Split Osage green or wait?

[Soundchasm]

I've read advice going both ways now. I've got the Homelite electric splitter, and after eight or more cords, I'm pretty amazed by it. I'm hoping that it will get through the straight stuff up to maybe 12" diameter, but I'm sure I'll have to rent something to get through knots or very twisted.

It was an unbelievable free score of Osage, Bitternut Hickory and Beech. They also had Hackberry but I've got two cords c/s/s already.

Turns out my Tacoma with a camper shell will hold over 1/2 cord when it's stuffed. Also in love with my Timben helper springs. I think I had over a ton in the bed. Absolutely no worries. I'll check later to see if I was over the GVWR...

Truckload #1 - the wood is about 4.5'. The 2x4s are 5'.
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Truckload #2 - osage and hickory
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Truckload #3 - beech
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Incredibly nice score from some superb people.

Thanks,
Greg

 

[chvymn99]

Split and let it get seasoning.

 

[mywaynow]

Splits easy. 2nd splitting it. Like the idea used to hold the vertical supports too. Those blocks will have a tough time rolling over with the down force from the pile. Nice idea.

 

[lukem]

It's not going to get noticeably easier to split by waiting...might as well do it now.

 

[TimJ]

that is a nice score.........good deal for you

 

[PapaDave]

It won't really start drying much until split.
Unless you're so far ahead it won't matter, split it now.

 

[Soundchasm]

Excellent! I'll get on it as soon as possible. I've split green cherry and sugar maple with no problems, but that stringy hackberry took all the satisfaction out of the job until it sat covered for a year. Had no problems with green ash and silver maple this year. Osage is new to me, and I'm really stoked (pun intended) about it.

With two stoves I ran through more wood than I dreamed possible last year. I had four cords c/s/s and ran out. Found a guy willing to deliver a cord of dry seasoned wood same day for $175 (going rate around here), and he showed up in a pickup truck with wet, frozen wood. It was 1/2 a cord (I discover after I stack it). I stay on him for two weeks to bring the rest, and my research shows he was a recent guest of the Greene Co Jail. Ugh...

So I decide I'll start checking CL daily for the freebies if I can't pay a fair price for value. I get one silver maple, and then one ash, and I figure if I process them now six months will be enough for this winter. Also have the two cords of hackberry, and they're 24 months now. So I can give this new stuff time.

AND, this score was crazy. I was splitting wood in back, and an unknown couple drove to my house by mistake. They saw I was splitting when we made introductions and got straightened out. They asked if I wanted some wood. Well, sure. She thought maybe the osage would burn too hot and I might not want it!! Hah! I don't know any bow and arrow makers, so it's stove bound.

I felt like I would never be able to repay this favor, and on my last trip over there, she had gotten her mower stuck, and her husband was out of town. We got a strap and got her pulled out safely and she was back in business. My stupid conscience had to finally shut up! ;-)

 

[lukem]

One stick of hedge is worth 2 sticks of cherry...so keep that in mind.

 

[fireview2788]

I just got done splitting .84 cord of hedge. You'll be fine until you hit the knots and then it's gonna get tough. I left some strung together and when I went to stack it I used a hatchet to whack it apart. Worked pretty good for me. Remember, we had a pretty cold winter for our area last year but you never know around here we could end up with two in a row.


fv

 

[Soundchasm]

Half the battle for me has been trying to figure out how to not handle the same piece of wood over and over and over. I've done OK this year, but it took a lot of planning. I think I finally have a system for handling this kind of quantity. Finding that wood rack design from a link on this site was a HUGE help. Got to build the runway before the plane lands.

 

[bogydave]

Nice stack of some good BTU wood.
Split sooner, than later is always a good idea.