How do you handle / split the big rounds?
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The big Red Oak that started my whole wood burning hobby was near 4ft at the base. It was way too big to take down safely myself. A pro tree company cut it for me, and they did a great job. They cut the base section of trunk into 8-12in 'cookies'. These were very heavy. It was all I could do to get some of those up on edge and roll 'em. At first, I used wedges and a 'grenade' type as well. Hit 'em with 8 and 10 pound sledges. They eventually split into more manageable quarters. Then I picked 'em off with an 8lb maul. But it was sure a big relief when the neighbor got hold of a loaner 20 ton hydraulic splitter, vertical type. What a big difference that made! It was still making me sore, just to drag all those heavy quarters onto the splitter plate.
I'm still burning that one Oak tree, and I'm well into my 3rd season now (2nd full season). If I were still splitting by hand, I swear I'd still be splitting pieces of that Oak.
There was probably a good 3-4 cords of wood in that one tree, probably 1/3 to 1/2 of the total of what I have burned each year since then. I love Red Oak!
I'm still burning that one Oak tree, and I'm well into my 3rd season now (2nd full season). If I were still splitting by hand, I swear I'd still be splitting pieces of that Oak.
There was probably a good 3-4 cords of wood in that one tree, probably 1/3 to 1/2 of the total of what I have burned each year since then. I love Red Oak!
Cluttermagnet said:
I have done a 44 in. red oak I swear even when you get it down to small splits there still heavy!
Jags said:
And a big additional cost! But, dollar bills will do a lot..... I'd rather do it without all that spending too. ;-)
So Friday I cut down a 36" diameter thorny locust. Buck it into 20" or so lengths, then ... if it was Backwoods Salvage, you'd pick each up and put them in the truck to haul them home? I like my back too much and not too interested in a hernia, so I noodled them. It does waste wood, but if I am by myself, it is the best option. Just saying, it's not always ridiculous or unnecessary. If someones has a splitter that does not go vertical, they'd need to noodle them too. I guess if I had my splitting maul with me I could of split them, but I only take an axe out when I am cutting, to do some trimming, do not have all the splitting gear.
Backwoods Savage said:
Not so! If you were Backwoods Savage (not Salvage) you would not have had to lift that thing into your truck at all as you would have already been home. However, if this Backwoods Savage would have been away from home with a truck, he also would have taken a 2 x 10 plank and simply rolled that 20" locust into the truck. If he could not have done it just using his hands, he always has his cant hook with him which makes that task child's play.
I have meant absolutely no offense by my posts about this even though I do sort of jab at a few guys in a playful way but I do most times like to think that people will learn a bit by most of my posts. You see, I have a terrible back my self and have already had 3 surgeries plus terrible scoliosis due to my childhood when I had polio. So I do have to be easy on my back and that is why I try to do things the easy way.....even if it means making my wife do some of the work. ;-)
I have meant absolutely no offense by my posts about this even though I do sort of jab at a few guys in a playful way but I do most times like to think that people will learn a bit by most of my posts. You see, I have a terrible back my self and have already had 3 surgeries plus terrible scoliosis due to my childhood when I had polio. So I do have to be easy on my back and that is why I try to do things the easy way.....even if it means making my wife do some of the work. ;-)
I have never actually seen anybody do the noodling thing with a chainsaw, nor had I ever heard of it until reading here. I watched a show on PBS about noodling once, but it was some guys catching catfish by sticking their hand in it's mouth. Everybody I know either splits wood with a maul and/or takes the maul with them to where they are cutting, or a few use hydraulic splitters and pull the splitter to where they are cutting.
Not saying there's anything wrong with using your chainsaw to 'split' a round, especially if it isn't my saw you're using!
Not saying there's anything wrong with using your chainsaw to 'split' a round, especially if it isn't my saw you're using!
A variation on noodling is to just cut part way into the round and then set wedges into the kerf and pound away.
Aside from noodling up some dry dead wood in the bush to make a fire, I only noodle really bad crotch pieces that just are not worth the effort to beat on or that would otherwise split into very odd shaped chunks. I don't get rounds that are too big for my splitter to handle.
