How do you split giant rounds into quarters?

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Maplewoodie

New Member
Jan 2, 2012
9
Maplewood NJ
Hello Forum!!!!

I have been lurking and learning for over a year and I have absorbed an enormous amount from everyone, so let me start with a big thank you!!

Now I have a question that I have not seen addressed: on the Monday after Christmas my neighbor two doors down had a standing dead maple taken down. Based on what I learned from this forum, I stopped to chat with the tree guys when I took my dog for a walk and asked what he was going to do with the wood. Not only did he say he would be happy to give me that tree, but he swung open the truck and showed me a large oak they had worked on earlier that day. My first score!!! I am new to splitting, but had 'practiced' on some downed trees from our October storm, maple and oak, but they were small, probably only about a foot across at the biggest, so they were just a whack and split. But with the maple rounds three feet across, I could not manage to quarter them. I am hoping you can give me some splitting pointers (manual only - I have found that I like splitting with a maul and have no interest in using a big splitter). I have the needed wedges and even when and bought one of those triangular 'bomb' wedges hoping I could bust them with that, but my arms gave out before the wood did. I ended up 'nibbling' around the edges to split them, which worked OK, but I want to get those nice quarters that I see you guys posting pictures of.

Oh, this has become important because today, the Monday after New Years, a neighbor on the other side had a 150 year old oak taken down. Again, took Ollie for a walk and chatted up the tree service, and wouldn't you know he dropped most of the wood on my front yard today! My guess is that I have about 4 cords between the two scores. I am looking forward to next Monday to see which of my neighbors is taking another tree down!!! LOL!!! If I luck out again, I should be all set for next year!

Any pointers or suggestions are appreciated.

Steven
 
I start a hit on the far side, in the middle. Hit a little closer but as on line as possible. Keep coming closer until the end or it cracks. The other two sides are similiar, but now easier. If the wood is really hard you have to do the edges first and work in. The Oak (if red oak) should be pretty easy. some White Oak can be tough. The maple usually seems pretty easy.
 
By hand with an 8# sledge and wedges, trying to split on natural check marks. Really big rounds (3-4ft) we break into 6ths or even 8ths just to make them easier to manage.
 
I cut them with a chain saw in half and cut one more time.
 
Just slab of splits from the outside working your way toward the center. Theres no glory in splitting them down the middle if they don't want to.
 
BeGreen said:
By hand with an 8# sledge and wedges, trying to split on natural check marks. Really big rounds (3-4ft) we break into 6ths or even 8ths just to make them easier to manage.

This is what I would do. Get a couple of wedges and a sledge hammer for those really big or knotty pieces. Check for natural cracks and take your time. And welcome to the forum!
 
If there is an obvious crack or weak area then do like somebody already posted - hit the far side, then a little closer but along the same line, then continue back and forth until it cracks. I am sure I have hit a round 20 times before it split. Generally after the first split the rest are a lot easier. Another method is to chip off some from the outside of the round and work you way in. You have to adjust to the individual round you're working on, but generally almost all wood can be split by hand.

How long are the rounds? 16 or 18 inchers are a lot easier to split than 22 or 24 inch lengths.
 
Thanks everyone for the quick responses. It sounds like I just have to keep hitting them and I will get the hang of it. To answer Wood Duck, they are about 16 inch rounds, so I guess they will be easier.

Kind of weird, but now that I am looking at four cords of free wood in front of my house (instead of spending $180-240 a cord as I did for this year and last) I am starting to obsess about getting the next free load. I must get control of myself. So far my wife has been supportive, but my kids are giving me grief - pretty safe to say that we have more wood than 99% of the houses in this suburban town - they are saying that I am getting weird.
 
Maplewoodie said:
but my kids are giving me grief - pretty safe to say that we have more wood than 99% of the houses in this suburban town - they are saying that I am getting weird.

