Gnarley Dude......

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

This maple was giving some gnarlies
while splitting, ran past this one......



Anyone have any pictures to share of your own gnarliest gnarlies?.........

 

[claydogg84]

I don't think that one would have made it in my truck

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Ha......I hear ya..... But mine got delivered......

 

[Soundchasm]

This one really had me scratching my head - it wasn't that big but it wouldn't go. I actually keep a small pile indoors of "interesting splits I have known"...

 

[firefighterjake]

Time for Jags to post the infamous elm split . . . c'mon Jags . . . post that bad boy . . . we haven't seen it for a bit . . . love that Elm From Hell.

 

[Jags]

Drum roll please.....


And another one just for fun...

Same split, different angle.

 

[Lyndenbrook Farm]

Drum roll please.....
View attachment 146292

And another one just for fun...
View attachment 146293
Same split, different angle.

"split" is not the right word

 

[Jags]

"split" is not the right word

You could hear every 20 ton splitter in the county collectively shiver until that chunk was destroyed by the beast.

 

[claydogg84]

You could hear every 20 ton splitter in the county collectively shiver until that chunk was destroyed by the beast.

haha.. I can usually tell 1/4 into the round of it's going to end up like that. At that point I throw them on the side and use them as tarp hold downs. I've been fortunate enough to not need to gather any elm in at least a year now.

 

[CenterTree]

^ I'd be afraid to rest a split like that on a tarp.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip!

 

[BobUrban]

two words... Fire Pit!! I get a random nasty now and then and use it to roast marshmallows

 

[firefighterjake]

That's the one . . . my time here on hearth.com today is now officially complete. I don't need to read another thread and I can die happy . . . although I would rather keep reading threads and not die today . . . just getting that out there for the record.

 

[Jags]

I believe that I speak for the masses....we would rather you not die today as well.

 

[xman23]

Jags your the man!! That's funny, I hadn't seen that picture. You weren't quitting till it came apart.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

I believe that I speak for the masses....we would rather you not die today as well.

Yes, no need for anyone to say RIP.....tonight......

 

[TekHearth]

That elm looks like some dry eucalyptus i tried to split recently.... all twisted up and unhappy about being torn apart. "Fire pit pile" for sure.

Lesson learned on Euc, split it green or don't split it at all!

 

[Jags]

Jags your the man!! That's funny, I hadn't seen that picture. You weren't quitting till it came apart.

True story - years ago I had run into a string of stuff just like that. Was clearing an old field fence row on top of a mild hill. Every tree in that row was a tough sucker. I actually snapped the wedge off of the splitter I had (home made) at the time. That was the justification to build the one in that pic. No more. If it doesn't split it, it will cut it, if it won't cut it will crush it but one way or the other the wood is gonna give it up.

 

[Tom Wallace]

I had some plum wood last spring that was loaded with three and four way crotch pieces. I couldn't split them with axe, maul or splitter due to the odd shape. I ended up carving a notch with a chainsaw on the widest cut side. Then pounded a wedge into the notch to get them apart. Was a lot of work. Not sure how I would have split them without a chainsaw.

 

[Jags]

Not sure how I would have split them without a chainsaw.

Trust me - you put enough hydraulic pressure on them and they will eventually give. My rig is essentially the equivalent of the 34 ton (advertised) units on the market. Those numbers are hogwash but that is another discussion. Point is - if you have enough push - they will give but sometimes they come out UGLY.

 

[Tom Wallace]

Trust me - you put enough hydraulic pressure on them and they will eventually give.

In this case it was more due to the shape of wood rather than the knots/crotches. I have a crappy electric splitter but it just flung them off to the side due to the shape. Maybe a hydraulic wouldn't have that issue since I believe the wedge is larger, as is the piece that forces the wood into the wedge (not sure what the name for that is).

 

[Jags]

Terminology can get a bit fuzzy based off of design. If wedge on beam it us usually called a wedge and ram (cylinder or shuttle). If wedge on ram (cylinder) it can be called a foot (base) and wedge or ram. Most of us will know what you mean.

In a pinch you can call it the pointy thing and the flat thing.

 

[jillybeansisme]

In a pinch you can call it the pointy thing and the flat thing.

That would be me!

 

[brenndatomu]

Drum roll please.....
View attachment 146292

And another one just for fun...
View attachment 146293
Same split, different angle.

Daaang! Insta-kindlin!