Aside from noodling up some dry dead wood in the bush to make a fire, I only noodle really bad crotch pieces that just are not worth the effort to beat on or that would otherwise split into very odd shaped chunks. I don't get rounds that are too big for my splitter to handle.
Noodling is a new term for me also and I have been burning wood for over 30 years, what exactly does that mean?
Oldspark, that is cutting in the opposite way as you normally do. Sit a block as if you were going to split it and instead of splitting with a wedge or axe, cut down through it with the saw. That way you don't get sawdust, you end up with junk that looks like noodles. I like quad's answer.
That's what I thought but was not sure, works pretty good if you have a sharp saw.Backwoods Savage said:
Actually, you lay the round down on its side with the bark up and the chain runs with the grain, not across it.Backwoods Savage said:
LLigetfa said:
I usually just run through the top and let the horse's run..just fills safer to me.
I have found that it goes much faster when you go in from the side, than if you go in from the top.
Ive had a few 4' + rounds and i use a skid steer mounted splitter to 1/4 them for loading , but if one of the giants make it home to the splitter whole , i will cut 4 notches in them and role the splitter to the round and split the round in the saw notch.
I have a mtd 27 ton unit but it wont split a large round in one shot .
The skid steer will split any thing , but all the equipment is not always where you need it , when you need it .
My equipment is frozen in the snow at 3 different jobs now .
I mite be able to get to the trailer soon . John
I have a mtd 27 ton unit but it wont split a large round in one shot .
The skid steer will split any thing , but all the equipment is not always where you need it , when you need it .
My equipment is frozen in the snow at 3 different jobs now .
I mite be able to get to the trailer soon . John
Sorry about misspelling your name - you can misspell mine if you want, dumba** comes to mind. :cheese: I didn't take any offense, and I hope I didn't offend either.
Really, you'd rather roll it up a board than noodle it? I don't have a cant hook, so not sure how that would work.
I cut in a forest that I drive through a corn field to get to. To get there, I put my kubota on a trailer, take it to the field (about 5 miles away), unload it, drive it back through the muddy corn field, and cut the wood, load it in the kubota, drive back out to the truck, load it in the truck, go back and do it again. If I took the truck in the field, it would be there buried in mud until summer.
Sorry to hear about your back, I kinda know your pain, mine did the little self adjustment last week (I actually felt the disks move), and is still sore, so the less I pick up, the better.
My wife hides when I go out to cut wood, afraid I will ask her to come along and help. For some reason, I waited until all 3 boys moved out until I started to burn wood - that was dumb.
So we are back to the OP's issue, I handle big rounds by noodling, it just works best for me.
Really, you'd rather roll it up a board than noodle it? I don't have a cant hook, so not sure how that would work.
I cut in a forest that I drive through a corn field to get to. To get there, I put my kubota on a trailer, take it to the field (about 5 miles away), unload it, drive it back through the muddy corn field, and cut the wood, load it in the kubota, drive back out to the truck, load it in the truck, go back and do it again. If I took the truck in the field, it would be there buried in mud until summer.
Sorry to hear about your back, I kinda know your pain, mine did the little self adjustment last week (I actually felt the disks move), and is still sore, so the less I pick up, the better.
My wife hides when I go out to cut wood, afraid I will ask her to come along and help. For some reason, I waited until all 3 boys moved out until I started to burn wood - that was dumb.
So we are back to the OP's issue, I handle big rounds by noodling, it just works best for me.
Backwoods Savage said:
Backwoods Savage said:
$49 HF 1500# winch
$16 for two pillow block bearings.
$2 for welding rod.
~$5 for scrap steel
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$72 for my log lift.
Yeah - I gotz that kinda cash. :coolsmile:
I remember a well known selfbow maker commenting on splitting large diameter osage logs (72" long... This, my friends is getting near worst case scenario)- he said to use a wedge and sledge. Beat on it until you pass out. When you wake up- start beating again.
what I like to do is get that sucker up on its side, then hold it steady with my right foot and my left hand, and use the saw with my right hand being all careful to watch out for my left hand's thumb.wendell said:
(seriously, that's a joke, i don't even want to hear about it)
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