question on dry trees and splitting

[Rugar]

The trees I'm cutting are Osage Orange (hedge). They were dozed over six or seven years ago. The wood is perfect shape and very dry (splintery all the way through). Is splitting as necessaray as with wet wood and what size splits can I get by with. A little info on hedge is that it probably isn't what you guys are used to. To compare I believe Oak per cord is 24.5 million btu per cord and hedge is 32 million btu per cord. That info might be concidered green wood but dosen't matter. Hedge is much hotter and will burn up compleatly in a campfire allong with any glass or metel someone trough in the fire.

It's killing me to split it. An eight lb maul richoches off it several times before I can even make a crack. I'm installing an EKO 25. Currious if it fits in the door am I ok.

Thanks

 

[ikessky]

You could keep it in rounds and throw it in with splits of a different wood. Aren't rounds good for overnight/extended burns?

 

[branchburner]

Sounds like great stuff - if it has been down that long and is truly dry, I see no need to split it. Reasons to split:
- to season/dry
- to fit the stove
- to burn faster
If none apply, give it a try.

 

[Rugar]

Thanks guys. I thought that wood had to be split to make a gassification boiler work correctly. Leaving them big is a major plus for me.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Some gasifiers suggest using rounds rather than splits, IIRC. Rounds burns slower than splits of the same wood, so they may suggest it to extend the burn and keep the unit from idling.

I have osage scraps downstairs that I'll use for tool handles, etc, and burn the splinters. The wood is probably at about 6% moisture. I banged them together last night- sounded like teak. Friggin unbelievable stuff.

 

[bayshorecs]

Unless you have a big splitter, split hedge green or not at all for me!

Once it is dry, it is hard as a rock and will trash a blade trying to cut to size.

 

[caber]

think of it as exercise. A good challenge. Man versus wood. You can hear it laughing at you as your maul just bounces off it.