Limbs?

[MoDoug]

I've got several limb cuts lately. This wood is for next year and I'm trying to decide which ones to split or just let season. Is there some kind of yard stick to go by? Will a 4" thick oak limb season ok in a year, a 6" one? I hate to split a 4" log into a 2" piece if it's not necessary. Should I do a partial split to help it dry out faster? Just wondering where most wood burners draw the line.

 

[Jay106n]

For me it depends on the type of wood. A 4” oak limb I would probably pop in half, a maple i would let ride as it is, but I get my pine from a local mill so it’s only 1-3 inches thin to dry out ASAP.

 

[peakbagger]

You can always score the bark lengthwise with the chain saw blade before you buck it up.

 

[MoDoug]

For me it depends on the type of wood. A 4” oak limb I would probably pop in half, a maple i would let ride as it is

I was thinking a 4" limb would be on the limit, appreciate the input!

You can always score the bark lengthwise with the chain saw blade before you buck it up.

Scoring the bark is a good idea, I'll have to give that a try.

 

[johneh]

My rule is if it is bigger than my normal split
it gets split. Limbs tend to dry fast anyway

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Just remember that an unsplit limb will seal the moisture in since the only place it can escape is the sides, and Oak will take long to do that.

 

[ClintonH]

One-hand test: can I lift it from the end with 1 hand? If not, split. Dense species usually need split because, well, the one-hand test.

 

[Mutineer]

I always try to split my oak limbs, on more than one occasion I've had unsplit 3-4" limbs rot due to what the PA Woodsman said- there isn't much area for moisture to excape and oak needs to season longer than others.

 

[mrd1995]

I have been splitting anything over 3", keeps my piles a little more stable. Helps keep everything locked together.

 

[hickoryhoarder]

If I can split a round, I do. If the oak was living, I'd expect three or four years seasoning time on rounds, even smaller ones. I don't measure them, but I think I'm like mrd1995 -- 4" and up I usually split them, though I save some rounds because I like how flames curl around them.

If a limb is dead, it may be ready to burn even same day. Depends how long it was dead.

 

[Deets]

Limbs are more sap wood than heart wood, splitting definitely helps.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

We keep everything down to about wrist size. Anything 3" and under stays whole and bigger pieces get halved.
I set up my 4 way to size my splits for me. If it's small enough it only gets split by the vertical wedge.

 

[MoDoug]

Sometimes, on bigger limbs, I'll crack it open with the splitter to let some air in and moisture out. It can make stacking a little more difficult though. I guess you could do a shallow split, near the edge, that would also accomplish the same thing and leave most of the limb intact. The shallow split could then be used for kindling.

 

[Grizzerbear]

I generally go by the palm method like ClintonH....probably 4" and under goes to the stack unsplit.

 

[MoDoug]

I generally go by the palm method like ClintonH....probably 4" and under goes to the stack unsplit.

I'll have to bear that in mind next time.