4,604
Michigan
Today I started splitting some red oak I scored a while back. After splitting yard trees lately I almost forgot how nice it is to split some straight grained red oak, the stuff splits like a dream. I didn't get into the 30"+ rounds today, if I have time to get after them tomorrow those should produce some nice blocks.

Here are a couple pictures of some 6-7 inches blocks. I don't like splitting oak much bigger since I'd like to be able to burn it before I die. ;lol
 

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I bet that was/is fun ;)
Will be some great overnighters in a few years.
Great for cross stack row ends :)
 
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I agree. That is when spiltting is really a pleasure and rewarding. I have red oak that is almost 2 years seasoned. Splits are about the same. They have produced some nice secondary burns. Some of the rounds were 30, like yours. Shouldn't be a problem for you. Enjoy
 
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No doubt it's my favorite wood to work with. I haven't split much larger than 30" though. A lot of the stuff I've gathered lately has been like yours, straight and easy.
 
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Beautiful. It splits like you can make perfect lumber out of it.

I have about 10 cord of red oak split since December/January, still gotta wait 2 years.
Although I did split a piece yesterday and it was 24-26% mc.
That was just one piece and off the top of the stack. Who knows what its like in the middle of the pile!
 
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I have a love/hate relationship with oak, love how it splits, hate how long it takes to season, love the way it burns...
Split some pretty large oak rounds taken down by Sandy in the last couple of weeks using nothing more than Fiskars x25
 
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Oak is a dream Just c/s/s a cord plus with my x25.....at times I was using one had and busting nice square blocks off the big rounds...made for a beautiful stack. 2 years from now it will be sweet!
 
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Ah, the joys of oak. I too have always loved the way it splits. You can almost make lumber using the hydraulics.
 
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After bludgeoning through several nasty red maple crotch sections with wedge & sledge, I love to reward myself with some of the 20" straight oak rounds I picked up in September that fly apart on one whack of the x27. A feral "YAWWWWP" is always appropriate. No, I do not flex after the oak. Well, maybe once in a while...;)
 
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Split some more of it yesterday, as Dennis said you can almost make lumber using the hydraulics. I even split a couple by hand with my cheap no name splitting axe just for "fun". I can't remember the last time I did that. ::-)
 
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I split some very good red oak this year and have split alot of good white oak, but the big rounds I am dealing with now do what they want to do.
 
I whack those with a Fiskars, just because.

I don't get many tall, straight ones, either. I seem to have no problem getting hold of four footers out of the middle of a farm field or back yard. You know, the ones with a straight trunk of about, four feet.
 
You gotta love splitting Red Oak! Makes me feel like a super hero!
 
I love how oak emits a supremely satisfying crunch when it splits. The drier it is, the better the crunch.==c
 
...or sometimes a splash in the face when it splits.
 
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