You're making a warm home for them and doing physical work while they play around on cell phones, TV and computers....... and you're the weird one LOL
 
I think different species of maple must be vastly different in splitting. Or maybe it's the part of the tree it comes from. My neighbor took down a huge big leaf maple. I got all the limbs which are 4-15" round and green. Maybe about 2 cords worth. Anyhow, anything over 8" I just can't split. I have noodle cut them, tried to drive a wedge, everything I can think of...no luck. They are going to have to sit until spring. A fully sharpened double bit axe will barely even stick in the wood, it's like hitting rubber. Just leaves a mark and bounces right back out. I have never had a problem with oak but this is the 1st maple I have got and it's a pain.
 
Maplewoodie said:
...- they are saying that I am getting weird.

They are jealous. Or maybe they're right and I am jealous.
 
I have no probs with the handsplitting however rent a hydraulic splitter to see how the other side lives. before long you'll be spying craigslist and own one.
 
If they aren't popping in half with the above suggestions, then whittle away from the outside. It's easier to split off smaller chunks- makes sense right?

This is a good workout, good for the environment, and satisfying as hell to do. Tell your kids "This is weird- I have kids that could be doing all this work" :)
 
One other thing I do is if they don't split in a few whacks is flip them over most of the time that works. Read the wood as my dad used to say.
 
I tried hand splitting for a while. About 5 minutes. I can see easy splitting wood but once I got the splitter I just don't see any reason to pick up an axe except to help separate stringy stubborn ones. Once in a while if I have some nice easy stuff I'll split by hand to see how fast it is. It is fast that's for sure but I like the control the splitter gives me.
 
BeGreen said:
By hand with an 8# sledge and wedges, trying to split on natural check marks. Really big rounds (3-4ft) we break into 6ths or even 8ths just to make them easier to manage.
+1
 
i roll them onto the log splitter and let it go on the edges or wait tell it is really cold out if it is elm then hit them with a wedge
 
Maplewoodie said:
Thanks everyone for the quick responses. It sounds like I just have to keep hitting them and I will get the hang of it. To answer Wood Duck, they are about 16 inch rounds, so I guess they will be easier.

Kind of weird, but now that I am looking at four cords of free wood in front of my house (instead of spending $180-240 a cord as I did for this year and last) I am starting to obsess about getting the next free load. I must get control of myself. So far my wife has been supportive, but my kids are giving me grief - pretty safe to say that we have more wood than 99% of the houses in this suburban town - they are saying that I am getting weird.

Welcome to the hoarding club. We meet here everyday. You will start to see wood everywhere. Even in your dreams. You have not completed your first step though. If you have been reading for over a year, you should know the saying by now... Pics or it didn't happen. :)
 
Fifelaker said:
One other thing I do is if they don't split in a few whacks is flip them over most of the time that works. Read the wood as my dad used to say.

I guess I figured out the 'flip-em over' trick myself for a few of the smaller logs, but your comment opens a new question - it is one thing to flip a 12-inch log to avoid a knot (read the wood - I like that line), but quite another just to move some of the monsters, let alone flip them over. Any tips on flipping these things? At my age, my back does not do as much as it once did.
 
I flip them and move them around with the kubota. If i can not get that in there i use one of the claw wood things with a long handle. (I don't know what it is called)
 
Maplewoodie said:
Fifelaker said:
One other thing I do is if they don't split in a few whacks is flip them over most of the time that works. Read the wood as my dad used to say.

I guess I figured out the 'flip-em over' trick myself for a few of the smaller logs, but your comment opens a new question - it is one thing to flip a 12-inch log to avoid a knot (read the wood - I like that line), but quite another just to move some of the monsters, let alone flip them over. Any tips on flipping these things? At my age, my back does not do as much as it once did.

I chainsaw those. It's called noodling because the chips come out like noodles when you cut in that grain direction. Once I have them chainsawed into manageable pieces they get flipped over to the splitter. The axe is lonely.
 
Too much work for me.
 
Welcome fellow Jersey-ite!

You'll find the oak splits like a dream - but that maple is gonna wear you out. If the rounds are too big to flip, use your chainsaw to cut starter grooves and then sledge and wedge crack them. You could also noodle them - if your saw is powerful. I still think about the big maple score I got 2 years ago that was a BEAR to split. Axe and maul would just bounce off the rounds. Wedges would sink and then pop out like a spring. I rented a splitter for $ 60 a day and knocked it out! That's what I'd recommend. It was good wood to burn - after two years.
 
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