Branched Pieces for Splitting

[eric-holmes]

What do yall do with pieces like these? Just burn them whole? Toss them?

 

[DougA]

I put the lower part in the splitter facing the wedge and hope it will split. If it doesn't, I toss it into the brush dump or wait 3+ yrs for it to dry.

 

[eric-holmes]

I'm splitting by hand.

 

[DougA]

The other option is to set it aside and rent/borrow a big splitter every few years. That's what I do for all the stuff my little electric can't handle.
It will dry eventually, just needs much longer.

 

[CincyBurner]

Pitch uglies and shorts in the center of the holz miete (holz hausen [sic]), or in crate of uglies
Noodle pile
Save for the summer fire pit

 

[BenTN]

Turn it upside down and whack it. That's what I do. If it's a smaller crotch 8-10" usually no probs, but bigger rounds/knots are tougher. I split all my wood by hand and several crotches like these.

 

[TheAardvark]

Noodle it. Stack it with the rest of the wood.

 

[Oldman47]

I try, and often succeed, by splitting at an angle that splits not only the main part of the round but the next bigger side branch all in one pass. In your pic I would align my Fiskars to strike as if I was going after that branch on the top left but to also hit in the middle of the round itself. I hope this makes sense since it is hard for me to describe what I mean.
What ends up happening is the round and the knot formed by that side branch split all at once. After that, if I need a smaller split, I just split away the main round to half of what is left.

 

[jb6l6gc]

I use an electric splitter. Split about 20 that looked like that today. Started on the big section and kept working at it
Following the grains. They weren't easy but got them all!

 

[eric-holmes]

Noodle it?

 

[TheAardvark]

Noodle it?

Noodling is using the chainsaw to cut with the grain instead of against the grain like normal. Instead of making wood chips the saw makes wood "noodles". It's a way to get knotty pieces into manageable sizes without whacking at it a ton of times.

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[tigeroak]

Get you saw out and cut the branches off to make a split and stack it. Then get a wedge and split it that way . If it don't want to split turn it upside down and split it that way. Then if It don't split then it goes into a pile to be noodled. I haven't found anything that will not split or noodled as of yet. Get a crouch turn upside down splits just about every time. I also split everything by hand.

 

[Longstreet]

Noodle it?

"Split" it with your chainsaw. Cut with the grain from end to end so you end up with splits the same size as what you normally split to.

Edit: Didnt see the prior two post. Listen to them.

 

[eric-holmes]

I was always told that cutting with the grain, or noodling, is really rough in the chainsaw and chain. True?

 

[jeffesonm]

leave it in the woods

 

[LocustPocust]

What I do with pieces like that is lay it down on the ground and cut down the center of it CAREFULLY. "Noodling" a smaller piece like that is one of the more dangerous things you can do with a chainsaw.

I normally cut about half way through, and make a deeper cut on the top (make sure you're not sawing into the ground!). Then I put the piece on my splitting block and give it a wack. If it doesn't split that way, lay it down on the splitting block and give it a wack. Those knotty pieces are a PITA but they do burn good.

I was always told that cutting with the grain, or noodling, is really rough in the chainsaw and chain. True?

I've been told that as well but I've never had any problems. I suppose if you noodle often it would wear your bar and chain quicker than normal because you've got the entire bar inside the wood and it doesn't disperse heat, verses cutting through a log.

 

[D9H]

Not sure what kind of axe you're using. Before I got my 27 ton, this is what I would do with ugly pieces like that:

Use an axe that has one flat side like a sledgehammer. Then, swing at log like normal, hoping to split it but knowing it probably not gonna happen.
With axe stuck in wood, swing the whole thing around over top of your dominant shoulder and bring down on your block as hard as you can on the flat side of axe.

Just make sure the axe is stuck real good in wood and axe head pretty secure to the handle or you'll get a hell of a heacache.

 

[Wood Duck]

I think I could split that, and I'd do it the way Oldman describes. I'd split either from top or bottom, depending which way the round will stand on end. I'd strike at an angle so that the plane along which I am splitting would pass through the two larger branches. This will yield two Y shaped splits. If it had only two branches I am sure it would split. The third, smaller branch might cause a problem. Give it a try and see. Most two-branch Ys split pretty easily, but the more complex crotches can sometimes be so hard to split it isn't worth it.

 

[Bad LP]

My uglies get tossed aside and burned in the pit. This usually ends up resulting in a batch of bean hole beans.

 

[Riff]

I split by hand. For something like that I have a couple of cone shaped splitting wedges with a pointy end and a 10lb maul. Usually can at least get the larger trunk piece to split in half. Noodling is also an option.

 

[JHD]

As the above said, if you're really trying to limit creosote buildup, I would just set these in a separate pile to dry much longer, if a hydraulic splitter isn't an option. If you burn only seasoned wood 99% of the time, throwing one of these in the fire occasionally won't hurt. It'll burn slow, that's for sure.

 

[JHD]

To add to this, with any tough piece, i just sink my maul as deep as possible with one swing, then I have a small 4 lb sledge hammer that I'll smack the blunt end of the mail with while its stuck in the wood. This almost always splits thru, even if you have to peel it apart a bit.
Also when I come to this part of a tree while cutting, I try to cut it straight as possible with the chainsaw, even if I have to cut the piece shorter or longer than usual. Good luck with the knotty stuff!

 

[saskwoodburner]

Another option is to think ahead while cutting, and cut inline with the log, and let the branched pieces have an ugly end. I'd rather spend an extra 15 seconds on a saw than a minute on an axe. I'm lazy like that. Something about handlebars sticking out like that makes them real hard to split.

 

[claydogg84]

The solution is easy. Either buy a splitter, or don't bring those ugly pieces of wood home.

 

[gerry100]

Noodling will work. ( can't see how it hurts saw)

or depending on the dimensions make another bucking cut so that either piece will fit in the stove door.

May have to dry a little longer than a split